"From the World of John Wick. Ballerina" Lyrics

"Ballerina (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

How do you score a revenge tale born in a ballet school? Ballerina answers with a pulse: percussive electronics stitched to classical DNA, then spiked with club energy. Franchise regulars Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard steer the sound toward hard-edged synths and relentless rhythm, while letting violin figures and a whisper of “Swan Lake” thread the film’s identity.

Outside the score, curated songs widen the palette—Le Castle Vania’s adrenaline hits for the neon brawls; Ashnikko for snarling attitude; and two headline tie-ins: Halsey & Amy Lee’s “Hand That Feeds” and Evanescence & K.Flay’s end-credits anthem “Fight Like a Girl.” Together they keep the John Wick aesthetic—industrial, propulsive—while letting Eve’s ballet origins color the edges.

Source: Film Music Reporter

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard composed the film’s original score, released by Lakeshore Records on June 6, 2025.

Was there a composer change during production?

Yes. Marco Beltrami and Anna Drubich were initially attached; later Bates & Richard—longtime Wick collaborators—took over before release.

What’s the end-credits song?

“Fight Like a Girl” by Evanescence featuring K.Flay—issued as the film’s end-title single.

Is Halsey & Amy Lee’s “Hand That Feeds” in the movie?

It’s the major tie-in single used in marketing and soundtrack promotion; the confirmed in-picture end-title is “Fight Like a Girl.”

Who provides the club bangers?

Le Castle Vania contributes multiple originals (“Become the Assassin,” “Ballerina Code,” etc.) heard in the film’s kinetic set pieces.

Any classical cues beyond the score?

Yes—Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and Vivaldi via Max Richter/Robot Koch remixing, plus ballet-class repertoire like “Grand Allegro.”

Is there a vinyl edition?

Yes. A transparent “Violet Smoke” LP followed on October 17, 2025 via Lakeshore Records.

Notes & Trivia

• The album closes with Le Castle Vania’s “Become the Assassin,” the only non-score track on the digital score album.
• “Hand That Feeds” pairs Halsey with Evanescence’s Amy Lee; the official video intercuts film imagery with ballet motifs.
• Several cues reference Eve’s training—track titles like “Kiki Mora,” “Great Hallstatt Bake Off,” and “In the Wick of Time” flag story beats without spoiling them.
• The score integrates subtle Swan Lake gestures—textural rather than quotation-heavy.
• Reshoots tightened action beats; the music leans into percussive electronics to keep momentum seamless across edits.

Genres & Themes

Industrial synth & techno → operational focus, adrenaline, urban machinery of the Wick underworld.

Neoclassical & ballet repertoire → discipline, tradition, and Eve’s training lineage; a cool counterpoint to violence.

Alt-rock / dark-pop singles → defiance and catharsis; voice-led textures give Eve’s perspective bite.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

Tracks & Scenes

“Fight Like a Girl” — Evanescence feat. K.Flay
Scene: Plays over the end credits; a victory note after the final confrontation (non-diegetic).
Why it matters: The lyric stance mirrors Eve’s agency and the film’s closing beat.

“Chokehold Cherry Python” — Ashnikko
Scene: Kicks in as Eve steps off an elevator into a pulsing club space, regrouping after a bruising sequence (diegetic, mid-film).
Why it matters: Glitchy swagger matches her defiance and resets tempo before the next hit of action.

“Ballerina Code” — Le Castle Vania
Scene: Nightclub carnage centerpiece—strobe, mirrors, tactical movement (diegetic).
Why it matters: Franchise-signature electronics bind Eve’s world to Wick’s club mythology.

“Minus Eleven” — Le Castle Vania
Scene: High-velocity combat montage; source-style placement within a neon venue (diegetic).
Why it matters: Meter-locked kicks double the choreography’s beats-per-action.

“One Bullet Well Placed” — Le Castle Vania
Scene: Precision-gunplay passage; sound system track bleeding into score (diegetic leading to non-diegetic blend).
Why it matters: Title and groove underline the series’ economy-of-force creed.

“Summer 3 (Robot Koch Remix)” — Max Richter
Scene: Ballet-rehearsal/class energy; metered arpeggios over movement drills (diegetic).
Why it matters: Bridges Eve’s dance discipline with the story’s cadence.

“Grand Allegro” — Søren Bebe
Scene: Studio piano during technique work (diegetic).
Why it matters: Grounding, real-world ballet color inside an action film.

“Swan Lake” — Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Scene: Brief motif surfacing around the Ruska Roma lineage (diegetic/non-diegetic touches).
Why it matters: Heritage cue—a nod to the character’s training roots.

“Hand That Feeds” — Halsey & Amy Lee
Scene: Tie-in single used across marketing; not part of the score album; placement emphasized in promo rather than a named story beat.
Why it matters: Pop–goth duet frames the film’s theme of survival with a widescreen hook.

Trailer cue: “Tiny Dancer” (music-box / epic arrangement)
Scene: Featured in early marketing—music-box motif blooming into big drums.
Why it matters: Trailer storytelling: innocence → ferocity in one musical turn.

Source: Apple Music

Music–Story Links

When Eve moves from studio ritual to nightclub warfare, the soundtrack flips from classroom meter (Grand Allegro) to churn-and-thud club engines (Le Castle Vania). That pivot sonifies her code switch: posture and breath become targeting and timing. A faint Swan Lake trace whispers family and tradition whenever the Ruska Roma loom—then gets drowned by industrial percussion when duty hardens into retaliation. And the end-title—“Fight Like a Girl”—reframes the franchise’s stoicism with a first-person bite: strategy, not brute force.

How It Was Made

After early attachment of Marco Beltrami and Anna Drubich, the project shifted to Tyler Bates and Joel J. Richard, restoring the franchise’s sonic spine. The score was produced for Lakeshore Records, with supervising music editor Ben Zales coordinating the picture’s dense action/music sync. Additional music contributions include Dylan Eiland (Le Castle Vania) and Brian Cachia; licensing was handled through MCL Music Services.

Le Castle Vania delivered four fresh club cuts for on-screen placement and a companion EP; one cut (“Become the Assassin”) caps the score album, bridging the diegetic club world to the non-diegetic score.

Source: Lakeshore Records

Reception & Quotes

“Pulse-pounding synth score… with an occasional whisper of Swan Lake.” The Hollywood Reporter

“Percussive score pairs well with a soundscape of shattering glass.” Los Angeles Times

“End-title sledgehammer: Evanescence & K.Flay’s ‘Fight Like a Girl.’” Kerrang!

Audience response skewed positive on opening, and a later “Violet Smoke” vinyl pressing extended the album’s shelf life for collectors.

Additional Info

• Digital score launched day-and-date with the film (26 cues, ~63 minutes).
• “Fight Like a Girl” arrived as end-title single; “Hand That Feeds” preceded release as a promo duet.
• Le Castle Vania also issued the Ballerina Code EP the day the film opened.
• The theatrical cut contains no mid- or post-credits scene.
• Home release: streaming followed theatricals; the soundtrack remained on major DSPs.
• Vinyl: 1×LP Transparent Violet Smoke edition dropped October 17, 2025.
• Score aesthetic: hybrid (granular percussion, analog synth beds, violin ostinati, low brass punches).
• Classical inserts are sparing—used as color, not wall-to-wall needle-drops.
• Mix emphasizes transient clarity of impacts; music often rides side-chained under SFX to maintain intelligibility.

Technical Info

• Title: Ballerina (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2025
• Type: Film score + selected originals
• Composers: Tyler Bates; Joel J. Richard
• Key Songs (select): “Fight Like a Girl” (Evanescence feat. K.Flay) — end credits; “Hand That Feeds” (Halsey & Amy Lee) — promo tie-in; Le Castle Vania tracks integrated into club sequences
• Label: Lakeshore Records (digital & vinyl)
• Album length: ~63:22 (digital)
• Release: Digital — June 6, 2025; Vinyl — October 17, 2025 (Transparent Violet Smoke)
• Editorial/Music Team: Supervising music editor Ben Zales; assistant music editor Brendan Leong; additional music by Dylan Eiland, Brian Cachia; licensing via MCL Music Services (Ann-Marie Verdi, Matt Lilley)
• Availability: Streaming on major DSPs; retail vinyl via Lakeshore and indie shops

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Film Music Reporter; The Hollywood Reporter; Los Angeles Times; People; Kerrang!; Lakeshore Records; Apple Music; Spotify; ScreenRant.

November, 09th 2025