The Black Experience in Trailer Music

In light of the ongoing protests happening in the United States, Canada and around the world under the banner of Black Lives Matter, we felt it was appropriate to pause this week and highlight a few of the film trailers we’ve covered that centre on Black lives and experiences. Hopefully you might discover something interesting and new to rent or buy—or see in theatres, perhaps eventually—as a result. 

The High Note

It's been a busy few years for new films celebrating the lives of musicians, and The High Note promises to live up to its name. This fictional biopic acts as a quasi-homage to Diana Ross (of The Supremes fame), whose daughter, Tracee Ellis Ross, takes the lead role as mid-career artist Grace Davis. As our blog post notes, the trailer thrives in part on moments of subtle meta-diegetic interplay; for example, at 0:27, the live band pauses on the soundtrack lyric “stop.” 

Seven Seconds

Released in 2018, Seven Seconds takes on new significance in the context of recent events, in so far as the series focuses on police brutality, and specifically the death of a Black teenager at the hands of a white cop. Erin McCarley’s “Everywhere Ghosts Hide” and trailer music tropes like the single, reverberant piano note, underscore a sombre, meditative tone. 

Shaft

A hit franchise that receives the occasional reboot (starting in 1971, then 2000, and finally 2019), Shaft is a playful spin on the James Bond formula. The music is a clear highlight of this trailer, with elements of wah pedal guitar, trumpets, and ‘70s and early ‘80s musical flourishes complementing the triumphant return of Isaac Hayes’ series theme—winner of the Academic Award for Best Original Song in 1972, no less.

Da 5 Bloods

The most recent trailer centred on Black experiences covered by Trailaurality is Spike Lee’s latest, a rollicking adventure set in the Vietnam war era. “Time Has Come Today” by the Chamber Brothers leads the pacing of the trailer to the extent that snippets of a live performance of the group are interspersed with a variety of what looks to be both historical and newly filmed footage. As is the case with Spike Lee films, Da 5 Bloods promises a judicious mix of entertainment and thought-provoking insights in a way only he can deliver. 

The Best of Enemies

Released in April 2019, the trailer for this docudrama recounts the legal battle between civil rights activist Ann Atwater and Ku Klux Klan member C. P. Ellis on the issue of segregation in schools. Musically, it’s fascinating how the edit takes this theme of desegregation and integration literally, as The Black Keys’ Keep Me (2004) is remixed and intermingled with Missy Elliott’s Get Your Freak On (2001). The combination of relatively contemporary music with more historical content reminds us that the civil rights movement was not so long ago and that in too many ways the work is not nearly over.

— Curtis Perry