Hear First Single From Soundtrack to Janelle Monáe’s ‘Antebellum’

Sony and Milan Records have released the first single, “Opening,” from the soundtrack to the Janelle Monáe-led horror film Antebellum. The movie will be released on September 18th, with the soundtrack available for download on the same day.

The score to the film was written by Nate Wonder and Roman GianArthur, who have worked with Monáe on her albums as part of her Wondaland Arts Society collective. This will be their debut film score, inspired by the work of Colin Stetson (Bon Iver, Arcade Fire).

Antebellum was written and directed by Gerard Bush and Christopher Renz (the duo behind the “Kill Jay-Z” video), and also stars Marque Richardson II, Eric Lang, Jack Huston, Kiersey Clemons, Tongayi Chirisa, Gabourey Sidibe and Jena Malone. While details on the film’s plot are scarce, we know it involves Monáe hopping between the present day and pre-Civil War eras, tasked with solving a horrific, mind-bending mystery.

While originally scheduled for theatrical release, Antebellum will now be made available on VOD due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “While the theatrical experience will always be the heart of our business, we are thrilled that we are able to seize the opportunity to match… [this] urgent and immediate film with a release strategy befitting this moment of extraordinary change,” Joe Drake, chairman of the film’s distributor Lionsgate, told Variety. “Not only will this film entertain and thrill audiences worldwide, but spark a discussion about our current world.”