Death Note Lyrics – All Songs from the Musical

"Death Note" Soundtrack Description

FAQ

• Is there an official soundtrack album?
  Yes. Two official live Japanese recordings from the 2015 Tokyo run were issued: a Kenji Urai edition and a Hayato Kakizawa edition. The ASIN you shared (B011L5O33W) corresponds to the Urai version.
• What happened in 2014—was there a “concept album”?
  An English-language concept/demo recording was made in late 2014 with Broadway vocalists; a substantial selection of those tracks was later released online, but not as a traditional retail album.
• Who created the score?
  Music by Frank Wildhorn, lyrics by Jack Murphy, and book by Ivan Menchell.
• Will there be a new English album?
  A London concert “concept” album was announced by Ghostlight Records; release details have been teased but not finalized (according to Playbill).
• Where can I actually hear it?
  The 2015 live albums circulate via Japanese retailers/imports; the 2014 demos are widely shared online; the London concert recording is pending. Availability varies by region.

Notes & Trivia

• There are two 2015 live cast CDs: one led by Kenji Urai (Light) and one by Hayato Kakizawa—same production, different principals.
• The English demos (2014) feature Broadway names including Jeremy Jordan (Light) and Jarrod Spector (L). Fans treat them like a “ghost” cast album.
• Jason Howland provided orchestrations/arrangements for stage productions; the West End concerts later added music supervision by Katy Richardson (as reported by WhatsOnStage).
• The show’s first full productions premiered in Tokyo and Seoul; years later it arrived in English in London concerts.
• “They’re Only Human” is often mistaken for an anime cue—it's a stage-original duet for the Shinigami.
• The Korean revival won Best Musical at the Korea Musical Awards before the London concert splash.
• The London concept album was announced by Ghostlight Records with high-profile producers attached (according to Playbill).

Overview

Why does a pop-rock oratorio fit a cat-and-mouse thriller about vigilante “justice”? Because this story runs on adrenaline and argument. The musical leans into dramatic set-pieces and soaring vocal face-offs, turning ethical debates into riffs you can’t ignore. Across the score, Light’s zealotry punches through anthems, L’s monomania whispers in angular motifs, and the Shinigami hover in sardonic commentary. The 2014 English demos sketch a sleek, Broadway-forward sound; the 2015 Japanese live albums capture the full stage electricity—audible gasps included. What makes this soundtrack distinct is the chess-match architecture. Songs aren’t just emotional release; they’re moves on a board. The tennis-match duet “Playing His Game” isn’t a gimmick—it’s the thesis: melody as mind game. (per Frank Wildhorn’s official site)

Genres & Themes

• Pop-rock drive ? fuels Light’s absolutism (“Hurricane,” “Where Is the Justice?”), projecting charisma as a weapon.
• Orchestral suspense ? strings and brass mark L’s clinical pattern-seeking, tightening the procedural screws.
• Dark cabaret & groove ? Ryuk’s numbers swagger; irony lacquered on top of appetite.
• Idol-pop gloss ? Misa’s diegetic tracks (“I’m Ready,” “I’ll Only Love You More”) sell celebrity as camouflage—and bait.
• Elegiac ballads ? Rem’s music humanizes a god of death, bending the moral frame just when Light needs certainty.

Key Tracks & Scenes

• “Where Is the Justice?” — Light
  Where it plays: Early Act I, classroom/assembly; non-diegetic musical soliloquy.
  Why it matters: Declares Light’s ethics and charisma; the theme returns whenever public fervor surges.
• “They’re Only Human” — Ryuk & Rem
  Where it plays: Prologue commentary; non-diegetic.
  Why it matters: Sets the gods-eye irony; the Shinigami become the show’s chorus and conscience.
• “Kira” — Company (feat. Ryuk)
  Where it plays: Act I after Light embraces his alter ego; non-diegetic.
  Why it matters: Crowd mythology forms in real time; riffs double as propaganda.
• “The Game Begins” — L
  Where it plays: L’s entrance; non-diegetic character statement.
  Why it matters: Musically fingerprints L—odd angles, precision rhythm—so every later motif feels like surveillance.
• “Playing His Game” — Light & L
  Where it plays: Act II tennis match; non-diegetic duet imposed over diegetic activity.
  Why it matters: Duel in harmony; each phrase is a trap and a tell.
• “Mortals and Fools” — Misa & Rem
  Where it plays: Mid–Act II; non-diegetic dialogue-ballad.
  Why it matters: Rem’s protection of Misa complicates the gods’ neutrality and seeds the endgame.
• “Honor Bound” — Soichiro
  Where it plays: Act II; non-diegetic.
  Why it matters: Anchors the story’s last true moral center; the musical needs this human counterweight.
• “I’ll Only Love You More” — Misa
  Where it plays: Diegetic studio/TV performance; message to Kira.
  Why it matters: A pop valentine that doubles as a coded transmission—celebrity as signal flare.

Music–Story Links (characters & plot beats as connected to songs)

• Light’s Act I manifesto (“Where Is the Justice?”) reappears in reprises whenever the public dubs him a savior; the score itself amplifies complicity.
• L’s motifs avoid big cadences; when the harmony finally “lands” in “Playing His Game,” it’s because he’s cornered Light—tonality as evidence.
• Misa’s glossy pop numbers are diegetic traps: they lure attention to “Kira,” then funnel plot information via lyrics and staging beats.
• Rem’s ballads (“Mortals and Fools,” later “When Love Comes”) humanize sacrifice, reframing the climax away from Light’s binaries.

How It Was Made (supervision, score, behind-the-scenes)

• Creators: Frank Wildhorn (music), Jack Murphy (lyrics), Ivan Menchell (book). A New York workshop ran in April 2014; an English demo album session followed in December 2014.
• Concept/Demos (2014): Recorded with U.S. vocalists (e.g., Jeremy Jordan, Jarrod Spector). Many tracks were released online in early 2015 to build buzz.
• Premieres: Full productions opened in Tokyo (April 2015) and Seoul (July–Aug 2015); multiple revivals followed across Asia before English-language concert stagings in London.
• Music team: Orchestrations/arrangements by Jason Howland across stagings; London concert production added music supervision by Katy Richardson and music direction by Chris Ma (as reported by Playbill).
• Albums: Two official Japanese live recording CDs from the 2015 Tokyo run—Urai and Kakizawa editions—capture the in-theatre mix and audience energy.

Reception & Quotes

“This is the musical manga fans have been waiting for.” Alex Wood, WhatsOnStage

“The show really fizzes when [Light and L] face one another—especially during ‘Playing His Game.’” Alex Wood, TheaterMania

“Not your regular staged concert… enough to whet our appetite and make us want more.” BroadwayWorld UK

Technical Info

• Title: Death Note: The Musical — Soundtrack/Recordings
• Year: 2014 (English concept/demo sessions); 2015 (official Japanese live cast albums)
• Type: Stage musical score & live cast recordings
• Composers/Lyricist/Book: Frank Wildhorn / Jack Murphy / Ivan Menchell
• Music Supervision (London concerts): Katy Richardson; Orchestrations: Jason Howland
• Selected notable placements: “Where Is the Justice?” (Light’s opening manifesto); “They’re Only Human” (Shinigami prologue); “The Game Begins” (L’s reveal); “Playing His Game” (tennis duel); “I’ll Only Love You More” (diegetic pop message); “Honor Bound” (Soichiro’s pledge).
• Release context: English demos recorded in 2014; Tokyo premiere April 2015; multiple Asian revivals; English-language London concerts in 2023.
• Label/album status: 2015 live CDs issued in Japan (two principal editions); London concert album announced by Ghostlight—release date TBA.
• Availability/Notes: Import-friendly CDs; extensive 2014 demo tracks are publicly accessible online; a 2023–24 English album has been announced but not yet dated.
• Amazon ASIN (Japan, Live Recording): B011L5O33W — Kenji Urai version.