Released on May 7, the film's soundtrack is also available in a deluxe edition; a Target exclusive release also features three extra tracks.[48] The film's songs were executive-produced by Jay-Z and The Bullitts.[54][55]
Penned by Lana Del Rey and the film's director, Baz Luhrmann, the song "Young and Beautiful" was released to contemporary hit radio as a single, and was used as the film's buzz single.[56] A snippet of the track appeared in the official trailer for the film and played during the scene where the characters portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan express their romantic feelings for one another.[57] Hip hop magazine Rap-Up called the single "haunting",[56] while MTV called it "somber-sounding".[57] The track performed by Florence and the Machine, "Over the Love", references the "green light" symbol from the novel in its lyrics.[54] Chris Payne of Billboard praised Beyoncé and André 3000's cover of "Back to Black", made unique with a downtempo EDM wobble.[54] The xx recorded "Together" for the film, with Jamie Smith telling MTV that the band's contribution to the soundtrack sounds like "despair",[58] and revealing that it utilizes a 60-piece orchestra.
Speaking of his goals for the movie's musical backdrop, Baz Luhrmann expressed his desire to blend the music of the Jazz Age, associated with the 1922 setting of the story, with a modern spin. Much like his modern twists applied in Moulin Rouge! and Romeo + Juliet, Baz uses the movie's music not as a background, but instead prominently in the foreground, which takes on a character of its own.[59]
