frontline
Good as Gold: A still from Boarders and (insets, L-R) Mykaell Riley and Carmen Montañez-Callan
BOARDERS/JOY & JEE MELODIES
The groundbreaking story of the student-made track accompanying the final scene of Season 2 of the hit BBC series... BY MIRANDA BARDSLEY
When the series finale of hit BBC comedy drama Boarders aired, it wasn’t just the story that left a mark on its audiences, it was also the music. The closing track of its second season, Gold by Joy & Jee Melodies,
offers a brilliant conclusion for the show, which follows the lives of five Black students from underprivileged backgrounds who earn scholarships to an esteemed boarding school. But what is also interesting about the sync, and what we are digging into this month, is the story behind it. Gold – an upbeat Afropop/R&B track – is the result of a collaboration
between the production team of Boarders and the University Of Westminster’s music degree course, led by professor, Black music expert and Boarders music director Mykaell Riley. It became the lead single of the show’s original soundtrack (released on May 2), which is composed by 12 students, including Jewel Appiah of Joy & Jee Melodies. Riley was first approached about Boarders while working on The British Library’s Beyond The Bassline exhibition. “The timing couldn’t have been more challenging, my instinct was to decline,” says Riley. “But having witnessed my students’ exceptional capabilities first-hand, I recognised an unprecedented opportunity. Their talent convinced me to take this leap, despite my packed schedule.” What followed was a rigorous production process over two weeks... “Translating the emotional truth of a scene to students working under
professional constraints requires precision, patience, and clarity,” Riley explains. “The pressure was immense – these undergraduates weren’t just creating background music; they were crafting replacements for what might otherwise have been licensed hits from established artists.”
Spot: Boarders Season 2 Closing Scene, Episode 6 Title: Gold Artist: Joy & Jee Melodies Published by: Studio Lambert Limited/All3media/ EMI Music Publishing Record label: Studio Lambert Media Limited Master: IKON Director: Sarmad Masud Producer: Ali MacPhail Production company: Studio Lambert Limited Distributed by: Warner Music Africa
Single release date: 24.04.25
Soundtrack release date: 02.05.25
“My students’ talent convinced me to take this leap”
Mykaell Riley, University Of Westminster
WANT TO GET YOUR SYNC STORY IN MUSIC WEEK? Email Miranda Bardsley at
miranda.bardsley@
futurenet.com for details.
musicweek.com Music Week | 17
The production process often began in spotting sessions with Riley, alongside music supervisor Carmen Montañez-Callan, music editor Ed Critchley, showrunner Daniel Lawrence Taylor, executive producer Madeleine Sinclair, director Sarmad Masud, producer Ali MacPhail and editor Ash White in the edit suite, dissecting each scene. For Gold, the brief was to create a “warm, euphoric, and emotionally uplifting” track that could authentically conclude the series. “We maintain professional standards,” Riley notes. “And when Gold
emerged as our final [song] choice, it vindicated our entire approach.” Montañez-Callan agrees: “The chosen track, Gold by Joy & Jee Melodies,
was a perfect fit. When an original track hits the scene it’s one of those rare, alchemical sync moments that reminds you exactly why you love the job!”
PHOTOS: Jonathan Birch, Rachel Lipsitz
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