Warning! Full spoilers for Season 1 of Netflix’s The Witcher ahead.
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The Witcher’s first season on Netflix is reportedly so popular, it recently became the most in-demand show in the world, toppling The Mandalorian. And while legions of fans are clearly enjoying the adventures of Geralt, Ciri, and Yennefer, it’s Jaskier’s catchy tune — “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” — that’s been getting all the buzz of late.
The charming ballad is now playable on Beat Saber and it’s even been modded into a cutscene that you can watch from within CD Projekt Red’s first Witcher video game. But how did “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” come to life? IGN spoke to composers Sonya Belousova and Giona Ostinelli, the dynamic duo behind the epic soundtrack, in order to learn more about the song’s origins.
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There Is a Rap Version of “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher”
While it may seem strange to have a rap version of Jaskier’s song in a gritty fantasy series, there is a method to the composers’ madness. “Every song had five or six versions because we wanted to give [the producers] the full range of different music styles, going from the most medieval to the most contemporary one,” Belousova told IGN.
“Which means there is a rap version of ‘Toss a Coin to Your Witcher,’” Ostinelli added with a laugh. The composers went on to say that they are considering including the song as a bonus track in the future.
Showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich previously told IGN that there was some back and forth about what kind of style the song would be. “What is so funny about that particular song is there were many arguments about the song and the style of it,” Hissrich explained. “I was pushing for something that was modern but would still fit into the world. We had always imagined it starting out as a Jaskier acoustic song that then became this big rock opera piece by the end of the episode.”
Both Hissrich and the composers agree that “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” is hard to get out of your head once you hear it, which is a good sign that you have a hit song on your hands.
Find out how Hissrich and her team brought Andrzej Sapkowski’s epic Witcher saga to life in the video below:
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Jaskier, the Rock Star
As Geralt’s traveling companion/spokesperson, Jaskier needed to have a bit of flair and charisma, not only with his colorful wardrobe but also in his musical proficiency, which the composers give actor Joey Batey a lot of credit for. “When [Joey] auditioned, he actually brought a lute with him so he was singing and playing the lute. As soon as we heard it, we were like, ‘thank goodness,'” Belousova said.
While searching for a real-world example for who Jaskier should be, the pair thought of iconic Queen frontman Freddie Mercury, recently the subject of Bohemian Rhapsody, the Oscar-winning film about the band’s career.
“For us, our whole intention was to make Jaskier the Freddie Mercury of the Continent and to make him the real rock star of the Continent,” Belousova explained. “So as a character, he needed this type of hit song to be his anthem song. I think that really worked out.”
We got Freya Allan and Anya Chalotra (AKA Ciri and Yennefer) to respond to some of our favorite IGN comments in the video below:
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Do you still have “Toss a Coin to Your Witcher” stuck in your head? Share your thoughts on Jaskier’s rockstar status in the comments.
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David Griffin still watches DuckTales in his pajamas with a cereal bowl in hand. He’s also the TV Editor for IGN. Say hi on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Prepare Yourselves: There's an Official Rap Version of 'Toss a Coin To Your Witcher'