The Music of "Black Widow"

"Black Widow" marks the first post-COVID return of the MCU, and it sure did it with a bang. It was the number one movie its opening week and the biggest opening week since "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker", grossing some incomprehensible amount of cash in the US and worldwide.

But we're taking a look at it for the music!

In addition to an excellent and thoughtful score composed by Lorne Balfe (the Hans Zimmer protege who also composed for "13 Hours", "Terminator: Genisys", "Mission Impossible: Fallout", and more), we get 3 songs: "Cheap Thrills" by Sia and Sean Paul, the classic "American Pie" by Don McLean, and a modern cover of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Think Up Anger w/ Malia J.

So, let's take a look at those songs!

"Cheap Thrills" was released by Sia in 2016 (from her 7th album, and the newest song, compositionally speaking, on our list) and it went right to #1 on the charts in over 20 countries and was nominated for a Grammy Award! WOW! 

"American Pie" was released way back in 1971 and charted in 9 countries (including #1 in 4 countries) and in 2017 entered the National Songwriting Registry (of the Library of Congress) for historical & cultural significance!

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" was originally released by Nirvana in 1991, where ushered in the era of grunge (and killed off the 80s hair metal bands that had dominated the rock scene for a decade). The song hit #1 in 5 countries (and charted almost everywhere else) and has since landed on "best of" lusts from Rolling Stone, Billboard, & more, and is a Grammy Hall of Fame song. The Malia J version borrows its pace from the 1990s cover by Tori Amos, but with a modern twist and heavily substituted chords.

Sooo....the song charts:

"Cheap Thrills" Sia w/Sean Paul (2016)

F#m - D - /A - E - /F#m - D - /A - E - /

repeat throughout

"American Pie" Don McLean (1971)

chorus

G - C - /G - D - /G - C - /G - D - /

G - C - /G - D - /Em - - - /A7 - - - /

Em - - - /D - - - /D - - - /

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" Nirvana (1991)

transposed to Em for comparison purposes

verse/chorus

Em - A5 - /G - C5 - /Em - A5 /G - C5 - /

repeat

transition

Em - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /

"Smells Like Teen Spirit" Think Up Anger w/ Malia J (2021)

verse

Em - - - /C - - - /Em - - - /C - - - /

transition

Em - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /Em - - - /

chorus

Em - - - /C - - - /G - - - /D - - - /

Em - - - /C - - - /G - - - /D - - - /

repeat

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