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| type = single
| type = single
| artist = [[D'Angelo]]
| artist = [[D'Angelo]]
| album = [[Music of Red Dead Redemption 2|The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2: Original Soundtrack]]
| album = [[Music of Red Dead Redemption 2|Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack)]]
| released = {{start date|2019|01|04}}
| released = {{start date|2019|01|04}}
| format = {{hlist|[[Music download|Download]]|[[Music streaming|streaming]]}}
| format = {{hlist|[[Music download|Download]]|[[Music streaming|streaming]]}}
| recorded =
| recorded =
| studio = Electric Garden Recording (Brooklyn, NY)
| studio = Electric Garden Recording, New York
| genre = [[Neo soul]]
| genre = [[Neo soul]]
| length = 3:53
| length = 3:53
Line 19: Line 19:
| next_year =
| next_year =
}}
}}
"'''Unshaken'''" is a song by American singer-songwriter and musician [[D'Angelo]]. Produced by [[Daniel Lanois]], it was written for the [[Music of Red Dead Redemption 2|original soundtrack]] to the 2018 video game ''[[Red Dead Redemption 2]]''. It was released as a digital single on January 4, 2019, through [[RCA Records]]. It was D'Angelo's first piece of new music released since his third studio album, ''[[Black Messiah (album)|Black Messiah]]'', released in December 2014. Following its official release, the song reached number 6 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard charts#R&B/Hip-Hop|R&B Digital Song Sales]] chart.
"'''Unshaken'''" is a song by American singer-songwriter and musician [[D'Angelo]]. It was produced by [[Daniel Lanois]], who co-wrote the song with D'Angelo and [[Rocco DeLuca]]. The song was written for the [[Music of Red Dead Redemption 2|original soundtrack]] to the 2018 video game ''[[Red Dead Redemption 2]]''. It was released as a digital single through [[RCA Records]] on January 4, 2019, and later as part of the game's soundtrack release by [[Lakeshore Records]] and [[Rockstar Games]]. It was D'Angelo's first piece of new music released since his third studio album, ''[[Black Messiah (album)|Black Messiah]]'', released in December 2014.


D'Angelo was invited to perform a song for ''Red Dead Redemption 2'' after showing overwhelming enthusiasm during [[playtest]]ing, having been a big fan of [[Red Dead Redemption|its predecessor]]. DeLuca conceived the chant in the song's [[Refrain|chorus]], based on a [[proverb]] by [[Paramahansa Yogananda]]. Lanois felt that the lyrics were appropriate to the game's narrative. The song is a moderately slow track and includes D'Angelo's lower vocal register. The track features [[Brian Blade]] on drums, [[Cyril Neville]] on cowbell, Lanois on guitar, and D'Angelo on [[Rhodes piano]]. Following its official release, the song reached number 6 on the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard charts#R&B/Hip-Hop|R&B Digital Song Sales]] chart.
==Background==
⚫
Prior to the release of "Unshaken", the last piece of music that D'Angelo put out was his third studio album, ''[[Black Messiah (album)|Black Messiah]]'', in December 2014, which acted as his first studio album in 14 years. In an interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' published in June 2015, he revealed that he was working on a "companion piece" to ''Black Messiah''.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-second-coming-of-dangelo-49555/ |title=The Second Coming of D'Angelo |last=Hiatt |first=Brian |date=June 15, 2015 |website=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> Some time after the release of that album, D'Angelo discovered that [[Rockstar Games]] was developing a sequel to ''[[Red Dead Redemption]]'' (2010), a video game that he was a big fan of. He then became a [[playtest]]er for ''[[Red Dead Redemption 2]]'' and was impressed by it to the point where he was consistently playing it. Ivan Pavlovich, the director of music and audio at Rockstar, recalled that D'Angelo would come to Rockstar's office in New York City around midnight and be playing the game for several hours, adding that "each time he was just like, 'it’s incredible.' It just [blew] his mind. [...] I have never seen someone that excited." Due to his overwhelming enthusiasm, Rockstar's music team invited D'Angelo to perform on a song for the game's soundtrack.<ref name="RS">{{Cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/dangelo-red-dead-redemption-2-767748/ |title=D'Angelo F-cking Loves Playing 'Red Dead Redemption 2' |last=Leight |first=Elias |date=December 18, 2018 |website=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref>


==Composition==
== Background ==
⚫
Prior to the release of "Unshaken", the last piece of music that D'Angelo put out was his third studio album, ''[[Black Messiah (album)|Black Messiah]]'', in December 2014, which acted as his first studio album in 14 years. In an interview with ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' published in June 2015, he revealed that he was working on a "companion piece" to ''Black Messiah''.<ref name="Rolling Stone 2015"/> Some time after the release of that album, D'Angelo discovered that [[Rockstar Games]] was developing ''[[Red Dead Redemption 2]]''; as he was a big fan of its predecessor, ''[[Red Dead Redemption]]'' (2010), D'Angelo reached out to Ivan Pavlovich, the director of music and audio at Rockstar, to play the game. Pavlovich recalled that D'Angelo would visit Rockstar's New York City office at midnight and play the game for several hours, adding that "each time he was just like, 'it's incredible.' It just blows his mind".<ref name="Rolling Stone 2018"/> Due to his overwhelming enthusiasm, Rockstar's music team invited D'Angelo to perform on a song for the game's soundtrack. Pavlovich felt that D'Angelo's involvement in the game led to producer [[Daniel Lanois]]'s engagement with the project.<ref name="Rolling Stone 2018"/>
"Unshaken" is a moderately slow track, performed in the key of [[G minor]] with a [[tempo]] of 80 beats per minute.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0192731 |title="Unshaken" by D'Angelo - digital sheet music |website=Musicnotes |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> Chaz Kangas of [[KZGO]] called it a [[neo soul]] song,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://goradiomn.com/dangelo-snuck-a-new-song-into-red-dead-revolver-2/ |title=D'Angelo Snuck A New Song Into 'Red Dead Redemption 2' |last=Kangas |first=Chad |date=October 30, 2018 |website=[[KZGO]] |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> while Jon Caramanica of ''[[The New York Times]]'' described it as "lonely [[Western music (North America)|cowboy-western]] [[Soul music|soul]]".<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/arts/music/playlist-dangelo-post-malone-bts-jimin.html |title=The Playlist: D'Angelo’s Cowboy Soul, and 9 More New Songs |last=Caramanica |first=Jon |display-authors=etal |date=January 4, 2019 |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=April 21, 2020 |url-access=registration}}</ref> Musically, the song has been described as "meditative", featuring soft keyboards, low-key percussion, and a groove inspired by [[New Orleans rhythm and blues]].<ref name="RS" /> D'Angelo sings in his lowest vocal register on the track, with Ryan Reed of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' describing the performance as D'Angelo "crooning bleak imagery over a percussive groove".<ref name="RS2">{{Cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dangelo-red-dead-redemption-2-unshaken-774904/ |title=Hear D'Angelo's Brooding 'Red Dead Redemption 2' Song 'Unshaken' |last=Reed |first=Ryan |date=January 4, 2019 |website=[[Rolling Stone]] |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> "Unshaken" blends different musical ideas that the songwriters previously came up with. The chorus was written in [[New Orleans]] and inspired by a [[Hinduism|Hindu]] [[proverb]] that songwriter [[Rocco DeLuca]] had on his phone. That was then combined with a different song the songwriters had in mind, which was a more [[Rock music|rock]]-oriented song in a {{music|time|6|8}} [[time signature]]. Though D'Angelo enjoyed the latter idea, they failed to turn it into a proper, finished song, and eventually came up with "Unshaken".<ref name="RS" />


==Release==
== Composition ==
{{Listen
⚫
"Unshaken" was originally only available for listening via gameplay in ''Red Dead Redemption 2''.<ref name="RS" /> It is played in the background while protagonist [[Arthur Morgan (Red Dead)|Arthur Morgan]] rides on a horse back to his camp at a pivotal moment in the game's story.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a28337193/red-dead-redemption-2-soundtrack/ |title=How Red Dead Redemption 2 Found Its Sound—and That One Perfect D'Angelo Song |last=Nero |first=Dom |date=July 12, 2019 |website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref> [[Bootleg recording|Bootleg version]]s of the audio were eventually uploaded to [[YouTube]] for listening outside of the gameplay.<ref name="RS" /> The song's official release came on January 4, 2019, when it was uploaded onto digital platforms through [[RCA Records]].<ref name="RS2"/><ref name="Tidal" /> This marked D'Angelo's first release of original material since his third studio album, ''[[Black Messiah (album)|Black Messiah]]'', released in December 2014.<ref name="RS2"/>
|filename = Red Dead Redemption 2 - Crash of Worlds and Unshaken.ogg
|title = "Unshaken"
|description = A 23-second sample of the [[Refrain|chorus]] of "Unshaken". The chant for the song is based on a [[proverb]] by [[Paramahansa Yogananda]]: "You must stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds".<ref name="Atwood"/><ref name="NTS"/> D'Angelo sings in his lower vocal register on the track.<ref name="Rolling Stone 2019"/>
|pos = left
|type = music
|alt = A 23-second samples of "Unshaken" from the game's soundtrack.
}}

"Unshaken" is a moderately slow track, performed in the key of [[G minor]] with a [[tempo]] of 80 beats per minute.<ref name="Musicnotes"/> Chaz Kangas of [[KZGO]] called it a [[neo soul]] song,<ref name="KZGO"/> while Jon Caramanica of ''[[The New York Times]]'' described it as "lonely [[Western music (North America)|cowboy-western]] [[Soul music|soul]]".<ref name="NYT"/> Musically, Elias Leight of ''Rolling Stone'' called the song "meditative", featuring soft keyboards, low-key percussion, and a groove inspired by [[New Orleans rhythm and blues]].<ref name="Rolling Stone 2018"/> D'Angelo sings in his lower vocal register on the track, with Ryan Reed of ''Rolling Stone'' describing the performance as D'Angelo "crooning bleak imagery over a percussive groove".<ref name="Rolling Stone 2019"/>

Lanois's co-writer [[Rocco DeLuca]] conceived the chant for "Unshaken" in [[New Orleans]],<ref name="NTS"/> based on a [[proverb]] by [[Paramahansa Yogananda]]: "You must stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds".<ref name="Atwood"/> Lanois felt that the term applied to the determination of game's characters throughout the story.<ref name="NTS"/> The chant was also used in the song "Crash of Worlds" on [[Music of Red Dead Redemption 2|the game's soundtrack]].<ref name="NTS"/> Lanois took an early version of the song to D'Angelo in New York; they added a percussion track with [[Brian Blade]] on drums and [[Cyril Neville]] on cowbell, while Lanois played guitar and D'Angelo played [[Rhodes piano]], and turned it into a full song. The recording process took around a week and a half. Lanois and D'Angelo originally began working on a [[Rock music|rock]]-oriented song in a {{music|time|6|8}} [[time signature]], but "it didn't pan out".<ref name="Rolling Stone 2018"/>

== Release ==
⚫
"Unshaken" was originally only available for listening via gameplay in ''Red Dead Redemption 2'' when it was released in October 2018.<ref name="Rolling Stone 2018"/> It is played in the background while protagonist [[Arthur Morgan (Red Dead)|Arthur Morgan]] rides on a horse back to his camp at a pivotal moment in the game's story.<ref name="Esquire"/> [[Bootleg recording|Bootleg version]]s of the audio were eventually uploaded to [[YouTube]] for listening outside of the gameplay.<ref name="Rolling Stone 2018"/> The song's official release came on January 4, 2019, when it was uploaded onto digital platforms through [[RCA Records]]. This marked D'Angelo's first release of original material since his third studio album, ''[[Black Messiah (album)|Black Messiah]]'', released in December 2014.<ref name="Rolling Stone 2019"/> The song was later published by [[Lakeshore Records]] and Rockstar Games as part of ''The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack)'', released digitally on July 12, 2019,<ref name="R* Original Soundtrack"/> and as a [[CD]] and [[Phonograph record|vinyl record]] on September 20, 2019.<ref name="R* Original Soundtrack Vinyl"/>


==Track listing==
== Track listing ==
{{Track listing
{{Track listing
|headline =
|headline =
Line 37: Line 50:
}}
}}


==Personnel==
== Personnel ==
Credits adapted from the liner notes of ''The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack)''.<ref name="Soundtrack Liner">{{cite AV media notes |title=The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack) |others=[[Rockstar Games]] |year=2019 |type=Liner notes |publisher=[[Lakeshore Records]] }}</ref>
Personnel adapted from [[Tidal (service)|Tidal]].<ref name="Tidal">{{Cite web |url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/101359550 |title=Unshaken / D'Angelo |website=[[Tidal (service)|Tidal]] |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref>


*D'Angelo – vocals, [[Rhodes piano]],<ref name="RS" /> writer, lyrics
* D'Angelo – vocals, [[Rhodes piano]], writer, lyrics
*[[Brian Blade]] – drums
* [[Brian Blade]] – drums
*[[Rocco DeLuca]] – writer, lyrics
* [[Rocco DeLuca]] – writer, lyrics
*[[Daryl Johnson (musician)|Daryl Johnson]] – percussion
* [[Daryl Johnson (musician)|Daryl Johnson]] – percussion
*[[Daniel Lanois]] – guitar, writer, lyrics, producer, mixing engineer
* [[Daniel Lanois]] – guitar, writer, lyrics, producer, mixing engineer
*[[Cyril Neville]] – percussion
* [[Cyril Neville]] – percussion


==Charts==
== Charts ==
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
{|class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"
!Chart (2019)
!Chart (2019)
!Peak<br />position
!Peak<br />position
|-
|-
! scope="row"|US [[Billboard charts#R&B/Hip-Hop|R&B Digital Song Sales]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/dangelo/chart-history/RDT |title=D'Angelo Chart History (R&B Digital Song Sales) |website=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=April 21, 2020}}</ref>
! scope="row"|US [[Billboard charts#R&B/Hip-Hop|R&B Digital Song Sales]] (''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'')<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/dangelo/chart-history/RDT/song/1116263 |title=Unshaken Chart History |work=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |publisher=[[Eldridge Industries]] |accessdate=April 21, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422023326/https://www.billboard.com/music/dangelo/chart-history/RDT/song/1116263 |archivedate=December 16, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|align="center"|6
|align="center"|6
|-
|-
|}
|}


==References==
== References ==
{{reflist|refs=
{{Reflist}}

<ref name="Atwood">{{cite web |url=http://atwoodmagazine.com/unshaken-dangelo-song-review/ |title=Today's Song: D'Angelo's "Unshaken" is the Guarded Knock on a Hidden Door |last=Kalish |first=Ilana |work=[[Atwood Magazine]] |date=January 24, 2019 |accessdate=October 7, 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190128153646/http://atwoodmagazine.com/unshaken-dangelo-song-review/ |archivedate=January 28, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="Esquire">{{cite web |url=https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a28337193/red-dead-redemption-2-soundtrack/ |title=How Red Dead Redemption 2 Found Its Sound—and That One Perfect D'Angelo Song |last=Nero |first=Dom |website=[[Esquire (magazine)|Esquire]] |publisher=[[Hearst Communications]] |date=July 12, 2019 |accessdate=April 21, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715003443/https://www.esquire.com/lifestyle/a28337193/red-dead-redemption-2-soundtrack/ |archivedate=July 15, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="KZGO">{{cite web |url=https://goradiomn.com/dangelo-snuck-a-new-song-into-red-dead-revolver-2/ |title=D'Angelo Snuck A New Song Into 'Red Dead Redemption 2' |last=Kangas |first=Chad |work=[[KZGO]] |publisher=Go Media |date=October 30, 2018 |accessdate=April 21, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422011746/https://goradiomn.com/dangelo-snuck-a-new-song-into-red-dead-revolver-2/ |archivedate=April 22, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="Musicnotes">{{cite web |url=https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0192731 |title="Unshaken" by D'Angelo – digital sheet music |website=Musicnotes |accessdate=April 21, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20200422014315/https://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/mtd.asp?ppn=MN0192731 |archivedate=April 22, 2020 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="NTS">{{cite web |url=https://www.nts.live/shows/guests/episodes/the-music-of-red-dead-redemption-2-feat-daniel-lanois-21st-august-2019 |title=The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 Featuring Daniel Lanois |last=Lanois |first=Daniel |authorlink=Daniel Lanois |publisher=[[NTS Radio]] |date=August 21, 2019 |accessdate=October 7, 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827110513/https://www.nts.live/shows/guests/episodes/the-music-of-red-dead-redemption-2-feat-daniel-lanois-21st-august-2019 |archivedate=August 27, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="NYT">{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/arts/music/playlist-dangelo-post-malone-bts-jimin.html |title=The Playlist: D'Angelo’s Cowboy Soul, and 9 More New Songs |last1=Pareles |first1=Jon |last2=Caramanica |first2=Jon |last3=Ganz |first3=Caryn |last4=Russonello |first4=Giovanni |work=[[The New York Times]] |publisher=[[The New York Times Company]] |date=January 4, 2019 |accessdate=April 21, 2020 |url-access=registration |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190105021939/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/arts/music/playlist-dangelo-post-malone-bts-jimin.html |archivedate=January 5, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="R* Original Soundtrack">{{cite web |url=https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/61033/The-Music-of-Red-Dead-Redemption-2-Original-Soundtrack-Out-Now |title=The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2: Original Soundtrack Out Now |work=Rockstar Newswire |publisher=[[Rockstar Games]] |date=July 12, 2019 |accessdate=August 6, 2019 }}</ref>

<ref name="R* Original Soundtrack Vinyl">{{cite web |url=https://www.rockstargames.com/newswire/article/61090/The-Music-of-Red-Dead-Redemption-2-Original-Soundtrack-Vinyl-Coming-Se |title=The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2: Original Soundtrack Vinyl Coming September 20 |work=Rockstar Newswire |publisher=[[Rockstar Games]] |date=August 16, 2019 |accessdate=August 29, 2019 }}</ref>

<ref name="Rolling Stone 2015">{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-second-coming-of-dangelo-49555/ |title=The Second Coming of D'Angelo |last=Hiatt |first=Brian |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |publisher=[[Penske Corporation]] |date=June 15, 2015 |accessdate=April 21, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190523161249/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/the-second-coming-of-dangelo-49555/ |archivedate=May 23, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="Rolling Stone 2018">{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/dangelo-red-dead-redemption-2-767748/ |title=D'Angelo F-cking Loves Playing 'Red Dead Redemption 2' |last=Leight |first=Elias |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |publisher=[[Penske Corporation]] |date=December 18, 2018 |accessdate=April 22, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20181219133444/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/dangelo-red-dead-redemption-2-767748/ |archivedate=December 19, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref>

<ref name="Rolling Stone 2019">{{cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dangelo-red-dead-redemption-2-unshaken-774904/ |title=Hear D'Angelo's Brooding 'Red Dead Redemption 2' Song 'Unshaken' |last=Reed |first=Ryan |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |publisher=[[Penske Corporation]] |date=January 4, 2019 |accessdate=April 21, 2020 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20190104200955/https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/dangelo-red-dead-redemption-2-unshaken-774904/ |archivedate=January 4, 2019 }}</ref>
}}


{{D'Angelo}}
{{D'Angelo}}
{{Red Dead}}


[[Category:2018 songs]]
[[Category:2018 songs]]

Revision as of 03:14, 22 April 2020

"Unshaken"
Single by D'Angelo
from the album Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack)
ReleasedJanuary 4, 2019 (2019-01-04)
StudioElectric Garden Recording, New York
GenreNeo soul
Length3:53
LabelRCA
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Daniel Lanois
D'Angelo singles chronology
"Betray My Heart"
(2015) 		"Unshaken"
(2019)

"Unshaken" is a song by American singer-songwriter and musician D'Angelo. It was produced by Daniel Lanois, who co-wrote the song with D'Angelo and Rocco DeLuca. The song was written for the original soundtrack to the 2018 video game Red Dead Redemption 2. It was released as a digital single through RCA Records on January 4, 2019, and later as part of the game's soundtrack release by Lakeshore Records and Rockstar Games. It was D'Angelo's first piece of new music released since his third studio album, Black Messiah, released in December 2014.

D'Angelo was invited to perform a song for Red Dead Redemption 2 after showing overwhelming enthusiasm during playtesting, having been a big fan of its predecessor. DeLuca conceived the chant in the song's chorus, based on a proverb by Paramahansa Yogananda. Lanois felt that the lyrics were appropriate to the game's narrative. The song is a moderately slow track and includes D'Angelo's lower vocal register. The track features Brian Blade on drums, Cyril Neville on cowbell, Lanois on guitar, and D'Angelo on Rhodes piano. Following its official release, the song reached number 6 on the Billboard R&B Digital Song Sales chart.

Background

Prior to the release of "Unshaken", the last piece of music that D'Angelo put out was his third studio album, Black Messiah, in December 2014, which acted as his first studio album in 14 years. In an interview with Rolling Stone published in June 2015, he revealed that he was working on a "companion piece" to Black Messiah.[1] Some time after the release of that album, D'Angelo discovered that Rockstar Games was developing Red Dead Redemption 2; as he was a big fan of its predecessor, Red Dead Redemption (2010), D'Angelo reached out to Ivan Pavlovich, the director of music and audio at Rockstar, to play the game. Pavlovich recalled that D'Angelo would visit Rockstar's New York City office at midnight and play the game for several hours, adding that "each time he was just like, 'it's incredible.' It just blows his mind".[2] Due to his overwhelming enthusiasm, Rockstar's music team invited D'Angelo to perform on a song for the game's soundtrack. Pavlovich felt that D'Angelo's involvement in the game led to producer Daniel Lanois's engagement with the project.[2]

Composition

"Unshaken" is a moderately slow track, performed in the key of G minor with a tempo of 80 beats per minute.[6] Chaz Kangas of KZGO called it a neo soul song,[7] while Jon Caramanica of The New York Times described it as "lonely cowboy-western soul".[8] Musically, Elias Leight of Rolling Stone called the song "meditative", featuring soft keyboards, low-key percussion, and a groove inspired by New Orleans rhythm and blues.[2] D'Angelo sings in his lower vocal register on the track, with Ryan Reed of Rolling Stone describing the performance as D'Angelo "crooning bleak imagery over a percussive groove".[5]

Lanois's co-writer Rocco DeLuca conceived the chant for "Unshaken" in New Orleans,[4] based on a proverb by Paramahansa Yogananda: "You must stand unshaken amidst the crash of breaking worlds".[3] Lanois felt that the term applied to the determination of game's characters throughout the story.[4] The chant was also used in the song "Crash of Worlds" on the game's soundtrack.[4] Lanois took an early version of the song to D'Angelo in New York; they added a percussion track with Brian Blade on drums and Cyril Neville on cowbell, while Lanois played guitar and D'Angelo played Rhodes piano, and turned it into a full song. The recording process took around a week and a half. Lanois and D'Angelo originally began working on a rock-oriented song in a 6
8 time signature, but "it didn't pan out".[2]

Release

"Unshaken" was originally only available for listening via gameplay in Red Dead Redemption 2 when it was released in October 2018.[2] It is played in the background while protagonist Arthur Morgan rides on a horse back to his camp at a pivotal moment in the game's story.[9] Bootleg versions of the audio were eventually uploaded to YouTube for listening outside of the gameplay.[2] The song's official release came on January 4, 2019, when it was uploaded onto digital platforms through RCA Records. This marked D'Angelo's first release of original material since his third studio album, Black Messiah, released in December 2014.[5] The song was later published by Lakeshore Records and Rockstar Games as part of The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack), released digitally on July 12, 2019,[10] and as a CD and vinyl record on September 20, 2019.[11]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Unshaken"3:53

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack).[12]

Charts

Chart (2019) Peak
position
US R&B Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[13] 6

References

  1. ^ Hiatt, Brian (June 15, 2015). "The Second Coming of D'Angelo". Rolling Stone. Penske Corporation. Archived from the original on May 23, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Leight, Elias (December 18, 2018). "D'Angelo F-cking Loves Playing 'Red Dead Redemption 2'". Rolling Stone. Penske Corporation. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved April 22, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Kalish, Ilana (January 24, 2019). "Today's Song: D'Angelo's "Unshaken" is the Guarded Knock on a Hidden Door". Atwood Magazine. Archived from the original on January 28, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d Lanois, Daniel (August 21, 2019). "The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 Featuring Daniel Lanois". NTS Radio. Archived from the original on August 27, 2019. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c Reed, Ryan (January 4, 2019). "Hear D'Angelo's Brooding 'Red Dead Redemption 2' Song 'Unshaken'". Rolling Stone. Penske Corporation. Archived from the original on January 4, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  6. ^ ""Unshaken" by D'Angelo – digital sheet music". Musicnotes. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  7. ^ Kangas, Chad (October 30, 2018). "D'Angelo Snuck A New Song Into 'Red Dead Redemption 2'". KZGO. Go Media. Archived from the original on April 22, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  8. ^ Pareles, Jon; Caramanica, Jon; Ganz, Caryn; Russonello, Giovanni (January 4, 2019). "The Playlist: D'Angelo's Cowboy Soul, and 9 More New Songs". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Archived from the original on January 5, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  9. ^ Nero, Dom (July 12, 2019). "How Red Dead Redemption 2 Found Its Sound—and That One Perfect D'Angelo Song". Esquire. Hearst Communications. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  10. ^ "The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2: Original Soundtrack Out Now". Rockstar Newswire. Rockstar Games. July 12, 2019. Retrieved August 6, 2019.
  11. ^ "The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2: Original Soundtrack Vinyl Coming September 20". Rockstar Newswire. Rockstar Games. August 16, 2019. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  12. ^ The Music of Red Dead Redemption 2 (Original Soundtrack) (Liner notes). Rockstar Games. Lakeshore Records. 2019.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  13. ^ "Unshaken Chart History". Billboard. Eldridge Industries. Archived from the original on December 16, 2019. Retrieved April 21, 2020. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; April 22, 2020 suggested (help)
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