The Traitors’ dramatic soundtrack is basically trolling us, and it’s completely intentional

There are many ways to tell someone on The Traitors is about to have a terrible day. Claudia Winkleman might summon them to a murder meeting, someone could start acting suspiciously at breakfast, or a cover of a perfectly normal pop song might suddenly sound like the soundtrack to the end of civilisation.

That last one is practically a character in its own right.

Via BBC

The BBC show has developed a very particular musical language: Familiar songs stripped of their original joy, vocals drenched in misery and instrumental flourishes. It’s a lot. Sometimes it’s so much that you almost forget the people on screen are playing a game.

The soundtrack’s theatrical style is no accident. In fact, the people behind it have deliberately embraced the slightly ridiculous balance between sinister and silly, which is probably why watching a celebrity eat a croissant can somehow feel like the climax of a murder mystery. That slightly ridiculous quality is precisely what the show is going for.

Sam Watts, who composed The Traitors’ opening theme, told the BBC he didn’t want the programme’s music to become too dark, despite the fact that the format revolves around murder and deception.

Via BBC

“I remember the BBC was quite reluctant to even think about a show with murder as a main feature, so I knew I didn’t want the music to go really dark,” he said. “So I just went with that – dark but fun.”

Producer Sarah Fay wanted the series to have the scale and atmosphere of a film, rather than feeling like another reality show with a fancy set.

“We wanted to just supersize it and make it feel like a drama, not like your usual reality [show],” she told Metro.

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“We wanted to make it feel like that edge-of-your-seat cinematic drama with, you know, elements of Succession, and we wanted it to feel like Knives Out when you get into the castle!”

The more familiar cover versions, however, weren’t commissioned especially for the programme. Their usefulness comes partly from the world of advertising, where music needs to establish a particular feeling almost immediately.

Another producer explained that this is especially important for a show that thrives on sudden twists and moments when everything viewers thought they knew gets turned upside down.

Via BBC

“In adverts, you only have a few seconds to convey a certain emotion and, especially in Traitors, where there are cliffhangers and moments that you don’t expect, you need music that comes to the point right away but still has a boldness to it.

“It’s a sweet spot, and it’s not easy to convey, but every now and then it works quite well.”

Watts is equally happy to acknowledge that the music has a sense of humour.

“A lot of my music has a wink in it and, for The Traitors, it’s a little silly and slightly over the top,” he said. “I think it helps the nastier side of things – the murder, the plotting – feel a bit more fun.”

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Featured image via BBC