Is It Me or Is the ‘F1’ Movie Soundtrack Lackluster?

The ‘F1’ movie soundtrack began gathering major buzz after Apple Music dropped the tracklist earlier this month. With A-Listers like Ed Sheeran, Rosé, Tiesto and even breakout stars such as Tate McRae — the ‘F1’ album might be the most star-studded since ‘Barbie‘! 

However, as a longtime F1 fan, I can’t help but feel movie’s soundtrack feels lacking. The Brad Pitt and Damson Idris-led blockbuster should be capturing the essence of the world’s most popular motorsport. You’ve got the greatest engineering minds alive working together to build the fastest cars on earth! The music should be blistering and adrenaline inducing, not something you hear everyday on a pop radio station… 

The ‘F1’ Movie Soundtrack:

1. Lose My Mind – Don Toliver (feat. Doja Cat) 
2. No Room For A Saint – Dom Dolla (feat. Nathaniel Nicholson)
3. Drive – Ed Sheeran
4. Just Keep Watching – Tate McRae
5. Messy – ROSÉ
6. Don’t Let Me Down – Burna Boy
7. Underdog – Roddy Ricch
8. Grandma Calls The Boy Bad News – RAYE
9. Bad As I Used To Be – Chris Stapleton
10. Baja California – Myke Towers
11. OMG! – Tiësto & Sexyy Red
12. All At Once – Madison Beer
13. D.A.N.C.E – Peggy Gou
14. DOUBLE C – PAWSA
15. Attention – Mr Eazi
16. Give Me Love – Darkoo
17. Gasoline – Obongjayar

Listen to the Album: Apple Music, Spotify

What We Know About The ‘F1’ Movie:

‘F1’ will premiere internationally on June 25th and across America on June 27th, with the album slated for a same day release. After an early screening, Carlos Sainz, ex-Ferrari turned Williams Racing driver, commented the film was very “Hollywood.” His repeated comments have caused speculation amongst fans that the film is not a realistic or technically-accurate depiction of the sport. Instead, it leans more towards the romance-drama-action we’ve come to expect from recent Hollywood blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick. 

A huge aspect of a blockbuster’s success is its international appeal! The filmmakers clearly prioritized showcasing the sport’s global reach by actively representing the many countries and cultures on the F1 calendar through the soundtrack. Surely, K-pop star ROSÉ, R&B queen RAYE, and country singer-songwriter Chris Stapleton each have tracks that complement different grand prix races?

I don’t know about you but “Bad As I Used To Be” screams Austin, Texas to me. Or maybe the diverse genres tie into the rumored romance subplot involving Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley? This would be right up ROSÉ’s alley! Besides, “Messy” sounds like it would be perfect for a scene requiring sizzling tension…

Even by Hollywood action movie standards, the soundtrack should synergize all the action and racing. Shouldn’t it? Many of the artists featured on the highly anticipated ‘F1‘ album seem mismatched despite their personal fame and success. Yes, everybody loves Ed Sheeran; he’s a lyrical genius and basically the king of romantic ballads. Nevertheless, I’m struggling to picture him singing a song thrilling enough to match a V6 Turbo-Hybrid engine…

Is The Music Living Up To The Hype?

Tate McRae’s “Just Keep Watching” was the first track released on the ‘F1‘ soundtrack, ahead of the movie’s premiere. It debuted to a mixed reception. It’s signature Tate — high-energy, polished, and catchy — which likely explains its debut at No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Pop chart. The issue is how one-note the song feels. Rhythmically and dynamically, “Just Keep Watching” falls into the same trap as a lot of today’s pop: flat, repetitive, and overly polished. A looped backing track just can’t mirror the sharp turns, sudden crashes, or bursts of adrenaline when watching an overtake. 

Meanwhile, Don Toliver and Doja Cat’s, “Lose My Mind,” does miles better at capturing the thrill of racing. It’s the perfect song to blast as cars speed past the finish line. And that’s exactly what F1 did at the Canadian Grand Prix! Fans were bopping along during the podium celebration, where George Russell took home the winners trophy ahead of Max Verstappen and his fellow Mercedes teammate, Kimi Antonelli. As far as opening tracks go, Donny and Doja have us all revved up and ready to race—I mean, ready to listen to the ‘F1‘ album.

EDM is easily the most popular music genre in the Formula 1 paddock, which is why I had high hopes for Tiësto’s new track. The party-culture surrounding grand prix victories has allowed F1 drivers to mingle with some of the most famous DJs in the world, including the likes of Kygo, Kaskade, Alesso and Martin Garrix. After watching Tiësto’s closing set at the Miami Grand Prix earlier in May, my hopes were higher than ever. 

With bangers like “Red Lights,” “Jackie Chan,” and “Wasted,” it’s no surprise Atlantic Records tapped him as a headliner for the ‘F1’ movie soundtrack. Tiëto’s latest album is literally called Drive (how perfect is that?). It features hits like “The Motto” with Ava Max and “10:35” with Tate McRae (ironically, a better fit for the film than her own song, in my opinion).

Sonically, “OMG!” delivers pulse-pounding, energy-shifting thrills. The tempo changes hit and the cymbals bring the right attitude to the party, but I can’t help but feel Sexyy Red underdelivers on her half of the track. The vocals, particularly the lack of excitement in the chorus, negate the musical build towards ‘the drop’. Everybody knows an EDM song is only as good as ‘the drop!’

Similarly, Dom Dolla’s “No Room For A Saint,” barely gets out of second gear when it comes to bringing the energy and tension. It’s monotonous and flat. Even the spectacular pre-chorus of ‘aaaaahhhhs’ that build up tension can’t rescue the track. Perhaps Martin Garrix would have been better suited? He’s close friends with McLaren driver Lando Norris as well fellow Dutchman and four-time world champion Max Verstappen.

The Hanz Zimmer Effect:

I haven’t lost all hope by any means, though. There are a handful of EDM crowd-pleasers yet to release their songs; Peggy Gou’s recent Sunburn success across India and PAWSA’s Ibiza appearances bode well for their upcoming dance tracks. And that’s not even taking into account Afrobeats hit-makers Burna Boy and Darkoo, who I’m positive will both bring their A game to the ‘F1’ movie soundtrack.

Moreover, while the tracklist may not deliver as much adrenaline as we hoped, ‘F1’ has been scored by musical legend Hans Zimmer. For those unfamiliar with his work, he’s the genius behind The Dark Knight trilogy, the Kung Fu Panda series, Pirates of the Caribbean, and The Lion King — to name just a few. Undoubtedly, he’s the best. For all we know, the wheel-to-wheel action will be scored to perfection. That would let the pop stars do what they do best: get the soundtrack stuck in everybody’s heads! 

Zimmer has never given movie-goers a reason to doubt his work, and I certainly will not be starting now. Here’s hoping the rest of the ‘F1’ movie soundtrack delivers the hype the way I’m sure the score will!