The 'Black Mirror' Trailer Song Is So Mysterious

If you're a fan of seriously unsettling television that delivers a sickening vision of the near-future — one all the more so for the fact that it's not totally unlikely, then Black Mirror's your new go-to show. The trailer combined all of the things British audiences know and love the series for: technology, paranoia, and worst-case scenarios. But a big part of the trailer's gut appeal was the quietly creepy music. If you're anything like me, you may well be wondering what's the song on the Black Mirror trailer? I've got to admit straight away: this may be the major mystery of the trailer so far.

Obviously, it poses some other pretty pressing questions. Like, what sane person opts to play a shoot-em-up game in 3D virtual reality? Or did that boy's laptop camera record him without his permission while engaging in, eh, let's call it self-love? But, nope, the biggest question of them all is where can we find the trailer's music? The lyrics are incredibly appropriate for the track: "Mirror, mirror on the wall/Show me the future." I'd argue the fact that the lyrics are so wonderfully appropriate, cross-referencing the futuristic vision of the show and its name, that the song may have been created specially for Black Mirror Season 3.

After all, according to The Independent, "upcoming episodes will be scored by Portishead's Geoff Barrow, Max Richter (The Leftovers), Bear McCreary (The Walking Dead) and Clint Mansell (Black Swan)." It's worth noting that Mansell was also the composer behind scores like those boasted on High-Rise and Stoker. With names of such a starry calibre on the credits, this implies that no expense is being spared on the musical front for the show.

Further evidence that the track has been composed specifically for the show could be found in the choice of music for the first episode. The only relatively famous song I could find evidence of being used so far is Radiohead's "Exit Music (For A Film)," which the Telegraph reports plays out in the background of Season 3 Episode 1. If this is the sort of pre-recorded music the show's opting for, then this suggests they're dabbling in the more instantly-recognizable end of things. The track has, appropriately enough, already been used a few times in entertainment; it's on Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet, Jonathan Nolan's tech thriller Person Of Interest as well as popular British comedy Father Ted. As such, it's sure to be immediately familiar whether you're into Leo DiCaprio nostalgia or British comedy.

From this perspective, the fact that the song is the polar opposite of Radiohead's hit — namely, difficult to google and unfamiliar on first listen — suggests that it's been written afresh for Black Mirror Season 3. And why not? Given the show's critical acclaim and hype, a fresh new soundtrack tailored to its exact measurements would certainly be worth it for Black Mirror's first Netflix outing.

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