The “F1” movie’s secret weapon: the “Barbie” soundtrack producer

The ”F1” movie has every ingredient for success: a bankable star in Brad Pitt, total support from Formula One Management, the acclaimed directorial team behind ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ and even a soundtrack architect known for his Midas touch.

Kevin Weaver, the West Coast President of Atlantic Records, has built a reputation in Hollywood for turning movie soundtracks into cultural moments that are just as big as the films themselves — think ‘The Greatest Showman,’ ‘Suicide Squad,’ ‘Twisters,’ and ‘Barbie.’ He’s the guy artists want to work with, and the one movie studios trust to turn their box office smashes into chart-toppers.

For ‘F1,’ Weaver assembled a roster just as bold, with artists recording original music meant exclusively for the movie and to heighten each emotional high (or low). 

Artists on the ‘F1’ soundtrack include Tiësto (above), Ed Sheeran, RAYE, Tate McRae, and BLACKPINK’s ROSÉ, whose fan bases span generations and continents. While F1 is aggressively broadening its appeal, it’s no secret the sport is laser-focused on winning over younger audiences. Weaver said there was “no question” his artist picks were designed to resonate with Gen Z.

“We tried to be very pointed in the breadth of the artists that we went after,” he explained. “We have icons like Chris Stapleton, the biggest Afrobeat artist, Burna Boy, the youngest, coolest DJ in Dom Dolla … we tried to put something together that felt like the sport, but [that] also felt like youth culture, pop culture, and super urgent and super relevant.”

Ed Sheeran

Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images

When Weaver was approached to lead the ‘F1’ movie project, he didn’t know much about the sport, but he was familiar with the power of the brand. “I’m attracted to big, sexy IP that I know I can make something magical out of,” he told us. “I felt like there was something really unique and cool about this sport and what it represents. I have a great relationship with [producer] Jerry Bruckheimer and I just knew the power of this IP and this brand.”

Two summers ago, the Margot Robbie-led ‘Barbie’ film became a cultural juggernaut, and the soundtrack played a key role in its impact. Dua Lipa’s ‘Dance the Night’ and Charlie XCX’s ‘Speed Drive’ became inescapable hits, while Ryan Gosling’s zany ‘I’m Just Ken’ and Billie Eilish’s heartrending ‘What Was I Made For?’ were recognized at the Oscars. Weaver is a master of curating a lineup of ultra-relevant artists, and in turn, music that becomes part of the cultural zeitgeist.

Scoring a film is a unique process, that often doesn’t begin until filming has wrapped. “I came in about a year ago when [director] Joe Kosinski was assembling the movie,” Weaver said. “I spent six months really intensely in it with Joe and Jerry curating the music for the film. Like every soundtrack I work on, I have to serve the purpose [of the film] as my main objective. So the music really has to work for the movie first and foremost, and has to be a part of the DNA of the film,” he went on. “If I do that with cool artists and great songs, then it works. If I try to force it, it never works.”

Once he’s determined the musical needs of a film, he’ll approach artists with a brief. “I brought [each artist] into Jerry and Joe’s offices where they have a screening room and showed them the scenes we wanted them to write for. We showed them how important it was to the movie, and got them fired up about it and inspired to go make the record,” he said.

Not only has Weaver helped turn these artists into F1 fans, he’s betting their fan bases will follow suit. “We’re hitting a lot of different verticals,” he said. “So we’re able to support one another in a really cool way.”