Despicable Me 2 (soundtrack)

Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
ReleasedJuly 2, 2013
Recorded2012
Venue
Studio
GenreFilm soundtrack
Length1:01:24
LabelBack Lot Music
Producer
Heitor Pereira chronology
The Smurfs
(2011)
Despicable Me 2
(2013)
The Smurfs 2
(2013)
Despicable Me chronology
Despicable Me
(2010)
Despicable Me 2
(2013)
Minions
(2015)
Pharrell Williams chronology
In My Mind
(2006)
Despicable Me 2
(2013)
Girl
(2014)
Singles from Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
  1. "Happy"
    Released: November 21, 2013
  2. "Just a Cloud Away"
    Released: March 25, 2022[1]

Despicable Me 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack album for the 2013 film Despicable Me 2; the sequel to Despicable Me (2010). The album was released on July 2, 2013, through Back Lot Music.[2][3] The original music was composed by Heitor Pereira and Pharrell Williams, who previously scored for Despicable Me.[4] The soundtrack to the film featured 24 tracks – eight songs and the remainder of the album, consists of original score tracks. Out of the eight songs, three original tracks, written by Williams, were featured in the album as well as the tracks "Another Irish Drinking Song", "I Swear" and "Y.M.C.A." were incorporated into the album. Besides that, two tracks from Despicable Me: "Fun, Fun, Fun" and the titular track is also featured in the soundtrack.[4]

The track "Happy" served as the only single from the album released on November 21, 2013, by Back Lot Music, and was also part of Williams' second studio album Girl (2014).[5] A visual presentation of the track, being advertised as "the world's first 24-hour music video" coincided the single, featuring Williams and directed by We Are from LA, and went viral upon release. Besides, topping the charts in over 19 countries, it was the best-selling song of 2014 in the United States and United Kingdom.[6][7] The song also received an Academy Award-nomination for Best Original Song at the 86th Academy Awards, but lost the award to "Let It Go" from Frozen.[8] Eight years after the single release, the track "Just a Cloud Away" was released in March 2022.[9]

  1. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". All Access. Archived from the original on March 29, 2022. Retrieved March 29, 2022.
  2. ^ "'Despicable Me 2' Soundtrack Announced". Film Music Reporter. May 21, 2013. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
  3. ^ "Despicable Me 2: Various Artists: Music". Amazon. Archived from the original on December 1, 2020. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Despicable Me 2 Production Notes" (PDF). Universal Pictures. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2014. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  5. ^ "Happy (From "Despicable Me 2") – Single by Pharrell Williams". iTunes US. Retrieved November 23, 2013.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Top 40 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Grein, Paul (December 31, 2014). "It's Official: Pharrell Has 2014's Best-Selling Song". Yahoo! Music. Retrieved April 22, 2015.
  8. ^ "2013 Nominations". International Press Academy. Archived from the original on April 19, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2015.
  9. ^ "Remember When Pharrell Williams Released A 24-Hour Music Video? | Z100 Portland". American Top 40. Retrieved July 17, 2022.