Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd headline soundtrack for new musical comedy Power Ballad

29-05-26

Could Power Ballad be this year’s surprise musical movie hit?

The upcoming musical comedy has already been generating significant buzz following acclaimed festival screenings in Dublin and at SXSW, with early reviews helping it achieve an impressive 96% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Now audiences can get their first proper taste of the film’s music as the official soundtrack arrives ahead of the movie’s UK and Ireland release on 29 May.

Directed and co-written by acclaimed filmmaker John Carney, whose previous credits include Once, Begin Again and Sing Street, Power Ballad brings together an unlikely but intriguing leading duo in Paul Rudd and Nick Jonas.

The film follows Rick, a wedding singer whose best days appear behind him, and Danny, a former boyband star searching for a new chapter. When Danny transforms one of Rick’s songs into a major hit, the pair find themselves navigating friendship, ambition and the often complicated relationship between art and success.

At the heart of both the film and soundtrack is lead single How to Write a Song Without You, which appears in multiple versions performed by Nick Jonas and Paul Rudd. The song acts as a recurring musical thread throughout the story and has already become one of the most talked-about elements of the production.

For musical theatre fans, John Carney’s involvement alone makes this one worth watching. Few filmmakers understand how to integrate music into storytelling quite as naturally as the creator behind Once, which itself became a Tony Award-winning stage musical after its cinematic success.

The soundtrack features 17 tracks, including original songs such as Finishing Line, Fun Won’t Matter, Don’t Look Down, Spectacular and Dublin To L.A., alongside several versions of How to Write a Song Without You.

Nick Jonas continues to strengthen his links to musical storytelling, having previously appeared in productions including Les Misérables, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying and The Last Five Years. Meanwhile Paul Rudd brings his trademark warmth and charm to what appears to be a role written perfectly for him.

With a soundtrack packed with catchy originals, strong early reviews and one of the most respected music-driven filmmakers working today behind the camera, Power Ballad could prove one of the most enjoyable musical surprises of the year.

Power Ballad (Music From The Motion Picture) is out now. Visit the official site HERE