“I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic, Monday, May 29, 2023

In 1986, The United States was in the middle of a decades-long Cold War with the Soviet Union. While the war never heated up, there were some close battles that made the average American squeamish about the possibility of nuclear war, and some went so far as to build their own bomb shelters to help them survive nuclear fall out. But having been born in 1987, I don’t have much memory of Soviet-era rumors of war, and even post-9/11, American views on the U.S. military’s involvement with pretty much anything has been controversial. A film like Top Gun in 1986 was filled with truth, justice, the American way.

TIME IS RUNNING OUT SO SPEND IT LIKE IT’S GOLD. Last summer, in the midst of a heatwave of ‘80s nostalgia, Top Gun: Maverick hit the theaters. The film was a smash hit and featured Tom Cruise reprising his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell. The film was the second-highest grossing film of 2022 and the highest grossing film of Cruise’s career. The film also featured several actors from the original film, including a brief appearance from Val Kilmer. Along with Tom Cruise’s seemingly never-ending sequels of the Mission Impossible films, Top Gun: Maverick adds to a Hollywood narrative that fit men don’t have to age out of blockbuster films. I hope that will soon be the case for veteran actresses as well. Along with stunning visual effects, Top Gun: Maverick’s soundtrack attempted to capture the magic of the 1986 chart-topper. Along with the original score composed jointly by the original film’s composer Harold Faltermeyer, Hans Zimmer, Lorne Balfe, and Lady Gaga; the soundtrack contains Miles Teller’s rendition of “Great Balls of Fire,” the original themes “Danger Zone” and “Take My Breath Away,”  and two original hit songs “Hold My Hand,” performed by Lady Gaga, and today’s song “I Ain’t Worried” by OneRepublic.

I AIN’T WORRIED ‘BOUT IT RIGHT NOW. I want to reserve discussion about the themes of Top Gun: Maverick until I’ve watched the movie or read more about it. What I find interesting is how even during the breakdown of monoculture and political fragmentation, a film like Top Gun: Maverick could become the highest-grossing Tom Cruise film? And for the big soundtrack, how is a major film score composed collaboratively and what role did Lady Gaga play as a composer? Today’s song “I Ain’t Worried” brings OneRepublic back to their golden age of catchiness. The whistling hook was inspired by Swedish indie band Peter Bjorn & John and evokes a carefree summer feeling fresh for Memorial Day Weekend 2022 and 2023 and with the continued radio play, recent EP release of alternate takes on the single, and the rumors of an upcoming album, the song still feels like a worry-free anthem of 2023.





 

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