Robert Pattinson has had one of the most interesting journeys in the entertainment industry. The English actor, rapper, and singer has risen to fame after starring in the vampire film, Let Me In (2010). Since then, he has appeared in several other high profile movies, such as Cosmopolis (2012) and Twilight (2008), and landed various roles on TV shows, including The Librarians (2013) and Believe (2014).
Pattinson’s music career started with him teaming up with producer Louis Walsh to form the group, Pattinson & Walsh. Their debut single, High, is a collaboration with Australian singer-songwriter, Sia. It was released in 2014 and became their biggest hit to date, peaking at number two on the UK singles chart.
Five years later and Pattinson has continued to build on his early success. He released his first solo single, Safe And Sound, in 2019 and is currently touring Australia, supporting the release of his debut solo album, Good Enough.
Shooting Stars
The first collaboration between Pattinson and Walsh, Shooting Stars was released a year after their debut single as a promotional single for the soundtrack to Walt Disney’s Aladdin (2019). The song, which also appears on the soundtrack, was inspired by a line from the movie: ‘A star is born.’
“We wanted to pay homage to how exciting it is to finally see your hard work pay off,” said Walsh in a statement. “Music and film traditionally don’t mix but with the rise of the soundtrack and the increasing popularity of singer-songwriters, we’re seeing more stars come to life through song.
“I think it’s safe to say that Shooting Stars is one of the biggest hits of the year so far. It was already a global smash when we released it and continues to perform well in the charts,” he continued.
The Walk
Next up we have the Jack Nicholson-directed The Walk, in which Pattinson plays a zombie-like creature who must overcome his fear of heights to retrieve his love (played by Kristen Stewart) from atop the Eiffel Tower.
The soundtrack to The Walk also features songs from Elton John, John Legend, and more.
“The idea behind The Walk was to create a completely original music score, using only instruments available on set,” said Walsh. “We wanted to represent the otherworldly nature of the creature in question by using instruments such as the e-basso, which is a kind of bass, but it has a different sound to normal basses. We used the tubular bells from the trombone, but they don’t sound like standard trombones. It was all about using the ‘lost’ instruments – the ones that were once common but have since been forgotten, like the accordion.”
A New Hope
The third collaboration between Pattinson and Walsh, A New Hope is the third installment of the Star Wars saga and sees him play a Resistance fighter battling it out with the First Order on the icy planet, Hoth. The album, The Journey So Far, features appearances from Kelly Clarkson, Halsey, and Mutya Muir.
“A New Hope is one of the most thrilling soundtracks we’ve ever done,” said Walsh. “Not only is it a great example of how music can be used to great effect in a movie, but because it features so many iconic songs from the series, it will undoubtedly become an all-time classic.”
The album also marks the return of an instrument that originally appeared in the series, the Yoda Lamp. “We were really lucky to have found a lamp that was from the original film,” said Walsh. “It is truly one of a kind. We used it in The Last Jedi, along with the E-3 Pod, and were able to create an entire suite of music using only these instruments. It is truly an amazing piece of history.”
Pattinson On The Road
The final collaboration between Pattinson and Walsh is the Chinese import, Pattinson On The Road. In the movie, the actor travels to the Middle Kingdom to film a music video for the British band, Years & Years. The song is called, ‘Here’s To Never Growing Up.’
The score, which also appears on the album, Music Inspired By The Film, was performed by a 50-voice choir and soloists, and featured violinists, cellists, and pianists from the London Symphony Orchestra. “This was truly an eclectic group of musicians, whose broad tastes span from classical to pop,” said Walsh.
The album also includes appearances from Halsey, Madeon, and more.
Walsh closed by saying, “We’re extremely proud of Pattinson On The Road and can’t wait for fans around the world to hear the album. We hope they enjoy the experience as much as we do.”
Pattinson’s music career continues to flourish, with his latest single, ‘Good Enough’, being released in September and debuting at number two on the UK Singles Chart.