[Editor’s note: The below article features spoilers about Season 3, Episode 4 of “The Traitors.”]
On the finish of Episode 4 of “The Traitors” Season 3, Bob the Drag Queen is banished in a coup led by fellow traitor Boston Rob. Because the three remaining Traitors slowly make their means into the turret, traitors Danielle and Carolyn rail in confessional towards Boston Rob, forcing their palms, and a music performs. “You’ve bought blood in your palms,” the vocalist sings moodily. The lyrics are tailor-made as completely as host Alan Cummings’s plaid fits — which is totally the purpose.
The Peacock actuality collection typically options considerably on-the-nose lyrics and, by now, followers considerably anticipate the joke. Earlier in that episode, because the opponents filed into the spherical desk and Boston Rob ready to guide the vote for Bob the Drag Queen, the lyrics ran, “There was a fireplace burning in my eyes / And blood operating rivers within the night time / Observe me down into the valley night time.”
“The Traitors” is aware of you find it irresistible — and sure, they’re very intentional about it. “We all the time really feel prefer it’s vital to indicate the viewers that we’re not taking ourselves too severely,” govt producer Sam Rees-Jones advised IndieWire. “So we wish to have enjoyable with plenty of parts of the present, together with the music.”
The songs usually crop up within the ultimate act of an episode because the tensions (and treacheries) mount. As quickly as manufacturing wraps, the producers have a look at the plotlines and the tales they’re going to zero in on after which carry concepts to Bleeding Fingers Music and Really feel for Music, the 2 firms with whom they work on music placement.
”We go to [them] and say, ‘Look, there’s a second within the traitor’s turret the place belief is at an all-time low, and so they’re questioning one another,” Rees-Jones stated. “‘Let’s speak about a topic for a music that may work round that.’ For instance, there’s a observe known as ‘Good friend or Enemy,’ proper? Which is sort of on the nostril, certain, however it’s additionally fairly enjoyable. And like I stated, I feel it’s vital to have a understanding wink.”
That doesn’t all the time imply listening to lyrics like “Oh demise, oh demise, please spare me now” earlier than the Traitors make their kill for that night time. Typically, which means leaning into the comedy of casting a variety of actuality TV stars and letting them unfastened in a fortress in Scotland whereas conjuring up new and outlandish theories. In different phrases, typically which means specializing in Tom Sandoval.
”He’s introduced a distinct dynamic, and it’s very enjoyable to mess around with that,” Rees-Jones stated. “The Traitors” positively has enjoyable with Sandoval, whose wide-eyed expressions of disbelief or suspicion punctuate scenes like punchlines — typically accompanied by the signature plinky notes of the extra light-hearted “The Traitors” rating.
”These comedic moments [in general], whether or not it’s intentional or not, are so vital to us,” Rees-Jones stated. “The music wants so as to add to that, and typically that may simply be a breath with no music and only a second of awkwardness or ridiculousness or no matter it’s. The comedic moments are vital, however it’s vital to have texture inside the present as effectively, music-wise, proper? In order that while you while you attain these moments of backstabbing and treachery, you’ve had a little bit palate cleanser in between.”
The purpose for each the rating and the unique songs is to effortlessly information viewers by means of the darkening emotional undercurrents of every episode. It may be cheeky enjoyable when lyrics immediately reply to the twists and turns of the sport, however finally Rees-Jones desires the music to assist pull viewers into the ambiance and the intrigue of “The Traitors.”
“We’ve labored actually laborious on what the tone of these songs are. I really like some lyrics [and a female voice] which might be haunting and exquisite. I wouldn’t say it’s a lot, ‘Oh, we’ve gone too far [with the lyrics].’ It’s extra, ‘Do they really feel proper in our world?’ And in the event that they do, then it’s enjoyable to play off that,” Rees-Jones stated.
In different phrases, “Let the music hang-out you / Whereas ‘The Traitors’ entertains you.”
“The Traitors” premieres new episodes on Peacock each Thursday by means of the season finale on March 6.