Walk into any sneaker shop or a high school hallway in 2026, and you’ll still hear it. That low, humming distorted bass. The sharp thwip of a drum machine. When Sony released the first film back in 2018, nobody really expected the Spider Man Into the Spider Verse music to become a cultural reset, but here we are. It wasn't just a soundtrack. It was a vibe shift.
Honestly, most superhero movies treat music like wallpaper. You get the big, sweeping orchestral swell when the hero flies, and maybe a generic rock song during a montage. Into the Spider-Verse threw that playbook in the trash. They decided that if Miles Morales is a kid from Brooklyn who loves hip-hop and graffiti, the movie shouldn't just show that—it should sound like it.
The sonic landscape of this film is a messy, beautiful collision of Post Malone, Swae Lee, Blackway, and a massive orchestral score by Daniel Pemberton that sounds like it was put through a paper shredder and glued back together. It’s loud. It’s chaotic. It’s exactly what growing up feels like.
The Post Malone Effect and the "Sunflower" Phenomenon
You can't talk about Spider Man Into the Spider Verse music without mentioning "Sunflower." It’s almost impossible. That song didn't just top the charts; it stayed there forever. As of recent data, it is one of the highest-certified singles in RIAA history. But why?
It’s not just because Post Malone has a catchy voice. It’s because of how the song is used as a narrative tool. We first meet Miles while he’s singing it—badly. He doesn’t know all the lyrics. He’s humming the parts he misses. It makes him human. It’s a "needle drop" that actually serves a purpose beyond just selling records.
The track "What's Up Danger" by Blackway and Black Caviar serves the opposite purpose. If "Sunflower" is the comfort of home, "What's Up Danger" is the terrifying leap into the unknown. When Miles finally takes his "Leap of Faith" from the skyscraper, the music doesn't just play; it breathes with him. The way the track cuts out and leaves only the wind before slamming back in with that heavy percussion is a masterclass in tension. It’s why that scene is still cited by animators and sound designers as one of the best moments in modern cinema.
Daniel Pemberton’s Secret Sauce: Scratches and Screeches
While the pop songs got the radio play, Daniel Pemberton’s score is the actual backbone of the movie. Most people don't realize how weird this score is. Pemberton didn't just sit at a piano. He actually took the orchestral recordings, pressed them onto vinyl, and then hired a DJ to scratch them.
Think about that.
He recorded a full orchestra—the peak of "high art"—and then treated it like a hip-hop sample. This created the "Prowler theme," which is probably the most terrifying sound in a "kids' movie" since the shark in Jaws. It’s a metallic, elephant-like screech that triggers an immediate fight-or-flight response.
Pemberton’s work reflects the "glitch" aesthetic of the animation. Since the movie is about different universes colliding, the music reflects that by mixing genres that shouldn't work together. You have 808 drum patterns layered over classical violins. You have record scratches interrupting a cello solo. It’s restless. It’s basically the sound of a multiverse having a panic attack.
Breaking Down the Miles Morales Sound
- The Hero Theme: A hopeful, rising melody often played on a synthesizer.
- The Brooklyn Element: Heavy use of sub-bass and trap-inspired hi-hats.
- The Comic Book Texture: Sound effects that feel like they’re being "drawn" into the music.
Why the Music Felt More Authentic Than Other Soundtracks
Usually, when a big studio wants to sound "urban" or "youthful," it feels forced. It feels like a boardroom of 50-year-olds trying to guess what kids on TikTok like. Into the Spider-Verse avoided this because the music was baked into the DNA of the characters.
Miles Morales is a biracial kid from a vibrant, loud neighborhood. His music needs to reflect that. The inclusion of "Familia" by Nicki Minaj and Anuel AA featuring Bantu brings in that Afro-Latino heritage without making a big deal out of it. It just is.
The soundtrack also features legends like Vince Staples and Lil Wayne, but it mixes them with newer voices. This wasn't just a playlist; it was a curated atmosphere. Even the "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (Soundtrack from & Inspired by the Motion Picture)" album felt like a cohesive project rather than a collection of random B-sides.
The Technical Mastery of Sound Mixing
Let’s get nerdy for a second. The way the Spider Man Into the Spider Verse music interacts with the sound effects is incredible. In many action movies, the music and the punching sounds fight for space. In Spider-Verse, they dance.
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The team at Sony Pictures Post Production Services used a technique where the music would duck out of the way of specific frequencies of the "thwips" and "bangs." This makes the whole movie feel like one long music video. There’s a rhythmic consistency to the entire film. Even when characters are just talking, there’s often a rhythmic pulse in the background that keeps the energy moving at 12 frames per second (or 24, depending on the scene).
It’s also worth noting the use of "silence." In the moments after Uncle Aaron's death, the music doesn't try to manipulate you with sappy violins immediately. It lets the weight of the scene hang there. When the music does return, it’s somber, electronic, and cold. It’s sophisticated filmmaking disguised as a superhero cartoon.
Impact on the Industry and Beyond
Since 2018, we’ve seen a massive shift in how animated films approach their soundtracks. You can see the influence of the Spider Man Into the Spider Verse music in movies like The Bad Guys, Puss in Boots: The Last Wish, and even Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
They all realized that audiences—especially younger ones—crave texture. They want music that feels tactile. They want music that sounds like it was made by a person in a bedroom, not just a computer in a sterile studio.
The soundtrack also proved that "inspired by" albums could actually be good. For years, these were just marketing gimmicks. But because the Spider-Verse team worked so closely with the artists, the songs actually felt like they belonged in Miles’s headphones.
Key Takeaways for Music Fans and Creators
- Texture over Perfection: Don't be afraid of distortion. The "Prowler" theme works because it sounds broken.
- Character-First Scoring: Ask yourself what your protagonist would actually listen to. Build the sound around their taste.
- Genre Blending: The days of "just orchestral" or "just pop" are over. The most interesting stuff happens in the middle.
- Rhythmic Editing: Match the pace of your visuals to the BPM of your track for maximum impact.
If you really want to appreciate the Spider Man Into the Spider Verse music, you need to stop listening to it through your phone speakers. Put on a pair of high-quality headphones. Close your eyes. Listen to the way the bass moves from left to right during the chase scenes. Listen to the subtle "record hiss" that Pemberton layered into the quiet moments.
The music is a love letter to New York, to hip-hop, and to the idea that anyone can wear the mask. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s perfectly imperfect.
To dive deeper into this sound, start by comparing the original score to the "Across the Spider-Verse" sequel music by Metro Boomin. You’ll see a fascinating evolution from Pemberton's experimental scratching to Metro’s polished, cinematic trap production. Both are essential, but the first film’s soundtrack remains the blueprint for how to make a movie sound like a comic book come to life. Check out the official "Behind the Scenes" features on the Daniel Pemberton YouTube channel to see exactly how he scratched those records; it’ll change the way you hear the movie forever.