"The Hunger Games" series is finally exposing the American mainstream to Appalachian music

Graphic by Julia Norkus

By Sean Perry

The twangy Appalachian sound used in the soundtrack of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes has made an unprecedented impact on social media, one that is finally pulling the Appalachian genre into the mainstream music scene. Songs such as “The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird,” “Nothing You Can Take From Me,” “Pure As The Driven Snow” and a reimagining of “The Hanging Tree” are achieving TikTok virality, with users relating to the stone cold message and clever nature of the songwriting. The song “Nothing You Can Take From Me” has had a whopping 32,500 videos made using the sound, with the top videos being seen by millions of viewers.

The Appalachian genre has gone unnoticed by the music mainstream for centuries, despite influencing other more popular genres such as bluegrass, folk and country. Originating in the 17th and 18th centuries by early settlers of Appalachia (a mountainous region that spans from southern New York to northern Mississippi), the genre combines instruments such as the banjo and fiddle in order to create a distinctively twangy and drawling sound. 

Early settlers of Appalachia were often criticized for being “strange” and generally disconnected from the rest of American culture, a mindset that lives on today through the existence of the “hillbilly” stereotype portrayed in popular media through shows like The Beverly Hillbillies and characters like Cletus Spuckler from The Simpsons. Part of what made Appalachia so removed from mainstream American culture was that those living in the region, particularly in the southernmost section, were far more progressive than many other sectors of America. White and Black artists would often perform together, hand in hand, dating as far back as the 19th century. African Americans had a huge impact on Appalachian music, due to their strong presence in Appalachia and creation of the “Appalachian blues” as a subgenre. The reality of Appalachia’s progressiveness is often buried, due to the popular stereotype that its people are “backwards,” which was held by many Americans as a result of classism and racism. 

Despite the criticism that Appalachians faced and continue to face for their isolation and unique lifestyle, their individuality defines the best aspects of their music. In his Medium article entitled “Appalachian Music: A Music Lost in Time,” journalist Austin Samhric states that the isolation of Appalachia “preserved a pure, untarnished strand of folk music that differed from the rest of the music of the United States.” Appalacahian music represents a genre unaffected by the larger world; one that exists to tell stories rather than sell records or top charts. 

In The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes, music producer Dave Cobb was able to capture the Appalachian sound perfectly through a combination of lyrics written by The Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins, vocals provided by actress Rachel Zegler and his own production skills. In an interview with Variety, Cobb stated, “With ‘Hunger Games’ we had to imagine a dystopian Appalachia in the future, and tried to find the most honest representation of the characters in the Covey, and of Lucy Gray Baird. And that was a blast.” The final product is riddled with banjos, rustic guitar and rich country vocals, with the folk ballad stylings of songs like “The Ballad of Lucy Gray Baird'' paying beautiful homage to traditional Appalachian music. Additionally, the contrast between the songs and the dystopian scenes being shown throughout the movie provides the music with an additional twist that makes it more distinct and impactful.

The movie also includes music from artists such as Sierra Ferrell, Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings and Flatland Cavalry, who all have folk stylings that are either inspired by or directly born from the Appalachian sound. Featuring these artists in the soundtrack provides a lot of visibility to musicians who may not get as much attention or opportunity for exposure, due to their more unique style. Being provided a platform as large and popular as The Hunger Games is a big deal for any artist, but especially ones who often go unnoticed in the mainstream music scene. The artists on the soundtrack are already receiving millions of streams on their songs written for the movie, speaking to the popularity of the franchise and the importance it has in so many people’s hearts.

The impact of The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes on the current pop culture scene cannot be understated. People are posting content using the music from the movie on every social media platform imaginable, with some even covering the songs. People are relating to the folk ballad stylings of the music and are gushing about the Appalachian sound, as well as sharing their love for Rachel Zegler’s voice and Dave Cobb’s production. The light that is being shined on the people of Appalachia is much overdue, but we have Suzanne Collins, Dave Cobb and everyone involved with the movie to thank for the spotlight that they’re placing on an underrepresented culture and genre.