Yeah Yeah Yeahs Frontwoman Karen O Writes and Records “I Shall Rise” for Rise of the Tomb Raider

Action-adventure fans, rejoice: Rise of the Tomb Raider is just two weeks away, making its long-awaited debut on Xbox One and Xbox 360. Lara Croft’s latest adventure finds her journeying to the ends of the Earth in search of the secret of immortality – and she’s getting some extra-special music to accompany her journey. Xbox and developer Crystal Dynamics collaborated with Yeah Yeah Yeahs frontwoman and Academy Award-nominated musician Karen O on an original song for the game, titled “I Shall Rise.”

“They wanted an emotional song that captures the intensity of the moment Lara Croft transforms into the Tomb Raider, the theme of a young woman becoming an icon,” said Karen O. “I was very intrigued by the challenge, and I guess I was amidst a significant transformation of my own being pregnant at the time I wrote it. Now that I have a brought a life into the world, I have no trouble relating to a character like Lara’s – who pushes past her own limits to prevail under extreme circumstances. I love me some melodrama!”

You can hear “I Shall Rise” in Rise of the Tomb Raider’s official launch trailer above, and download it on iTunes, Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, and a variety of other music streaming and download services. This is Karen O’s first original song for a video game, and follows her successful integration within popular films such as her Academy Award-nominated original Moon Song for Spike Jonze’s “Her,” the soundtrack of “Where the Wild Things Are,” and her cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” for the David Fincher adaptation of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.”

“Nothing’s more satisfying than writing an against-all-odds song of survival,” Karen O remarked. “‘I Shall Rise’ is kind of like my less groovy nod to Gloria Gaynor’s ‘I Will Survive.’ I’m excited by the artistry of video games; they’re inspired. It’s no surprise that there’s a whole culture of kids who just like to watch people play them. There’s plenty of storyline, character, and tone to sink your teeth into. Writing a song for the game felt pretty much like writing a song for a film. I had a lot of fun writing for it.”

Rise of the Tomb Raider features plenty of epic, high-octane action moments set in the most beautiful – yet hostile – environments on the planet. Join Lara Croft on her cinematic survival action-adventure when the game launches for Xbox One and Xbox 360 on November 10.

I Shall Rise Art