Britney vs Spears Trailer Music Walkthrough

In today’s episode I take you behind the scenes of a track of mine that was used in the trailer for Netflix’s special, Britney vs Spears.

The track was a track I wrote for a two album release from Mammoth. The albums were solely epic drum intros aimed at action comedy trailers.

The effect of each track was to give the editors percussive tracks that started small, gave them good cut points, and also supplied enough drive and impact to create enough drama for their trailers.

I really enjoyed writing all of these 20 tracks and as this track was one of the first I was really happy to see it land on this trailer. 

I am also a huge fan of Britney Spears, so doubly awesome really.

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If you want to know how to craft the perfect trailer cue then you can download the FREE PDF here.

How I write drum intros for action comedy trailers

The first act of a drum intro track is vital. It’s often the part that gets placed, so in my mind it’s practically the whole track.

I start with a single, simple rhythm. Nothing showy. I’ll often draw the MIDI in by hand, which is how I worked for years before I owned a MIDI keyboard, so you don’t need to be a great drummer to do this. A kick every bar, a bigger drum every other bar, then sticks or clicks on top to keep the pace moving.

Then I keep it minimal and build in layers. Clicks, claps and snaps come first. Each time the pattern repeats I add a small variation, a little syncopation or an extra offbeat hit, because in these tracks the syncopation matters as much as the straight beat. I vary the velocities so even single notes have a sense of build, and I use stops, starts and the odd silence to help the comedy timing. Swish hits and rolls hint at the scale to come. By the end of the first act everything builds quickly, with snare rises, hi-hat rolls and doubled hits launching into the second act.

For the second act, a rolling taiko pattern signals the new section. Rather than inventing new material, I spread the same core rhythm across taikos, toms, claps and sticks, and add fills sparingly. Restraint matters as much as layering, so I mute the busier parts early on and bring them in gradually.

I’m also happy to break the three-act rule. If a third act doesn’t add anything, I’d rather edit hard, cut anything that loses momentum, and make what I have as tight as possible for how editors will actually use it.

For more on drum writing, How to make HUGE DRUM INTROS shows claps, rocky toms and taiko fills for action comedy trailers, and How To Write Epic Percussion: In 7 Simple Steps takes you from template to big moments. My Action Comedy Drums course goes through all three acts step by step.

Happy composing!Rich