Today we’ll be looking at Honkai Star Rail (HSR), a game instantly loved by fans around the globe thanks to Hoyoverse, the company behind the other successful games such as Honkai Impact and Genshin Impact. Honkai Star Rail features an impressive variety of soundtracks, each with its own depth and appeal. While every song could be analyzed in detail, here we’ll focus on some of my favorite vocal tracks that have helped to define the game’s experience. Let’s dive in!
Take the Journey
Fans have only one complaint about this song- it’s too short! However, even that’s a compliment, as the song’s brevity only enhances its impact. Take the Journey is just a minute long because, in the game, it only plays for around thirty seconds. Yet this brief soundtrack marks a key moment in the story, making it unforgettable.
The song plays during a cutscene where the main character joins the Astral Express crew, embarking on their journey with new friends, a new family. It is a critical moment that won’t be forgotten by new and old players, as the music enhances that experience greatly. When the game introduced a feature where players could replay music records of the game’s soundtracks on the train, Take the Journey was a top choice, making it a comforting background sound for those boarding the Astral Express, their in-game home.
Luckily for fans of this song, an extended version was sang by the original artist in this concert HSR made! As everyone had been asking for a longer version for a while, including me.
Wildfire
Wildfire is a song that blew away people’s minds for many reasons. This intense track could easily be classified as a boss theme, but it’s much more than that. The music begins in the middle of an important boss fight, marking a turning point when the main character’s chances of winning increase.
Right before the song starts, the main character is injured, and the story temporarily shifts to another dimension. The song builds suspense, starting with slow, quiet tones as the main character reaches for a sword. Then, the beat drops as they return to the boss arena, adding intensity to the battle.
One of the most striking aspects of “Wildfire” is its clever use of adaptive music. Different sections of the song loop according to the player’s actions; quieter segments repeat as players progress through the battle, while high-energy drums, guitars, and beat drops kick in during impactful moments. This technique immerses players like me in the action, making the fight feel more personal.
Samudrartha
This remains one of my favourite songs to this day, as I still remember the first time I heard it. Samudrartha is a highly emotional and sorrowful song. It starts slow right before an important cutscene to set the mood and gains attention due to the singer’s low melodic tone. I remember when I first heard the melody, then the quiet but beautiful Chinese vocals. I sat in the screen you can see below for a while, listened to the music, felt nostalgic and meloncholic for some reason.
Then the cutscene happened. When it happens, the music picks up quickly in the middle to give an important epic, cinematic feeling to its players. As one of the main characters unveils their new powers, the song’s high point intensifies the scene, making players feel as if they’re living the moment themselves.
This track also carries extra meaning for many players familiar with Hoyoverse’s other games, like Honkai Impact. The singer, Yusuf, is known for his spectacular work in a Honkai Impact concert, where he covered one of that game’s most emotional songs, Regression, around 41:20 mark. When Honkai Impact players heard Yusuf’s voice in HSR, it added an extra layer of nostalgia and emotion to the experience. His performance in the latest HSR concert still blows my mind, you can check it out here, around 50:15 mark.
White Night
“White Night” is perhaps the most energetic, playful song HSR has released, and for a good reason. This song, sang by Jake Miller, was an introduction to the new story and new planet fans were about to visit in the next update, version 2.0. It was a unique surprise to the players because it was released as a music video. This was the first and so far, the last time HSR created a music video for one of their stories, yet alone as an introduction. People were excited about the new planet they were about the visit, called Penacony, and the song increased this excitement as the trailer revealed new characters and teased the new story.
If I Can Stop One Heart from Breaking
While White Knight was HSR’s most energetic song, If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking is their most emotional song and there are various reasons for that. This song was introduced in the game when one of the fan favorite characters called Firefly shared a vulnerable moment with us, the main character.
The scenery was so beautiful, transitioning to a night sky with falling stars, while Firefly shared her vulnerability with us, explaining how she had a chronic disease that was making her fade into the existence slowly. Entropy Loss Syndrome, was an illness that causes an irreversible chronic dissociation of the body. Bodily functions work as usual at first, but then you become slower, and slower, eventually the world becomes blurry and their body fades away.
Combining the beautiful scenery, her soft near-tearful emotional voice, and the wonderful emotional song in the background… These combined aspects of the story made many players actually cry or tear up, creating an unforgettable moment.
From the epic intensity of “Wildfire” to the gentle beauty of “If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking,” each song in Honkai Star Rail enhances the game’s story and adds lasting emotional depth. These tracks remind us how music can shape our experiences, bringing players closer to the universe of Honkai Star Rail.