If you loved the awesome music of “Rio,” you are going to love the soundtrack to “Rio 2.” Blu and his new family return for a new adventure. This time, their fun filled experience is accompanied by the likes of Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae and the stars of “Rio 2,” Anne Hathaway and Jesse Eisenberg. This soundtrack is as colorful as the characters themselves and is so exciting that you will not be able to keep yourself from singing and dancing along to the music. With such a diverse choice of songs—such as “Welcome Back,” “O Vida,” “What is Love?”—this is a soundtrack that will have you rocking to the glorious rhythm with Blu, Jewel and their feathered friends.

This exotic and amazing soundtrack is extremely unique for many reasons. In addition to the R&B and Neo-Soul singers lending their various talents to this soundtrack, we hear the beautiful voices of Brazilian musicians such as Carlinhos Brown, Milton Nascimento and Flavia Maia.  The combination of English and Brazilian Portuguese makes this soundtrack so stunning that you’ll think you’re actually in Rio de Janeiro and the Amazon.  Flavia’s duet with Anne Hathaway in “Don’t Go Away” is so breathtaking and beautiful that you will be moved to tears. Milton Nascimento’s “Favo De Mel” and “What is Love?” with Janelle Monae featuring Anne Hathaway, Jesse Eisenberg, Jamie Foxx and Carlinhos Brown brings a Brazilian-American flavor to the awaiting ears of the audience. The music proves to be as animated as the characters and just as brilliant.

This soundtrack is so amazing and perfectly done that it is difficult to find a downside. The combining of cultures to create this lively and enjoyable soundtrack is what makes it stand out from the rest and is pleasing to fans of all musical genres. There’s no way you can listen to even one track and not fall in love with the vivacious sounds and enticing rhythm in each of the songs.

Fans of “Rio 2” will not only love the story of Blu and his family, they will become enamored of the music. The music is so energetic that even the movie audience will find themselves standing up and dancing in the aisles. I would have to say that this is the most incredible and dazzling soundtrack I have listened to.

Final Grade: A+

About The Author

Lauren Beverly

Music Reviewer

I love to write and have been doing so since the age of eight. Fictional stories have always been a favorite of mine, because it gives me a chance to be creative and to express myself in a multitude of ways. On more than one occasion, a song proved to be the inspiration to several stories I have written. Believe it or not, some of those songs were on soundtracks! That’s mostly what I listen to, aside from hits from the 1950’s up to the 1980’s. I’ve learned that anything can be the inspiration to a story, even a poster from the 1990’s or a DVD cover.

I’ve lived in Upper Marlboro all of my life and spent much of my childhood watching cartoons of all kinds, and listening to my older sister’s cassette tapes. Growing up, I listened to everything Jackson related, Paula Abdul, Elton John, and even the controversial group Milli Vanilli. As a teenager, I continued to listen to old-school hits and that was pretty much all I liked, aside from listening to all of Michael Jackson’s music. To this day, I still love old-school hits. That hasn’t changed.

I own a variety of CDs from artists such as Styx, The BeeGees, Michael Jackson, Queen, The Yellow Submarine Soundtrack, and many others. When a soundtrack comes out, there will always be one specific song from that album that I’ll love. It never fails.

I’ve graduated from Bowie State University in December 2013 with a B.A. degree in English.

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