"Becoming" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Becoming" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Who composed the score for the 2020 movie “Becoming”?

Jazz saxophonist and composer Kamasi Washington wrote and produced the original score.

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Becoming (Music from the Netflix Original Documentary) was released digitally in May 2020, with later CD and vinyl editions.

What label released the album?

Young Turks (now styled simply as Young) issued the original 2020 release.

Does the film feature licensed songs in addition to the score?

It does—needle-drops include tracks by Kirk Franklin, Drake, Frank Ocean, and others, alongside Washington’s cues.

Was Kamasi Washington’s score recognized by awards bodies?

Yes. It received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special.

Where can I hear the score and the movie’s playlist?

The score album is on major streaming platforms; Netflix also curated an official playlist mixing score cues and licensed songs.

Additional Info

• Washington’s album runs ~30 minutes across 15 concise cues—an unusually tight canvas for him (as noted by Pitchfork).
• The track “The Rhythm Changes” reprises a 2015 Washington theme to score archival campaign footage.
• Vinyl editions followed the digital release, including limited pressings issued late 2020.
• Netflix’s official playlist for the film blends Washington’s cues with hand-picked licensed cuts used in the doc.
• The film (directed by Nadia Hallgren) follows Michelle Obama’s 34-city book tour and community conversations; the score mirrors that travelogue structure.
• Washington’s work on Becoming marked his first full-length feature score (according to the Motion Picture Association’s interview).
• The score earned an Emmy nomination for Original Dramatic Score in the documentary category (per the Television Academy).

Overview

How do you soundtrack a memoir on the move? Becoming answers with motion itself—short cues that breathe like city blocks flashing past a bus window. Kamasi Washington trims his usual expansiveness into kinetic sketches: horns that lift, rhythm sections that glide, and melodies that find warmth in transit.

Instead of leaning on overt sentiment, the album keeps a journalistic cool. It follows Michelle Obama from auditoriums to roundtables, from backstage whispers to on-stage candor. Washington’s score does the quiet threading—bridging archival moments with present-tense conversation—while select needle-drops (Drake, Frank Ocean, Kirk Franklin) plug into the film’s pop-cultural now (according to Oprah Daily).

Genres & Themes

• Contemporary jazz → momentum: Tight grooves and brief forms keep scenes moving—less aria, more heartbeat.
• Spiritual jazz colors → dignity & hope: Modal harmony and choir-like voicings frame themes of service and community.
• Hip-hop & R&B needle-drops → present tense: Drake and Frank Ocean bring the tour’s lived-in now to the fore.
• Reprise as memory → continuity: “The Rhythm Changes” links past campaigns to present reflection (as stated in Pitchfork’s review).

Key Tracks & Scenes

“Shot Out of a Cannon” — Kamasi Washington
Where it plays: Early-film momentum cue underscoring departure and first tour stops (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: A sprint of an overture—sets the album’s compact, forward-leaning tone.

“The Rhythm Changes” — Kamasi Washington
Where it plays: Over brief archival footage from the 2008 campaign, connecting past to present.
Why it matters: Memory as motif; a familiar Washington theme reframed for context (per Pitchfork).

“I Am Becoming” — Kamasi Washington
Where it plays: Late-film reflection sequence; a longer, resolving cue.
Why it matters: The album’s emotional exhale—melodic resolution that mirrors the film’s closing tone.

“A God Like You” — Kirk Franklin
Where it plays: Uplift montage tied to community moments and audience connection (diegetic-adjacent, used as source-like energy).
Why it matters: Threads faith, joy, and civic spirit—key facets of the tour’s mood (according to Oprah Daily).

“Crack Rock” — Frank Ocean
Where it plays: A candid, interior beat during travel or backstage transition.
Why it matters: A modern, introspective texture that offsets the public-facing speeches.

“Nonstop” — Drake
Where it plays: Cutaway rhythm during logistics/movement sequences.
Why it matters: Pop propulsion—mirrors the grind of a 34-city run.

Track–Moment Index (approximate, selective)

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats)

• Tour rhythm → musical pacing: Short cues echo city-to-city movement; the film rarely lingers, neither does the score.
• Public voice vs. private breath: Needle-drops score the public bustle; Washington’s cues catch quieter processing between events.
• Memory as motif: The reprise of “The Rhythm Changes” binds 2008 hope to 2020 reflection (as stated in Pitchfork’s review).
• Community scenes → collective harmony: Gospel and spiritual-jazz colors elevate intergenerational conversations and mentorship moments.

How It Was Made (supervision, score, behind-the-scenes)

Director Nadia Hallgren brought Kamasi Washington in early, letting him map cues to the book tour’s evolving stops. Washington approached the cut “scene by scene,” aiming to frame what’s said and the emotion it carries (according to the Motion Picture Association interview). The palette leans on compact horn lines, rhythm-section lift, and restrained orchestration; selections from Washington’s existing catalog surface sparingly alongside original cues.

Release rolled out in stages: digital in May 2020, then physical editions (CD/vinyl) later that year—Young Turks handled the label side, with curated retail/indie variants appearing thereafter. Netflix supported with an official mixed playlist combining score and needle-drops.

Reception & Quotes

Critical response highlighted Washington’s concision and the way the music warms the film’s intimate scale (according to Pitchfork). Awards bodies noticed too: the Television Academy nominated the score for Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special.

“Becoming’s 15 tracks reveal a seldom-heard side of Washington: concision…barely topping a half-hour runtime.” Pitchfork

“First full-length feature score…he went through the documentary scene by scene, framing the emotion.” Motion Picture Association

“Working with Kamasi Washington on the musical score…a magical fit to her story.” Director Nadia Hallgren, as quoted by Pitchfork

Availability: The score album is on major streaming platforms; Netflix’s official playlist collects both the score and licensed tracks. A limited vinyl pressing followed in late 2020 (according to Discogs and label listings).

Technical Info

• Title: Becoming (Music from the Netflix Original Documentary)
• Year: 2020
• Type: Movie (documentary) — Original Score Album
• Composer/Producer: Kamasi Washington
• Director (film context): Nadia Hallgren
• Label: Young Turks (Young)
• Formats: Digital (May 2020); CD & Vinyl (late 2020)
• Running Time: ~30 minutes across 15 tracks
• Recognition: Primetime Emmy nominee — Outstanding Music Composition for a Documentary Series or Special (Original Dramatic Score)
• Licensed Highlights (in film): “A God Like You” (Kirk Franklin), “Nonstop” (Drake), “Crack Rock” (Frank Ocean), among others (as curated by Netflix’s official playlist and Oprah Daily).

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Pitchfork; Motion Picture Association; Netflix; Oprah Daily; Discogs; Bandcamp; Spotify; Television Academy; Variety.

October, 23rd 2025