Ranking the RWBY V7 Soundtrack script

INTRO:

Yes, yes. I know. Y’all wanted a reaction video, and I’m sorry. The last few weeks have been… hectic, to say the least. So much so I’ve needed an extended leave of absence from the RWBY fandom entirely. Part of me wasn’t even sure I wanted to keep making RWBY content. I’d even considered, and even planned on, just… not doing any reactions for Volume 8 at all.

But the more I thought about it, the more I realized… no. I can absolutely reclaim this thing I love for myself, and that’s what we’re gonna do. I’m back, better than ever, and it’s time to spread some much-needed joy in the hellscape that is 2020. So today, we’re gonna be going through my thoughts on the Volume 7 soundtrack, ranking them from worst to best, and just trying to have some dumb fun. I later plan on ranking all of the RWBY albums together, but for right now let’s keep it to Volume 7.

I have to say, I’m kinda mixed on this soundtrack. I still love it, but some of the songs left me wanting more. I’ll explain which ones and why in depth, but most of it has to do with the same old tired structure that Jeff Williams relies upon that just don’t have quite the same charm as they used to. And the songs that do stand out here are the ones that change it up.

Also a heads up, we’re not including the “Nevermore” remix on here since it’s not really relevant to ranking the new compositions, but I do really enjoy it. More so than most of the other remixes, that’s for sure. And the score by Jeff and Alex Abraham as always is a real treat, but I am no musical expert, so… who the fuck am I to talk about it aside from, “Oh god who gave Jeff and Alex access to horror movie music because they’re too good at using it for my own sanity.”

So now, without further ado, let us rank the vocal songs of the Volume 7 soundtrack. 

NUMBER 10, Let’s Get Real:

Ah, “Let’s Get Real.” Also known as the less good romance song. Yeah, I’m gonna be real, this is the song I never really cared about while the OST was being hyped up, and even now it’s the song I care the least about. As a whole I’ve tended to prefer the angstier, darker songs, as well as power ballads like “Touch the Sky.” That leaves romance songs on the backburner for me personally.

That’s not to say it’s a bad song at all. In fact, there’s quite a bit in here I like. The beat is nice, and I dig the synth instrumentation, especially that 8-bit style part of the bridge. And Casey’s sassy vocals really sell the perspective of someone telling the other person, “Look, we’re both into each other, can we just figure this out already?”

That all said, it’s not enough for me to really love “Let’s Get Real.” To me, it just lacks a lot of the charm and sweetness of “Shine,” “Boop,” and “Dream Come True.” Yes, that seems to be the point, and if it’s up your alley, more power to you. But for me, this is a song I am very rarely going to be revisiting.

NUMBER 9, War:

Initially, “War” was the song I was most hyped for, admittedly because I was a sucker for the whole Maiden Quartet we had going on. And I still love that aspect of the song. It’s kickass, and all four singers’ voices—Casey, along with Adrienne Cowan, Dawn Bennett, and Erin Reilly—blend seamlessly.

My problem with “War” is something I mentioned at the start: overreliance on formulaic structure. To me, “War” does a great job at displaying the anger and fury Team RWBY has towards the Ace Ops. The lyrics are harsh, merciless, and cut to the soul. But beyond that… it doesn’t say much else.

I think my core problem is the fact it’s just the same emotion, the same style, the whole way through. Verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus. That’s it. It’s entirely what I would’ve expected had the song not taken any unexpected risks, which is a shame. I don’t know quite what, but “War” seems like it could’ve benefitted from some kind of change to the style throughout.

Maybe a slower bit to explore the sadness Team RWBY has in having their mentors turn on them? Maybe some self-doubt and wondering if they’re the ones in the wrong? If making the choice to leave Mantle behind really is the only option, and what that says about everyone involved. Just… something beyond, “Hey, you! Fuck you!”

As such, while I do really enjoy “War,” and have had it on repeat many, many times, it’s not gonna go down as one of my favorites. I’d love to see the quartet brought together for another song down the line, though. Let’s consider it a first attempt.

NUMBER 8, Brand New Day:

“Brand New Day” is such a cute bop. You drag yourself out of bed, hop in your car, and play this song trying to remind yourself you can turn the day around for the better. It’s absolutely relatable, and Casey’s part of the song is fantastic.

However, Jeff’s vocals… I’m not as big a fan of. In general, I’ve always tended to prefer Casey’s performance, but that might just be because I almost always prefer female vocal performances to male ones. Biases aside, though, Jeff’s scratchy voice at these high pitches feel like they clash with the song’s upbeat tone more than they complement them. They get across what Qrow’s going through, yeah, but I usually either turn this part down until we get to the bridge, or just head to the next song immediately.

What I will say I love are all the little “Ba-ba-bada”s they threw in here, and I absolutely adore the lyrics, and the bridge. “Brand New Day” has been a huge mood lifter for me when I just needed a dumb fun song, and I appreciate it for that. It probably is just a personal issue of mine, and I’ll freely admit that. Regardless, as much as I love the song, my issues with it do keep it from ranking higher in this video.

NUMBER 7, Trust Love:

I really… really wanted “Trust Love” to pull a “Let’s Just Live.” Y’all remember “Let’s Just Live,” right? Most underrated intro song? The one very few were hyped for, but then the bridge and final chorus utterly fucking wrecked them? That song took everyone’s expectations, went, “HA, nope,” and then did something so unexpected it quickly soared through the ranks.

And… I was hoping “Trust Love” would be the same. I wanted them to indulge in the darker emotions and doubts, to level with where our characters, hell, where WE are all in this cursed fucking year, and then tell us it was gonna be okay. But… nope. Again, same repeated structure of verse, chorus, verse, bridge, chorus.

Personally, I would’ve gone for a piano intro to start to explore the characters’ uncertainty, but what can ya do? As it stands, “Trust Love” is fine, but it’s nothing special. I do really enjoy the second verse, at least, especially the line, “The fires of hate are burning,” because… oh god, fuck this whole year.

There’s also something I noticed in recent intros. “Let’s Just Live” had three choruses, the last of which had different lyrics to go out on. “Triumph” also had three choruses, but they were all the same. Since then, both “Rising” and “Trust Love” have had two choruses each, both the same. I feel they’re trying to veer away from three choruses, when really the answer is, “No, you can have three, just change up the lyrics for that last one.”

But that said best believe I’m clinging to this song because, for the third time now, fuck 2020.

NUMBER 6, Fear:

It’s hard to judge “Fear” alongside all the other songs primarily because we’ve had the full version for months now. It’s long worn off any hype it once had, which is a shame. It’s understandable as a credits song, but it does make me wonder whether it might be worth trying to add onto credit songs going forward just to spice things up and surprise folks when they listen to the whole OST.

That said, “Fear” is still a pretty strong contender. I absolutely love the slow piano intro, and the slow build into the full-on rock verse and chorus. Can we… can we just please get more pianos in our songs? Usually the piano gets overpowered by the guitars and drums and I just want more pianos in my life.

It serves its purpose incredibly well, is incredibly unnerving, and hits home by directly asking the listener what they’d do in the clutches of fear. I would’ve liked some different instrumentation, kinda like “Lusus Naturae” and “Miracle”’s guitars to really add onto the twisted mood, but as it stands, “Fear” is great.

My major complaints are that the lyrics are a bit on the nose, and it really, REALLY likes to repeat the word “fear.” ESPECIALLY in the bridge. Like… oh god, please, I usually advise people using thesauruses and pulling out words no one uses or words the writer doesn’t understand, but I think here we could’ve used some different lines or structures so we’re not saying “fear” like six times in a row.

NUMBER 5, Hero:

Can we just… talk about that slow opening? Who knew Ironwood could do opera AND shoot children?

Making fun of Ironwood aside, holy fuck this song delivered on all the hype it built. And yes, most of that is due to the unexpectedly epic intro, but I think it’s also refreshing because Caleb’s voice distracts from the usual structure post-faux-opera. Had this been sung by Jeff, I don’t think it would’ve had nearly the same impact.

I dig the lyrics, I dig the melody and instrumentation, and I ADORE Caleb’s vocals. Who in the world gave this man such an incredible range, because I’d like to thank them personally for blessing all of our eardrums. Oh also, the vocalizing? Excellent. Amazing. Fucking iconic. We stan… Caleb, I mean, Ironwood can go deepthroat a cactus (thank you Cynzi).

NUMBER 4, Celebrate:

Also known as the superior party song. Yeah, weirdly I wasn’t hyped for this one like “Let’s Get Real,” but HOLY FUCK THIS FUCKING SONG SLAPS. FUCK. Everyone say thank you to Santi C and Lamar Hall for delivering some jazzy tunes alongside Casey, cuz I suspect Santi’s presence specifically influenced a LOT of this song’s composition and structure. Everyone, go give his stuff a listen over on his YouTube channel and on Spotify, cuz he deserves more love. Only just over 200 subscribers?! A FUCKING CRIME. CHILDREN, FIX THIS.

But oh my god, this was such a breath of fresh air. The jazzy flair, the new vocals courtesy of Santi, and… holy fuck, can we appreciate that Lamar was willing to go for a slower rap than usual and GAVE US GOLD? HOLY FUCK. Now this I have lovingly kept on repeat for WEEKS.

Just… yeah, I love all of this. The changes to the vocals instruments of each chorus really help spice things up each time and keep the song from overstaying its welcome. Before we move, I would just like to ask… can we get more jazzy songs? Whether it’s this, or a jazz-rock fusion like “Ignite,” I think we could all use some good jazz to restore our wills to live.

NUMBER 3, I May Fall ~ Acoustic:

Casey’s abilities as vocalist have improved tenfold since she started, and I don’t think enough people give her credit for that. Going back to Volume 1 songs like “Mirror Mirror” and “I Burn,” then back to the newer songs, it’s like night and day. And there is no better example of that improvement, in my eyes (or ears, I suppose) than the acoustic version of “I May Fall.”

This woman makes vibrato her bitch, and her range is just… yes. YES, QUEEN. I absolutely love that the first half of the song, Casey’s voice is higher pitched, and as it progresses, it gets lower and richer. My favorite part is without a doubt the third verse. When the instruments all drop out, and it’s just Casey’s vocals with a slight echo, it gives me chills, and as it goes, her voice grows stronger, and the final, “But not like this, it won’t be by your hand,” is so powerful and rich with emotion, IT IS LEGENDARY.

This is more than “I May Fall,” but slow. It’s honestly a far stronger entry than its original, in my opinion. The somber mood with the strings, coupled with Casey’s powerful vocals, really make this into one of the best acoustics, if not THE best acoustic, of the entire show, and one of the standouts on this volume’s soundtrack. I usually tend to overlook the acoustics, but this one really through me for a goddamn loop.

NUMBER 2, Until the End:

Yeah they really nailed the slower songs this volume, didn’t they? But on a real note, petition to let Casey compose more songs. That’s right. Casey composed AND sung this song herself, which is probably why it’s nothing like Jeff’s usual structure for his song. I can’t even really tell what counts as a verse or bridge here, and I ADORE THAT.

“Until the End” is haunting. Harrowing. Its poignancy is perhaps its greatest strength, and I imagine this song being the perfect accompaniment for everything in life going wrong, and trying to cling to whatever small hope you can muster. The lyrics are just… so beautiful, and Casey’s voice is absolutely gorgeous. I appreciate the vocals of the first section are different from the ones we heard back when Chapter 13 premiered, as these are so much stronger, and it also helped keep that part of the song refreshing.

Really, this is the perfect movie trailer song. And for that, I really hope we get to see more compositions from Casey alongside Jeff in the future, whether in this show or on her own. Because this girl has some real talent, and it deserves to be praised. BEST. SAD. SONG.

NUMBER 1, Touch the Sky:

BLAKE. FINALLY. GOT. A HAPPY. SOLO. SONG. PRAISE. THE. LORD.

Everything about this song is just… so perfect. It is mercilessly positive and optimistic, which I think is something we’ve all desperately needed as of late. Lord knows this has been my anthem the last few weeks.

I absolutely love the intro, the weird… I don’t know if that warped sound in the first verse is synths or not, but I LOVE IT, and the pianos? YES. “Touch the Sky” is everything I wanted it to be and more. Admittedly I was kinda sad at first that it didn’t have a part that was… ya know, sad, indulging in what Blake’s gone through, but listening to it more, that would’ve wrecked “Touch the Sky” as a whole.

I especially appreciate the small structural deviations, with that entire new section at the end of the first chorus, the slow bit with the strings in the second verse, and that instrumental run and cool down at the end of the song. Out of all the songs on the soundtrack, this is the one I love the most, and it’s one I hope everyone can use to remind themselves that no matter what you’ve gone through, you are deserving of love and happiness, and life has wonderful things in store for you. You just gotta pick your head up, and keep moving forward. Okay everyone, it’s time for an obligatory unicorn hug. C’mon, get in here. I believe in you.

CONCLUSION & OUTRO:

So… yeah. I don’t have endless praises for this soundtrack. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t love it. I just have some gripes that are the result of Jeff falling back on his usual formula a tad too much. My ultimate message is really… don’t be afraid to take some risks.

The new vocalists and the choice to let Casey compose her own song were the real standouts for this soundtrack, and I think the future soundtracks could really benefit from building upon that. If the Volume 7 OST can teach us anything, it’s that relying on the same old same old just cuz it worked back then isn’t always the best choice.

I mean, “Let’s Just Live” and “This Life is Mine” took unexpected risks, and they’re fan favorites. Same for “Smile,” that whole song is just unconventionality incarnate. It’s possible to still go in unexpected directions and deliver some gold. And I very much look forward to hearing what the team has in store for Volume 8.

So… yeah. Hope you guys enjoyed that. Consider this my grand return to the RWBY fandom at long last. Don’t worry, I’ll try not to go anywhere this time. I’ve had a really rough time, but thanks to some friends, I’m happier and stronger than ever before. I’ve got some more RWBY content planned to hype up for Volume 8, and while I will be doing solo reactions this year, you can bet I’m gonna do my damnedest to make sure you guys love ‘em.

If you enjoyed this and would like to see more content like this from me, then feel free to subscribe and ring that bell for notifications because YouTube hates creators (Some things never change)! And if you’re willing and able, then please consider supporting myself and the channel over on Patreon. Especially because from now on, ALL Patrons, including ones pledging just $1 a month, will have access to the new and improved Union of War Discord server. We’ve been cleaning it up recently and I really look forward to welcoming everyone who would like to join!

I’m the Unicorn of War, and while 2020 may be a shit show, let’s fucking conquer it together! We got this!