Riz Ahmed’s ‘Bait’ soundtrack bridges cultures with Pulling Me Back by Jay Sean and Véyah

The soundtrack for new Prime Video series Bait, created by and starring Academy award and Emmy winner Riz Ahmed is now out. On the soundtrack are the six tracks featured in the series, including a mesmerising Urdu version of Eurythmics’ ‘Sweet Dreams (Are Made Of This)’ by Anish Kumar ft. Arooj Aftab, recently released single ‘Price Of It All’ by Jorja Smith and new single ‘Pulling Me Back’ by Jay Sean ft Véyah. 

From an Urdu ‘Sweet Dreams’ to Jay Sean and Jorja Smith, Bait’s music bridges cultures to power a bold new British Asian story

With a driving beat and addictive melody, Pulling Me Back is a compelling mix of British Asian influences. Véyah’s effortless vocals match Jay Sean’s self-assured delivery to create a track that perfectly captures the feeling of an undeniable connection.   

The soundtrack boasts a stellar cast of talent including hotly tipped DJ and producer Anish Kumar; Grammy-winning composer, singer and producer Aroof Aftab, jungle and DnB legend MC Shabba D; iconic electronic music duo Original Unknown, BRIT and MOBO winning producer Amir Amor; vocal powerhouse Véyah; British pop icon Jay Sean; and global star Jorja Smith. 

Bait is a new six-part genre-bending series that follows Shah Latif, an out-of-work British Asian actor whose life begins to spiral when he lands the final audition to play the next James Bond. What begins as a moment of opportunity quickly turns into a chaotic four-day journey as family, fame, identity and online scrutiny collide. Blending psychological thriller elements with sharp comedy and family drama, the series explores universal themes of belonging, ambition and self-perception in contemporary London.

Music plays a central role in shaping the atmosphere of Bait. The soundtrack draws together a wide range of influences, reflecting the show’s hybrid cultural identity – from cinematic orchestration and psychedelic South Asian film music of the 1970s, to contemporary UK and South Asian artists. Bridging genres and generations, the music mirrors the series’ bold blend and exploration of different genres, crossing cultural boundaries to tell a global story. 

“I don’t think an album like this has really been put together before, with such an incredible range of important artists from across the diaspora — from India, from Pakistan, from South Asia more broadly — as well as from the UK and the US,” says Ahmed of the soundtrack.

‘Pulling Me Back’ follows on from Jorja Smith’s ‘Price Of It All’ which was released last week. 

The release of the official soundtrack precedes the extended soundtrack album​ which features music inspired by the show, ​and will release on April 16, alongside the official music video for ‘Price Of It All’.

The extended soundtrack features music from global stars including Raf Saperra, KR$NA, The Twins, ENNY, Casisdead, AJ Tracey, Natasha Noorani, Talwiinder, Riz Ahmed and more. 

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