The soundtrack for Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper’s musical drama A Star Is Born arrived today to accompany the movie’s theatrical release. The film’s leading actors appear on each of the album’s 19 songs, either in solo or duet form. According to Interscope Records, the additional 15 dialogue tracks round out the soundtrack in order to take listeners “on a journey that mirrors the experience of seeing the film.”
“Shallow,” the lead single from the album and film’s emotional centerpiece, has drawn heavy buzz since its first appearance in the movie’s trailer. To write the soundtrack, Gaga and Cooper collaborated with country rockers Lukas Nelson and Jason Isbell, as well as hit-making producers and songwriters including Mark Ronson, Diane Warren, Julia Michaels, Justin Tranter, and Andrew Wyatt.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Cooper revealed that Gaga insisted that they sing and record all the music live. “There’s no singing in playback, which was terrifying, but it’s key to the movie! It makes all the difference,” he explained. “Stefani was adamant about that: she said, ‘We have to record everything live,’ and I’m so glad she did. It’s night and day.”