Oddly enough, the flood of Grand Theft Auto 6 leaks over the past few days has done more to make the game feel like a real thing than Rockstar’s minimalistic marketing campaign. People are showing up in droves to pre-order a game they’ve not seen a frame of gameplay for through official channels, so while the leaker is ostensibly doing this in protest of GTA6 not getting a physical disc release and to call attention to other issues with the current state of the games industry, it’s giving people an unprecedented look at the game Rockstar is seemingly reserving for next week’s Netflix-exclusive extended look. At the very least, I learned something I needed to know about the game from these leaks: the soundtrack has some bangers.
I’m not usually the target audience for Grand Theft Auto games, as driving around open worlds is one of my least favorite video game activities, even in games I love like Cyberpunk 2077. So some of my most vivid memories of Grand Theft Auto V were about finding tunes on the radio. I had developed a new appreciation for Fergie’s “Glamorous” by the time I saw Trevor, Michael, and Franklin’s story through to the end. Yesterday, a new piece of driving footage from Grand Theft Auto 6 leaked, and while some were complimenting the leaker’s improved driving and talking about how detailed Rockstar’s recreation of not-Florida looks as you’re driving through it, I locked in when I heard French Montana and Swae Lee’s moody hip-hop hit “Unforgettable” playing as my future video-game husband Jason hijacked someone’s car on the street.
Now that song’s already going on my GTA6 playlist, but then it was immediately followed up by “Players” by Coi Leray. The 2022 funky hip hop song’s sample of Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message” bounced through the speakers, and I immediately envisioned driving through GTA6’s city with that shit bumping. If you read the comments on the music video, it looks like a lot of GTA fans are finding the song through the game’s early footage.
It’s no surprise that Grand Theft Auto 6’s soundtrack is already showing a whole lot of promise. Radio stations are just as much a part of this series’ DNA as stealing cars and doing crimes. I’m just pleasantly surprised that the first time I’m seeing this game in motion, I’m hearing two certified bops right out the gate. Rockstar is about to make a billion dollars off this game regardless of what it shows, but it is wild how close to the chest it’s kept the game thus far, so much so that selling points beyond the name are coming out of stolen footage. Fans are keeping track of what songs have been “confirmed” through the leaks, and the playlist is shaping up real nice.
- “Impact (feat. Robyn & Channel Tres)” – SG Lewis, Robyn, Channel Tres
- “Overpowered” – Roisin Murphy
- “Sports Car” – Tate McRae
- “Players” – Coi Leray
- “Unforgettable” – French Montana, Swae Lee
- “Get it Poppin’ (feat Nelly)” – Fat Joe, Nelly
- “Child Support” – Zenglen
- “Hot Together” – The Pointer Sisters
- “Everybody Have Fun Tonight” – Wang Chung
- “Just Like Paradise” – David Lee Roth
- “Love Is a Long Road” – Tom Petty
- “Shooting Shark” – Blue Oyster Cult
- “Thunder Island” – Jay Ferguson
- “Rhinestone Cowboy” – Glen Campbell
- “Talkin’ to Myself Again” – Tammy Wynette
- “For What it’s Worth” – Stevie Nicks
- “Sibelius – No. 5 in E- flat.” – Allegro Molto
