Sonya Belousova

Sonya Belousova
Belousova performing at the 2014 Golden Score Awards
Background information
Born (1990-02-04) February 4, 1990 (age 34)
Leningrad, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
(now Saint Petersburg, Russia)
GenresFilm score, rock, pop, contemporary, classical
Occupation(s)Composer, music producer, songwriter
Websitebelousova-ostinelli.com

Sonya Belousova (born February 4, 1990) is a Russian-born American composer, music producer, songwriter, and artist whose viral hit "Toss A Coin To Your Witcher" reached #1 on the Billboard charts. Recognized as a child prodigy, she was awarded the Russian Ministry of Culture Award for her outstanding achievements in music composition at 13 years old.[1][2] Based in Los Angeles, California, Belousova has composed music for some of the most commercially successful television franchises, including One Piece and The Witcher.

Belousova composed the score and songs for Netflix's live-action adaptation of One Piece, which became a global hit.[3] The soundtrack features the song "My Sails Are Set," written and produced by Belousova and her scoring partner Giona Ostinelli, and performed by Aurora. The song has garnered over 20 million streams on Spotify, contributing to the album's overall success with more than 300 million streams worldwide. Polygon praised the "devilish duo" for their "freewheeling" score, which "swings from symphonic blockbuster cues to hip-hop licks to virtuosic flamenco guitar, jazz funk, big-band brass, and head-spinning circus music." [4] ScreenRant lauded the soundtrack for its "next-level musical worldbuilding" and "unique character themes and instruments complementing each other perfectly."[5]

Belousova gained widespread recognition for her work on Netflix's hit fantasy series The Witcher. The soundtrack album, featuring songs and score composed and produced by Belousova and Ostinelli, achieved both commercial success and critical acclaim, amassing over half a billion streams worldwide. The album debuted at #1 on iTunes Top Soundtracks,[6] while the single "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" reached #1 on both iTunes Top Soundtrack Songs[7] and Billboard Digital Rock Songs Sales.[8] The album charted at #4 on iTunes Top Albums,[9] trailing only Eminem, Breaking Benjamin, and Chase Rice,[10] and secured a position in the top ten in every major territory worldwide. "Toss a Coin to Your Witcher" broke into the Billboard charts: Billboard Top Current Albums,[11] Billboard Top Album Sales,[12] Billboard Top Soundtrack Albums,[13] and The Billboard 200.[14] The song quickly became a viral sensation, garnering significant media attention. The New York Post called it "the breakout hit,"[15] Thrillist "the biggest banger of 2020",[16] Entertainment Weekly "a viral hit",[17] Esquire "the best part of Netflix's series",[18] The Verge "the hit song of the season",[19] while Forbes stated that "the viral earworm became just as famous as the show".[20]

Belousova is recognized for her project Player Piano (first introduced as Cosplay Piano from the executive producer Stan Lee of Marvel Comics).[21] She performed at the 2013 San Diego Comic-Con, introduced by Stan Lee,[22][23] and at the 2014 Anime Expo with a 70-piece orchestra and 30-piece choir.[24]

Belousova was commissioned by Festival Ballet Providence to compose three original ballets with choreographer Viktor Plotnikov.[25][26] Additionally, she is known for her collaboration with 27-time Grammy and 2-time Academy Award nominated producer and arranger Jorge Calandrelli.[27]

  1. ^ "Достижения". Санкт-Петербургская детская музыкальная школа № 11 (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  2. ^ "YouTube's Player Piano Turns Gaming Tunes Into Fantasy Videos". Classical 101. Archived from the original on 2016-01-05. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  3. ^ Campione, Katie (2023-09-12). "'One Piece' Solidifies Its Dominance With Another Week Atop Netflix TV Charts — Here's How The Streamer Made It Happen". Deadline. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  4. ^ Patches, Matt (2023-09-27). "One Piece's music world-building sets the tone for season 2 and beyond". Polygon. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  5. ^ Danoff, Owen (2023-09-11). "One Piece Composers On Straw Hats & Next-Level Musical Worldbuilding". ScreenRant. Retrieved 2024-10-13.
  6. ^ "iTunes Top 100 Soundtracks". PopVortex. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  7. ^ "iTunes Top Soundtrack Songs". PopVortex. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  8. ^ "Rock Digital Song Sales". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  9. ^ VGR (2020-01-25). "Netflix's The Witcher Soundtrack is Now Available Online". VGR. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  10. ^ VGR (2020-01-25). "Netflix's The Witcher Soundtrack is Now Available Online". VGR. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  11. ^ "Top Current Album Sales : Page 1". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  12. ^ "Top Album Sales : Page 1". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  13. ^ "Movie Soundtracks: Top Soundtrack Albums Chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  14. ^ "Top 200 Albums | Billboard 200 chart". Billboard. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  15. ^ Steussy, Lauren (2020-01-09). "The viral hit 'Toss a Coin to Your Witcher' was almost a rap song". New York Post. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  16. ^ Stefansky, Emma (2020-01-22). "Fact: 'Toss a Coin to Your Witcher' Is the Biggest Banger of 2020". Thrillist. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  17. ^ "'The Witcher' viral hit 'Toss a Coin to Your Witcher' is finally available on Spotify and Apple Music". EW.com. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  18. ^ Miller, Matt (2019-12-30). "The Song From 'The Witcher' Is Actually a Low-Key Fantasy Banger". Esquire. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  19. ^ Gartenberg, Chaim (2019-12-30). "Netflix blew the release for 'Toss a Coin to Your Witcher,' the hit song of the season". The Verge. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  20. ^ Tassi, Paul. "A Month Late, 'Toss A Coin To Your Witcher' And The OST Are Finally Here (Legally)". Forbes. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  21. ^ "'Cosplay Piano' interprets the 'Walking Dead' theme". USA Today. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  22. ^ "PlayerPiano". YouTube. Retrieved 2015-10-15.
  23. ^ "Tubefilter's Guide To San Diego Comic-Con 2013". Tubefilter. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  24. ^ "Giona Ostinelli and Sonya Belousova, Composers on Amazon Studios' 'The Romanoffs' & More". Lift-Off Global Network. 2018-11-12. Retrieved 2020-02-19.
  25. ^ "Festival Ballet Reaches Beautifully into the Past and Future". ripr.org. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  26. ^ "Up Close on Hope's First Installment Delights Audiences". Motif. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 2015-10-14.
  27. ^ "JORGE CALANDRELLI — Official website". JorgeCalandrelli.com. Retrieved 2015-10-14.