A Star Is Born Soundtrack – Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper (2xLP)

The A Star Is Born Soundtrack—featuring Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper—stands as a sweeping, emotionally driven musical journey that mirrors the film’s narrative while holding its own in a home‑listening context. With a blend of blues‑rock grit, intimate acoustic ballads, and expansive torch songs, the album charts the rise of Ally (Gaga) and the struggles of Jackson Maine (Cooper) through performances recorded live during filming. Gaga’s versatility as a vocalist is foregrounded, especially in numbers like “Always Remember Us This Way” and “I’ll Never Love Again,” while Cooper lends a rougher, introspective edge notably on tracks such as “Maybe It’s Time.” The songwriting credits read like a roll call of modern pop, rock, and Americana talent (Jason Isbell, Lukas Nelson, Mark Ronson, Diane Warren, among others), helping to ground the soundtrack’s big cinematic moments in modern artistry.

Despite its cinematic roots, this soundtrack succeeds in feeling like a fully realized album rather than merely a film tie‑in. The songs flow in a carefully curated order—dialogue snippets interwoven to maintain narrative continuity—yet many perform compellingly on their own. Listeners are drawn into a world of emotional peaks and valleys, where heartbreak, creative tension, and triumphant catharsis coexist in a way that honors both artists’ strengths. Even as some tracks lean toward theatricality, the core of the album is grounded in genuine voice and storytelling, making it a compelling addition to any collection that bridges the worlds of pop, rock, and film music.

Reviews

“The songs from the early portion of the movie are almost impenetrably perfect. … Cooper’s voice, lowered for the film … is surprisingly great … The music Gaga helps write … is gorgeous‑‑romantic without being trite and powerful.” – Rolling Stone

“Against the odds, it succeeds.” – The Guardian

“All the songs make sense narratively and on their own, so they hold together well and would amount to a first‑rate soundtrack” – AllMusic

“As Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga head for awards glory … they’ve crafted a soundtrack that is equally impressive; it’s a collection of emotionally charged songs that feel entirely appropriate for this heartfelt tale of doomed romance.” – NME

“Save for a digital flourish or two on the pop songs … there’s very little here that would’ve sounded out of place on blockbuster film soundtracks of decades past. At its peaks, the album delivers … some of the most affecting and emotionally overwhelming pop songs of the year.” – Pitchfork