Who is Nicholas Britell?

In honor of Succession's return

Even if you don’t know his name, odds are you’ve heard his work. Nicholas Britell has scored a bevvy of movies and TV shows, winning an Oscar for his work on If Beale Street Could Talk and an Emmy for the theme of HBO’s Succession, which returns tonight after a two-year pandemic hiatus.

I didn’t know him by name until his composition “Agape” from If Beale Street Could Talk became a popular sound on TikTok. I think “Agape” is the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard, and it’s a hobby of mine to find brain-tickling, tear-inducing beautiful music. Take a moment with it.

It’s hard to believe the same composer wrote “Agape” who did the thunderous, orchestral, hip-hop-inspired theme for Succession. I was wary at first of a show about terrible rich people, but the moment the theme played, I felt primed to take in the Shakespearean familial epic.

Britell was born and raised in New York City, trained at Julliard, and graduated from Harvard, where he was a member of an instrumental hip-hop group called The Witness Protection Program.

I highly recommend spending 12 minutes in his mind as he breaks down the Succession theme in this video.

Until next week,

Elizabeth

This newsletter is just one facet of Zhuzh, my platform dedicated to conscious consumption and making space for delight. I offer secondhand-and-vintage-based wardrobe and interior styling services, art curation, and super chill life coaching. Keep up with me on Instagram and learn more at www.zhuzhlife.com.