The Smashing Pumpkins have reunited with producer Butch Vig for “Black Stars,” a new song written for The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping (The Album), due Nov. 13 via MCA. The track marks the band’s first collaboration with Vig since 1993’s seven-times-platinum Siamese Dream, the landmark album that helped define alternative rock’s early ’90s commercial breakthrough.
Inspired by the fictional world of Panem, “Black Stars” is the latest preview of a soundtrack featuring 29 artists contributing original music created specifically for the forthcoming film. Producer Dave Cobb (Chris Stapleton, Sturgill Simpson) executive produced the collection. The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping, directed by Francis Lawrence, arrives in theaters Nov. 20.
“Black Stars” originated while Corgan was working on a solo album. After the band received an invitation to contribute an original song to the film, Corgan brought Vig in to help select the track best suited to the story. Recording took place at Chaplin Studios in Los Angeles, with additional sessions in Chicago.
The Pumpkins are currently headlining North American arenas on their Rats in a Cage Tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of the album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, although “Black Stars” has yet to make its way into the set list.
As SPIN previously reported, Noah Kahan launched the soundtrack campaign with a song produced by Aaron Dessner, extending the National member’s creative partnership with the singer/songwriter into the Hunger Games universe. The rest of the contributing artists have yet to be announced.
