Bob Marley: One Love is a 2024 biographical musical drama film directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green based on the life of reggae singer and songwriter Bob Marley. Two soundtracks were released for the film, through Marley's in-house record label Tuff Gong along with Island Records. The first album, the original motion picture soundtrack featuring songs performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers was released on February 9, 2024. The second, an extended play featuring covers of the band's songs, was released on February 14, 2024.
Background
editThe music from Bob Marley: One Love consisted of songs curated from Marley's archival recordings used throughout the film. Kingsley Ben-Adir performed all the songs as a singer and guitarist for his role as Marley, where the final edit blends with the archival recordings of the film.[1]
Kris Bowers composed the film's score collaborating with Green for the fourth time following Monsters and Men (2018), King Richard (2021) and the television miniseries We Own This City (2022). Bowers was involved from the very beginning, as Green engaged him during the pre-production so that he could sketch the compositions and orchestration. Marley's music was used as a foundation for the film's score with Green wanted it to be organic, but also allow certain moments to be emotional. Bowers recorded and mixed the album without the use of modern sound technologies so that each instrumentation could be heard and experienced accordingly.[2]
Bob Marley: One Love (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
edit| Bob Marley: One Love (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | ||||
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| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | February 9, 2024 | |||
| Length | 74:54 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Bob Marley and the Wailers chronology | ||||
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Bob Marley: One Love (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2024 film released through Tuff Gong and Island Records on February 9, 2024. It featured 17 tracks from the film, which consisted of the songs performed by Bob Marley and the Wailers. Most of the songs were drawn from Catch a Fire (1973), Burnin' (1973), Rastaman Vibration (1976), Exodus (1977), Kaya (1978) and Uprising (1980).[3] The album further featured stage performances of the band which were released in the multi-platinum certified compilation album Legend (1984).[4]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Get Up, Stand Up" | The Wailers | 3:18 |
| 2. | "Roots, Rock, Reggae" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3:37 |
| 3. | "I Shot the Sheriff" | The Wailers | 4:42 |
| 4. | "No More Trouble" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3:58 |
| 5. | "War/No More Trouble" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 4:57 |
| 6. | "So Jah S'eh" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 7:32 |
| 7. | "Natural Mystic" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3:28 |
| 8. | "Turn Your Lights Down Low" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3:40 |
| 9. | "Exodus" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 7:39 |
| 10. | "Jamming" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3:32 |
| 11. | "Concrete Jungle" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 4:12 |
| 12. | "No Woman, No Cry" (Live at the Rainbow Theatre, London on 4 June 1977) (Remastered 2020) | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 7:01 |
| 13. | "Three Little Birds" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3:01 |
| 14. | "Redemption Song" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3:47 |
| 15. | "One Love / People Get Ready" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 2:51 |
| 16. | "Is This Love" | Bob Marley and the Wailers | 3:53 |
| 17. | "Rastaman Chant" | The Wailers | 3:46 |
| Total length: | 74:54 | ||
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Albums (Oricon)[5] | 36 |
| Japanese Hot Albums (Billboard Japan)[6] | 35 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[7] | 6 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[8] | 28 |
| UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)[9] | 9 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[10] | Gold | 7,500‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Bob Marley: One Love (Music Inspired by the Film)
edit| Bob Marley: One Love (Music Inspired by the Film) | |
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| EP by various artists | |
| Released | February 14, 2024 |
| Label |
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| Singles from Bob Marley: One Love (Music Inspired by the Film) | |
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Bob Marley: One Love (Music Inspired by the Film) is the soundtrack extended play to the 2024 film, consisting cover versions of Bob's songs performed by Kacey Musgraves, Wizkid, Jessie Reyez, Leon Bridges, Daniel Caesar, Bloody Civilian and Marley's grandson Skip Marley. Musgraves' version of "Three Little Birds" preceded as the lead single from the EP released on January 26, 2024,[11][12] followed by Caesar's cover of "Waiting in Vain"[13] and Bridges' cover of "Redemption Song" as the second and third singles on February 4 and 10.[14][15][16] The seven-song EP is set to be released on February 14, 2024, the same day as the film.[3]
The soundtrack received a 2025 Grammy Awards nomination for Best Reggae Album.[17]
Track listing
edit| No. | Title | Artist(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Natural Mystic" | Bloody Civilian | |
| 2. | "Exodus" | Skip Marley | |
| 3. | "Waiting in Vain" | Daniel Caesar | |
| 4. | "Three Little Birds" | Kacey Musgraves | |
| 5. | "One Love" | Wizkid | |
| 6. | "Is This Love" | Jessie Reyez | |
| 7. | "Redemption Song" | Leon Bridges |
Reception
editJulian Roman of MovieWeb described the music as "soul-stirring" and "enjoyable".[18] Lovia Gyarkye of The Hollywood Reporter reported that the use of Marley's original tracks in the concert sequences "activates the nostalgic potential of the film".[19] Negatively, Owen Gleiberman of Variety, felt the songs to be "generic", "baffling and weirdly unsatisfying".[20] Patrick Gibbs of SLUG Magazine complimented Bowers' score as "a major highlight that deserves to be heard on a top-quality sound system",[21] whereas The Independent-based critic Clarisse Loughrey in contrast, felt that the score is "filled with unnecessary orchestral flourishes".[22]
References
edit- ^ "Kingsley Ben-Adir on playing Bob Marley in 'One Love'". Entertainment Weekly. December 4, 2023. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Bob Marley: One Love Director Reinaldo Marcus Green Tackles A Far More Difficult Biopic About a Musical Icon". Above the Line. February 9, 2024. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Zwick, Hannah (February 9, 2024). "'Bob Marley: One Love' Soundtrack Arrives Digitally". uDiscover Music. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Bob Marley One Love Soundtrack Release". Juice Magazine. February 7, 2024. Archived from the original on February 7, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Oricon Top 50 Albums: 2024-05-20/p/4" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Japan Hot Albums – Week of May 15, 2024". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved May 15, 2024.
- ^ "NZ Top 40 Albums Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 26, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 17, 2024.
- ^ "Official Soundtrack Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
- ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Bob Marley And The Wailers – Bob Marley: One Love". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
- ^ "Kacey Musgraves Covers "Three Little Birds" for Bob Marley: One Love Soundtrack". Pitchfork. January 26, 2024. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Zemler, Emily (January 26, 2024). "Hear Kacey Musgraves Cover Bob Marley's 'Three Little Birds' for 'One Love' Soundtrack". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on January 27, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Méndez, Chris Malone. "Daniel Caesar Reimagines Bob Marley's 'Waiting In Vain' For 'One Love' Biopic EP". Forbes. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Leijon, Erik. "Daniel Caesar Drops "Waiting In Vain" Cover From Upcoming 'Bob Marley: One Love' Film". Complex. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Daniel Caesar Debuts "Waiting In Vain" Cover From 'Bob Marley: One Love' Biopic". Hypebeast. February 4, 2024. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Leon Bridges' Honeyed 'Redemption Song' Cover For 'One Love' Will Make You Melt". UPROXX. February 10, 2024. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "2025 GRAMMYs: See The Full Nominations List". Retrieved November 8, 2024.
- ^ Roman, Julian (February 9, 2024). "Bob Marley: One Love Review | Sublime Music & Lead Performances Save Uneven Biopic". MovieWeb. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Gyarkye, Lovia (February 8, 2024). "'Bob Marley: One Love' Review: Kingsley Ben-Adir and Lashana Lynch Enliven a Stunted Biopic". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 9, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (February 8, 2024). "'Bob Marley: One Love' Review: Kingsley Ben-Adir Inhabits the Reggae Legend in a Music Biopic That's Anything but Revolutionary". Variety. Archived from the original on February 12, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ Gibbs, Patrick (February 9, 2024). "Film Review: Bob Marley: One Love". SLUG Magazine. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
- ^ "Bob Marley: One Love is yet another watered-down celebrity biopic – review". The Independent. February 8, 2024. Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 13, 2024.