How The Traitors’ soundtrack builds suspense and misleads viewers

The music in *The Traitors* is designed to heighten tension and mislead viewers as well as set the mood, according to composer Sam Watts and producer Sarah Fay. Its blend of orchestral drama, electronic effects and playful touches helps give the reality show the feel of a thriller.

Watts composed the opening theme and much of the incidental score. He says he wanted the music to be “dark but fun”, rather than simply sinister, after seeing an early shot of host Claudia Winkleman at the castle. The theme was recorded with a full orchestra and layered with electronic elements. Watts says he hoped its memorable melody would make viewers recognise the start of the programme.

The score draws on techniques used in film trailers, including the low, brassy “braam” sound associated with *Inception*. Fay said the production wanted the show to feel like “an edge-of-your-seat cinematic drama”, rather than a conventional reality programme. Additional music came from film-trailer composers, including Hans Zimmer’s company Bleeding Fingers.

Some of the show’s best-known tracks were not made for it. German production duo 2wei created the versions of Britney Spears’ “Toxic” and Tears for Fears’ “Mad World” heard in the programme. Co-founder Simon Heeger said the pair learnt their music had been used when friends in the UK contacted them.

Heeger said the duo’s advertising and trailer work had taught them to convey an emotion quickly—useful for a programme built around cliffhangers. Their music appears alongside original tracks and contributions from other artists.

Watts says the score’s occasional “wink” helps make the show’s murder and plotting feel more playful. The music can underline a moment or act as misdirection, reinforcing the programme’s mix of suspense and humour. [1]