Usher and H.E.R. have released “Risk It All,” the second offering from The Color Purple soundtrack, out Dec. 15 via Warner Bros. Pictures, WaterTower Music and gamma.
H.E.R. produced the piano-laden ballad and co-wrote it with Jimmy Napes.
On “Risk It All,” Usher and H.E.R. navigate the turbulence of their relationship, going all out to stay in love. Lines like “feeling like I’m bound to fall” express the combination of both courage and fear.
“Risk It All” is the second single, following “Lifeline,” by Alicia Keys. The latter, also the lead single, was released on Nov. 27 with the announcement of The Color Purple (Music From and Inspire By) soundtrack. The uplifting anthem was written and co-produced by Keys.
Additionally, the collection will feature a star-studded lineup including Fantasia, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Missy Elliott, Keyshia Cole, Ciara, Halle Bailey, Coco Jones, Megan Thee Stallion, Taraji P. Henson, Jorja Smith, Mary Mary, and more.
The Color Purple (Music From and Inspired By) will feature both original songs inspired by the film and tracks performed in the Blitz Bazawule-directed movie.
The film’s end credit song is performed by Fantasia, who plays Celie, and is written and produced by The-Dream.
The Color Purple (Music From and Inspired By) is executive produced by the legendary Quincy Jones, Scott Sanders, and Larry Jackson, founder/CEO of gamma.
“I am so immensely proud that the filmmakers and Warner Bros. Pictures chose us to collaborate on a hugely cultural album that musically brings to life this reimagined classic,” stated Jackson. “The Color Purple, in its many iterations, is unquestionably hallowed ground in black culture. Just as film director Blitz Bazawule has done a spectacular job in taking the film to another level artistically, we, too, wanted to bring an equally adventurous, creative take to this expanded soundtrack.”
Jackson continued, “Complementing the fabulously infectious musical moments of the new film, we wanted to further celebrate the stories of the film’s protagonists with additional current, contemporary songs that thematically spoke to their relatable experiences and struggles.
And deeply influenced by the great, iconic R&B/pop soundtracks of the 1990s, I’ve always wanted to make an ‘Inspired By’ soundtrack that had cultural legends and new artists of a genre come together for a piece of art that defines a moment in time. I feel great pride in what the team at gamma. has creatively achieved with The Color Purple (Music From And Inspired By) and I hope everyone else enjoys what I feel is the BEST R&B soundtrack since some of the most iconic ones of the ’90s!”
An official tracklist for the soundtrack of The Color Purple has not been released yet.
The Color Purple is a musical reimagination of Alice Walker‘s 1982 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel and the 2005 stage production by Marsha Norman. It will be released on Dec. 25 in the U.S. and on Jan. 18, 2024, globally.
According to the press materials, The Color Purple is ‘a story of love and resilience” as well as “a decades-spanning tale of one woman’s journey to independence.”
It continues, “Celie faces many hardships in her life, but ultimately finds extraordinary strength and hope in the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.”
The upcoming film stars Fantasia (as Celie), Taraji P Henson (as Shug Avery), Danielle Brooks (as Sofia), Colman Domingo (as Mister), Corey Hawkins (as Harpo), Halle Bailey (as young Nettie), Ciara (as adult Nettie), H.E.R. (as Squeak) and more.
Listen to “Risk It All” by Usher and H.E.R. below.
