"Bruiser" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Bruiser" Soundtrack Description

Questions and Answers

Is there an official soundtrack album?

Yes. Bruiser (Original Music from the Film) was released February 24, 2023 by Hollywood Records; it collects 20 cues from the score.

Who composed the score?

Robert Ouyang Rusli (credited on the album as Lia Ouyang Rusli) composed the original score.

Are there licensed songs in the film besides the score?

Yes—needle-drops include Otis Redding’s “Cigarettes and Coffee,” Mobb Deep’s “Shook Ones,” Lil Baby’s “Pure Cocaine,” DaBaby & YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “HIT,” and more.

What music plays during the motorcycle and carnival stretch?

Score cues “Neon Motorcycle” (~0:40) and “Ferris Wheel” (~0:42) underscore Darious and Porter’s bonding montage.

What song is heard in the church sequence?

Luciano Pavarotti’s rendition of “Ave Maria.”

What do Darious and Porter sing along to in the car?

They rap to “HIT” by DaBaby & YoungBoy Never Broke Again (~1:18).

Can I stream the OST?

Yes—it's available on Apple Music and Spotify in most regions.

Notes & Trivia

• The OST album lists Hollywood Records as the label and dropped day-and-date with the Hulu/Onyx Collective release. (as noted by Filmmusicreporter)
• Rusli’s cue titles (“Neon Motorcycle,” “Ferris Wheel,” “World Star”) telegraph specific beats without spoiling plot turns—handy for scene-spotters.
• Licensed songs range from classic soul (Otis Redding) to New York rap (Mobb Deep) and contemporary trap (Lil Baby), mapping the film’s generational friction.
• Critical notices repeatedly singled out the score’s tension and restraint. (according to Variety)
• On credits pages, “music supervisor” is listed as Joe Rudge; score mixing by Ariel Loh and coordination by Cheryl Wang.

Overview

Why does a quiet synth throb feel louder than a punch? Because in Bruiser, the music keeps its hands down until it matters. Robert Ouyang Rusli’s score threads terse pulses, hovering pads, and spare percussion through a story about fathers, sons, and the gravity of male example. The soundtrack’s center of mass sits between interiority and eruption—you keep waiting for a big theme, but the film keeps handing you breath and dread.

Then the needle-drops arrive like social weather reports: Otis Redding’s soul for hushed confession, a Mobb Deep banger to vent rage, trap as the lingua franca of teenage bravado. The friction between score and source cues mirrors Darious’s split influences; it’s not just taste, it’s identity under construction. (as echoed by Collider’s appraisal of how key moments “play out” with the music’s restraint)

Genres & Themes

• Minimalist electronic score: low-end thrum + brittle drones = coiled threat; empathy and danger share the same key.
• Classic soul needle-drops: Otis Redding acts as a conscience—grown-up feeling that the boys haven’t learned to speak yet.
• 90s/2000s rap canon: “Shook Ones” stands in for pressure-cooker masculinity; bravado as armor.
• Contemporary trap/pop-rap: “Pure Cocaine,” “HIT” sketch modern flex culture that Porter and Darious both understand—differently. (according to scene-by-scene listings)

Tracks & Scenes

"Cigarettes and Coffee" — Otis Redding
Scene: Early kitchen talk about a crush (~0:01); later, post-park fallout (~0:51); and again as Darious finally drives off (~1:34). Non-diegetic, reflective.
Why it matters: The same soul ballad bookmarks different shades of honesty; adult emotions keep intruding on teenage space.

"I Don’t Have to Cry" — The Topics
Scene: Quick joyride wheel-spin request (~0:03).
Why it matters: Old-school harmony for a small, innocent rebellion; a soft counterpoint to the film’s harder edges.

"Buy the Building" — Yungeen Ace
Scene: Wood-chopping and bonding in the woods (~0:10).
Why it matters: Aspirational rap frames Porter’s magnetism—success as swagger, labor as ritual.

"That’s the Intro Freestyle" — HoneyKomb Brazy
Scene: Darious asks Porter to teach him how to fight (~0:20).
Why it matters: The track’s rawness mirrors a dangerous lesson—power without wisdom.

"Ave Maria" — Luciano Pavarotti
Scene: The church interlude (~0:54), choirs filling the room as Porter enters.
Why it matters: Sacred calm drops into a profane conflict; the cue cools the temperature while raising stakes.

"Shook Ones" — Mobb Deep
Scene: After police visit and scholarship call, Malcolm unravels alone in his car (~1:08).
Why it matters: A classic pressure anthem for a father with no safe outlet; menace turned inward.

"Pure Cocaine" — Lil Baby
Scene: After the dinner blow-up, Darious retreats and phones Porter (~1:15).
Why it matters: Numb bravado as sonic armor; he’s choosing a soundtrack to drown out shame.

"HIT" — DaBaby & YoungBoy Never Broke Again
Scene: Car sing-along with Porter (~1:18).
Why it matters: A rare unguarded moment; shared lyrics stand in for a language they don’t have for vulnerability.

"Neon Motorcycle" — Robert Ouyang Rusli
Scene: Night ride sequence (~0:40). Non-diegetic score cue tailored to the glide and hum (the title says it all).
Why it matters: Momentum as seduction; the cue makes risk feel like freedom.

"Ferris Wheel" — Robert Ouyang Rusli
Scene: Carnival ride montage (~0:42).
Why it matters: A brief pocket of joy with a queasy aftertaste; harmony warms while bass holds a warning.

"World Star" — Robert Ouyang Rusli
Scene: Social-media-tinged escalation later in the film (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: Title and texture nod to performative violence—spectacle versus accountability.

"My Little Boy" — Robert Ouyang Rusli
Scene: A late emotional inflection point for Malcolm (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: The most openly tender of the cues; a father’s fear voiced without dialog.

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats)

• When Darious imitates Porter’s swagger, Neon Motorcycle sells exhilaration while the sub-bass whispers how risky that feels.
• At the church, Ave Maria slows the film’s pulse so we can clock the moral distance between apology and atonement.
• Malcolm’s private spin-out lands on Shook Ones; the song externalizes a pressure he refuses to show at home.
• The carnival pairing of Ferris Wheel and needle-drops teases a world where father figures can be fun without being safe.
• Repeated use of Otis Redding reframes the same motif—love and regret—as situation changes; growth is hearing a song differently.

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

Rusli’s score plays like pressure management: small ensembles, synth beds, and negative space. The official album credits list Hollywood Records as the distributor, with the composer credited as Lia Ouyang Rusli on DSPs. Music department credits include Joe Rudge (music supervisor), Ariel Loh (score mixer), Cheryl Wang (music coordinator), and Priya Autrey (executive in charge of music). (as stated on credits pages and album listings)

Editorially, the film weaves source and score with intention: old soul for conscience, boom-bap for anger, trap for bravado. That cross-section mirrors the film’s generational triangle—Malcolm, Porter, Darious—without resorting to wall-to-wall music. (according to trade reviews)

Reception & Quotes

Critics called out the music’s restraint and its role in ratcheting tension without melodrama. (as reported by Variety and Collider)

“From the squarish Academy ratio to Robert Ouyang Rusli’s tense, bracing-for-conflict score, Warren’s choices frequently surprise.” Variety

“Key moments play out with a delicate score that lets the drama breathe.” Collider

Streaming-first releases live and die by discoverability; this one benefited from Hulu/Onyx placement and a same-day OST drop. (as noted by release announcements)

Technical Info

• Title: Bruiser — Original Music from the Film
• Year / Type: 2023 / Movie
• Composer / Artist Credit: Robert Ouyang Rusli (album artist credit: Lia Ouyang Rusli)
• Label / Release: Hollywood Records — February 24, 2023 (digital)
• Music Supervision: Joe Rudge
• Selected placements: “Cigarettes and Coffee” (Otis Redding) ~0:01/0:51/1:34; “Shook Ones” (Mobb Deep) ~1:08; “Pure Cocaine” (Lil Baby) ~1:15; “HIT” (DaBaby & YoungBoy) ~1:18; score cues “Neon Motorcycle” ~0:40, “Ferris Wheel” ~0:42
• Film context: Directed by Miles Warren; Onyx Collective/Hulu release; runtime ~97 minutes
• Availability: OST streaming on major platforms; film streaming on Hulu (U.S.) and Disney+ via Hulu hub in some regions

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Variety; Collider; Filmmusicreporter; Soundtracki; Apple Music; Spotify; Metacritic credits; Wikipedia (film entry).

October, 26th 2025