Steven Universe Season 4 Instrumental Soundtrack

The Steven Universe Season 4 Instrumental Soundtrack is out!

Like the previous soundtracks for Seasons 1, 2, and 3, this is the awesome background music for the show written by aivi & surasshu. If you ever wanted to hear this music without sound effects and excerpted bits and you never got to hear them before, you'll get a chance here!

The first season's album came out in May 2020; the second season's album came out in June 2020; the third's was in July, and now in August we have number 4. Season 5 will be September. AND!!! Steven Universe Future's whole soundtrack is out in October 2020!

Here is a purchase option for this score on Amazon!

Here is the track listing--and since many people do not recognize background music by its title, I am also describing for you when in the show each played. Enjoy!

1. Stevonnie's Anxiety

This fast-paced song (with a deep and dark fugue in the middle) accompany's Stevonnie's training in "Mindful Education." When they're battling the Holo-Pearls it's nice and action-oriented, but then when it covers their experience feeling overwhelmed by visions of the Gems Steven couldn't help, it grows in depth and seriousness. Finally a comforting glow with some noise represents their fall through the butterfly mirage until they finally land in the field, unharmed.

2. Smoky Quartz Meets Sardonyx

From "Know Your Fusion," of course, which is the only time Smoky and Sardonyx hung out after all! It's got a very bold Smoky Quartz chiptune/synth drums feel with some showy little references to Sardonyx. Then we switch over into conversation mode where you can hear Smoky's steady beat against tinkles of jazz piano representing Sardonyx. Both have their actual familiar melodies from earlier show appearances, but they fit together wonderfully in this track made to their first conversation.

3. Sardonyx Tonight! Medley

Here we have all the music that accompanies Smoky and Sardonyx in the "Sardonyx Tonight" show from "Know Your Fusion," following them around to all the games Sardonyx has Smoky play to bring out whatever talents they might be hiding.

There's a new sound for Sardonyx that goes very well with her jazz piano--now we've got some saxophone just schmoozing it up in there! First we have the intro for her talk show, Sardonyx Tonight!, and then Opal's music is pulled into Sardonyx's style for the "Hit That Bird" game she has Smoky play. After some more sax, we get a revisitation from Sugilite's theme as Smoky has to play "You Like That, Little Man?" and show off their strength.

Finally, after Jorge plays them to the next challenge with more sax, we get a Sardonyx-ified version of Alexandrite's theme for "Breath of Fire." It ends with cymbals when Smoky can only burp at the target. (Burp not included.)

4. One Big Super Right

A very fast-paced messy piece from "Know Your Fusion" made to accompany Smoky rescuing Pearl and Garnet when Sardonyx's room begins to fall apart after their unfusion. This piece is short and does its job, increasing the move-it-or-lose-it pace of the flight from the collapsing room.

5. Good Influences

Another very short piece that closes out "Know Your Fusion" with some chill tunes from the instruments that typically represent our four Gems. A nice cooldown from the activity of that episode.

6. Onion Gang

From the episode of the same name, playful but creepy riffs play together in ways we haven't really heard on this show yet, representing the group of kids Onion plays with. We've got some sneaky sounds, chimes, fluttery trills, and even some strings and noises that sound like wordless vocals and tongue trills. It's not a scary piece, but it's a little unsettling . . . like the Onion Gang.

7. No Gem Wars at the Table

The nice, chill jam from "Gem Harvest" where the characters are hanging out not eating anything at the table. It has some of Andy's theme in there but there aren't a whole lot of accents that jump out as representations of the other characters.

8. Andy's Flight

This plays in the scene of "Gem Harvest" when Andy has taken off in his plane and Steven chases after him with Lapis's aid. The same minor melody that usually accompanies Andy is present here with a faster pace as he escapes in his airplane. When Steven arrives with Lapis, the "Lapis' Flight" theme is strongly mixed in, countering what we've been hearing from Andy. You can feel some urgency in the brass and strings here, and some warmth toward the end as we end in safety.

9. Baby's First Glow

Baby's First Glow is, of course, from the flashback in "Three Gems and a Baby." Rose's unmistakable strings glow opens the piece, and then Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl's signature instruments "converse" as they try to figure out what Steven is.

The pace increases as the Gems steal Greg's van and head out to discuss Steven's Gem heritage amongst themselves. Signature sounds accompany Garnet discussing fusion, Pearl discussing sadness and Rose's presumed imprisonment, and Amethyst expecting Steven to be a shapeshifted Rose. The piece blossoms into a very sad, sparse simplification with a brighter ending as they all agree the future is about Steven.

10. STOP

This unique piece that sounds like an electronic slide-whistle is a brief accompaniment of Steven and Greg's montage in Korea in "Steven's Dream."

11. Blue Diamond

This piece, of course, is the instrumental accompaniment to our first in-real-life encounter with Blue Diamond in "Steven's Dream." It is mostly the haunting, sustained chords we're used to hearing from the Diamonds, that familiar-by-now synth combo of strings and harmonette, but it has an utterly startling boom in it before the "chase" drums rumble up toward the end, signifying Blue Diamond's departure with Greg.

12. Holly Blue Agate

A running series of arpeggios in an unsettling minor key above a wandering bass line (with some echoey bits) is Holly Blue's theme, debuting in "Gem Heist." It is very unlike the music that has accompanied other Quartzes and does a great job echoing the character's strictness and order-driven menace.

13. The Zoomans

Obviously this piece accompanies our time with the inhabitants of the human zoo in the episode "The Zoo." It's a quiet, echoey jumble of arpeggiated muted synth chords with some glockenspiel-sounding chimey noises sprinkled on top. It feels like relaxation with a little pastoral fun, especially when little videogamey noises start wiggling in there.

I would think it would be tough to see the episode and then hear this song without thinking of their lush green places and sparkling lake. It's never too fast or exciting, but never so slow and lulling that it puts you to sleep.

14. Famethyst

Here we have the music that accompanies Amethyst's introduction to her Prime and Beta Kindergarten siblings from Earth in "That Will Be All." A joyful celebration of Amethyst's familiar theme turned up ten notches! And maybe some inclusion of bits from Jasper's theme too, though nothing too over the top.

It's heavy on the percussion--as expected for a bunch of Quartzes that share Amethyst's makeup!--and maybe part of the reason it's not as loud and robust as you might expect is that everybody there is on the same level. It's a fun little piece, if brief.

15. That Will Be All

From the episode of the same name, this begins with a more anxiety-ridden, dissonant version of Holly Blue's theme, but then the Crystal Gems' mix gets involved--Garnet's bass ready to "handle this noise," Pearl's piano riffs pitching in, and Amethyst's solid percussion just driving it all, with a few notes of the Crystal Gems' theme thrown in.

And of course we get some dependable drums from Amethyst when she ties up Holly Blue, some nice confident thumps of Garnet's bass when she punches Holly, and some adorable tinkles from Pearl's piano as she mocks Holly Blue on their way out. Gorgeous!

16. Storm in the Room

From the episode of the same name, this begins with the familiar Rose-associated music we've heard in episodes like "Lars and the Cool Kids," "Rose's Room," and "An Indirect Kiss." But then heavy piano in the low range and some piano tinkles suggesting thunder and rain begin to come down heavily, out of nowhere.

When the strings come in layered above, it is saturated with feeling--all of it so overwhelming and dark without being frightening, just ever so sad. We look up with some hope for the future when it ends with high synths of the light returning.

17. Lion's Desert

This plays during Lion's run through the desert in "Lion 4: Alternate Ending." A moving piano line and some steady percussion powers this piece, with the strings stretched out on top. Some of the same sounds we're used to hearing in Lion pieces accompany Steven's trip to Rose's landfill. The wonder in these chords feels like discovery, but with more weight than joy.

18. Ube!

From "The Good Lars," this adorable little montage song actually has little vocals thrown in to shout-whisper "ube!" as it plays over the montage of Steven, Lars, and Sadie working to make an ube roll cake. Despite being something Lars is controlling, it's a very Steveny song--bouncy, happy, and full of cute electronic music.

19. Hey, Mr. Postman

This super cute chiptune jam plays while Steven's waiting for Jamie's arrival in "Are You My Dad?" It of course reprises the unaccompanied song Steven sings way back in "Cheeseburger Backpack" from season 1! The melody from that is thrown in along with the themes from Jamie's music from back then as well. Some accents from the Gems' usual instruments do appear as well toward the end.

20. Aquamarine & Topaz

Here comes trouble from "Are You My Dad?" with Aquamarine's tinkly chirps and Topaz's rumbling undertones coming out in the middle of the song, sounding more than anything like impending footsteps. Strings bring some of the sorrow that's befalling the humans. The noises that represent Aquamarine are the perfect mixture of cutesy-annoying and menacing.

21. Tension in the House

The opening instrumental for "I Am My Mom," we hear this while Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven discuss what they're going to do to rescue the kidnapped humans. The piece is brief but poignant with synths and a heavy, minor sound.

22. Battle in Aquamarine's Ship / Steven's Sacrifice

This piece packs a wallop while Steven successfully summons his bubble to break out of the Topaz Fusion and s forces with Connie to battle. It's mostly a heavy bass and super fast drum piece toward the beginning, with very small references to Aquamarine with chirpy noises above here and there.

The bouncy bass drags us down with the weight of what they're facing until Alexandrite's themes start scattering all over; when she helps halt the ship things seem to be looking up, but Aquamarine's chimes return, signifying the inevitable "Steven's Sacrifice." Sorrowful strings and chimes follow Steven as he believes he must give himself up to save his friends. The strings sing as he goes with them.

Interestingly, this really does end with the last episode of Season 4, so it looks like the next one will pick right up with Season 5 instead of breaking at a place that doesn't quite fit the season breaks.

Not included bits that I noticed and wished had been included (not an exhaustive list, obviously):

• We didn't get any music from "Back to the Moon" or "Bubbled" on this album, and they weren't on the previous album, so none of the incidental music from those is on any soundtrack.

• Season 4 begins with "Kindergarten Kid," and there is no music from it on this soundtrack. ("Little Peridot," used in that episode, appears earlier, but none of the music that accompanies the Looney Tunes–esque hijinks of the Tongue Monster appears on the soundtrack.

• If we go in airing order, music from 107 ("Mindful Education") appears on this album before music from 105 ("Know Your Fusion"), with also no music appearing from "Buddy's Book" (106). Too bad!

• There was no theme included for Mr. Frowney's appearance from "Future Boy Zoltron."

• There's no music from "Adventures in Light Distortion" which sucks because I thought something might be included from that incredibly stressful bit when the ship is hurtling toward the zoo. That tense music was sparse but I miss it.

• We didn't get any music to represent the Crystal Temps on this album--no music from "The New Crystal Gems" was included. Waaah!

• Woof, I'm so sad there was no inclusion of the mash-up of Ruby-square-wave synth music with Lapis celesta and Peridot sine wave stuff! I know there was some of this when Navy was trying to be an Earthling in "Room for Ruby" and it wasn't part of this soundtrack.

• No reprise of the wrestlers' themes from "Tiger Philanthropist" is on this album. Bummer!

• There's no Dad Music from "Doug Out." Aw!

So looking forward to Volume 5!