"I Am Number Four" Soundtrack Lyrics

"I Am Number Four (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack / Score)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Overview

How do you sell a superpowered coming-of-age story without drowning it in cape-movie bombast? I Am Number Four answers by pairing a lean, rhythmic Trevor Rabin score with savvy needle-drops—indie and alt-radio staples that speak teen shorthand. Score cues propel action, while songs mark identity beats: the crush, the first day at school, the “we ride at dawn” goodbye.

The film’s licensed songs cluster around recognizable 2010–2011 signposts—Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, Adele, The xx—so scenes feel contemporary to the release window. Meanwhile, Rabin’s synth-forward textures and guitar pulses give chase scenes muscle without stepping on dialogue. The split works: placement songs humanize John and Sarah; the score handles Mogadorian mayhem.

Questions & Answers

Who composed the original score?

Trevor Rabin composed the score; the official score album (21 tracks) was released in early 2011 by DreamWorks.

Was there a commercial “songs” album?

No single multi-artist songs album; placements are cleared track-by-track. The score album exists separately.

Which songs are most identifiable to viewers?

“Radioactive” (Kings of Leon) in the beach prologue, Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” over Number Six’s demolition, and Civil Twilight’s “Letters from the Sky” during the closing drive.

Who handled music supervision?

Music supervision credits include Jennifer Hawks and Chris Hogenson (studio credits listings).

Is Beck’s “Curfew” from an earlier album?

No—“Curfew” was a then-new contribution for the film; a longer version surfaced online years later via the director.

Any diegetic (in-world) uses?

Yes—Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching Me” functions as John’s ringtone, and a country cut plays from on-site audio while a custodian cleans at school.

Notes & Trivia

• Key placements skew 2010–2011 alt/indie to match the target teen audience of release.
• Beck’s “Curfew” was created for the film; a fuller version circulated online years later from the director.
• “Letters from the Sky” bookends the campaign and finale, reinforcing the romance-meets-destiny note.
• The score album dropped even though a various-artists album never did.

Genres & Themes

Alt-rock & indie (Kings of Leon, The Black Keys, The xx, Temper Trap) → swagger, outsider cool, hallway social physics. These tracks tag John’s teen surface life before the sci-fi breaks through.

Anthemic pop (Adele) → catharsis cues for destructive pivots; when Number Six levels a safehouse, the vocal grit matches visual impact.

Modern score design (Rabin) → ostinatos, synth pulses, and guitar layers for pursuit, power-awakening, and Mogadorian battles.

Tracks & Scenes

Scene notes and time marks draw on studio/press credits and fan-verified cue logs; where on-screen clocks vary by cut or territory, timing is approximate.

“Radioactive” — Kings of Leon
Where it plays: Opening Florida beach prologue as John jet-skis and dives at dusk (~00:03). Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Establishes a moody, sand-salt vibe before the flight to Ohio; lyric fragments (“it’s in the water”) echo the water-vision motif.

“Tighten Up” — The Black Keys
Where it plays: Bonfire party on the beach right after the prologue (~00:04). Non-diegetic bed over chatter and phone buzzes.
Why it matters: Gives the teen-hang realism and foreshadows pressure ratcheting on John—tightening screws, socially and cosmically.

“Rolling in the Deep” — Adele
Where it plays: Number Six obliterates a Mogadorian hideout/house, intercut with road-movie beats (~00:15). Non-diegetic; chorus hits on explosion beats.
Why it matters: The stomp-clap propulsion syncs with Six’s entrance—confidence, capability, and a tonal upgrade from teen drama to action.

“Somebody’s Watching Me” — Rockwell
Where it plays: John’s ringtone during early paranoia gags. Diegetic (phone).
Why it matters: On-the-nose surveillance joke that doubles as character POV—he is, in fact, being hunted.

“Shelter” — The xx
Where it plays: First day at Paradise High lunch period, John drifting alone through campus (~00:30). Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Minimalist pulse + intimate vocal frames isolation and new-kid awkwardness; the title nods to the “hide in plain sight” life.

“Soldier On” — The Temper Trap
Where it plays: John scrolls Sarah’s site, caught between wanting a normal life and moving again. Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: The lyric refrain turns into mission language: keep moving, keep hiding—until he chooses otherwise.

“Invented” — Jimmy Eat World
Where it plays: County fair / town festival walk-and-talk, lights and midways (~mid-film). Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: Earnest emo tone underlines the budding romance and the plea to “make something real” before the next relocation.

“Curfew” — Beck
Where it plays: House party sequence; beats thread through crowd shots before chaos. Non-diegetic.
Why it matters: A bespoke Beck cut gives the movie a hip texture module; the title winks at the film’s “time’s up” momentum.

“As She’s Walking Away” — Zac Brown Band feat. Alan Jackson
Where it plays: Over school-building interiors while a janitor cleans; source on radio/PA. Diegetic (onsite audio).
Why it matters: Country warmth as ironic normalcy against John’s accelerating danger—an Americana bubble that’s about to pop.

“Letters from the Sky” — Civil Twilight
Where it plays: Final drive out of Paradise, Ohio; John, Six, Sam and the dog head toward the unknown (~end credits). Non-diegetic, then leads into credits.
Why it matters: Melodic lift sells the hopeful road-out ending and pays off its use in marketing; it’s the cue many viewers remember.

Music–Story Links

• Surface vs. secret: Beach-party alt-rock (“Radioactive,” “Tighten Up”) paints a postcard life John cannot keep; the contrast sharpens when powers erupt.
• Entrance of a closer: Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” marks Number Six as a tone shift—her competence gets an arena-scale song to match.
• Romance stakes: Indie-tender cuts (“Shelter,” “Invented”) give Sarah/John space; when they’re forced to split, “Letters from the Sky” carries the ache forward.

How It Was Made

Score: Trevor Rabin wrote a hybrid action score (synth pulses, guitar ostinatos, percussion design). The score album appeared with 21 cues (“Getting to Know Sarah,” “Water Vision,” etc.).

Supervision: Studio listings credit Jennifer Hawks and Chris Hogenson with music supervision/co-ordination. The song strategy leans on then-current alt radio plus a bespoke Beck track (“Curfew”).

Reception & Quotes

The film drew mixed/negative reviews overall, though audiences were kinder. Music notes in reviews frequently singled out the recognizable needle-drops and streamlined action scoring.

“If you can make it through the bland schmaltz of the first half you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular blast of sustained action.” Empire

“A noisy, derivative, and ultimately forgettable sci-fi thriller.” Rotten Tomatoes consensus

Additional Info

• Score album: 21 tracks, ~44 minutes; released under DreamWorks’ banner in 2011.
• No official “songs from” album—individual tracks available on their respective releases.
• Beck’s “Curfew” was highlighted in pre-release press; a longer cut surfaced years later via the director’s share.
• “Somebody’s Watching Me” works as text and subtext—diegetic ringtone and theme of surveillance.
• Marketing leaned on “Letters from the Sky” in trailers/TV; the movie pays it off in the finale.

Technical Info

• Title: I Am Number Four — Original Motion Picture Score (plus licensed songs in film)
• Year: 2011 (film and score album)
• Type: Feature film; YA sci-fi action
• Composer: Trevor Rabin
• Music Supervision: Jennifer Hawks; Chris Hogenson
• Selected needle-drops: “Radioactive” (Kings of Leon); “Tighten Up” (The Black Keys); “Rolling in the Deep” (Adele); “Shelter” (The xx); “Curfew” (Beck); “Letters from the Sky” (Civil Twilight)
• US Release: February 18, 2011 (IMAX and conventional)
• Labels/Availability: Official score available digitally; no commercial multi-artist “songs” album.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Wikipedia film entry (music/placements); IMDb soundtrack page; Apple Music/Spotify score listing; Pitchfork (Beck “Curfew” item); Fandom/Tunefind-style logs for scene contexts.

November, 10th 2025