The Smashing Pumpkins has contributed to the album for Lionsgate’s The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping with their song “Black Stars,” now available to listen to.
The companion album to the latest film in the franchise, based on Suzanne Collins’ books will arrive November 13, one week ahead of the film’s release in theaters November 20.
The band’s frontman Billy Corgan was working on a solo album when The Smashing Pumpkins were invited to contribute an original song to the film. Corgan tapped producer Butch Vig to help pick the song that best fit into the world of Panem during the 50th Hunger Games and second Quarter Quell, in which Haymitch Abernathy (Joseph Zada) competes.
The music video that accompanies the song contains purple smoke, which corresponds to the purple and yellow smoke that fill the arena in the trailers for Sunrise on the Reaping.
“Black Stars” joins Noah Kahan’s “Draw You Out,” the first single announced off the album, which will likely contain songs from other big name artists. Some suspected to be involved are Lizzy McAlpine, Kacey Musgraves, Hozier and more.
The album compilation for the fifth Hunger Games film comes as no surprise to readers, viewers and fans who have kept track of the musical movements in the franchise since the original trilogy of books was published and served as the basis for a quartet of films starring Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth and more.
Taylor Swift wrote “Safe and Sound (feat. Civil Wars)” featured in the first film which came out in 2012 as well as “Eyes Open” for the companion soundtrack. Lorde wrote “Yellow Flicker Beat” for Mockingjay Part 1. Olivia Rodrigo wrote “Can’t Catch Me Now” for The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Coldplay also wrote “Atlas” for Catching Fire.
This post will be updated as the soundtrack continues to roll out. Watch the ‘Black Stars’ music video below.