2014 Soundtrack – Rio 2

Rio 2 is a 2014 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy film produced by Blue Sky Studios and directed by Carlos Saldanha. It is the sequel to the 2011 computer-animated film Rio and the second installment of the Rio franchise. The title refers to the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro, where the first film was set and Rio 2 begins, though most of its plot occurs in the Amazon rainforest. The film stars Jesse Eisenberg, Anne Hathaway, will.i.am, Jamie Foxx, George Lopez, Tracy Morgan, Jemaine Clement, Leslie Mann, Rodrigo Santoro, and Jake T. Austin reprising their roles from the first film with new members including Bruno Mars, Andy Garcia, Rita Moreno, Rachel Crow, Kristin Chenoweth, Amandla Stenberg, Pierce Gagnon and Miguel Ferrer.

The soundtrack to Rio 2 also consisted of collaborations from Brazilian and American artists, and Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes, would co-produce the album with the film’s composer John Powell, after previously doing so for the first film’s soundtrack. The soundtrack titled Rio 2 (Music from the Motion Picture) was released on March 25, 2014, by Atlantic Records. It was promoted by the single “What Is Love”, performed by Janelle Monáe, released as a single from the album on March 4. Powell’s score was released into a separate album on April 15, 2014. The Barbatuques performed the song “Beautiful Creatures” as part of the closing ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.