Entertainment

'The Girl On The Train' Remixes A Beloved Song

by S. Atkinson

Kanye West is many things. He's a musician, a fashion designer, a father and now the film soundtrack composer of the moment, thanks to the slo-mo rendition of "Heartless" that provides the suitably creepy backdrop for The Girl On The Train trailer. The film is based on the bestselling thriller novel of the same name, and centers on 32-year-old alcoholic Rachel Watson, whose marriage dissolution and subsequent job loss has left her reeling, with a precarious grip on reality. When she becomes fixated on a couple who ride the train each day, and Megan, the woman in the couple goes missing, the police soon begin to think of Rachel as a suspect. Not only has she involved herself in the case, feeling a kinship with the couple that she doesn't have, but, since Rachel suffers from alcohol induced blackouts, she's got no clear alibi.

West's "Heartless" is just shockingly perfect for a tale this emotionally deadening, especially at an eerie, slowed-down tempo, which was scored by Canadian band Blitz//Berlin. As The Girl On The Train trailer details the disappearance of the Hitchcock-esque blonde, we hear auto-tuned Kanye, sampled on the Blitz//Berlin song, deliver the suitably creepy intro to the song: "In the night, I hear 'em talk/The coldest story ever told" and if a chill doesn't run down your spine, then I have serious concerns that you might not be human. But seriously. Check it out:

The official version of the song, called "Surfboard Fire," is available on the band's YouTube channel, and is available to stream on Spotify. You can also purchase the song on iTunes right now, though none of these versions of the song feature the sample of Kanye West's "Heartless."

If it's appearing on the trailer, my bet is that "Surfboard Fire"/"Heartless" is going to be making an appearance on the soundtrack. Given how in vogue slowed down versions of popular songs have been over the recent years for movie soundtracks, this seems even more likely. For example, remember Beyoncé's similarly atmospheric slowed down version of "Crazy In Love" for the Fifty Shades of Grey movie?

Oof. It's hard to beat that for creepy sexuality worthy of a movie soundtrack. Except that this wasn't the first time Beyoncé had slowed things down for a movie. Remember this? I listened to this on loop for basically the entirety of 2013 until the neighbors complained (true story).

Can't wait to see whether we get some more slowed down Kanye West and more Blitz//Berlin for the rest of the soundtrack. I'm crossing my fingers for this. How about you?

Editor's Note: The original article has been updated to reflect new information.

Images: Universal Studios