Percy Jackson’s Composer “Spooked Everybody” With Major Season 2 Change To Its Epic Soundtrack

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Season 2 of Percy Jackson & the Olympians maintains the high quality of its music, with stunning instrumentals. Bear McCreary, an Emmy-winning composer, once again created the score, bringing the adventure of Walker Scobell and the cast to life as they journey through the Sea of Monsters.

Composer McCreary and his team at Sparks & Shadows are known for creating memorable music for big TV events. Before working on Percy Jackson, they composed the scores for popular shows like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Foundation.

To mark the release of the original soundtrack for season 2 of Percy Jackson & the Olympians, Liam Crowley from ScreenRant spoke with composer Bear McCreary. They discussed the revamped main theme, how McCreary’s composing approach changed this season, and his clever technique—inspired by Sauron from Lord of the Rings—for developing Kronos’s musical theme throughout the series, which is planned to span five seasons.

Bear McCreary “Spooked Everybody” By Re-Writing Percy Jackson’s Main Theme

The Disney+ series Percy Jackson & the Olympians is back this month, delivering the same enchanting feel as its 2023 debut, but with a slightly more mature tone. Composer Bear McCreary reflected this change in the show’s music as well.

As a composer, my goal this season was to really elevate the music – to make it richer, more mature, and to reflect the increased tension. The turning point for me was hearing about the visual changes to the main title sequence. When Dan Shotz, the EP, explained they were incorporating new elements, I immediately knew we needed a new musical theme too. The original music felt too connected to the lighter, more adventurous tone of previous seasons, with our younger cast on a fun road trip. This year, with ‘The Sea of Monsters,’ everything feels weightier, and the kids themselves look older. We needed the music to reflect that depth. Proposing a revamp of the main title was a bit of a shock to everyone, understandably – nobody wants to mess with something iconic, but it felt essential.

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McCreary quickly gained the support of his coworkers. They were all very enthusiastic when they first heard his version of the main title theme, which had a richer, more developed sound.

I think the music from season two of Sparks and Shadows, which I co-wrote, is a real improvement. It builds on everything people loved about the first season, revisiting those same ideas, but with a fuller, more orchestral sound. We made the harmonies richer, the drums more powerful, and added a lot of unique instruments. I really wanted to create a sound that would take listeners on an epic journey, beyond just this season’s story, and hopefully throughout many seasons to come. By keeping some familiar melodies, I was able to experiment with everything else without losing the feeling of comfort and familiarity – it’s like slipping into your favorite cozy sweater.

After settling on the central musical idea, McCreary eagerly began working on the individual tracks. He particularly enjoyed composing “The Chariot Race” and “Sirens” from the season 2 soundtrack. He considered writing music for the mythical Sirens a significant challenge for any composer, and wanted to create a version of their song that felt distinctly unsettling and unique.

Percy Jackson’s Big Bad Is Getting The Sauron Score Treatment

Following the pattern of building towards something larger, the show is taking a deliberate approach to introducing Kronos, the main villain of Percy Jackson & the Olympians. We first saw hints of him in season one through dreams. Now, he’s being rebuilt piece by piece inside a sarcophagus, setting the stage for his full return.

Crowley mentioned a previous conversation with McCreary while promoting the first season of Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. He recalled that McCreary had explained his theme for Sauron was essentially a flipped version of the show’s opening music. When asked if he was using a similar technique for Percy Jackson, McCreary highlighted the character of Kronos, saying his musical theme “is still developing and will change over the course of many seasons.”

The music in season one had a unique, atmospheric quality that really set it apart. It leaned heavily into horror elements, using a lot of synthesizers and modern sounds that sharply contrasted with the traditional orchestral music used for the other characters. It felt like this character’s music came from a completely different world, almost a different genre. In season two, his musical style is becoming more prominent in the soundtrack. We’re starting to hear hints of a melody, but it’s incomplete. I’m building his theme gradually over many seasons, hoping it will all come together naturally. Ultimately, I want viewers to revisit season one and recognize that initial sound as the beginning of something much larger that develops later on.

Looking ahead, McCreary is already planning the music for season 3 of Percy Jackson & the Olympians. Just as season 2 allowed him to create music for new monsters, characters, and scenes, the upcoming season will feature famous Greek gods like Artemis, Apollo, and Aphrodite, and will also introduce the first Titan – Atlas – in live-action.

I was feeling the pressure of the Chariot Race going into season two, and Atlas presents a similar challenge. He’s such a powerful figure in both history and the source material, and I’m really looking forward to tackling him. It’ll be one of the first big hurdles we face. I’ve already composed music for the production, and a lot of it will be performed on camera by actors using instruments appropriate for that era of Greek mythology – perhaps by one of our main characters.

Here’s the complete list of songs featured in Percy Jackson & the Olympians Season 2.

  1. Percy Jackson and the Olypians (Season 2 Theme)
  2. The Quest for Pan
  3. The Gray Sisters and King Tantalus
  4. Laistrygonians
  5. Tyson
  6. The Chariot Race
  7. The Great Prophecy
  8. Clarisse and the Ironclad
  9. No Rest for the Dead
  10. The Sea of Monsters
  11. C.C.’s Island Resort and Spa
  12. The Sirens (feat. Dayna Ambrosio)
  13. Polyphemus and the Golden Fleece
  14. Fatal Flaw
  15. The Princess Andromeda
  16. Voice of Kronos
  17. The Battle for Half-Blood Hill
  18. Brace Yourself
  19. What Really Happened
  20. Percy Jackson and the Olympians (Season 2 Extended Theme)

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2025-12-19 02:31