The ‘Elvis’ Soundtrack Deluxe Edition Has More Austin Butler Voice, a Deranged Backstreet Boys Mashup
Just when you thought you couldn’t get enough of Austin Butler’s Elvis voice, the man is back with several more renditions of classic Presley songs, now available on the deluxe edition of the Elvis soundtrack.
The new release — out today, March 7 — adds 15 songs to the already stuffed soundtrack, including four previously unreleased recordings of Presley hits: “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Crawfish” (which was recorded live on set), and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” Butler also appears on “Fly Away Weave,” a wild interpolation of the traditional “I’ll Fly Away” with elements of “That’s All Right” and Blind Lemon Jefferson’s “That Black Snake Moan,” which also features Gary Clark Jr., Shannon Sanders, the Nashville Urban Choir, Shonka Dukureh, Lanesha Randolph, and the film’s composer Elliott Wheeler.
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On top of all that, the deluxe edition features a few more of those classic Baz Luhrman mash-ups of Presley’s music with modern hits. Among them is Jamieson Shaw’s apocryphal “Toxic Las Vegas” mash-up of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and “Viva Las Vegas,” which appeared in the film but was only released as a single recently. And there’s also “Backstreet Bossa Nova,” Daisy O’Dell’s remix of the Backstreet Boys’ “Backstreet’s Back” with Elvis’ “Bossa Nova Baby,” which defies all descriptions or expectations.
Last but certainly not least, there are a few more contemporary takes on Elvis tunes. Those include G-Dragon covering “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” Paul Oakenfold remixing “Rubberneckin’,” Kodi Smit-McPhee singing “How Do You Think I Feel,” and Kacey Musgraves doing another version of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” with Mark Robson.
“The whole Elvis music team has answered the call from fans with this new Deluxe Edition of the Elvis soundtrack,” Luhrmann said in a statement. “Featuring everything from previously unreleased recordings by Austin Butler to contemporary takes on Elvis’s classics and a fresh mash-up with the Backstreet Boys, the Deluxe album reveals all the complex layers of Austin’s performance, Elvis’s music and those who continue his legacy.”
The deluxe edition of the Elvis soundtrack arrives just days before the 2023 Oscars, where Elvis is up for eight awards, including Best Picture. Butler is also nominated for Best Actor and is certainly a favorite for the prize, having already won a Golden Globe and a BAFTA for his performance.
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