Why Jack Black Sings The Psychonauts 2 Trailer Song

It’s been over 15 years since the release of Psychonauts and fans have been patiently waiting for their chance to revisit Raz and the rest of the campers from Whispering Rock. The game tells the story of a boy named Razputin, who runs away from life in the circus and sneaks into a summer camp for psychically gifted children in hopes of becoming psychic spy known as a Psychonaut. The title is seen as an indie classic and has helped push developer, Double Fine Productions, into cult following status.

Its sequel, Psychonauts 2, first debuted at last year’s E3, but there hadn’t been much news of the sequel since. That was until Xbox’s recent Games Showcase, where fans got their most tenacious look at the upcoming sequel yet. Tim Schafer, head of Double Fine Productions, is best known for his creativity, and he put it to good use enlisting the help of his good friend, and Tenacious D lead singer, Jack Black to sing on the lead track for the most recent Psychonauts 2 trailer. Longtime Double Fine musical composer, Peter McConnell, will be returning to provide music for the game and wrote the lyrics to Black’s song.

The trailer for Psychonauts 2 shows an older Raz travel into the mind of a disembodied brain in a jar. As Raz makes his way into the psyche of this unknown brain, he is led by a floating white light. Black’s sultry and soulful vocals then set in alongside a slow guitar rift, very reminiscent of something by the Doors, as the white light begins preforming into a microphone. Raz is then taken through a psychedelic portal where he has to make his way through a world seemingly inspired by Yellow Submarine. Black’s vocals pair very well with the psychedelic rock theme of the stage, which make for a very interesting looking trailer.

How Jack Black & Double Fine Are Connected

While Black may seem like an odd choice for the sequel to an indie title 15 years in the making, he actually has some of history with Schafer and Double Fine Productions. The two previously teamed up in 2009 to create the cult classic, Brutal Legend, an action-adventure, real-time strategy hybrid starring Black, who modeled and voiced the game’s lead character. Brutal Legend centers on Eddie Riggs, a roadie who is transported to a world of straight out of an Iron Maiden album cover. Although Schafer has previously stated there are no plans for a Brutal Legend sequel, perhaps Black’s latest team up with Double Fine could reignite rumors.

Not only is Black lending his voice to the background vocals, but he will also be voicing the role of the Mote of Light, the floating white light shown performing Black’s song during the trailer. In addition to the trailer and Black’s involvement with the game, fans also – unfortunately- found out that Pyschonauts 2 will be delayed until 2021, with no official release date. This is now the sequel’s second delay as the game was originally intended for a 2019 release, but that date was pushed back to 2020 at last year’s E3. The newest delay is disappointing, but this latest trailer for  Pyschonauts 2, and Black’s killer track, should help hold fans over for the time being.

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