Every Song In The Life Is Strange: True Colors Trailer

Deck Nine Games and Square Enix announced the next Life is Strange entry, True Colors, during the Square Enix Presents Spring 2021 livestream. True Colors follows Alex Chen as she attempts to discover the secrets of Haven Springs and promises to break from franchise tradition by releasing all at once, instead of episodically. While the release trailer and accompanying presentation left a lot of unanswered questions in their wake, they made one thing clear: the game will feature an epic soundtrack.

The True Colors announcement trailer features two songs, while the Square Enix presentation previewed a third, which will appear in the world of the game, sung by Alexa herself.

Previous Life is Strange games featured highly curated soundtracks full of licensed music that fit the theme of the games. For example, in the first Life is Strange, Chloe and Max listened to Bright Eyes, Mogwai, Amanda Palmer, and Alt-J. Since music plays such an important role in the previous games, it's only natural that fans are wondering what sorts of music will feature in True Colors.

The first song featured in the True Colors Announce Trailer was "Haven" by Novo Amor, the stage name of Welsh artist Ali Lacey. Lacey describes Novo Amor as a "project" he began after a devastating breakup.

"Haven" appears to be a song created specifically for Life is Strange: True Colors, and it matches the tone of the trailer perfectly with its smooth vocals and hypnotic acoustic guitar riffs. The lyrics also reveal a melancholy mood, beginning with, "I'll be late, but I could make it all up to you/ I'll count down the days, don't say that you wouldn't too/ 'Cause I heard the rain, as I felt you coming loose/And I heard my name, it broke my head in two." 

The lyrics could apply to a variety of situations, but considering that "Haven" was created for Life is Strange: True Colors, it's likely that the lyrics are tailored to the game's plot, and perhaps relate specifically to Alexa's relationship to her brother.

In a years-old discussion of Life is Strange's music, one fan recommended Novo Amor as an artist that should be featured in the game. Perhaps Deck Nine took the hint and called Lacey up to collaborate.

Cyrus Reynold's "When You Call" featuring BELLSAINT appeared more prominently in the second half of the trailer. Cyrus Reynolds primarily works in composition, arranging scores for a variety of musicians, like Kanye West. Reynolds has also released two EPs and an album under his own name.

BELLSAINT, who provided vocals for "When You Call," is an up-and-coming pop vocalist who seeks to recapture countercultures of the 1960s. Previously, her cover of REM's "Losing My Religion" was featured in an episode of The Handmaid's Tale.

"When You Call," which was first released in 2019, seems to fit True Colors well. The chorus chants "we're not the only ones," hinting to astute listeners that Alex might not be alone in her struggle to discover the truth of her brother's death. It might also hint at Alex's empathy powers, which will allow her to understand others' emotions.

Together, Cyrus Reynolds and BELLSAINT perform an incredible, atmospheric song that will fit into the world of True Colors brilliantly.

Social media star and musician Mxmtoon will also have a cover of Radiohead's "Creep" appear diegetically in the game. In addition, Mxmtoon will supply the in-game singing voice of Alex. Mxmtoon's cover of "Creep" was featured in the announcement show for Life is Strange: True Colors.

Mxmtoon began recording covers for her various social media accounts, but blossomed into a full-fledged original artist as she started creating "diaristic" songs that spoke to a younger generation. Eventually, her song "Prom Dress" went viral on TikTok, and the rest is history.

Life is Strange has always asked players to make hard decisions, but thankfully, the decision to play with the sound on won't be one of them, considering the excellent soundtrack. Fans won't have to wait long to find out what happens with Alex, as they did with Sean and Daniel in Life is Strange 2. The entirety of True Colors will be available Sept. 10, 2021.