Do you need to hear the ‘Squid Game’ season three soundtrack?
Hwang Dong-hyuk crafted such a compelling story with Squid Game that it can take generations to find another title that’s on par. But it was not just his genius storytelling, meticulous set designs, or the incredible craftsmanship that ensured its elevation to a global cultural phenomenon. Many factors influenced the success of the Netflix series, and one that cannot be overlooked is its eerie soundtrack. From Squid Game season one, the creator has imbued character into its music to corroborate the intense atmosphere of the twisted games.
And the record-breaking season three was no exception. Music has been at the heart of Squid Game. The season three soundtrack was elemental in creating the atmospheric tension that immerses viewers and keeps them on tenterhooks. It instils a sense of suspense, designed to have audiences bite their nails. The Squid Game scores have been catalysts for emotional turbulence. But most importantly, they heighten the sense of urgency in spectators.
Squid Game season three has soundtracks that will haunt you long after Netflix displays “Game Over.” But if you pay attention to the scores within the show, you’ll also find it akin to a gritty drumroll before defining moments. And since the survival drama has a penchant for playing with contrasts, the childlike games with deadly consequences are presented with cheerful songs to keep the psychological pressure cooker on at all times.
The man behind the genius is acclaimed South Korean composer Jung Jae-il, famous for his work in the Oscar-winning film Parasite. The Squid Game season three album tracklist has 20 songs. And each of them is incorporated to ensure viewers are constantly on edge. It includes ‘Across the Bridge,’ ‘Sacrifice II,’ ‘Daughter,’ ‘So It Goes,’ ‘Accomplished,’ ‘Sa Rahm,’ ‘Going On,’ ‘Birth and Death,’ ‘Jun-hee ya,’ and ‘JUMP ROPE Song.’
Kim SungSoo’s ‘Red & Blue’ and ‘Enter,’ Park Min Joo’s ‘Jump Rope Entrance’ and ‘A Mad Nam-gyu II,’ ‘Halmooni,’ ‘The Final Decision,’ ‘I Know,’ ‘Kill ‘em All,’ ‘Farewell,’ and ‘HIDE & SEEK song’ round out the list. The creator, producers, and composer have expertly inculcated music to manipulate viewers’ emotional response. And in the process, they have cracked the code of the audience’s emotional graph.
Interestingly and even curiously, the use of music has punctuated players and their experiences. Squid Game season two used Haydn’s ‘Trumpet Concerto’ and Johann Strauss II’s ‘The Blue Danube’ to convey music as a part of the players’ experience. Moreover, through the use of children’s songs, the survival drama has established cognitive dissonance, which intensified when the show released its third season. Tracks like ‘JUMP ROPE Song’ and ‘Red & Blue’ have been trending since season three’s debut on Netflix.
So, if you missed out on the tracks, it’s possible that you fell short on the story as well. It’s important to note that Squid Game doesn’t just utilise music as a tool of storytelling. It works as a psychological catalyst to distract and manipulate. Each track is crafted to amplify tension, solidify the contrasts, and highlight the climax and conclusion. Hence, you must watch and listen simultaneously.