two souls become one: analyzing heated rivalry’s original soundtrack.
soundtrack analyzed in appearance order, not album order.
episode 1.
1. RIVALRY — my instinct to call this their competition theme was instantly proven correct! energetic piece highlighting their chemistry and competition.
6. COMMON GOAL — the first half of the track shows up in the post-draft gym scene, and again during the all-star game presser. love the pairing of those scenes as moments of connection.
2. MELT — what an apt name for the showerrrrr scene! a dreamy piece. if you were to have a fantasy about someone, this is what you'd want it to sound like. tinkly and lusty.
3. THOSE ENGLISH WORDS JUST ROLL OFF YOUR TONGUE — the freaking BASS!!!! a flirty intense electric track for their first rendezvous, and i love the way it ramps up towards the end perfectly aligned with the onscreen actions.
5. FACE-OFF — first official face-off during their rookie season. shane's pressure and ilya's jealousy. plus, this track has NO business being this live! this shit is a vibe! 🤣
6. COMMON GOAL — it returns for the all-star game presser + skills challenge! the flirty first half transitions into the competition theme ("rivalry") right at the end, once again highlighting their palpable chemistry and desire constantly battling with their rivalry.
4. HEARTBEAT I — i fell in love with this piece on my first watch. (the "heartbeat" pieces are truly perfectly named! such heart-pounding moments!!!) so much yearning and passion and anxiety all rolled into one. this track in particular makes you feel how badly they've been waiting and wanting each other.
7. JANE AND LILY — more sultry electronic music. you can feel ilya's intensity, shane's anxiety, their desire, and the transition into their disappointment at canceled plans.
8. TWO SOULS — vegas rooftop, the first time we hear shane and ilya’s main love theme. a slowed down electronic and distant version. the yearningggggg.i really appreciate that the titles for the love leitmotifs lean into the dramatics and tenderness of the series itself. it could’ve been two anything, but “souls” lets us know what type of show this is.
episode 2.
9. HEARTBEAT II — another heartbeat banger as the first original piece of the episode. this is texting scored like an intensely intimate scene. scored in a way that MAKES it an intensely intimate scene. ilya’s desire leaping off screen. shane overthinking everything. ilya’s blushing! we’re all blushing!
10. IT’S YOU — what a couplet for episode 2! so bloody romantic. lyrics on the nose and heightening the moment. the only ones who don’t know they were both in love here are shane and ilya.
11. SHIVERS FROM THE PAST — there’s still chemistry between ilya and sasha, but ilya’s not willing to go there. appreciate the series not ignoring chemistry between ilya and his current and former partners. it’s SHANE he wants.
12. SPRING — light yet mournful track representing the changing seasons.
13. I WANT TO WIN — both ilya’s passion and grief and shane’s myriad of barely concealed emotions.
14. LET’S MAKE A DEAL — arguably the hottest and sweetest track on the entire album. i have to wipe my eyes just like shane after that kiss and the music is an ethereal and sublime backdrop.they’re not saying how they feel to one another, but the music lets us know how desperately they want one another. both physically and emotionally.
15. INFERNO — intense, rhythmic techno/electronic highlighting their physical chemistry and emotional distance.
16. FIRE ESCAPE — the high BPM of the previous track is gone, replaced with slow and stretched discordant, mournful chords. ilya dissociating and shane quietly reeling.
episode 3.
18. LA NUIT EST LONGUE — or “the night is young” in french. scott and kip’s first night together is scored like a hot music video. it’s also what the night must have felt like for both of them. a night that could only exist in dreams and music videos.
17. YOUNG AND RESTLESS I — kip soothing scott during his panic attack and spotting the socks after mailing his grad school apps. a soft and bittersweet melody.
19. YOUNG AND RESTLESS II — another one of my favorite pieces. it never fails to make me cry. kip’s lies by omission, his father’s care, scott’s demonstration of love in the closet. soft, rhythmic TORMENT with peaks and valleys.
20. YOU SLOWLY DISSIPATE — “and so do you…” a painfully soft and quiet track. hope fizzing into sad reality.
episode 4.
21. STRANGERS ON THE ICE — before the montage, heightened sexy techno for their game & faceoff. we’re unsure of their relationship post-“we didn’t even kiss”. lots of tension.
22. DARK GLOW — the name of this track! subtle & smart. post-montage, svetlana and ilya chat in the dark backseat, under the glow of their phones. we now know ilya’s getting tired of anyone and anything but shane and shane’s longing for ilya even as he achieves his biggest goals. sveta touches a nerve.
23. UTOPIE I — or “utopia” in french. ilya asks shane to stay for the first time ever. in a perfect world, they’d stay together forever. hazy, blissed out melody.
24. DIN OF YOUR VOICE — anxiety-inducing stretched out chords for ilya’s frantic and angry conversations with his father and brother.
25. HEARTBEAT III — INTIMACY AND INTENSITYYYYYY. everything gets real when the first names are said for the first time in 8 years. whew. shane takes control and ilya lets himself surrender before it all goes to shit.
27. DISTANT RIVALRY — softer version of their competition theme while shane and rose are texting. shane and ilya’s music for texting is always flirty and intense, not competitive. then the competition theme formally ramps up for their game where they both struggle.
episode 5.
1. RIVALRY — shows up in full force at the beginning of episode 5, as we get word about shane and ilya playing on the same team for the 2017 all-star game in tampa.
28. TEXT ME WHENEVER — with this melody, you can feel the weight of finally coming out to someone being lifted off shane’s shoulders. rose being a true friend!
31. TREMBLING — how fitting is it that the leitmotif i originally thought was shane’s anxiety theme is BOTH of their anxiety themes?!?! and we hear it first when svetlana brings up rose to ilya straight into ilya whispering “okay” to himself as he spots shane walking into the bar. BOOM! anxious techno! and the freaking title?! excellent!
30. HOLLANOV — a beautiful contrast to “rivalry” and a raw display of their giddy joy and crackling chemistry when playing with one another. it’s so heartwarming to see this piece also being used to show how great ilya is with kids. electronic and electric.
29. HEARTBEAT IV — an intimate hug after a long-needed conversation. and then, THIS is what shane and ilya texting sounds like. longing and humor. they’re like magnets. it’s also a softer, more melodic version of HEARTBEAT II.
31. TREMBLING — the anxiety theme shows up again as shane worries where ilya is and how he’s doing. he worries and pushes through to call ilya for the first time.
33. ONE SOUL — in the tunnel in moscow, it’s here we hear a tiny bit of the resplendent love theme for the very first time. ilya’s tiny smile always makes me sob.
25. HEARTBEAT II — makes a return from episode 4 for their smiley face-off here. hockey and sex are intense, playful, and arousing experiences for them both.
26. FLATLINE — shane’s injury. anxious, stretched out chords highlighting ilya’s distance and worry.
32. EVERYBODY’s GLORY — what a stunning title for this track! the lead up to scott and kip’s game-changing kiss. people loving and living their truth IS everybody’s glory. we’re all better for it. we will all be better for it. an emotional and triumphant way to head into “i’ll believe in anything” x wolf parade.
episode 6.
31. TREMBLING — no surprise to hear the anxiety theme popping back up as shane awaits ilya’s arrival in the airport parking lot. they’re both excited and terrified about what their time at the cottage will mean and what could happen or not happen. both worried about being desperately in love with the other and that love potentially not being reciprocated.
33. ONE SOUL — as they watch the sunrise after their love confessions, the full-throated version of their love theme comes in. it continues to play over what i believe is their most intimate sex scene of the entire season.
31. TREMBLING — the anxiety theme returns one last time as david drives away from the cottage upon spotting shane and ilya.
34. UTOPIE II — yuna and shane’s conversation. another beautiful moment, reprising the melody under ilya asking shane to stay in episode 4. in this perfect world, a parent would admit their faults, apologize for not creating a space where their child felt comfortable to be himself, and immediately take steps to be and do better.
