Turning Red is a 2022 Pixar animated film directed by Domee Shi, starring the voices of Rosalie Chiang and Sandra Oh. It follows 13-year-old Meilin “Mei” Lee, who transforms into a giant red panda whenever her emotions run high.
The film’s music quickly became one of its most talked-about elements. From here on, this article focuses entirely on the score and songs behind Turning Red.
Turning Red Soundtrack (2022) Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Film | Turning Red |
| Director | Domee Shi |
| Studio | Pixar Animation Studios / Walt Disney Pictures |
| Platform | Disney+ |
| Film Release Date | March 11, 2022 |
| Composer | Ludwig Göransson (score) |
| Songwriters | Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell (original songs) |
| Label | Walt Disney Records |
| Soundtrack Release Date | March 11, 2022 |
| Total Tracks | 32 |
| Runtime | 76:55 |
| UPC | 050087499204 |
Turning Red Soundtrack Overview
The Turning Red (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released digitally and on CD by Walt Disney Records on March 11, 2022, the same day the film premiered on Disney+.
It combines Ludwig Göransson’s orchestral score with three original songs written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell for the film’s fictional boy band, 4*Town.
Walt Disney Records also issued companion releases later in 2022: a score-only “Original Score” edition and a remix EP titled “The Mix,” both on July 29, 2022, alongside a “Original Songs – Vinyl Edition” on May 20, 2022.
Who Composed the Turning Red Soundtrack?
Ludwig Göransson composed the film’s score, marking his first animated feature. The Swedish composer was announced for the project on July 14, 2021.
Göransson is an Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy-winning composer best known for Black Panther, The Mandalorian, and later Oppenheimer. He described the Turning Red score as “a crazy mix of musical genres, from New Jack Swing to ’90s boy-band, traditional Chinese sounds and Western orchestra.”
To build Mei’s world, he used Western flute, dizi, and bamboo flute for her theme, and guzheng for her mother Ming’s. The score was performed with 75 members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic.
Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell wrote the film’s three original songs, performed by the fictional band 4*Town. The pair had previously written and produced the No Time to Die theme song with Hans Zimmer.
Eilish said the assignment meant writing songs that felt like they belonged to the year 2000, calling it “really, really fun to just play around in that world.”
Turning Red Official Tracklist
- “Nobody Like U” – 4*TOWN — 2:40
- “1 True Love” – 4*TOWN — 3:19
- “U Know What’s Up” – 4*TOWN — 3:08
- “Family” — 0:40
- “Turning Red” — 2:10
- “Meilin Lee” — 0:58
- “Temple Duties” — 1:13
- “Jin’s Family Dinner” — 0:56
- “Drawing Love” — 2:15
- “Never Again Dream” — 1:34
- “Turning Panda” — 2:16
- “Panda-monium” — 2:34
- “Ancestors” — 4:39
- “Inconvenient Genetics” — 3:35
- “U Know What’s Up” (The Panda Hustle Version) – 4*TOWN — 2:49
- “Tyler’s Deal” — 2:19
- “The Aunties” — 0:37
- “Grandma’s Warning” — 1:31
- “Keeping the Panda” — 5:14
- “Dad Talk” — 2:28
- “Red Moon Ritual” — 3:19
- “I’m Keeping It” — 1:42
- “Making It Right” — 1:59
- “Unleashing the Panda” — 2:06
- “Stadium Ritual” — 2:00
- “Pandas Unite / Nobody Like U (Reprise)” – Göransson, 4*TOWN — 3:05
- “The Real Ming” — 1:59
- “No Going Back” — 3:13
- “Let Your Inner Panda Out” — 1:30
- “Nobody Like U” (Instrumental) — 2:40
- “1 True Love” (Instrumental) — 3:19
- “U Know What’s Up” (Instrumental) — 3:08
Total runtime: 76:55
Score Highlights
“Ancestors” — At 4:39, one of the score’s longest cues, built around the film’s mystic family history using pipa and Chinese opera percussion.
“Keeping the Panda” — The album’s longest track at 5:14, scoring a pivotal turning point for Mei late in the film. (Placement analytically derived from track title and sequencing.)
“Red Moon Ritual” — Underscores the family’s ritual to contain the panda spirit, layering erhu and bianzhong against a synthesizer bed.
“Unleashing the Panda” — A high-energy cue built around Göransson’s “quirky” and “awkward” panda theme.
“Pandas Unite / Nobody Like U (Reprise)” — The one track blending Göransson’s score directly with the 4*Town song, timed to match a Cantonese ritual chant to Eilish and O’Connell’s melody and key.
Turning Red Licensed Songs / Needle Drops
Confirmed in the film:
| Song | Artist |
|---|---|
| Cha Cha Slide | DJ Casper |
| Bootylicious | Destiny’s Child |
Trailer-only (not in the film or soundtrack album):
- Larger Than Life – Backstreet Boys (first trailer only)
- It’s Gonna Be Me – *NSYNC (second trailer only)
Ludwig Göransson Filmography
| Year | Title |
|---|---|
| 2013 | Fruitvale Station |
| 2015 | Creed |
| 2018 | Black Panther |
| 2018 | Venom |
| 2018 | Creed II |
| 2019– | The Mandalorian (TV) |
| 2020 | Tenet |
| 2022 | Turning Red |
| 2022 | Black Panther: Wakanda Forever |
| 2023 | Oppenheimer |
| 2025 | Sinners |
Where to Listen to the Turning Red Soundtrack?
The full Turning Red (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is available for streaming on Spotify and Apple Music, along with the standalone score-only edition and remix EP. The album is also available on CD and vinyl through Walt Disney Records, and the film itself streams exclusively on Disney+.
FAQs
Who composed the Turning Red soundtrack?
Ludwig Göransson composed the score. Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell wrote the three original 4*Town songs.
How many tracks are on the Turning Red soundtrack?
32 tracks, running 76 minutes and 55 seconds in total.
When was the Turning Red soundtrack released?
March 11, 2022, alongside the film’s Disney+ premiere.
What are the 4*Town songs in Turning Red?
“Nobody Like U,” “1 True Love,” and “U Know What’s Up,” all written by Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell.
Where can I stream the Turning Red soundtrack?
It’s available on Spotify, Apple Music, and other major streaming platforms, plus CD and vinyl.
Are there real licensed songs in Turning Red?
Yes — “Cha Cha Slide” by DJ Casper and “Bootylicious” by Destiny’s Child both appear in the film itself, separate from the score album.
Is there a score-only version of the Turning Red soundtrack?
Yes, Walt Disney Records released a standalone “Original Score” edition and a remix EP, “The Mix,” on July 29, 2022.
Related reading: Oppenheimer Soundtrack | Sinners Soundtrack | Disney+ Streaming Guide