Bombshell (Smash album)

Bombshell is the second soundtrack album by the cast of the American musical television series Smash. It was released by Columbia Records on February 12, 2013. and sold 16,000 copies in its first week. As of the week ending March 3, 2013, it has sold 26,000 copies.

Bombshell
Soundtrack album by Smash cast
Released	February 12, 2013
Recorded	2011–2012
Genre	Pop
Label	Columbia
Producer	Marc Shaiman, Scott M. Riesett
Smash cast chronology
The Music of Smash (2012) Bombshell (2013)

Background

This is the second album released for the show, the first one being The Music of Smash. It was released by Columbia Records on February 12, 2013. The album was released in standard and deluxe versions. The standard version features 22 songs, all originals, divided into two acts. The deluxe version being sold at Target features an interview with songwriters Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, and versions of three of the songs by different singers than on the standard version.

The Soundtrack features songs from both season 1 and season 2. The 22 original songs make up the musical, complete with liner notes detailing the plot of Bombshell. On January 6, 2013 the 22 tracks that would make the final cut were revealed online. Three days later on January 9 the release date of the soundtrack was revealed.

While the original songs from season 1 mostly amounted to Act one numbers only, the majority of the then-unreleased songs made up Act 2, thereby fleshing out the story.

Track listing

Act One

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original artist	Length
1.	"Let Me Be Your Star (Extended Intro)" (featuring Katharine McPhee & Megan Hilty)	Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman	Original composition	3:43
2.	"At Your Feet" (featuring Bernadette Peters & Sophia Caruso)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:44
3.	"Smash!" (featuring Megan Hilty & Katharine McPhee)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:15
4.	"Never Give All the Heart" (featuring Katharine McPhee)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	3:11
5.	"The 20th Century Fox Mambo" (featuring Katharine McPhee)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:42
6.	"The National Pastime" (featuring Megan Hilty)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:33
7.	"History Is Made at Night" (featuring Megan Hilty & Will Chase)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	4:20
8.	"I Never Met a Wolf Who Didn't Love to Howl" (featuring Megan Hilty & Debra Messing, Nick Jonas, Will Chase, Jaime Cepero)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	3:45
9.	"Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (featuring Megan Hilty & Will Chase)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	3:34
10.	"Don't Say Yes Until I Finish Talking" (featuring Christian Borle)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:42
11.	"On Lexington & 52nd Street" (featuring Will Chase)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	3:09
12.	"Cut, Print...Moving On" (featuring Katharine McPhee)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	3:06

Act Two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original artist	Length
13.	"Public Relations" (featuring Katharine McPhee & Christian Borle)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:58
14.	"Dig Deep" (featuring Megan Hilty with Henry Stram, Phillip Spaeth, Wesley Taylor)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:36
15.	"Second Hand White Baby Grand" (featuring Megan Hilty)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	4:17
16.	"They Just Keep Moving the Line" (featuring Megan Hilty)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:56
17.	"Let's Be Bad" (featuring Megan Hilty)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	3:02
18.	"The Right Regrets" (featuring Debra Messing & Christian Borle)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:34
19.	"(Let's Start) Tomorrow Tonight" (featuring Leslie Odom Jr., Christian Borle, Wesley Taylor, Savannah Wise)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:55
20.	"Our Little Secret" (featuring Julian Ovenden & Katharine McPhee)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	2:42
21.	"Hang the Moon" (featuring Bernadette Peters & Megan Hilty)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	4:45
22.	"Don't Forget Me" (featuring Katharine McPhee)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	3:14

Target Deluxe Edition (Bonus disc)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Original artist	Length
1.	"An Interview With the Songwriters" (featuring Marc Shaiman, Scott Wittman)	Shaiman, Wittman	Interview	9:21
2.	"Smash! (Demo)" (featuring Jane Krakowski)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	1:58
3.	"Never Give All the Heart (From Pilot)" (featuring Megan Hilty)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	3:12
4.	"Second Hand White Baby Grand (Demo)" (featuring Christine Ebersole)	Shaiman, Wittman	Original composition	4:16

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic

Heather Phares of Allmusic described the album release as "a smart move", arguing that the original songs written for the in-universe Marilyn Monroe musical of the same name "were among the most vibrant [on the show], capturing the passion that fuels staging a Broadway show". She adds that "Bombshell plays like a true original cast recording, tracing the show's plot in its liner notes and separating its songs into acts". She notes that while one of the major plot-points of the first season was over whether Karen or Ivy would end up playing the lead role, "the cast recording features both wannabe Marilyns, allowing each performer to play to her strengths, whether they're singing together, as on Let Me Be Your Star, or separate". She sums up the faux cast recording by saying, "even if Bombshell isn't a real Broadway musical, it hits all the notes a production like this should, and showcases the most appealing parts of Smash in the process".

Haley H of StageDoorDish says, "Bombshell is big, it’s bold, and it’s flashy—with a little sentiment thrown in. Exactly what you would expect from a musical based on the life of Marilyn Monroe and her professional and personal triumphs and pitfalls". She adds that "the previously unheard tracks [later performed throughout season 2] help to complete the plot, with less focus being placed on the “Joe DiMaggio years”, with songs featuring Marilyn’s other romantic interests...as well as Marilyn’s mother and her childhood, [thereby giving] listeners...the complete Marilyn Monroe story". She says that "Bombshell’s main goal is to give a peek behind the curtain at Marilyn Monroe’s life" and that "with the addition of new numbers, the listener is given that opportunity and more of a chance to connect with a different side of Marilyn. A side that is more human and less iconic...[but also] doesn’t let the listener forget the sexier and popularized version of Marilyn". She concludes by saying "Bombshell’s songs are both catchy and heartwarming. The score ranges from a string accompaniment to a jazzy sax number, and sounds akin to the classic Broadway style of music. With the perfect combination of new songs and fan favorites, like “History Is Made at Night,” Bombshell will leave you begging for the show to come to Broadway."

Daphne Miller of Idolator said, "Shaiman and Wittman clearly know what they're doing and the references to Monroe's life are amusing, but as a story told through music, Bombshell simply doesn’t stand up on its own." She says later on that "despite [the album's] firepower, Bombshell just isn’t a quality musical. The album has a few fun tracks and is better than the watered-down covers on the initial Smash release, but it’s not worth owning". Comparing the release with a similar soundtrack by the cast of Nashville, Miller commented, "Both shows are frothy diversions, but the country jams on the Nashville soundtrack transcend the soapiness and cohere into a truly enjoyable album. With Smash, the campiness makes the generic melodies actually sing, but the flipside is that Bombshell doesn’t have legs when, well, you’re not staring at a great pair of legs."

Charts

Chart (2012)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard 200	43
U.S. Billboard Soundtracks	3