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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Subspace Rhapsody” Soundtrack and Musical Influences

Here's a list of every song in Star Trek: Strange New World's musical episode "Subspace Rhapsody" and what influenced the soundtrack!

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This Star Trek: Strange New Worlds article contains spoilers.

Star Trek has always had a habit of taking unlikely detours into other genres, whether it was Kirk and Spock dressing like gangsters in the TOS episode “A Piece of the Action” or the powerful Deep Spine Nine period piece “Far Beyond the Stars.” But with its most recent episode, Strange New Worlds takes the franchise in the most unexpected direction.

Directed by Dermott Downs, “ Subspace Rhapsody ” finds the Enterprise crew breaking into song after discovering an anomaly at the edge of the Alpha Quadrant. The episode gives Uhura actor Celia Rose Gooding a chance to show off the pipes that landed them a role in Jagged Little Pill: The Musical on Broadway , and also featured a Klingon hip-hop number that recalls Han Solo’s lowest moment .

As shocking as the episode was for Trekkies, “Subspace Rhapsody” benefited from a steady hand at the helm, thanks to Downs’ previous experience working with musicals. The mind behind the “ Duet ” episode of The Flash , which saw Supergirl and Flash forced to sing to battle the Music Meister, Downs knows how to make normally straight-laced heroes burst into song.

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Although he knew the risks of such a stylistic divergence for Strange New Worlds , Downs told Comicbook.com that he drew from familiar influences. For Pike’s argument with Captain Batel, Downs designed “kind of [a] country duet that goes sideways in front of the whole crew.” The Klingon hip-hop moment came about after shooting a version without dancing but Downs decided that it didn’t work. “You want it to be something outrageous,” he explained, arguing that only an act that filled Klingons with dishonor would “help us propel to this final conquering of the anomaly.”

The most complex of the numbers involved Nurse Chapel’s excitement over a career opportunity, even at the cost of her relationship with Spock, which overtakes her in a crowded mess hall. “There were so many elements and interactive elements to that, that that probably had the most full-blown rehearsals, just so everybody would be prepared on the day and you’re not trusting someone’s going to catch you, and on the day they don’t,” said Downs.

But the most interesting of the numbers featured La’an ‘s heartbreak at seeing Kirk , who does not know about the romance the two shared in an alternate reality. After watching Kirk and Una perform a playful duet, La’an retreats to her room for an intimate song, one that includes insert shots of the life she and Kirk could have had. “I know it probably has a music video feel, but I was going for something much more like Terrence Malick and emotional,” contended Downs, referencing the vulnerability in movies such as Tree of Life and Days of Heaven .

Initially, however, Downs planned to take a bigger approach. “Originally, that breakout moment, we were talking about doing something like  The Sound of Music ,” he revealed. “[B]ut it just became too huge and out of step with the episode and it would’ve been fun to go completely opposite of outer space.”

Of course, “Subspace Rhapsody” ends up delivering much more than a worthwhile musical. It pushes the story forward for several characters, while revealing some interesting backstory for Kirk by bringing back Carol Marcus , who you might know best from The Wrath of Khan . It’s an impressive amount of ground to cover for the Star Trek series, especially when doing it in song and dance!

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds “Subspace Rhapsody” Soundtrack

As space-bound as “Subspace Rhapsody” is, you can enjoy the music here on Earth. On Aug. 4, the “Subspace Rhapsody” official cast recording will be available to purchase, which includes the following tracks:

• Star Trek Strange New Worlds Main Title (Subspace Rhapsody Version)
• Status Report
• Connect to Your Truth
• How Would That Feel
• Private Conversation
• Keeping Secrets
• Keep Us Connected
• Subspace Rhapsody End Credit Medley

You can listen to the full soundtrack of the episode below:

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Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

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Let’s Rank the Songs of ‘Strange New Worlds’ Musical Episode, ‘Subspace Rhapsody’

At last, the Star Trek: Strange New World s musical episode is here! TMS’ Lauren Coates has us covered with a review of “Subspace Rhapsody” as a whole, but I’m here to talk specifically about the music . After all, a musical is judged by how likely you are to keep singing and listening to the songs long after the show is over. At least, that’s how I rate musicals.

So, how does the music stack up? Allow me to provide a humble ranking of the songs from “Subspace Rhapsody” from least to most awesome. Feel free to disagree with me about the order in the comments!

10. “ How Would That Feel ” – La’an Noonien-Singh (performed by Christina Chong)

Sadly, my least favorite song was performed by one of the characters I was most looking forward to hearing from.

La’an’s going through a lot: she traveled through time, she’s not supposed to talk about it, and she had romantic feelings for a version of Kirk who is now dead. She’s also one of the more guarded members of the crew, due to her harrowing experience with the Gorn and the assumptions people make from her last name. I was sure we wouldn’t hear from La’an for a while, but when we did, it would be meaningful .

Instead, we got a La’an song way too early, singing feelings I’m not convinced she’d sing, even on her own. Especially since she had the self-control not to sing when revealing her actual strong feelings to Kirk later in the episode. Imagine how much more powerful Kirk’s rejection would’ve been if it followed a heartbreakingly honest musical confession. Instead, we were served an emotionally incoherent, lyrically generic ballad way too early in the episode.

9. “ Keeping Secrets ” – Una Chin-Riley (performed by Rebecca Romijn)

Una Chin-Riley is another character who’s way more fascinating than the songs she was given. Unfortunately, Una’s two numbers in the episode are among the weakest. “Keeping Secrets” is the weaker of the two, as Una commiserates with La’an by comparing her unrequited love of Kirk to … her own battle to keep her identity a secret to avoid persecution? Una, all secrets are not equal. And in this context, Number One doesn’t know the timey-wimey reasons why La’an’s feelings for Kirk are so complicated. So, the fact that her approach is this serious in this song makes little sense.

I’d be able to forgive that if the music or lyrics were more interesting, but like “How Would That Feel,” this was another plodding, generic ballad during which I found myself checking my phone.

8. “ Connect to Your Truth ” – Una Chin-Riley and James T. Kirk (performed by Rebecca Romijn and Paul Wesley)

“Connect to Your Truth” was a stronger song for Number One, not only because it was a fun callback to her love of Gilbert & Sullivan—which she expressed in the Short Treks episode “Q&A” —but because it was a duet with a James T. Kirk who is not yet a captain. This allowed Una to give Kirk advice on how to be a better leader by staying true to who you are and connecting to your crew through vulnerability.

Also, this song was fun , which goes a long way. While this song is only slightly better than the first two songs on this list (and it’s probably the cheesiest song in the episode), both Romijn and Wesley seemed to be having a great time singing it. The song also makes sense on a character level as well as thematically.

7. “Main Title (“Subspace Rhapsody” Version)” – composed by Jeff Russo

I love when a themed episode of a TV show goes to the trouble of creating something different for the opening title sequence. SNW already did this once with a Lower Decks -inspired opening for “Those Old Scientists.” For “Subspace Rhapsody,” composer Jeff Russo orchestrated a boppy, choral version of the opening theme that will give you chills.

Hearing this version in the trailer truly got me excited about watching the episode! Literally the only reason for its “low” placement on this list is that it’s an instrumental and not really a “song,” but it needed to be on here!

6. “ Private Conversation ” – Christopher Pike and Marie Batel (performed by Anson Mount and Melanie Scrofano)

“Private Conversation” is a fun and hilariously awkward moment between two characters who are still trying to figure out what their romantic relationship looks like long distance.

Before any of the singing starts, we know that Pike and Batel have been discussing taking a vacation together. As Batel shares her preferred destination, it’s clear that Pike isn’t into it. But rather than being upfront about it, he deflects. Then, despite being so not thrilled about the singing, Pike is forced to reveal how he feels in song when Uhura patches a call from Batel to him on the bridge.

Hearing them both absolutely hate that they’re being compelled to sing while also having an awkward lovers’ squabble in front of subordinate crew members was an absolute delight.

5. “ Status Report ” – Enterprise Crew (performed by the SNW Cast)

“Status Report” understood the assignment, and is a perfect opening number for a Star Trek musical. It manages to sound very Trek (technobabble and all), while also sounding like a true musical number. Every cast member takes part in the number in a way that is true to their character. The song is a perfect, fun, and funny introduction to the unique nature of the problem: there’s nothing technically “wrong” on the ship, and yet there’s something very, very wrong on the ship.

I mean, just look at Pike’s face above. He really, really hates that this is happening, and I love it so much .

4. “ I’m the X ” – Spock (performed by Ethan Peck)

This darker, angrier reprise to Nurse Chapel’s song (which is slightly higher up on the list) is not only a perfect song for Spock at this point in his life, but it marks the beginning of the more stoic Spock that we (and Boimler) will come to know in the future. Freshly dumped by his fiancée, Spock learns that the woman he basically left her for has no qualms about leaving him to take a fellowship. So Spock decides that the only way to handle this is to put away emotions entirely . Oh, Spock. You adorable stupid jerk.

And leave it to Spock to sing a song about emotions and romantic relationships that uses math as a metaphor. I mean, it’s no “ The Math of Love Triangles ” from Crazy Ex-Girlfriend , but it is more accurate about math.

3. “ I’m Ready ” – Christine Chapel (performed by Jess Bush)

Thankfully, not all the women of the cast got sub-par songs to work with. “I’m Ready” has the distinction of being the only song in the episode that truly works both as a song for Chapel (in the context of the story) and as a completely standalone song that I cannot wait to hear someone crush at karaoke.

It’s also a great song musically and has a fun, flirtatious energy. Not flirty as in “with a person,” but flirting with the possibilities of life. And I love that the song subverts TOS Chapel, whom we see pining after Spock all the time. “I’m Ready” gives us a Christine who has feelings for Spock, but is more in love with her own future. Like Billie Eilish .

2. “ We Are One ” – Enterprise Crew (performed by the SNW Cast)

“Subspace Rhapsody” came out of the gate strong with a solid opening number, and it ended strong with a finale as optimistic as Star Trek is at its best. Of course the solution was going to be that we need more voices singing . Of course the solution was going to come from Uhura, Trek’s Queen of Communication. And of course, Uhura was going to highlight that music isn’t just about expressing one’s bad or secret feelings, it’s about expressing the good ones too!

She rightfully points out that cultures throughout history have used songs to celebrate and engage in communal activities, and she reminds the Enterprise crew that they are always at their best when they work together. “We Are One” ended the episode on a joyful note that made me proud to be a Trekkie.

1. “ Keep Us Connected ” – Nyota Uhura (performed by Celia Rose Gooding)

The clear standout of the episode is Uhura’s passionate ballad, “Keep Us Connected.” This song is an emotional roller coaster, and it was the one song in the episode that made me cry.

First, it honored a Trek legacy character whose contributions can never be praised enough. Second, it was deeply personal for Uhura, charting her journey from experiencing the death of her family at a young age to making a career out of bringing people together, giving her a depth that she’s rarely been given elsewhere. And third, because this song resonates on the same level as Encanto ‘s “Surface Pressure,” relatable to every woman who’s ever felt the pressure of, and recognized the strength required for, the invisible labor in which they so often engage in to care for others.

And Gooding performs the song brilliantly. They have an amazing voice, and while it took the entire cast to make me feel this strongly during the opener and the finale, Gooding was the only cast member able to elicit this level of emotion all on their own. I loved that what started as a song of grief and self-pity turned into Uhura recognizing that her ability to help others communicate is a gift. And in recognizing this gift, they arrive at the solution that saves the Enterprise from being a forever musical.

I will be listening to this song on a loop all weekend. You can, too, as the soundtrack for “Subspace Rhapsody” is available wherever you stream music.

(featured image: Paramount+)

‘Star Trek’ made its first ever musical episode, but was it any good? Our writers discuss

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This article contains spoilers for “Subspace Rhapsody,” the ninth episode of Season 2 of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .”

On Thursday, “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” (Paramount+) debuted “Subspace Rhapsody,” which has been announced as the first musical episode in the franchise . (Some will, of course, remember Spock strumming on a Vulcan lute and Uhura singing in the original series or Data’s rendition of “Blue Skies” at Will and Deanna’s wedding in “Star Trek: Nemesis.”)

Whether or not one views this as an insult to or a delightful expansion of the series, it has become, if not quite de rigueur, not unusual for a comedy or drama or even a soap opera to get its inner “Rent” on. “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” was perhaps the most ballyhooed show to take this step toward Broadway, but all sorts of series have danced into the footlights: “Fringe,” “Psych,” “Xena: Warrior Princess,” “Futurama,” “One Life to Live,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Community,” “Transparent” and more.

Entertainment and arts reporter Ashley Lee, who knows a lot about musicals but little about “Star Trek,” and television critic Robert Lloyd, who knows quite a bit about “Star Trek” and less about musicals (at least any written after 1970), got together to discuss the episode.

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Ashley Lee: Because I love musical theater, I’m always intrigued when TV shows take the risk to make a musical episode. The task of creating original songs for the screen is already tricky enough, especially in a way that invites along the show’s weekly audience and still moves its stories forward. And then there’s the task of asking the actors to perform them, whether or not they’ve ever sung or danced onscreen before. It’s an episodic experiment that, over the years, only some shows have gotten right.

I admittedly put on the musical episode of “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” with low expectations because, outside of “Little Shop of Horrors,” putting sci-fi to song hasn’t historically been so harmonious (R.I.P., “Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark”). Even though I had no prior connection to any of these characters, I found “Subspace Rhapsody” to be a pleasant surprise.

I loved how the songs, written by Kay Hanley and Tom Polce of the ’90s alt-rock band Letters to Cleo, poked enough fun at the oddity of suddenly breaking out into song without insulting the TV tradition. And I found it hilarious that the episode, directed by Dermott Downs and written by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff, deemed “confessing highly personal, emotional information” a legitimate security threat. (When you think about it, such can definitely be true in the real world!)

I’m surprised that, after all these years, this is the first ever “Star Trek” musical episode. Robert, as a longtime fan of the franchise, were you open to the idea?

Robert Lloyd: In sci-fi fandom, any unusual step is bound to raise some hackles. But as a TV critic since before flat screens, I have seen at least a few of these “special musical episodes” mounted in otherwise nonmusical series. I suspect the impetus came not from viewer demand but from the producers or the writers, who are always looking for something new to entertain the audience and, not incidentally, themselves and was seized upon happily by cast members, many of whom will have had backgrounds in or at least a love of musical theater, even if only from their high school production of “Guys and Dolls” (which I mention because it was produced at my high school — not with me).

History shows there’s no sort of show more likely than another to take on this challenge, but of all the “Star Trek” series, “Strange New Worlds” is perhaps the one most amenable to it. It’s got a strong vein of humor, and, as a highly episodic show, it’s subject to — in fact, embraces — tonal shifts from week to week. This season has been particularly … goofy? Two weeks prior to “Subspace Rhapsody,” they aired a crossover with the animated spinoff “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” in which cartoon characters became flesh and fleshly characters cartoons.

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I thought it was smart to give the musical element of the show a “scientific” rationale — if the usual “Trek” technobabble — with the Enterprise overwhelmed by feedback from a substance fault into which, on the inspiration of Carol Kane’s Pelia, they sent a playlist in an attempt to communicate musically.

And it’s quite appropriate for a season full of romantic subplots, including Ethan Peck’s Spock — who, you must know, is more about logic than feeling — having a thing with Jess Bush’s Nurse Chapel, and security chief Noonien-Singh’s (Christina Chong) awkward reunion with a young James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), who doesn’t recall their relationship from an alternative timeline. (That bit may have made no sense to you, Ash.) Appropriately, the story makes it clear that heightened emotion is what causes the characters to sing — which is, of course, the underlying rationale of music theater.

All else aside, how did the music strike you? It was odd that although the music they fed into the fault was the “Great American Songbook” — the standards of early to mid-20th century popular song, often written for musicals — none of the songs in the episode were actually modeled on that tradition. Not much in the way of Jerome Kern or Rodgers and Hart there. It all sounded post-Andrew Lloyd Webber to me.

Lee: Haha, you’re right! While I did appreciate the use of Cole Porter’s show tune “Anything Goes” as a very literal cue to the audience of the storytelling “rules” ahead, many of the tunes were more contemporary than Golden Age. The one that’s most “vintage” in style was the sweet duet “Connect to Your Truth,” when Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn) shared key leadership advice with Lt. Kirk.

Regarding the romances, I admittedly became deeply invested in these will-they-won’t-theys by the end of their musical numbers. I particularly loved La’an Noonien-Singh‘s song “How Would That Feel,” about contemplating vulnerability; it was like an introspective, angsty version of “Company’s” “Being Alive” in the musical style of “Wicked” (and is a promising preview of her music — Chong just released a debut EP). And the stark differences in genre between Spock’s brooding electropop ballad “I’m the X” and Nurse Chapel’s Amy Winehouse-esque fellowship celebration “I’m Ready” definitely maximized the tension amid their miscommunication.

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Beyond those, the opening number titled “Status Report” was so strong — a perfect example of musicalizing a familiar routine of the world (think “Opening Up” from “Waitress” or “Good Morning Baltimore” from “Hairspray”) — and the choral, orchestral rendition of the show’s main title was a delight. Also, the double meaning of communications officer Nyota Uhura’s anthem “Keep Us Connected” was very satisfying and, in my opinion, only scratched the surface of Celia Rose Gooding’s vocal abilities (she earned a Tony nomination for her performance in “Jagged Little Pill”).

If “Star Trek” ever officially makes the leap to the stage, I imagine these three songs in particular would transfer well. (Though if so, I’m gonna need a full expansion of that brief interlude of autotuned, rapping Klingons.) Bravo to Hanley and Polce for writing all the music and lyrics of this episode; while many have attempted it over the years, only a few pop stars and rockers have successfully walked the tightrope of writing effective and entertaining stage musicals (e.g., Cyndi Lauper, David Byrne and Elton John).

Overall, did you enjoy “Subspace Rhapsody”? Was the first musical episode of the franchise worth the wait?

Lloyd: I can’t say I was waiting for it, but I certainly enjoyed it. I’m all about nutty “Star Trek,” going back to “The Trouble With Tribbles,” and also found it a really effective way to embody the emotional crises being faced by “Strange New Worlds’” eminently likable characters. Certainly, the cast bursting into song (and the occasional dance), with music dropping in from … somewhere, is no more nonsensical than about, oh, a hundred things that have happened to the various starship crews over nearly six decades.

But let me ask you, did it make you liable to keep watching the series? (No judgment.)

Lee: Robert, these subplots were so genuinely compelling, even when concisely moved forward in song, that I’ll likely start this series from the beginning and continue on past this episode. Plus, I’m so intrigued by Lt. Kirk and Noonien-Singh’s romance in that alternate timeline!

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Ashley Lee is a staff reporter at the Los Angeles Times, where she writes about theater, movies, television and the bustling intersection of the stage and the screen. An alum of the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center’s National Critics Institute and Poynter’s Power of Diverse Voices, she leads workshops on arts journalism at the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. She was previously a New York-based editor at the Hollywood Reporter and has written for the Washington Post, Backstage and American Theatre, among others. She is currently working remotely alongside her dog, Oliver.

Robert Lloyd has been a Los Angeles Times television critic since 2003.

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Star Trek: The Musical – The Most Memorable Song And Dance Moments

| October 4, 2020 | By: Neil Shurley And Laurie Ulster 22 comments so far

With all the talk about a possible Star Trek: Short Treks musical we thought we would have Laurie and Neil turn their gaze to the times Star Trek brought a little Broadway song and dance to the final frontier.

In musical theatre, a character only breaks into song when the ideas or feelings they’re trying to express become too much for words alone. And, at least since Oklahoma! set the standard, that song will have an actual job to do—typically either advance the plot or illuminate character.

On the rare occasions that Star Trek characters sing, the music often gives us new insights into the inner lives of our heroes. Other times they function more like the big, fun dance numbers that open the second act of musicals, basically existing to keep the audience engaged while they’re returning to their seats. And sometimes they’re simply a type of “ Chekhov’s gun ”—when space hippies show up in the first act, they have to sing a song about getting hassled by the man by the third act.

Here are some of our favorite Star Trek musical interludes, starting with the TV shows and then moving on to the movies.

Star Trek: The Original Series

“on the starship enterprise” from from “charlie x”.

The first Star Trek episode to air, “The Man Trap,” features an interlude in which Uhura tries to engage Spock in a little conversation.

UHURA: Why don’t you tell me I’m an attractive young lady, or ask me if I’ve ever been in love? Tell me how your planet Vulcan looks on a lazy evening when the moon is full. SPOCK: Vulcan has no moon, Miss Uhura. UHURA: I’m not surprised, Mister Spock.

The very next episode to air, “Charlie X,” builds on that moment as we visit Uhura and Rand in a rec room, chatting and playing cards while Spock quietly plays a tune on his Vulcan harp. Uhura starts singing along, loudly and wordlessly, much to the annoyance of Spock. But when Uhura apologizes, Spock grins devilishly and, almost tauntingly, begins playing a new tune. When Rand urges her on, Uhura stands and starts singing an impromptu song about Spock. Is it any wonder that the Kelvinverse producers envisioned Spock and Uhura as a couple?

When space orphan Charlie Evans interrupts the scene, Uhura turns her sights on him, coming up with a second verse that ends up making both Charlie and Rand uncomfortable, resulting in a demonstration of Charlie’s strange, otherworldly powers.

Although the “Charlie X” storyline was part of Gene Roddenberry’s original pitch to the network, D.C. Fontana ended up writing the actual episode. However, Roddenberry still had a hand in the final version: The script specified that Roddenberry himself would provide the lyrics. The tune comes from a Scottish folk song called “ Charlie is My Darling ” (did Uhura have a premonition that she’d be creating a verse specifically about Charlie Evans?). Here’s the traditional song —minus Vulcan lyre. – Neil

“I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” from “The Naked Time”

Lt. Kevin Riley launches his own musical comedy variety hour after being infected by an intoxicating alien virus in “The Naked Time.” Tapping into his Irish heritage, he rechristens himself Kevin O’Riley and hijacks the ship’s communications, ordering double portions of ice cream for all hands and singing—over and over and over again— “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen.”

Let me just quote this section of the script, because it not only perfectly describes what we see and hear, it also serves as proof that actor Bruce Hyde absolutely nailed this performance. “Riley should not be one hundred percent accurate with his version of the lyrics… Later, often coming to the end, and for the sake of story accent, he pauses…  shouts a lusty ‘One more time’… and begins again… and again… as often as is necessary. Additionally, he is no singer… should hold the pitch but not much more… should overdo the emotional passages and be none too accurate in matching the feelings of the lyric to his interpretation of it.”

It’s a memorable—and delightful—portion of a classic episode. Also, in college several friends and I would force each other to launch into the song at any random moment by shouting “One… more… time!” – Neil

“Beyond Antares” from “The Conscience of the King”

The script describes it as “a strange, soft, delicate love song borne in the depths of space,” and “Beyond Antares” lives up to that billing.

Sung to distract a lonely Kevin Riley who’s stuck by himself in engineering, “Beyond Antares” serves as another showcase for Uhura’s empathy as well as Nichelle Nichols’ lovely singing voice. But while it gives Riley some consolation, it also works a little too well as a distraction—a mysterious figure squirts poison into Riley’s meal. And I mean literally squirts with what is essentially a bottle of Windex. Not the most timeless of props.

Nichols later recorded a new version of the song (complete with disco-y backbeat) for her 1991 album, Out of This World . – Neil

“Hey Out There” from “The Way to Eden”

First off, Herbert, I don’t care what you think. I love this episode. Love it. And it’s chock full of musical moments. We won’t go over all of them here, though, just the main showstopper, “Hey Out There.”

Charles Napier performs (and co-wrote) the song as Adam, the most charismatic member of the space hippies. It’s the big number they play at a concert broadcast throughout the ship. The lyrics center on friendship and understanding and fun, boosting the view that the hippies are just a bunch of free-spirited flower children interested in nothing more than peace and love. Would you be surprised to learn they have a hidden agenda? No, you would not.

Just like the space hippies themselves, I’m not going to stop at just one number after all. I mean come on, this one’s a classic! I wonder if they still have Zippo lighters in the future…? – Neil

“Maiden Wine” from “Plato’s Stepchildren”

People may remember this episode as a silly one, replete with costumes and mostly about that famous kiss, but it gets pretty grim. It’s all about cruelty, using its Greek trappings as a backdrop to show what happens when absolute power corrupts, absolutely.

Parmen, the Platonian leader, has already used his telekinesis to push Spock to his emotional limits. So when Spock is forced into yet another performance, this time to serenade a captive Uhura and Chapel, we know the toll it’s taking on him. Plus he’s a lover of music and art, and now this most basic pleasure has been wrenched out of him and used as punishment for the amusement of the Platonians. It’s a compelling scene, but not, as you’d hope with a song from Spock, fun.

What IS fun is that Leonard Nimoy wrote Spock’s song himself. It’s called “Maiden Wine” (although I will always call it the “bitter dregs” song), and a much more produced version of it appeared on his 1969 album The Touch of Leonard Nimoy .

Also, way back when in the early ‘90s, I used to have a screen saver program installed on my PC that resulted in a tiny Spock walking back and forth across the bottom of my screen, occasionally singing, “Ah, ah… bitter dregs.” – Laurie

Star Trek: The Next Generation

“heart of oak” from “allegiance”.

The crew has already begun to suspect that something’s off with their captain, and when he pays a visit to Ten Forward (already an uncommon spot for him, unless he’s looking for Guinan), he confirms it. He orders “ales for everyone” and gets cheers (despite the fact that they can all have as many ales as they want for free), then implores them all to join him as he sings “Heart of Oak” (the official march of the UK’s Royal Navy). It’s the final giveaway that whoever the singing man is, he’s not Jean-Luc Picard.

Director Winrich Kolbe said that Stewart’s performance in “Allegiance” was the reason he likes the episode so much.

I remember talking to Patrick the first time he started playing the clone. I said, ‘I think I need more from you.’ He thought about it and then gave me more. As we rehearsed the scene, we looked at each other and knew he was giving me too much. So, we just pulled it back. Patrick is like Itzhak Perlman with a Stradivarius. You have to compare the Stradivarius to the Joe Schmuck violin. To the untrained eye, they’re no different. But they are different, very different. Patrick played the good guy and the bad guy so close at times, but it was different and it was right.

Stewart, of course, nailed it: Joe Schmuck, he ain’t. – Laurie

“Frère Jacques” from “Disaster”

This episode has all the elements of a good disaster movie: It separates our characters into unlikely groups and challenges them in new ways. For Picard, that means he’s spending his disaster-time with a bunch of kids, who need his leadership to be comforting and parental, a challenge for someone who has never been comfortable around children. To save their lives, he has to keep their spirits up—and he’s not used to leading a crew who breaks into tears under pressure. When they have a long trek up the turbolift shaft ahead, he rises to the occasion and tells them all they need is a climbing song. I kind of wanted to hear Marissa’s suggestion, “The Laughing Vulcan and His Dog,” but what we got was just fine: a rousing rendition of “Frère Jacques.” It’s a song from Picard’s childhood, which helps forge his connection to these three scared kids.

The song is an important one to Picard; it came up in “The Inner Light” as the first song he learned to play on his Ressikan flute, and he played it with Nella Daren in “Lessons.” – Laurie

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

“jerusalem” from “explorers”.

Deep Space Nine viewers love the bromance between Bashir and O’Brien, but it was a long time coming; O’Brien couldn’t stand Bashir at first. But by season 3, they’d been through enough together to have become true friends, so when Julian was upset about being snubbed by a former rival, O’Brien was there for him, with some real, comes-in-a-bottle-and-not-from-a-replicator alcohol. (“This isn’t a synth ale kind of night,” Bashir says.)

We find them in O’Brien’s quarters singing “Jerusalem” together, shamelessly loud, shamelessly intoxicated, bonding over the song before they have an honest (but drunken) conversation about their friendship and then go back to singing again. It’s a sweet, silly bonding moment between two men who used to have trouble being in the same room together.

Producers asked Colm Meaney and Alexander Siddig what song they wanted to sing, but couldn’t afford their choices: “Louie, Louie” or “Rocket Man.” They ended up with “Jerusalem,” which Siddig said “was very familiar to both of us. It’s like an anthem in England, and something that drunk people might very well sing.”  – Laurie

Star Trek: Voyager

“falor’s journey” from “innocence”.

This whole episode was a way to explore a previously uncharted aspect of Tuvok’s personality: his role as a father. When the USS Voyager got stranded in the Delta Quadrant, Tuvok was separated from his four children and we never got to see the parental side of him until “Innocence,” when he found himself stranded on a planet with four alien and very frightened children.

Writer Lisa Klink took advantage of the fact that Tim Russ could sing, and created a lullaby for him to soothe the children with. She worked with a composer to come up with something “suitably somber” to be a Vulcan lullaby, which she felt should have a lesson in it. (It’s only logical.) Tuvok tells the kids, “It is a tale of enlightenment consisting of 348 verses. It may not be necessary to include the complete narrative.” It wasn’t, and the song the did the job… and viewers understood the gentle, caring, paternal side of Tuvok for the first time.

And Klink received a little bonus from it: She got into ASCAP for writing the song, and gets “minuscule” royalties whenever the episode re-airs. – Laurie

“You Are My Sunshine” from “Someone to Watch Over Me” — Seven and The Doctor, part 1

One particularly entertaining storyline on Voyager was the relationship between The Doctor and Seven. The holographic doctor took on the task of teaching the former Borg drone how to become more human. So this song, which introduces a whole new side of Seven of Nine, begins with a lot of highly entertaining Seven/Doctor banter. And when she finally sings, we’re as surprised and delighted as the Doctor is. Borg drones don’t sing, nor does it seem likely that they’d enjoy it, so this musical moment reveals that her journey back towards humanity is well underway. “Music does have intriguing mathematical properties,” my ass.

Jeri Ryan and Robert Picardo recreated the duet in 2015 at Fan Expo in Toronto ; here’s the original. The song itself begins at 1:47, but the banter before it is too good to skip. – Laurie

“Oh, My Darling Clementine” from “Equinox, Part II” — Seven and The Doctor, part 2

Dark times for Voyager . They encounter another stranded Starfleet ship, the Equinox, but discover that Captain Ransom and his crew have violated Starfleet principles, murdering alien beings to use them as fuel. Their moral compass has shifted so severely that they’ve lost all conscience about their choices, until Captain Ransom—who was, we know, only looking for the fastest, safest way home for his crew—comes face-to-face with the dark consequences of his choices in sickbay after the Equinox kidnaps both Seven and The Doctor.

The Doctor’s ethical subroutines have been removed, freeing him to gleefully tamper with Seven’s cortical array (which will damage her higher brain functions). Ransom finds the newly sadistic Doctor enjoying his work far too much as he and a fully under-his-control Seven duet on the “old chestnut” known as “Oh My Darling Clementine.” And it’s this moment when Ransom’s conscience finally awakens.

It’s a disturbing scene, made all the more creepy by the fact that we know The Doctor and Seven enjoy singing together as friends; now it’s nothing but cold manipulation. At the end of the episode, when The Doctor is ashamed of what he was forced to do, Seven reassures him by telling him was off-key… in other words, promising him that they will sing together again, and reassuring him that their friendship is unaffected. – Laurie

Star Trek: Discovery

“space oddity” from “an obol for charon”.

The song, a David Bowie classic sung by Tilly and Stamets, went by oh-so briefly but was the touchstone of an intense, emotional, and surprisingly intimate scene.

Stamets had to give a terrified Tilly a cortical implant, but they were locked in his lab with no anesthetic and no real medical instruments… and he was going to have to use an actual drill. He approaches her with a gentleness we hadn’t seen in him often, and before he gets too close, he stops to ask what her favorite song is. She’s startled (and successfully distracted from the looming drill for a moment). She sings “Space Oddity” with quiet trepidation, and he joins in with soothing reassurance. It speaks volumes about their relationship, which has already spent a season and change building to the level of trust they now have in each other. And then the drill hits, and we know that without their musical moment together, she wouldn’t have been able to stand it. (Although you have to suspect that that might not be her favorite song anymore for a while.)

Side note: The cast loves this song; they sang it in their “ Carpool Karaoke ” episode. And they’re following a tradition: William Shatner also “sang” it (really spoke it) on his 2011 album Seeking Major Tom . – Laurie

Star Trek: Short Treks

“‘s wonderful” from “calypso”.

In this eloquent, moody Short Treks episode, a man named Craft finds himself aboard an abandoned USS Discovery, sharing space with the ship’s AI, who calls herself Zora (voiced by Annabelle Wallis, Chris Pine’s girlfriend). After she has healed, clothed, fed, and cared for him for some indefinite period of time, she reveals her romantic nature by showing him her favorite movie, Funny Face , starring Fred Astaire and Audrey Hepburn.

And for someone like me who loves  Funny Face and the musicals of its era, being able to see it projected onto the bridge of the Discovery makes the scene in the movie even more magical, as well as timeless; here it is, centuries later, just as beautiful and just as able to affect its audience… and that’s when Zora starts humming along. When Craft teaches himself Astaire’s moves and replicates his wardrobe so he can dance with Zora, it’s poetry.

Co-writer Michael Chabon said he wanted it to be something real, which would tell the audience that the story takes place in our universe, where that movie exists, but also in a romantic world that has its own fiction. He said, “Simply by making that implied assertion, I think that there is something powerful in that area. It reminds you: ‘Look, this is still all possible. We can still go into the future. It will be our world, just like the world we’re living in now.’” – Laurie

“I Am the Very Model of a Modern Major-General” from “Q&A”

Michael Chabon wrote “Q&A” to patch what he thought of as a hole in continuity: How did Spock go from broadly smiling at a “singing” plant in “The Cage” to being the glacial, emotionless presence we all now associate with the character?

In this Short Treks episode, it’s Spock’s first day on the Enterprise and he winds up trapped in a turbolift with Number One. He peppers her with questions about Captain Pike, the philosophy of Starfleet, and her own personal preferences, ultimately leading to this exchange:

NUMBER ONE: If you want to command, you’re gonna have to learn to keep your freaky to yourself. Even if that’s painful. SPOCK: I have been doing that all my life.

Spock then asks—without actually asking—what Number One’s freaky is. And she demonstrates by letting loose a full-throated rendition of the iconic Gilbert & Sullivan song, “I Am The Very Model of A Modern Major General.” The pair end up bonding over large—and somewhat embarrassing—smiles.

Writer Chabon landed on this moment after inquiring into what special skills actress Rebecca Romijn possessed. She listed badminton, skill at foreign languages, and the fact that she was a trained Gilbert & Sullivan singer. Bingo.

Of course the song “Modern Major General” also appears in the TNG episode “Disaster,” when Beverly Crusher convinces Geordi to give singing a try, and Geordi finally relents by spitting out the first couple of lines. – Neil

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

“the moon’s a window to heaven”.

The authors are aware that this song exists.

Star Trek: Insurrection

“a british tar”.

What do you do when your best android pal goes rogue? Why bring him back online with a song, of course.

Screenwriter Michael Piller originally wanted Picard to use quotes from  King Lear  as a way of tapping into Data’s deeper memories. But Patrick Stewart vetoed that idea. In  Fade In , his book about the writing of  Insurrection , Piller quotes Stewart as feeling that the Lear quotes would be meaningless to most of the audience. Piller’s intention was to hearken back to “Defector,” a third season TNG episode in which Picard directs Data in a scene from Henry V . Piller also thought that King Lear’s madness would provide a metaphor for Data’s erratic behavior.

“Losing Shakespeare didn’t really bother me,” Piller writes. “But I felt we needed something like it. I argued that Picard would try every trick to safely capture Data before ever firing a weapon that might harm him. Patrick suggested, ‘Well, couldn’t I tell him some jokes that we both know or perhaps sing something from Gilbert and Sullivan?’  And a new sequence was born.”

Ah, the power of musical theatre. – Neil

Star Trek: Nemesis

“blue skies”.

The song was presented as a gift.

“Given Commander Riker’s affection for archaic musical forms,” Data says at the wedding of Riker and Troi, “I have elected to present the following as my gift, in honor of…their conjugation.”

And so Data launches into the Irving Berlin number “Blue Skies.”

Over the course of the film, Data and Picard each wrestle with “clones” of themselves – Picard with his “mirror” image, Shinzon, and Data with his ‘brother” B-4. But they reach the conclusion that even if they share the same genetic structure—or neural pathways—they remain individuals. After Data’s sacrifice, the film ends on a note of optimism as B-4—who will never be half the “man” Data was—begins singing “Blue Skies,” showing us that maybe a piece of Data has somehow survived.

Flash forward 18 years and the opening frames of Star Trek: Picard . Do they begin with Alexander Courage’s famous TOS fanfare or Jerry Goldsmith’s soaring TMP/TNG march? No. The show opens with the soothing voice of Bing Crosby singing “Blue Skies.”

Picard now sees his old friend Data in dreams. After all, as Dr. McCoy once said, a friend is not really dead as long as we remember him.

Over the course of the season, Picard undergoes some tremendous changes. And in the season’s final scenes, as he begins his own new journey, Picard finally says a definitive goodbye to his friend.

Data always wanted to be part of the human family. As we hear Soji—who is, in a way, Data’s daughter—singing that old, familiar song, it might just be that Data finally succeeds.

Blue days, all of them gone. Nothing but blue skies from now on. – Neil

What has you singing?

Are any of these your favorites? Do you have more that we didn’t include? (We know there are… how about Lore singing “Abdul Abulbul Amir”? Rutherford’s rotating song on Lower Decks ? “Row Row Row Your Boat” in Star Trek V ?)

Tell us in the comments. And sing along, if you please.

Keep up with all our Star Trek lists and analyses at TrekMovie.com .

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I think the best one that’s missing from here is The Minstrel Boy from The Wounded.

Just came by to say what the good legate said.

Great collection of good songs and memories. Enjoyed very much watching these clips all together at once. =)

Missed out on Uhura singing in THE CHANGELING before Nomad brainwipes that ‘mass of conflicting impulses.’ And TFF too, for that matter, even if they dubbed over her.

My fave is from a TREK comic book, when the gang is hanging out on their Bird of Prey and she sings the words to the theme to Star Trek. So wished they had stayed renegade in the movies.

Think about music !

In college I had a Star Trek friend who moved away. I had introduced The Way to Eden episode to her before. After she moved my brothers and I recreated every number from Eden (even Crack My Knuckles) and sent it to her as a mix tape. Bitter Dregs was our encore bonus track. I thought it came out pretty well. I still have it 30 yrs later.

This is my new favorite story.

“The authors are aware that this song exists.”

“I’ve always wanted to play to a captive audience.”

No DS9 with “It’s Only A Paper Moon”? Or VOY’s “Virtuoso”?

And I love this episode too.

Star Trek The musical

The genetically modified quartet musical sequence from “Chrysalis” is one of my favourites.

Personally, the song that Lore sings in “Brothers” as he’s beaming away always haunted me.

The very best in Trek musical performances — by far — are the DS9 Vic Fontaine holosuite numbers — peaking with Vic’s duet with Sisko (who has a wonderful voice) singing The Best Is Yet To Come. The very best.

DS9 – Chrysalis and Vic Fontaine anything, and Voyager with The Doctor and opera – definitely need to include.

You are my sunshine—- such a heart wrenching scene from a lovely episode. The full lyrics are pretty tear-jerky as well. Funny that it’s thought of as a cheerful song.

Totally forgot Robert Picardo has a great voice, and Jery Ryan….what a lovely voice!

How do you not include The Sisko and Vic singing, “The Best is Yet to Come”? Brooks is one of the best singers among regular cast members of all the shows.

You can also include The Doctor’s version of La Donna E Mobile from VOY Tinker, Tenor, Doctor, Spy, especially the Tuvok lyrics! Hilarious!

https://youtu.be/TKAL_219oH8

‘the best is yet to come…..’

No love for the copyright challlenged “Goodnight Sweetheart” from THE CITY ON THE EDGE OF FOREVER?

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Musical Episode Songs, Ranked

Star trek: strange new worlds ' musical episode songs, ranked, strange new worlds ' "subspace rhapsody" delivered the star trek , but how did its musical numbers fare here's our definitive ranking..

Strange New Worlds ’ musical episode dropped this week , giving us a wonderful, all-singing all-dancing hour of Star Trek . But now that we’ve had a chance to give the Enterprise crew’s showtunes a few repeat listens , we’re ready to declare which hit the high notes and which should’ve been left on the cutting room floor.

Of course, as we’re going to discuss the songs and their context in the episode, if you’ve not yet seen “Subspace Rhapsody” consider this your final curtain call...

10) “Connect to Your Truth”

Una and Lieutenant Kirk are a fascinating pairing for a musical number, but this song is maybe the only real duff note in the whole episode, unfortunately. It’s just a bit too... twee, which is awkward for two characters who are anything but twee. Oddly, it’s a song that feels more about being in a musical in a fake way, rather than the actual songs in the soundtrack about being in a musical.

9) “Keeping Secrets”

Giving La’an and Una a song together makes a ton of sense—they’re consistently one of the more explored relationships on the show, and putting it through Una’s perspective lets her reflect on her own journey this season that puts a warm lens on her connection to La’an. It’s just a little sedate for a song that’s meant to be imploring people to trust each other and not be so guarded, never quite getting to the moment it wants to build to as an emotional release.

8) “Private Conversation”

The real shame here is that this doesn’t go on longer—there’s a great little tit-for-tat in the vibe here between Anson Mount and Melanie Scrofano. It just gets cut off as it’s getting really good, and it’s such a shame... even though Captain Pike appreciates the save.

7) “ Strange New Worlds Main Theme (Subspace Rhapsody Version) ”

Maybe it’s cheating to put the title theme on here, but hey, they did a special a capella version, so it is technically it’s a new song for the episode! And it’s very good, mostly because the Strange New Worlds theme is already very good.

6) “I’m the X”

Giving Spock a reserved, almost mournful rumination on his relationship with Chapel falling apart is a great idea, especially as this is arguably the turning point in the character’s arc towards the one we know in the original Trek . But it’s also a very Spock song—starting off almost clipped and reserved before he gets to really ba re his heart and sing, no longer able to hold his emotions in. The few equation puns in the lyrics are just icing on the cake.

5) “Keep Us Connected”

Celia Rose Gooding is a remarkable vocalist, and they get to really belt out some notes in Uhura’s reflective solo piece about her role as the glue that keeps the Enterprise crew together being their comms officer. Also maybe the first and only time someone in Star Trek is going to sing about their entire family violently exploding in a shuttlecraft accident, and that’s kind of amazing.

4) “I’m Ready”

I would say most of the songs in “Subspace Rhapsody” are great, but Nurse Chapel’s lounge number about realizing she’s willing to put aside her feelings for Spock to pursue her career dreams is where the episode really clicked into place for me. Some great choreography, a great performance by Jess Bush—the moment she sings “If I need to leave you/I won’t fight it” and realizes what she’s just said to Spock is a great little character beat. This one’s got the drama in ways few of the other tracks do.

3) “How Would That Feel”

Christina Chong alongside Gooding is the other really strong vocalist of the cast, and that’s on full display here in this power ballad/I want song. It’s perfect for La’an, this steady build up as she breaks her own walls down to yearn for what she could be if she opened herself to others. And how much she wants to sleep with Jim Kirk, of course.

2) “Status Report”

The first proper song of the episode is one of its best because it’s the only song that actually plays with Star Trek logic and language on the whole soundtrack—pretty much all of the other tracks are emotional, character-driven songs. It’s such a clever way of watching the premise of the episode wrap itself around the characters, as they try to do what any good Star Trek character would do in this situation: investigate and analyz e.

And those harmonies at the end? Mwah . Wonderful.

1) “We Are One”

It’s almost unfair to put anything else—the triumphant ensemble piece is the joyous climax of “Subspace Rhapsody” and everyone gets a little moment to shine, as Uhura guides her chorus to freedom. It’s got a little bit of everything, some nice harmonies, a good chance for everyone to get a moment of their own, and some great jokes, especially for Spock getting increasingly grumpy.

Plus, I’m sorry: if you don’t like the boy band Klingon interlude, I don’t know what to tell you. I was right there with Sam Kirk bobbing my head.

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Published Jun 21, 2023

10 Favorite Star Trek Musical Pieces

For World Music Day, let's look at how music played an intrinsic part of Star Trek's enduring legacy.

StarTrek.com / Rob DeHart

From the first notes of Alexander Courage’s theme for The Original Series up through Michael Giacchino’s soaring scores for the most recent films, and everything in between, music has been an intrinsic part of Star Trek’ s enduring legacy.

Music plays a big part in helping me with my writing. Classical, film scores, and pretty much anything else without actual lyrics, is a candidate for helping me “get in the zone” as I push words. When it comes to writing Star Trek , you might guess that I listen to a lot of music from the different episodes or films, and you’d be right. To be honest, though, it isn’t only a tool for working. I also just simply enjoy it as a fan. I own the scores for all of the feature films, as well as the complete soundtrack collection from The Original Series and a smattering of selections from each of the other television series. I even have a suite of music from The Animated Series . Hey, it’s for work, people.

"The Way to Eden"

StarTrek.com

Naturally, I have my favorite pieces and cues. Doesn’t everybody? I could write for days about the music of Star Trek and how it inspires my writing, or how it’s just something I enjoy listening to during long drives. Given my “Ten for Ward” format, I’d only be scratching the surface so far as compiling a list of music from any of the series or films, so I’m hoping folks will chime in with their own favorites.

Still, I’m going to be cheating a bit here and there, rather than just trying to limit my selections to ten individual pieces of music. This isn’t intended to be a definitive or “best of” list, and I’m not citing each television series’ standard opening or closing music, as those are easy picks, but otherwise? Here’s a list to get the discussion started.

“The Doomsday Machine,"  Star Trek

"The Doomsday Machine"

To tell you the truth, I could fill up several lists just with music from The Original Series before I even thought about moving on to anything else. I forced myself to pick one example, and I think it’s a doozy. How many films of the era wish they could’ve had a musical arrangement as compelling as the one created by composer Sol Kaplan for this fan-favorite episode?

It’s space opera at its finest as Kaplan punctuates the tragedy of Commodore Matt Decker and the torment inflicted upon him by the mammoth automaton that has destroyed his ship, the U.S.S. Constellation . Likewise, the cues servicing the battle between the machine and the Enterprise are first-rate, and the entire score is a high water mark for a series where music was already one of its defining strengths.

“Stealing the Enterprise, ”  Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock

James Horner had already hit it out of the park with his score for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan , and he comports himself well with this follow-up. However, the original release of the third film ’s soundtrack was something of a disservice to him, as it omitted many of the pieces that set this movie’s music apart from the previous film.

The 2010 “Complete Score” release corrects that oversight, even though my favorite cue appeared on the original vinyl album. While borrowing and reworking some elements from his Star Trek II music, Horner still offers an exhilarating piece that highlights the hijacking of the Enterprise from space dock by Admiral Kirk and his command crew.

“Life Is A Dream (End Credits),”  Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

It’s impossible to overstate the importance and lasting appeal of Jerry Goldsmith’s musical contributions to Star Trek . His score for Star Trek: The Motion Picture holds a permanent spot on my personal “Top 10 Film Scores Ever” list.

However, his end theme for the fifth movie is my favorite variation of the end credits theme he created for the first film. There’s a little more pomp and flourish in the now-familiar notes, and Goldsmith does a masterful job weaving other themes from the film, including a new take on his familiar “Klingon” music, as well as Alexander Courage’s iconic “ Star Trek fanfare.”

“Borg Engaged” and “Captain Borg,”  Star Trek: The Next Generation

"The Best of Both Worlds, Part I"

Star Trek: The Next Generation 's third season ending cliffhanger, "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I," deserved its own score worthy of the silver screen, and Ron Jones delivers in fine fashion for this episode as well as the next season’s “Part II.”

The ominous image of the massive Borg cube on the Enterprise ’s viewscreen and — later — the shock of seeing Jean-Luc Picard assimilated by the Borg Collective is rammed home by Jones’ haunting themes, which are just two highlights from a superb score written for one of The Next Generation ’s most memorable episodes.

“Sign Off,”  Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Kirk bids farewell to Captain Sulu and the Excelsior , before the entire Original Series cast says goodbye to us after 25 years of bold adventures in the final frontier. This moving piece by composer Cliff Eidelman, accompanying Captain Kirk’s final log entry along with William Shatner and the rest of the cast affixing their signatures to the end of the film, perfectly underscores the melancholy felt by so many longtime fans as we realized that “our” Star Trek had finally come to a close.

“Overture,”  Star Trek Generations

Star Trek Generations

Despite its name, this is actually the end credits theme for the first film to feature the cast of The Next Generation . The stirring theme incorporates music from other cues that Dennis McCarthy crafted to give weight to scenes set in the Nexus as well as defining the courage of our heroes, including Captain Kirk’s valiant acts at both ends of the film. Capping off the whole thing is an emotive rendition of the classic “Star Trek fanfare” that acts as a true passing of the baton from one generation to the next.

“Flight of the Phoenix ,” Star Trek: First Contact

Star Trek: First Contact

The score for Captain Picard and the Enterprise -E’s second film outing is an underrated effort by Jerry Goldsmith, who once again succeeds at combining familiar themes with new pieces that give each Star Trek film its own musical identity.

For this piece, the legendary composer’s son, Joel Goldsmith, brings vitality, hope, and triumph to what in one respect is the “birth” of the Star Trek universe to come as Zefram Cochrane (with the help of Riker and La Forge) pilots the fragile Phoenix spacecraft on humanity’s first warp speed flight.

“Bride of Chaotica,”  Star Trek: Voyager

"Bride of Chaotica!"

David Bell’s unrestrained musical homage to Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers is an utter treat on all counts. Though the episode also includes cues more consistent with Voyager ’s usual lower-key offerings, the “Captain Proton” pieces are delightfully loud and bombastic, in keeping with the 1930s science fiction movie serials to which they’re paying loving tribute.

“In A Mirror, Darkly,”  Star Trek: Enterprise

"In A Mirror, Darkly, Part I"

What begins as a beautiful callback to Jerry Goldsmith’s themes from Star Trek VIII: First Contact takes on a sinister twist as Dennis McCarthy plunges us headlong into the cruelty of the “Mirror Universe.” The score for this landmark two-part episode includes a new theme to accompany an alternate take on the series’ opening credits sequence, preserving the effect of the entire storyline taking place in the parallel universe with no connection to our own. McCarthy goes all-out as he accentuates all of the backstabbing and scheming weaving around the story’s action sequences, including a foreboding final cue as Hoshi Sato declares herself “Empress.”

“Enterprising Young Men,”  Star Trek  (2009)

Star Trek (2009)

While fans debate the merits of the most recent Star Trek movies, few take issue with the effort composer Michael Giacchino channeled into his musical scores . Nowhere is that more evident than this signature piece from the first film, which encapsulates in rousing fashion the energy of these “new” Star Trek voyages as well as the journey of this modern, bold incarnation of our beloved heroes.

Okay, that’s my 10, and that was playing fast and loose with my own rules. Now it’s your turn. What’s your favorite piece of Star Trek music? Let us know on Social!

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This article was originally published on May 29, 2015.

Dayton Ward (he/him) is a New York Times bestselling author or co-author of numerous novels and short stories including a whole bunch of stuff set in the Star Trek universe, and often collaborating with friend and co-writer Kevin Dilmore. As he’s still a big ol' geek at heart, Dayton is known to wax nostalgic about all manner of Star Trek topics over on his own blog, The Fog of Ward .

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Star Trek 's Hemmer actor had a secret cameo in Strange New Worlds musical

Any guesses who Bruce Horak portrayed in "Subspace Rhapsody"? Showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers have the answer.

Warning: This article contains spoilers from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 9, "Subspace Rhapsody."

The last time Star Trek fans saw Bruce Horak as Hemmer was in "Lost in Translation," the sixth episode of Strange New Worlds season 2. But Horak made a surprise return as a completely different character in this week's musical event, "Subspace Rhapsody," now streaming on Paramount+. Any guesses who?

Horak appeared once again under heavy makeup and prosthetics, this time as General Garkog, the Klingon who threatens to blow the subspace fold to bits and is then later forced to perform a Klingon bit inspired by K-Pop boy bands within the finale ensemble number, "We Are One."

"We love Bruce and wanted to find a fun way to bring him back," Strange New Worlds showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers told EW in a joint statement.

Directed by Dermott Downs and written by Dana Horgan and Bill Wolkoff, "Subspace Rhapsody" marks the first-ever Star Trek musical episode. The crew of the U.S.S Enterprise encounter a naturally-occurring subspace fold that Spock (Ethan Peck) hopes can help revolutionize their own subspace communications. However, the experiment releases a quantum probability field that causes everyone on the ship to break out in song and dance, threatening to reveal hidden truths.

As Rebecca Romijn 's Number One quips in the episode, the last thing anyone needs are singing Klingons. Then Horak's General Garkog delivers.

Letters to Cleo's Kay Hanley and Tom Polce wrote the episode's music and lyrics.

Goldsman and Myers told EW in an interview that they looked to the musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer , 2001's "Once More, With Feeling," for guidance. "That's one of the best-made ones," Myers said. "It was done very well. It's really smart and thoughtful. It has big heart. The only thing I will say that I distinctly thought differently was that they wrote their own music, and I knew that that was a little more than we could handle. But that was kind of like, let's challenge ourselves to be as good as the best of this [genre]. That was our bar."

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' musical episode is now available to stream on Paramount+.

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Related content:

• Of course Star Trek looked to Buffy for its big musical: 'That was our bar'
• Star Trek is getting its first-ever musical episode
• How Star Trek brought the 'chaos bomb' of Lower Decks to Strange New Worlds

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The Star Trek Theme Song Has Lyrics

By eddie deezen | jul 20, 2018.

The Star Trek theme song is familiar to pretty much anyone who lived in the free world (and probably elsewhere, too) in the late 20th century. The tune is played during the show's opening credits; a slightly longer version is played, accompanied by stills from various episodes, during the closing credits. The opening song is preceded by William Shatner (as Captain Kirk) doing his now-legendary monologue recitation, which begins: "Space, the final frontier ..."

The show's familiar melody was written by respected film and TV composer Alexander Courage, who said the Star Trek theme's main inspiration was the Richard Whiting song "Beyond the Blue Horizon." In Courage's contract it was stipulated that, as the composer, he would receive royalties every time the show was aired and the theme song played. If, somehow, Star Trek made it into syndication—which, of course, it ultimately did—Courage stood to make a lot of money. And so did the person who wrote the lyrics.

WAIT... THERE WERE LYRICS?

Gene Roddenberry, the show's creator, wrote lyrics to the theme song.

"Beyond the rim of the star-light, my love is wand'ring in star-flight!"

Why would Roddenberry even bother?

The lyrics were never even meant to be heard on the show, but not because the network (NBC) nixed them. Roddenberry nixed them himself. Roddenberry wanted a piece of the composing profits, so he wrote the hokey lyrics solely to receive a "co-writer" credit.

"I know he'll find in star-clustered reaches Love, strange love a star woman teaches."

As one of the composers, Roddenberry received 50 percent of the royalties ... cutting Alexander Courage's share in half. Not surprisingly, Courage was furious about the deal. Though it was legal, he admitted, it was unethical because Roddenberry had contributed nothing to why the music was successful.

Roddenberry was unapologetic. According to Snopes, he once declared, "I have to get some money somewhere. I'm sure not gonna get it out of the profits of Star Trek ."

In 1969, after Star Trek officially got the ax, no one (Courage and Roddenberry included) could possibly have imagined the show's great popularity and staying power.

Courage, who only worked on two shows in Star Trek 's opening season because he was busy working on the 1967 Dr. Doolittle movie, vowed he would never return to Star Trek .

He never did.

If you're looking for an offbeat karaoke number, here are Roddenberry's lyrics, as provided by Snopes :

Beyond The rim of the star-light My love Is wand'ring in star-flight I know He'll find in star-clustered reaches Love, Strange love a star woman teaches. I know His journey ends never His star trek Will go on forever. But tell him While he wanders his starry sea Remember, remember me.

Star Trek: Enterprise Theme Song Lyrics

A Star Trek Origin Movie Is Coming in 2025 From 'Andor' and 'Doctor Who' Director Toby Haynes

'Star Trek' (2009) director J.J. Abrams is attached to produce.

The Big Picture

• A new Star Trek prequel film, an "origin story", is in development, at Paramount.
• The Star Trek history before Kirk's missions on the Enterprise is largely unwritten, leaving room for creativity with the new film.
• Director Toby Haynes, known for Andor , is working on the film alongside writer Seth Grahame-Smith; a 2025 release window was announced at CinemaCon.

Star Trek may finally be coming back to the big screen. A prequel to the 2009 J.J. Abrams reboot of the franchise is in the works from director Toby Haynes . The news comes from Paramount's presentation at CinemaCon today, as reported by Collider's Steve Weintraub and Britta DeVore . With Haynes, who recently helmed six episodes of the acclaimed Star Wars series Andor , at the rudder, the film will be written by Seth Grahame-Smith .

So far, other details on the new film are scarce, but it will reportedly be an "origin story", taking place decades before the 2009 Star Trek film, which took place in 2255. That likely means that it will not feature the cast from the 2009 reboot, which has so far been difficult for Paramount to wrangle together for a fourth film, despite numerous attempts to do so . That doesn't necessarily mean that a fourth movie isn't happening: back in March, Paramount hired The Flight Attendant scribe Steve Yockey to pen a new script for the film. For their part, the cast is game as well, with Zoe Saldaña recently stating her willingness to return for a fourth mission on the USS Enterprise .

What Happened Decades Before Kirk's First Missions on the Enterprise?

The history of the Star Trek universe prior to the celebrated voyages of the Enterprise is largely unwritten. The first starship Enterprise 's adventures in the 22nd century were chronicled on the UPN prequel series Star Trek: Enterprise . That series ended with the founding of the United Federation of Planets in 2161, which leaves almost a century of mostly unexplored history between that and the history now being charted on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (and the first two seasons of mothership show Star Trek: Discovery ).

At some point, the nascent Federation faces a devastating war against the Romulan Star Empire , while also engaged in a Cold War with the Klingons. The USS Enterprise will eventually be launched in the 23rd century, under the captaincy of Robert April, who has been briefly glimpsed on Star Trek: The Animated Series and Strange New Worlds , before being handed off to Christopher Pike . Apart from that, however, Haynes and Graeme-Smith have a near-blank canvas upon which to make their mark.

In addition to Andor , Haynes has also helmed episodes of Doctor Who , Sherlock , and Black Mirror ; his work on the latter series includes the episode " USS Callister ," a loving pastiche of Star Trek . Graeme-Smith wrote the novels Pride & Prejudice & Zombies and Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter ; he worked on the story for the upcoming horror comedy sequel Beetlejuice Beetlejuice .

A new Star Trek prequel film is in development; no date has yet been set beyond a 2025 release window . Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.

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Taylor Swift Shares Eclipse-Themed Lyrics Ahead of ‘Tortured Poets Department’

The pop star shared the line on the same day as the total solar eclipse in the United States.

By Hannah Dailey

Hannah Dailey

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Taylor Swift will stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror — so let’s just hope she uses protective glasses.

The “Anti-Hero” singer aptly shared a what appears to be an eclipse-themed lyric from her upcoming new album The Tortured Poets Department on Monday (April 8), the same day the moon fully obscured the sun from Earth’s view for the first time in three years.

Everything We Know About Taylor Swift’s New Album ‘The Tortured Poets Department…

In a video posted to Swift’s Instagram Story, an unseen writer hammers the following message onto typewriter paper: “Crowd goes wild at her fingertips. Half moonshine, full eclipse.”

The post comes less than two weeks prior to Tortured Poets ‘ April 19 release date. Other than the cover art and track list, it marks the first taste of the record the 14-time Grammy winner has shared.

Swift first announced her 11th studio album at the 2024 Grammys while accepting the best pop vocal prize for Midnights , later confirming that both Post Malone and Florence + The Machine will make guest appearances on the project. She’s currently nearing the end of a two-month break from her global Eras Tour as she gears up to drop Tortured Poets , after which she’ll resume her trek with four shows in Paris slated for mid-May.

See the video of Swift’s eclipse-themed lyric from Tortured Poets below.

Well this eclipses any pun we were about to post. 🌚 #TSTTPD https://t.co/PTWtDQP87V pic.twitter.com/ZY6lauQtjf — Taylor Nation (@taylornation13) April 8, 2024

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Bernadette peters & lea salonga to headline new sondheim broadway revue ‘old friends’; pre-broadway staging set for l.a., breaking news.

‘The Lord Of The Rings’ UK Musical Sets Chicago U.S. Premiere

By Greg Evans

NY & Broadway Editor

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The Lord of the Rings musical that opened last year in the UK will stage its U.S. debut in Chicago this July, producers announced today.

Based on the books by J.R.R. Tolkien and directed by Paul Hart, The Lord of the Rings – A Musical Tale will begin performances July 19 at The Yard at Chicago Shakespeare Theater, running through September 1. An international tour will follow, with venues and dates to be announced in June.

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The open-air musical debuted last summer at the UK’s Watermill Theatre in Berkshire, where Hart is the artistic director. The production features book and lyrics by Shaun McKenna and Matthew Warchus and original music by A.R. Rahman, Finnish folk band Värttinä, and Christopher Nightingale. (An earlier iteration was staged at London’s Royal Drury Lane in 2007).

The synopsis: As the Hobbits celebrate Bilbo Baggins’ eleventy-first birthday in the Shire, he gifts his nephew Frodo his most precious belonging—a gold ring. This fateful moment launches Frodo on a legendary and perilous quest across Middle-earth to the darkest realms of Mordor to vanquish evil with his loyal Fellowship.

Watch a trailer for the UK staging below:

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Little Mix's Perrie Edwards Debuts First Solo Single 'Forget About Us' - Read the Lyrics & Listen Now!

Perrie Edwards ‘ debut solo single is out now!

The 30-year-old Little Mix singer just dropped her first solo single titled “Forget About Us,” which she co-wrote with Ed Sheeran and legendary songwriter David Hodges .

“I heard you fell in love with somebody new / I know you heard that I’ve found someone too,” Perrie sings. “Saw you blew up, and I’m proud of you / But I don’t wanna hear those songs no more, yeah”

Keep reading to find out more… “I’m so proud of what I’ve done and created. I wanted it to be fun above anything else and showcase my singing through ballads and big vocal numbers,” Perrie shared in a press release about the new song.

She went on to say that her next step is to start performing live again with a band.

“Having people singing your songs back to you is the best natural high in the world,” Perrie added. “I’m just so excited to see how fans react to my music now.”

In a recent interview, Perrie ‘s Little Mix band mate Leigh-Anne Pinnock addressed the possibility of the girl group reuniting .

You can download Perrie Edwards ‘ “Forget About Us” off of iTunes here and listen to it below!

Keep scrolling to read all of the lyrics…

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Joni Mitchell Rewrites ‘I’m Still Standing’ and Metallica Slays ‘Love Lies Bleeding,’ Among Standouts in PBS’ Touching Elton John/Bernie Taupin Tribute: TV Review

By Chris Willman

Chris Willman

Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic

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Even on a day when much of America was hoping to see the sun go out, there’s still an ongoing need to hear someone sing “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.” That, among many other things, is what’s offered in tonight’s PBS broadcast of a tribute special for Elton John and Bernie Taupin , two of the worthiest talents ever to be awarded the Library of Congress’ Gershwin Prize. If you’re a fan — and who isn’t?, as they say — the two-hour show will provide a total eclipse of all your other most pressing entertainment needs.

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Unless it is supplanted by Metallica’s take on “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding,” in which no quarter is taken and at least a little blood is drawn. For better or worse, the opening all-instrumental section isn’t immediately recognizable in Metallica’s transformation, but it certainly is by the time it gets to the main course, at which point you may be thinking: Does it go against the laws of nature for Metallica to be playing in a major key? Anyway, it works, to have Elton’s most hard-rocking song ever go a little harder. The tech team is judicious with the reaction shots, but surely there is a lot of rattling of jewelry going on in the balcony of Washington’s DAR Revolution Hall, where some of the visiting politicos sit, and it’d be nice to think some of them were inspired to deface the bathrooms afterward.

Everything else in these two hours was a little more likely to show up on your bingo card for a John/Taupin tribute. After Joni got the Gershwin Prize last year, the Library of Congress quickly moved on to Carlile’s other well-established hero-BFF, and so it’s little surprise, and not the slightest bit unwelcome, to see her show up repeatedly here. Leaving her old concert cover of “Rocket Man” behind (actually, no one does that here), Carlile’s first selection of the night is “Madman Across the Water,” which is cool enough, all the way down to an extended coda in which the singer doesn’t have anything to do but happily stroll back and forth between Sista Strings on one side of the stage and guitarist Davey Johnstone on the other, as they do their respective things. (Kudos for the frequent use of the two-woman Sista Strings section in general, a nice, minimalist callback to the larger mastery of string arranger Paul Buckmaster’s classic work.)

But the more exquisite of Carlile’s two song choices is “Skyline Pigeon,” and not just because it’s under-covered and great. Context counts for almost everything with this one, as her rendition caps a segment devoted to the long history of John’s AIDS Foundation, and specifically to the HIV-stricken boy that won Elton’s and the world’s heart in the ’80s, Ryan White. White’s sister reads an open letter that John wrote to his late friend 20 years after his 1990 passing, talking about how the death of an “innocent” helped change hearts and minds, even though, in Elton’s words, “You reminded America that all victims of AIDS are innocent.” It’s a valuable history lesson squeezed into a tight space, even for those of us who need reminders, and the dollar figure cited for what the AIDS Foundation has raised — $600 million — is its own testament to John’s legacy, apart from the music. John is weeping through this segment, and it will be Cry Along With Elton night for parts of the audience, too.

Not that you’d ever want to bet against Elton’s tastemaker instincts, but each protege has to prove himself, and Lusk really does it here by doing something original with “Bennie.” That mid-’70s oldie is a great but virtually un-coverable song, which no one could possibly make sound weirder than the original, and which only suffers from any attempt to straighten it out. But Lusk has the voice of an angel — a very loud angel — and the quasi-gospel treatment finally answers the long-simmering question of whether “Bennie” should just be left alone as a cover choice or not. Actually, his contribution here is just as must-see as Mitchell’s and Metallica’s.

The other contributions all fall somewhere the serviceable-to-spectacular spectrum. Charlie Puth is probably one of the few pop stars around qualified to recreate Elton’s piano part on “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me,” even if you might wish a song that emotionally intense had been given to someone with a more anguished-sounding voice. Lennox, who does not lack for vocal edge, shows why the world is still hungering for every crumb she occasionally throws out in the tributes she infrequently appears at these days with her wall-flattening “Border Song.”

Billy Porter, the show’s host, traverses the aisles with exactly the song you know he’s going to do, “The Bitch Is Back.” (It comes with a reminder that “in 2024 I don’t want you to be offended by the word ‘bitch.’ The queer community uses it as a love letter.” Were we really worried about this? Well, it is PBS, so OK.) His fringe-y dress and leggy look is likely an homage to Tina Turner, who used to duet with John on the rocker before they had a falling out. Maren Morris, who has a nice history of covering Elton, turns on the AC with “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues.” Garth Brooks, a Gershwin honoree of a few years back himself, gets double-duty with “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word” and “Daniel,” both reminders that, among all the other things we forget to remember about Garth, he can capably sing just about anything from the great Anglo-American songbook that crosses his mind.

But it is ours to celebrate, and it’s a delight to see these two being given their due as a team, whose respect and appreciation for each other has grown over 55 years, by the accounts given. This show is also implicitly a tribute to the Elton John Band, who perform behind a majority of the singers before backing a salmon-coated Elton himself for the final three songs, “Mona Lisa and Mad Hatters,” “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” and “Your Song.” If we feared we’d seen the last of them as a particular ensemble at Dodger Stadium in November 2022, Johnstone’s appearance on this series as musical director as well as guitarist is a nice assurance that revivals of the old gang can and will occur.

Producer Ken Ehrlich, of decades of Grammy fame, has been characteristically canny with the choices of tribute-payers here. But with two honorees this year instead of one, he also knows that the best tributes that can be paid are the ones that the composer and lyricist are able to pay each other. That comes through in their mutual testimonials about each other, but it really comes through with the closing rendition of “Your Song,” in which we get a sight we’ve probably never seen before, between these two typically long-distance collaborators: Taupin, leaning on John’s red piano, taking it all in as stoic, appreciative glances are exchanged. It’s unexpectedly touching to see these two on stage, alone together, for the length of a piece of music. Gracious is definitely not the hardest word.

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Screen Rant

Star trek origin movie officially announced by paramount for 2025 release.

Paramount Pictures officially announces the next Star Trek movie at CinemaCon, which will arrive in movie theaters in 2025.

• Paramount Pictures announces new Star Trek movie for 2025, directed by Toby Haynes and written by Seth Grahame-Smith.
• Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 remains in development, while the new film is an origin story set decades before Abrams' 2009 movie.
• Alongside the Star Trek origin movie, Paramount reveals a packed slate of exciting films for 2025-26 at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Paramount Pictures officially announces the next Star Trek movie, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters in 2025. As reported in January, the next Star Trek movie isn't the long-delayed, Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 produced by J.J. Abrams, which remains in development at Paramount. Rather, the next Star Trek movie is an origin story directed by Toby Haynes ( Star Wars: Andor ) and written by Seth Grahame-Smith (A braham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ).

Screen Rant' s Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) is at CinemaCon in Las Vegas where Paramount Pictures confirmed the next Star Trek movie , currently called Untitled Star Trek Origin Story , to be released in 2025. J.J. Abrams is also producing Untitled Star Trek Origin Story, which takes place decades before Abrams' Star Trek 2009 movie. See Rob Keyes' Tweet below:

Paramount also confirmed Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will begin production later this year for theatrical release in 2025.

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

Star trek's new movies in theaters and paramount plus explained, star trek is finally making movies again.

After nearly a decade, Star Trek i s back to making movies. Star Trek on Paramount+ has created a television renaissance for the franchise, but the theatrical side of Star Trek overseen by Paramount Pictures has languished in development hell since Star Trek Beyond bowed in the summer of 2016. Toby Haynes' Untitled Star Trek Origin Story is yet another prequel, but as it's said to be set decades before Star Trek 2009, it could very well be set after Star Trek: Enterprise 's mid-22nd century voyages but otherwise be an origin story for both Star Trek 's Prime and alternate Kelvin timelines .

Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 4 , which is the "final chapter" of the USS Enterprise crew led by Chris Pine's Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock, has seen some movement with a new screenwriter, Steve Yockey ( The Flight Attendant ), tackling the long-delayed sequel. Pine and his fellow Star Trek actors, including Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and Sofia Boutella, have all expressed their eagerness to return if Star Trek 4 can come together.

It's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Paramount+ is making their own Star Trek movies, with the recently-wrapped Star Trek: Section 31 awaiting a release date. Starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh, Section 31 i s the first made-for-streaming Star Trek movie, and it is reportedly set during Star Trek 's "lost era" with connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation. Section 31 could get a sequel if successful, and the Star Trek: Picard spinoff dubbed Star Trek: Legacy may also become a streaming movie instead of a series. However all this shakes out, it's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Source: Rob Keyes Twitter