It's hard to ignore the hype surrounding the final season of Game of Thrones.

Amidst the constant din of late night talk show appearances, trailer promos, season teasers, and SNL content, there's almost no way to escape the show's grand finale. It's no secret that GoT––known for its grandiose budgets, extravagant filming locations, and widespread popularity––has the financial power to dominate the media landscape. Now, HBO is teaming up with Columbia Records to curate a special soundtrack to celebrate the end of the phenomenal series.

The star-studded project –– For The Throne –– is set to feature musical contributions from A$AP Rocky, Rosalía, The National, Ellie Goulding, Maren Morris, and Mumford & Sons –– among other major powerhouses. Earlier this month,Pitchfork reported that The Weeknd, SZA, and Travis Scott are working on an original song for the show, but that's not where the name-dropping ends. The 14-track project will be released on April 26th, after the GoT season kicks off on April 8th. This is the first time HBO has partnered with a major record label to create a soundtrack specifically for the show with original material, which is a real testament to the series' cultural power.

See the full list of the acts set to appear on For The Throne below:

ASAP Rocky

Chloe x Halle

Ellie Goulding

Jacob Banks

James Arthur

Joey Badass

Lennon Stella

Lil Peep

Maren Morris

Matthew Bellamy

Mumford & Sons

Rosalía f/ A.CHAL

SZA

The Lumineers

The National

The Weeknd

Travis Scott

Ty Dolla Sign

X Ambassadors


Sara is a music and culture writer who lives in Brooklyn. Her work has previously appeared in PAPER magazine and Stereogum.


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Maren Morris, the Grammy-award winning pop powerhouse whose song "The Middle" is nominated for Record of the Year, just released an inspirational music video to accompany her new single "GIRL."

The video–which opens up with a soft-spoken Morris speaking on how women just want "the same as everybody else"–features an eclectic montage of women doing badass stuff. From dancing and yoga to boxing and setting cars on fire, the music video pays homage to all the strong women that inspire Morris. "What you feel is natural," Morris belts on the track's rocking chorus. "Pick yourself up off the kitchen floor." The video additionally shows women devastated, trying to reconcile with the hardships that come with being badasses. "Baby girl, don't you hang your head low," Morris croons. "Don't lose your halo." The track, which was released on January 17th, is already getting praise, specifically from acclaimed actress Nicole Kidman. "Another female country music powerhouse!" she said on her Instagram story. "Your new single is on repeat, Maren Morris!"

As the video comes to a close, it shows Morris belting out the chorus one last time in front of thousands during a stadium show, with gritty electric guitar chords ringing out. "Well, one of the hard things about being a girl is having to answer all these questions about why it's hard to be a girl," Morris says with a laugh as the song trails off. We hear you, Maren. Keep doing your thing. Check out the video below.


Mackenzie Cummings-Grady is a creative writer who resides in the Brooklyn area. Mackenzie's work has previously appeared in The Boston Globe, Billboard, and Metropolis Magazine. Follow him on Twitter @mjcummingsgrady.


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