Challengers (soundtrack)

2024 soundtrack album by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Challengers (Original Score)

Film score by

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Released| April 26, 2024 (2024-04-26)
Genre| Electronic
Length| 40:50
Label| Milan
Producer|

* Trent Reznor
* Atticus Ross

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross film score chronology
| The Killer (Original Score)
(2023)  | Challengers (Original Score)
(2024)  | Queer (Original Score)
(2024)

|
|

Luca Guadagnino film score chronology
| Bones and All (Original Score)
(2022)  | Challengers (Original Score)
(2024)  | Queer (Original Score)
(2024)

|
|

Challengers (Original Score) is the soundtrack album composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for the 2024 film Challengers by Luca Guadagnino. It was digitally released by Milan Records on April 26, 2024, the same day as the film's theatrical release in the United States.

## Production

[edit]

Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross had previously worked with director Luca Guadagnino, scoring Guadagnino's 2022 film Bones and All.[1] Guadagnino approached the pair to score Challengers by sending them an email that read, "Do you want to be on my next film? It's going to be super sexy."[2] Guadagnino wanted "very loud techno music" for the film,[3] taking inspiration from Berlin techno and '90s rave music.[2] The end result was intended to amplify the pace and high-stakes nature of the film.[4]

## Critical reception

[edit]

The score received widespread acclaim from critics. Ty Burr of The Washington Post called the soundtrack "one of [Reznor and Ross's] best to date."[5] Mireia Mullor of Digital Spy called the score "phenomenal",[6] while Robbie Collin of The Telegraph called it "counterintuitively perfect".[7] Max Weiss of Baltimore called the score a "standout", writing, "It's mostly fast-paced electronica, which disrupts and propels the action at unexpected moments. It has a freneticism with fuels the film."[8] The track "Challengers: Match Point" was featured on NPR's list of the 124 Best Songs of 2024, with critic Jacob Ganz calling it a "200 proof shot of adrenaline".[9]

Coleman Spilde of The Daily Beast wrote, "Such euphoric filmmaking is enhanced by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' intoxicating, synth-heavy score, which asserts itself as an indispensable part of the film. In Challengers, the music acts as punctuation, both periods and ellipses."[10] Richard Roeper of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote that the score "[captures] the electric heartbeat of the movie."[11] Tim Grierson of Screen Daily wrote that "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross [concocted] a techno-heavy score that lends the matches a dance-party urgency that is both witty and invigorating."[12]

Maureen Lee Lenker of Entertainment Weekly wrote, "[Reznor and Ross] craft a pulsating, synth-filled composition that ratchets up the tension until it's taut as the strings of a racquet. It's as if the U.S. Open decided to use sonic riffs from Miami Vice as a theme song. The electronic, staccato rhythm mimics the rapid back-and-forth of tennis while also catapulting us into a sound that is inherently sexy in the ways it evokes the hypnotic trance of a dance club."[13]

Liz Shannon Miller of Consequence wrote, "Propelling the on-court action is Reznor and Ross's score, bringing a level of bombast to the sports action that at times threatens to overwhelm the action, without ever actually proving distracting."[14] Angelica Jade Bastién of Vulture wrote that the score "lends the film a tense propulsion that the storytelling itself desperately lacks."[15] Caryn James of BBC wrote, "One of the best surprises turns out to be the soundtrack by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, a propulsive techno score that does a lot of the work to keep the tennis scenes moving."[16]

Valerie Complex of Deadline wrote, "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score, typically a highlight, feels oddly juxtaposed against the film's visual and emotional landscape with its '80s synth-pop elements. At times, it enhances the scenes' emotional depth, but more often it distracts, undermining the subtlety of the performances and the intimacy of certain moments."[17]

Select year-end rankings for Challengers Publication  | List  | Rank  | Ref.

|
|
|

Paste | The 100 Best Albums of 2024  | 74  | [18] |

## Accolades

[edit]

Challengers (Original Score) awards and nominations  Award  | Year[a] | Category  | Recipients  | Result  | Ref.

|
|
|
|
|

Astra Creative Arts Awards | 2024 | Best Original Score  | Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross | Nominated  | [19]
Best Original Song  | "Compress / Repress"  | Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | 2024 | Best Original Score | Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross  | Won  |
Critics' Choice Movie Awards | 2025 | Best Score | Won  | [20]
Best Song | "Compress / Repress"  | Nominated
Golden Globe Awards | 2025 | Best Original Score | Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross  | Won  | [21]
Best Original Song | "Compress / Repress"  | Nominated
Grammy Awards | 2025 | Best Score Soundtrack For Visual Media | Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross  | Nominated  | [22]
Hollywood Music in Media Awards | 2024 | Best Original Score in a Feature Film | Nominated  | [23]
Best Original Song in a Feature Film | "Compress / Repress"  | Nominated
iHeartRadio Music Awards | 2025 | Favorite Soundtrack  | Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross  | Nominated  | [24]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards | 2024 | Best Music Score | Won  |
NAACP Image Awards | 2025 | Outstanding Original Score for TV/Film  | Nominated  | [25]

## Track listing

[edit]

All music is composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, except as noted.

Challengers (Original Score) track listingNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| "Challengers"| 1:25
2.| ""I Know""| 2:18
3.| "Yeah X10"| 2:38
4.| "L'Œuf"| 3:59
5.| "The Signal"| 3:11
6.| "Brutalizer"| 3:01
7.| "Stopper"| 1:42
8.| "Brutalizer 2"| 1:58
9.| "The Points That Matter"| 1:49
10.| "Lullaby"| 0:38
11.| "Final Set"| 3:06
12.| "Pull Over"| 2:48
13.| "Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: A New Year Carol" (composed by Benjamin Britten; performed by Choir of Downside School, Purley, Viola Tunnard, and Britten)| 2:06
14.| "Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: A New Year Carol (Part 2)" (composed by Britten)| 1:14
15.| "Challengers: Match Point"| 5:02
16.| "Compress / Repress" (written by Reznor, Ross, and Luca Guadagnino)| 3:49
Total length:| 40:50

## Personnel

[edit]

* Trent Reznor – composer (tracks 1–12, 15–16), producer (tracks 1–12, 14–16), performer (tracks 1–12, 14–16)
* Atticus Ross – composer (tracks 1–12, 15–16), producer (tracks 1–12, 14–16), performer (tracks 1–12, 14–16)
* Benjamin Britten – composer (tracks 13–14), conductor (track 13)
* Jacob Moreno – engineer (tracks 1–12, 14–16)
* Randy Merrill – mastering (tracks 1–12, 14–16)
* Mariqueen Maandig-Reznor – performer (track 16)

## Charts

[edit]

Chart performance for Challengers (Original Score) Chart (2024)  | Peak
position

|

Scottish Albums (OCC)[26] | 57
UK Dance Albums (OCC)[27] | 6
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[28] | 1
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard)[29] | 8
US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[30] | 17
US Top Dance Albums (Billboard)[31] | 4

## Release history

[edit]

Release history and formats for Challengers (Original Score) Region  | Date  | Format(s)  | Label(s)  | Ref.

|
|
|
|

Various  | April 26, 2024  |

* Digital download
* streaming

| Milan | [32]
Various  | November 1, 2024  | LP | [33]

## Challengers [Mixed]

[edit]

Challengers [Mixed]

Remix album by

Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Boys Noize

Released| April 12, 2024 (2024-04-12)
Genre| Electronic
Length| 28:13
Label| Milan
Producer|

* Boys Noize
* Trent Reznor
* Atticus Ross

Before the film and soundtrack's release, Reznor and Ross approached German producer Boys Noize about creating a remix album for the film's score. Initially, Boys Noize was hesitant about changing Reznor and Ross's original work too much, only making minor edits, but the pair encouraged him to be more experimental.[34] He had not seen the film or a trailer until the remix album was completed.[35]

The remix album was released on April 12, 2024, two weeks before the official soundtrack album was released.[36][37] For Record Store Day, 2,100 copies of the album were released on November 29, 2024.[38]

### Reception

[edit]

Paolo Ragusa of Consequence called the remix album "astounding" and wrote, "Dance music at its core is built from what came before; it is meant to be extracted and expanded, remixed and recontexualized. A film score is not usually the subject of such chopping and screwing, but if anyone was going to do it and absolutely nail it, it's Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Boys Noize."[39]

### Track listing

[edit]

All music is composed by Boys Noize, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross, except as noted.

Challengers [Mixed] track listingNo.| Title| Length

|
|

1.| ""I Know""| 3:05
2.| "Yeah X10"| 3:36
3.| "L'Œuf"| 2:15
4.| "Challengers"| 3:00
5.| "Pre Signal"| 0:55
6.| "The Signal"| 4:38
7.| "Brutalizer"| 5:11
8.| "Compress / Repress" (written by Reznor, Ross, and Luca Guadagnino; performed by Reznor, Ross, and Mariqueen Maandig Reznor)| 4:51
9.| "A New Year Carol" (written by Benjamin Britten)| 0:38
Total length:| 28:13

Notes

* All tracks are subtitled as "Mixed" in square brackets.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Strauss, Matthew (November 18, 2022). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Release Score for Luca Guadagnino's New Movie Bones and All". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
2. ^ a b Horowitz, Steven J. (April 19, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross Discuss Scoring Luca Guadagnino's 'Challengers' in Featurette: 'It's About the Excitement' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
3. ^ Baron, Zach (April 3, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have a plan to soundtrack everything". British GQ. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
4. ^ Bergeson, Samantha (April 24, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' 'Challengers' Score Brings a Sizzling, Sensual Element to Zendaya's Love Triangle". IndieWire. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
5. ^ Burr, Ty (April 23, 2024). "In 'Challengers,' Zendaya's got major game". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
6. ^ Mullor, Mireia (April 26, 2024). "Challengers is a sweaty, horny tennis drama that serves hard". Digital Spy. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
7. ^ Collin, Robbie (April 12, 2024). "Challengers: Zendaya's tennis love triangle serves up racquet-twanging steaminess". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
8. ^ Weiss, Max (April 26, 2024). "Movie Review: Challengers". Baltimore. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
9. ^ "124 Best Songs of 2024". NPR. December 5, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
10. ^ Spilde, Coleman (April 12, 2024). "'Challengers' Is a Grand Slam of Sex and Sweat". The Daily Beast. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
11. ^ Roeper, Richard (April 24, 2024). "'Challengers' as sexy as a tennis movie can be". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
12. ^ Grierson, Tim (April 12, 2024). "'Challengers': Review". Screen Daily. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
13. ^ Lenker, Maureen Lee (April 12, 2024). "'Challengers' serves up a grand slam of psychosexual passion and tension". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
14. ^ Miller, Liz Shannon (April 12, 2024). "Challengers Review: Zendaya Stuns In Luca Guadagnino Drama". Consequence. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
15. ^ Bastién, Angelica Jade (April 22, 2024). "Challengers Is Almost a Sexy Movie". Vulture. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
16. ^ James, Caryn (April 12, 2024). "Challengers review: 'A lot of sport, a lot of wigs and a lot of sexual tension' in Luca Guadagnino's menage à tennis". BBC. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
17. ^ Complex, Valerie (April 12, 2024). "'Challengers' Review: Luca Guadagnino's Zendaya-Led Dramedy About Love And Rivalry Across The Tennis Court". Deadline. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
18. ^ "The 100 Best Albums of 2024". Paste. December 2, 2024. Retrieved December 2, 2024.
19. ^ Pond, Steve (November 25, 2024). "'Wicked' Leads Nominations for Astra Film Awards". TheWrap. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
20. ^ Nordyke, Kimberly; Lewis, Hilary (February 8, 2025). "Critics Choice: 'Anora' Wins Best Picture; 'Emilia Pérez,' 'Wicked' and 'The Substance' Take 3 Awards Each". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
21. ^ Lang, Brent; Moreau, Jordan (January 6, 2025). "Golden Globes 2025 Winners: 'Emilia Pérez' Leads With 4 Wins; 'Shogun' Tops TV With 4". Variety. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
22. ^ Lewis, Hilary; Thomas, Carly; Nordyke, Kimberly (February 3, 2025). "Grammy Awards: Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
23. ^ Grein, Paul (November 21, 2024). "'Emilia Pérez' and Hans Zimmer Are Top Winners at 2024 Hollywood Music in Media Awards". Billboard. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
24. ^ Grein, Paul (January 22, 2025). "Taylor Swift & Morgan Wallen Lead Nominees at 2025 iHeartRadio Music Awards, Where Eras Tour Will Be Named 'Tour of the Century'". Billboard. Retrieved February 3, 2025.
25. ^ Lewis, Hilary (January 7, 2025). "NAACP Image Awards Nominations: 'The Piano Lesson' Leads Film Nods With 14". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved February 9, 2025.
26. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
27. ^ "Official Dance Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
28. ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 16, 2024.
29. ^ "Trent Reznor Chart History (Soundtrack Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
30. ^ "Trent Reznor Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
31. ^ "Trent Reznor Chart History (Top Dance/Electronic Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
32. ^ Pilley, Max (April 26, 2024). "'Challengers' soundtrack: artist info, tracklist and where to listen". NME. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
33. ^ Warner, Sam (September 9, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' 'Challengers' score to be released on vinyl". NME. Retrieved October 31, 2024.
34. ^ Taylor, Drew (April 24, 2024). "Boys Noize Shares the Inside Story of the Challengers Album". TheWrap. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
35. ^ Hess, Tobias (April 25, 2024). "Boys Noize Spins Techno Tennis Tracks for 'Challengers'". Paper. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
36. ^ Strauss, Matthew (April 12, 2024). "Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Boys Noize Connect for New Challengers [Mixed] Album". Pitchfork. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
37. ^ Pilley, Max (April 12, 2024). "Listen to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' Boys Noize remix of 'Challengers' score". NME. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
38. ^ "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Boys Noize - Challengers [MIXED] by Boys Noize". Record Store Day. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
39. ^ Ragusa, Paolo (April 12, 2024). "Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' Challengers [Mixed]: Review". Consequence. Retrieved April 29, 2024.

## External links

[edit]

* Challengers (Original Score) on AllMusic
* Challengers (Original Score) on Discogs

* v
* t
* e

Soundtrack work by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

* Reznor discography
* Ross discography

Reznor and Ross|

* The Social Network (2010)
* The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
* Gone Girl (2014)
* Before the Flood (2016)
* Patriots Day (2017)
* The Black Ghiandola (2017)
* The Vietnam War (2017)
* Mid90s (2018)
* Bird Box (2019)
* Watchmen (2019)
* Waves (2019)
* Mank (2020)
* Soul (2020)
* Bones and All (2022)
* Empire of Light (2022)
* Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023)
* The Killer (2023)
* Challengers (2024)
* Queer (2025)
* The Gorge (2025)

Reznor only|

* Natural Born Killers (1994)
* Quake (1996)
* Lost Highway (1997)
* Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012)

Ross only|

* Love & Mercy (2014)
* Fear the Walking Dead (2015)

Ross and
collaborators|

* Touching Evil (2004)
* The Book of Eli (2010)
* Broken City (2013)
* Blackhat (2015)
* Triple 9 (2016)
* Outcast (2016)
* The Defiant Ones (2017)
* Black Mirror: "Crocodile" (2017)
* Death Note (2017)
* A Million Little Pieces (2018)
* Earthquake Bird (2019)
* Dispatches from Elsewhere (2020)
* Dr. Death (2021)
* Shōgun (2024)

See also|

* Nine Inch Nails
* Ghosts I–IV
* Ghosts V
* Ghosts VI
* Tron: Ares
* discography
* How to Destroy Angels
* 12 Rounds
* Gustavo Santaolalla
* Mogwai
* Leopold Ross
* Bobby Krlic
* "Deep"
* The Crow (1994)
* Tetsuo: The Bullet Man (2009)
* The Fourth Estate (2018)
* If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power (2021)
* The Franchise (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score

1940s|

* Life with Father – Max Steiner (1947)
* The Red Shoes – Brian Easdale (1948)
* The Inspector General – Johnny Green (1949)

1950s|

* Sunset Boulevard – Franz Waxman (1950)
* September Affair – Victor Young (1951)
* High Noon – Dimitri Tiomkin (1952)
* On the Beach – Ernest Gold (1959)

1960s|

* The Alamo – Dimitri Tiomkin (1960)
* The Guns of Navarone – Dimitri Tiomkin (1961)
* To Kill a Mockingbird – Elmer Bernstein (1962)
* (1963)
* The Fall of the Roman Empire – Dimitri Tiomkin (1964)
* Doctor Zhivago – Maurice Jarre (1965)
* Hawaii – Elmer Bernstein (1966)
* Camelot – Frederick Loewe (1967)
* The Shoes of the Fisherman – Alex North (1968)
* Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid – Burt Bacharach (1969)

1970s|

* Love Story – Francis Lai (1970)
* Shaft – Isaac Hayes (1971)
* The Godfather – Nino Rota (1972)
* Jonathan Livingston Seagull – Neil Diamond (1973)
* The Little Prince – Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick Loewe (1974)
* Jaws – John Williams (1975)
* A Star is Born – Kenneth Ascher and Paul Williams (1976)
* Star Wars – John Williams (1977)
* Midnight Express – Giorgio Moroder (1978)
* Apocalypse Now – Carmine Coppola and Francis Ford Coppola (1979)

1980s|

* The Stunt Man – Dominic Frontiere (1980)
* No Award (1981)
* E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial – John Williams (1982)
* Flashdance – Giorgio Moroder (1983)
* A Passage to India – Maurice Jarre (1984)
* Out of Africa – John Barry (1985)
* The Mission – Ennio Morricone (1986)
* The Last Emperor – David Byrne, Ryuichi Sakamoto and Cong Su (1987)
* Gorillas in the Mist – Maurice Jarre (1988)
* The Little Mermaid – Alan Menken (1989)

1990s|

* The Sheltering Sky – Richard Horowitz and Ryuichi Sakamoto (1990)
* Beauty and the Beast – Alan Menken (1991)
* Aladdin – Alan Menken (1992)
* Heaven & Earth – Kitarō (1993)
* The Lion King – Hans Zimmer (1994)
* A Walk in the Clouds – Maurice Jarre (1995)
* The English Patient – Gabriel Yared (1996)
* Titanic – James Horner (1997)
* The Truman Show – Burkhard Dallwitz and Philip Glass (1998)
* The Legend of 1900 – Ennio Morricone (1999)

2000s|

* Gladiator – Lisa Gerrard, Hans Zimmer (2000)
* Moulin Rouge! – Craig Armstrong (2001)
* Frida – Elliot Goldenthal (2002)
* The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King – Howard Shore (2003)
* The Aviator – Howard Shore (2004)
* Memoirs of a Geisha – John Williams (2005)
* The Painted Veil – Alexandre Desplat (2006)
* Atonement – Dario Marianelli (2007)
* Slumdog Millionaire – A. R. Rahman (2008)
* Up – Michael Giacchino (2009)

2010s|

* The Social Network – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (2010)
* The Artist – Ludovic Bource (2011)
* Life of Pi – Mychael Danna (2012)
* All Is Lost – Alex Ebert (2013)
* The Theory of Everything – Jóhann Jóhannsson (2014)
* The Hateful Eight – Ennio Morricone (2015)
* La La Land – Justin Hurwitz (2016)
* The Shape of Water – Alexandre Desplat (2017)
* First Man – Justin Hurwitz (2018)
* Joker – Hildur Guðnadóttir (2019)

2020s|

* Soul – Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross, and Jon Batiste (2020)
* Dune – Hans Zimmer (2021)
* Babylon – Justin Hurwitz (2022)
* Oppenheimer – Ludwig Göransson (2023)
* Challengers – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (2024)

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*[No.]: Number
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