Arguably the most influential superhero movie that has come out recently is Ryan Coogler’s Black Panther. With a star-studded cast that includes the late Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Lupita N’yongo, and so many more, this movie swept cinemas in 2018, and changed the way superhero films were viewed by the Academy of Motion Pictures (per Vox). With its sequel, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, coming this November, and the most anticipated Marvel movie since Spider-Man: No Way Home, it is set to make as many waves as the first one, especially being a complete homage to Boseman as the titular hero.
More than being a visually stunning film, using CGI to their advantage, creating a beautiful world, and having fantastic acting performances, the Black Panther soundtrack was one of the most revered upon its release. With Ludwig Goransson creating the score, and songs by rap icon, Kendrick Lamar, the soundtrck brought the movie to life in a new way. From the original songs and ones created for the film to the background sounds of Wakanda, there are many great songs that have awarded the team with a Grammy for the collection. Here are the best songs on the original Black Panther soundtrack, ranked.
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6 “Seasons” — Mozzy, Sjava, REASON
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
A fantastic blend of modern and traditional sounds, “Seasons” by Mozzy, Sjava, and REASON makes number six on this list. With a haunting piano and vocal intro, followed by Sjava rapping in his native South African tongue, this is a beautiful song that pays homage to the setting of Black Panther, with moving lyrics and a strong beat.
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5 “King’s Dead” — Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar, Future, James Blake
Marvel Studios
“King’s Dead” was the second single released from the Black Panther soundtrack and was also released on the album titled Redemption by Jay Rock. It features a fantastic beat, and gains points for being one of the songs that found its footing and fame outside Black Panther. In fact, “King’s Dead” was Jay Rock’s first single on Billboard’s Top 100’s list upon its release. During that year at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, the song also took the award for Best Rap Performance, and was nominated for Best Rap Song as well.
4 “X” — ScHoolboy Q, 2 Chainz, Saudi
“X” plays as Ulysses Klaw enters the hidden Korean casino that T’Challa, Nakia and Okoye are in, in Black Panther. This song has a presence that fits the entrance of the first villain and sets a wonderful precedence for the upcoming battle that begins as hand-to-hand and ends with an epic car chase. It is one of the first full fight scenes we see, and “X” is the perfect revving-up moment in the film.
3 “Black Panther” — Kendrick Lamar
Marvel Studios / Disney
By Kendrick Lamar himself, the creator of the soundtrack, “Black Panther” is, fittingly, the first song on the album. A complete movie piece, with each lyric drawn from the film and a story and tribute to the King of Wakanda himself, this song really shows Lamar’s lyrical style, backed with a similar piano beat that is a constant theme throughout the entire soundtrack. Furthermore, “Black Panther” accomplishes director Ryan Coogler’s desire for the music to have both a modern and renaissance feel to them, merging classic rap techniques and new electronic sounds with the simplicity of a piano and one voice over the backing score. It provides a fantastic end-note, with “I am T’Challa” ending the song and beginning the album with elegance.
2 “All the Stars” — Kendrick Lamar, SZA
The Kendrick Lamar and SZA hit that came on as the credits rolled takes second place on our list. There is something transformative about sitting in a theater after the movie ends, and the credits start the roll and “All the Stars” begins to play. That song slowly brings you back to reality from the world you were just submerged in for the last two hours. A beautiful song, with accompanying stunning visuals as the credits rolled and all the names of the cast and crew scroll. It possesses a different feel than the rest of the Black Panther soundtrack, with a happier and lighter tone before the deep beats that connect it to the rest of the soundtrack drop. “All the Stars,” per Essence, was nominated for Best Original Song at the Academys Awards in 2019.
1 “Pray for Me” — The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar
One of the most recognizable tracks from the album, “Pray for Me” perfectly blends both the score and the use of Lamar’s talents into one piece. It became one of the top-played songs from Black Panther, gaining over 228 million views for the music video accompanying the song. It also quickly became the anthem for the movie, and both The Weeknd and Lamar gained a plethora of attention for the hit. It takes the number one spot on this list because of the way it became the anthem of the character, and the perfect meshing of the score within the track, merging the two soundtracks from the movie.
