Warning: Spoilers follow for Episode 7 of The Acolyte.
The latest episode of The Acolyte ended with a pop song, which prompted a debate among fans about modern music in Star Wars.
Episode 7 had surprises at every turn, including right at the very end when a pop song played over the credits. The track, titled “Power of Two” to reflect the show’s Osha/Mae twin storyline, comes from three-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Victoria Monét, who called it an “honor” to be part of Star Wars history.
Listen to @VictoriaMonet‘s new song “Power of Two” from #TheAcolyte on the Best of Star Wars playlist, featuring music from the series and more, on @Spotify: https://t.co/bHpJUyotdU
You can also hear the song in the end credits of tonight’s Episode 7 of #TheAcolyte, a Star Wars… pic.twitter.com/TZhJ9jM2kp
— Disney Music (@DisneyMusic) July 9, 2024
“Having my song be a part of the classic Star Wars franchise via The Acolyte is such an honor, and I’m thrilled for everyone to hear it when they see how it ties into the overall storyline!” Monét told StarWars.com ahead of the episode. “D’Mile and I had a great time making the song and hope the world loves it as much as we do.”
The use of a song with lyrics is uncommon for Star Wars projects, with most opting to use instrumental scores, even to accompany the end credits, so the Power of Two naturally triggered a discussion among fans. Some people thought it “felt out of place” and didn’t match “the Star Wars vibe,” even though they liked the song.
Also how do we feel about the song playing during the credits? I’ll be honest idk if I want modern music in Star Wars it kinda takes me out of the moment. It’s a good song though! Just don’t know if it’s a match for the series #TheAcolyte
— 𝓔𝓶 💫 (@emkenobi) July 10, 2024
Its a great song in my opinion, but completely not for Star Wars. If they want to change the vibe of what Star Wars is, moving forward and thats the plan then I understand (but I don’t agree they should), but if they want to keep it Star Wars they shouldn’t be doing it imo.
— DaveHuze (@DaveHuze) July 10, 2024
It caught me offguard, not a bad song but I feel as if it were out of place. It pulled me out of the Star Wars vibe.
— Enrique Martinez (@TheKeekster1138) July 10, 2024
It felt really out of place tbh. Like it just did not feel like it belonged in Star Wars.
— Todd Hardoin (@supertodd17) July 11, 2024
It felt out of place for Star Wars, not that the song sucked or anything. It actually reminded me, and even the tone of the song reminded me of when Rihanna did the ending credit song for the last Star Trek movie.
— Jedi Manni (@elgatomanni) July 10, 2024
Yeah that’s a hard no from me. Song slaps. Just don’t put it in the credits for a sw show/film
— Sean Connelly (@TheSeanConnelly) July 10, 2024
The same debate arose on Reddit, where some people agreed that “it doesn’t feel very Star Wars” to have modern music over classic themes.
“It’s very odd and jarring,” one person wrote. “The closest we’ve seen is in-universe pop music playing at a beach in Andor. No other series has had anything other than its theme tune or broader Star Wars themes playing in the credits. Star Wars has always been a seperate fairy-tale esque sci-fi universe and its music has always reflected that. It’s a very strange choice to include that song at the end.”
Others praised the decision to experiment and break with Star Wars convention, saying it “felt like a positive shift forward for the franchise.”
I think in this special instance, it really worked. Esp bc the song is very much of the same atmosphere as the show.
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I wouldn’t want it to become a regular thing, but after this mic drop of an episode, it really worked. pic.twitter.com/6gpKdYSH81
— Zachary Smith (@zacpatsmith) July 10, 2024
I like the song, I don’t see an issue with them playing it in the end credits, I think that’s very normal. If they played it during the episode it wouldn’t work, but the episode was over and it’s just the credits so it’s not a problem for me
— captain pike-a-chu🖖 ᐰ #EatYourEnemies 🍽️ (@CaptainPikeachu) July 10, 2024
Let’s stop acting like Star Wars is sacred and nothing can be experimented with
— SON BROKU | SADZILLA | PHONKRAT | KAIJU KULT (@sonbrokumusic) July 11, 2024
Normally I wouldn’t want modern music but for some reason it felt like a positive shift forward for the franchise. Not in the sense that I think they should start incorporating it all the time but just in the sense that I think it’s good to allow creators to try new things.
— boombox music talk (@BoomboxTalk) July 10, 2024
I liked it. Better than quiet and more impactful than a score. Got me to pay attention.
I don’t think it should be after every episode, but IMO it has its place and this was one where it fit.
— DaHlyHndGrnade [3SIR] (@DaHlyHndGrnade) July 10, 2024
Tbh acting like modern music doesn’t have a place in Star Wars doesn’t sit well with me. It’s a galaxy filled with billions upon trillions of people and you’re telling me none of them could make a bop like that?
— Cole Johnson (@KyngCole) July 11, 2024
“The song was dope. Very fitting for what’s going on here,” one person argued. “Don’t like it, close up the program right as soon as the credits roll. This was the first time I let the credit music play, it was quite hauntingly beautiful imo. And it ‘doesn’t fit Star Wars’ but it fits the story perfectly.”
This isn’t the first time The Acolyte has divided fans. Some were disappointed with the show’s opening scene, even though showrunner Leslye Headland insisted: “you have to go hard.” People also previously debated the appearance of a Star Wars prequel trilogy character and questioned whether it fitted in with the show’s timeline.
With only one episode of The Acolyte remaining, there is a lot of ground still to cover and mysteries to be solved (but there could be even more to explore in a potential Season 2). IGN’s review of Episode 7 noted that it provided “a lot of information,” but some revelations are offset by “very frustrating and often silly specifics.”
Cover image credit: Disney via StarWars.com
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter here.
