All the Writers Behind A Star Is Born's Showstopping Songs
:upscale()/2018/10/05/733/n/1922283/c555c8f35bb792d6abd427.73505158_.jpg)
In case you haven't heard, A Star Is Born isn't just the hottest movie of the Fall, but the buzziest movie musical since La La Land. It's a true musical, with the songs actually sung by the characters and part of the story, rather than just as part of a soundtrack. We've already gotten glimpses of a couple of tracks, including Lady Gaga's breathtaking "Shallow," and the whole soundtrack has been released simultaneously with the movie itself. If you've come away from the movie wondering who wrote all the songs, we've got answers for you! Unlike many musicals, the score of A Star Is Born actually owes credit to several different songwriters, working alone and in combination. Check out all these talented musicians in our gallery below!
:upscale()/2018/10/05/729/n/1922283/3f96e0115bb791a0b33e03.81490741_rev-1-ASIB-03888r_High_Res_JPEG.jpeg)
Lady Gaga
Out of 18 original tracks on the soundtrack, Lady Gaga is credited as a writer or cowriter on 13 of them, including the powerful finale "I'll Never Love Again." The big ballad featured in the trailers, "Shallow," is one of her signature songs, co-written with Mark Ronson, Anthony Rossomando, and Andrew Wyatt. It was also at Gaga's insistence that the movie's songs were recorded live on set, rather than recorded separately and lip-synced during filming.
:upscale()/2018/10/05/729/n/1922283/8d9880a85bb791a1738cb4.84183199_rev-1-ASIB-SS-PL-00725r_High_Res_JPEG.jpeg)
Bradley Cooper
Although Cooper only just learned to play guitar for his A Star Is Born role, he dove into songwriting as well to really get at the authenticity of his singer-songwriter character. He's credited as a co-writer on three of his character's songs, "Black Eyes," "Out of Time," and "Too Far Gone," and collaborated with Gaga on "Alibi." Like Gaga, Cooper performs his songs live, playing guitar and singing on camera.
:upscale()/2018/10/05/729/n/1922283/53477dd45bb791a23223e8.25813682_GettyImages-1039717000.jpg)
Lukas Nelson
The son of music legend Willie Nelson was approached early on by Cooper to consult on the film's music, but quickly transitioned into a songwriting role as well. Nelson's hand is visible in the majority of the film's songs, co-writing with Cooper and Gaga on most of them. As it turns out, his role wasn't limited to just writing behind the scenes: Nelson and his real-life band, Promise of the Real, appear onscreen as the band performing with Cooper's character Jackson. You'll notice Lukas as the guitarist throughout the film.
:upscale()/2018/10/05/729/n/1922283/f5f18d355bb791a2a91ef2.62989713_GettyImages-999759036.jpg)
Jason Isbell and More
Although Cooper and Gaga are the big names and did do a lot of the songwriting, their collaborators included some of the best in the music industry. Grammy winner Jason Isbell wrote "Maybe It's Time" for Cooper's character early on in the writing process, and it became the jumping-off point for the character's entire sound. Other well-respected songwriters on the soundtrack include Hillary Lindsey, Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna, Nick Monson, Paul Blair, and many more.
:upscale()/2018/10/05/729/n/1922283/11bddd625bb791a33b5e38.33580560_GettyImages-515508562.jpg)
Édith Piaf
There's one song on the soundtrack, however, that features prominently in the story but was not originally written for this movie. That would be "La Vie en rose," the 1940s classic written and popularized by Édith Piaf. Although not as popular as it was in the '40s and '50s, the song is still one of the most recognizable songs in music history, and its longing, bittersweet lyrics seem like a perfect fit for Gaga's Ally.