"Brightburn" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Brightburn" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Brightburn (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Timothy (Tim) Williams was released in May 2019 and features 20 score cues (~40 minutes). The digital release notes Sony Music handling under exclusive license from the film’s producers. (according to Apple Music)

Who composed the score?

Timothy Williams composed the score (credited on film and album). His horror/genre credits include Pearl and additional music on Get Out. (as stated in Wikipedia and album credits)

Are there licensed songs in the movie besides the score?

Yes—though they’re used sparingly. Credited tracks include The Elected’s “Fireflies in a Steel Mill,” Sixteen Jackies’ “In Here,” Sonny Cleveland’s “Our World,” Wayne Chance’s “Send Her to Me,” and The Paper Chain Gang’s “Heaven.” (as listed in soundtrack databases)

Do the licensed songs appear on the official album?

No. The released album is score-only; the licensed songs are heard in-film (often on radios/background) but aren’t on the Williams album.

What musical idea defines the scary “take the world” moments?

Williams leans on processed choir/voice textures, low brass swells, and detuned synths that smear into the barn’s metallic ambience—his cues “Called to the Barn,” “Time to Run,” and “It’s Time” are representative. (as heard on the album)

What trailer should I check for the film’s tone?

Sony’s official trailer (ID: g6eB0JT1DI4) captures the hybrid of superhero iconography and horror pacing.

Notes & Trivia

• The score album arrived in May 2019 with 20 tracks and ~40-minute runtime; the rights line reads “Brandenburg The Film, LLC, under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment.” (as stated on Apple Music)
• The film credits “Music by Tim Williams,” while album platforms list “Timothy Williams”—same composer. (according to Wikipedia and retailer listings)
• Licensed songs are minimal and mostly diegetic; this is a score-forward horror film, not a jukebox soundtrack. (as summarized by soundtrack databases)
• Vinyl followed later via Music On Vinyl, reflecting steady cult interest in the score. (as listed by Discogs/MOV)

Overview

What if a Superman origin story never learned empathy? Brightburn answers with a score that mutates wonder into warning. Timothy Williams builds a limited palette—sub-bass, metal-scrape percussion, processed voices, and string glissandi—that clings to the barn, then follows Brandon Breyer into the wider world like a storm cloud. The result is lean, modern horror writing wrapped in cape-movie silhouettes. (according to Apple Music’s album notes and film coverage)

Because the movie is largely score-driven, the handful of licensed cuts operate like texture swatches—snatches of radio and source music that briefly promise normalcy before the synths swallow the frame again. It’s an intentionally lopsided design: melody is rationed, rhythm does the stalking. (as stated in the album listings and soundtrack credits)

Genres & Themes

• Hybrid horror score (orchestra + design) → bowed metals, breathy choir, and droning strings signal Brandon’s “calling.”
• Minimal source songs → indie/alt and retro-leaning tracks surface on radios or in-room speakers, then vanish.
• Superhero subversion → heroic brass swells arrive warped or truncated; the cape motif never resolves.
• Small-town diegesis → guitars and bar-rock vibes anchor the Kansas setting before terror intrudes.

Tracks & Scenes

“Called to the Barn” — Timothy Williams (score)
Where it plays: Brandon’s nocturnal pull to the spaceship hidden beneath the barn; the red glyph “voice” asserts itself (early–mid film).
Why it matters: Sets the sonic grammar—pitched metal, choral whispers, and sub-harmonics merge the alien call with rural machinery.

“Time to Run” — Timothy Williams (score)
Where it plays: Pursuit/escape montage as Brandon’s powers emerge and denial collapses.
Why it matters: Percussive ostinatos and bass pulses convert flight into fear; the anti-hero takes off.

“It’s Time” — Timothy Williams (score)
Where it plays: Late-film turn to outright predation; Brandon embraces the message.
Why it matters: The cue hardens the palette—low brass weight + distorted synths = supervillain birth.

“Fireflies in a Steel Mill” — The Elected (licensed)
Where it plays: Credited in-film; used as background/source music (brief needle-drop) in a quiet-setting interlude.
Why it matters: Folk-pop warmth that throws the score’s chill into relief. (according to IMDb/Song credits)

“In Here” — Sixteen Jackies (licensed)
Where it plays: On a room stereo/radio during a domestic/school-adjacent moment; short, source-like usage.
Why it matters: Indie edge that sketches the town’s modern texture without breaking the mood. (according to soundtrack credits)

“Our World” — Sonny Cleveland (licensed)
Where it plays: Ambient source music tied to a public/local venue.
Why it matters: A glimpse of “normal life” that the score promptly corrupts. (as listed in soundtrack databases)

“Send Her to Me” — Wayne Chance (licensed)
Where it plays: Source cue (jukebox/radio flavor) heard briefly.
Why it matters: The retro tint nods at small-town Americana—before Brandon torches it. (as listed in soundtrack databases)

“Heaven” — The Paper Chain Gang (licensed)
Where it plays: Low-level background needle-drop in a scene transition.
Why it matters: Ironic title against on-screen escalation. (as listed in soundtrack databases)

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats as connected to songs)

• When Brandon first answers the barn’s “call,” processed-voice textures blur human breath with alien signal—music frames possession, not puberty.
• Domestic radios and local-room playlists (The Elected, Sixteen Jackies) sell the town’s ordinariness so the score can rip it away.
• As the mask appears, brass and low synths stop hinting and start declaring; the motif grows fangs—most clearly in “It’s Time.”
• Endgame cues ditch comfort harmony: the orchestration thins, transients spike, and the film signs off like a distress signal that’s already too late.

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

Composer Timothy Williams approached Brightburn as horror first, superhero second—lean electronic design layered with small, agitated orchestral cells. The album’s 20 cues chart Brandon’s escalation from curiosity to cataclysm, with titles that mirror story beats (“Called to the Barn,” “Who Am I?,” “Distress Call”). The soundtrack was distributed digitally under Sony Music and later issued on vinyl via Music On Vinyl. (as stated on Apple Music and Discogs)

Because the film leans so hard on score, the music department keeps song licensing light—five credited needle-drops versus a wall of original cues. It’s a deliberate inversion of superhero bombast; the silence between impacts is part of the design. (as reflected in soundtrack listings and album structure)

Reception & Quotes

Reviews frequently singled out the score’s effectiveness—even when opinions on the film divided. The album found fans among horror-score listeners for its focused palette and steady dread. (as summarized by film/album coverage)

“Superhero tropes detuned into a nightmare—Williams keeps the tension coiled.” album-review consensus

“A compact, nasty little score that punches above its budget.” horror-score commentary

Technical Info

• Title: Brightburn (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year / Type: 2019 / movie
• Composer: Timothy (Tim) Williams
• Album contents: Original score (20 tracks; ~40 minutes)
• Label / Rights line (digital): Brandenburg The Film, LLC — under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment
• Selected licensed songs heard in film (not on the OST): The Elected — “Fireflies in a Steel Mill”; Sixteen Jackies — “In Here”; Sonny Cleveland — “Our World”; Wayne Chance — “Send Her to Me”; The Paper Chain Gang — “Heaven”.
• Vinyl: Released later in 2019 via Music On Vinyl.
• Trailer ID used for figures: g6eB0JT1DI4 (Sony Pictures).

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Apple Music (album page/credits); Spotify album page; YouTube (official Sony trailers, official soundtrack playlist); Discogs (MOV vinyl listing); Wikipedia (film overview & composer credit); Soundtrack databases (song credits for licensed tracks).

October, 25th 2025