Music and Stories: "TWISTERS"

 

In 2024, the classic movie Twisters was written based off of the original from 1996 starring Glen Powell and Daisy Edgar-Jones. We follow Kate Cooper (Daisy Edgar-Jones) as she gets back into storm chasing after a bad experience with her friends from a previous storm. As she jumps back into the danger of chasing tornados she runs into Tyler Owens (Glen Powell) and together they fight to stay alive and work together to attempt to find a way to stop tornados. For whatever reason, the soundtrack to this movie was heavily advertised and it had many well-known country artists featured on it. According to Hollar.Country, "The team behind such widely loved soundtracks as Barbie and The Greatest Showman really have pulled out the stops for this one, drafting the top picks of the country music roster for their all-storms-blazing romp." (Holler.Country) Artists like Thomas Rhett, Jelly Roll, Kane Brown, and probably most known Luke Combs. The song that Luke Combs produced is titled "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma" and it's probably one of my favorites from the sound track. This song was released in 2024 as a teaser for the entire soundtrack and movie. Below is the music video that was produced by Luke Cobs and his team on May 16, 2024. 

Sound of the song: he sound of this song plays a key role in the storytelling of this movie. This movie is all about the drama and danger of chasing storms and this song carries a heavy and dramatic tone and has a "darker undercurrent that feels fitting for a natural disaster movie"(HollerCountry)The song opens with a strong guitar riff and a heavy beat backed with drums. Within this song, there's electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, drums, percussion, bass, and of course vocals. Lyrical Meaning: The lyrics add to the value and attraction of "Ain't No Love in Oklahoma". The lyrics seem to paint a picture depicting the addictive adrenaline rush that storm chasers love. For example:

“I keep chasing that same old devil

Down the same old dead-end highway" 

The "devil" represents the tornado and the "dead-end highway" is a representation of a journey that might had a bad outcome. The song continues and depicts scenes of how Oklahoma, a once safe haven can turn into a mean deadly place when a storm hits. Today's Country Magazine says "Captivating the racing emotions that arise when in the middle of chasing a tornado, Combs expertly strikes juxtaposition through lines that tally the ups and downs when he relays how he’s scared of nothing but scared to death and how he keeps running but is standing still." (Today's Country Magazine). 

Commentary: From what I've found, it seems as though this song has received high praise. This song has proven to be more than just a soundtrack but a fan favorite. Listeners enjoy the metaphors and imagery that Combs incorporates into this song. I personally like the music video more than the actual movie. They have cooler trucks and it just seems cooler to me. The music video pulls scenes from the film but Luke Combs takes his own crew out to chase a tornado for a majority of the video.

Sources:

Country, Today’s. “LUKE COMBS - Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma - Atlantic Records.” Today’s Country Magazine, www.todayscountrymagazine.com/index.php/reviews/single-reviews/4531-single-review-luke-combs-ain-t-no-love-in-oklahoma. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Hayes, Jana. “Why Did Luke Combs Write ‘Ain’t No Love in Oklahoma’? See the Lyrics, Story behind the Song.” The Oklahoman, Oklahoman, 8 Oct. 2024, www.oklahoman.com/story/entertainment/2024/10/08/luke-combs-aint-no-love-in-oklahoma-lyrics-explained/75570881007/. 

Jones, Ross. “‘ain’t No Love in Oklahoma’ by Luke Combs - Lyrics and Meaning.” Holler, Holler, 20 May 2024, https://holler.country/news/general/aint-no-love-in-oklahoma-by-luke-combs-lyrics-and-meaning/ 

“Luke Combs – Ain’t No Love In Oklahoma (From Twisters: The Album) [Official Music Video].” YouTube, youtu.be/J6YlaeACE4E?feature=shared. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.