When it was announced that Suzanne Collins’ trilogy “The Hunger Games” would be turned into a movie, there was a lot of speculation about what the film’s soundtrack would sound like. Well, it’s finally here, and it’s by far one of the most musically diverse records on the charts.

In December, listeners got their first taste of what was to come on the record: “Safe and Sound” sung by Taylor Swift and folk duo, The Civil Wars. For avid T-Swift fans, the softer, folk-influenced sound came as a total shocker, but many can agree that it is incredible. With haunting lyrics, the single is nothing short of spectacular and only gets better with more listens.

Fellow country crooner and the lucky wife of hunk Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert also makes an appearance on the record with fellow country group, Pistol Annies. Their song “Run Daddy Run” is a bit of a letdown. Keeping with the soft, folk-inspired tone of the album, the song is below par, especially for Lambert. Avoid it if you can.

Besides “Run Daddy Run,” the record is really well done. Listeners get to see a whole different, and certainly unexpected, softer side of Maroon 5 on the track “Come Away to the Water,” which is really nice, especially since they are mostly known for their poppy dance melodies. Kid Cudi also shows listeners once again that he’s really great at what he does with the rock-inspired track “The Ruler and the Killer,” making it a must listen.

But, the biggest surprise of them all comes from Swift’s second song on the soundtrack, “Eyes Open.” Showcasing her rock and roll side, “Eyes Open” proves to listeners that Swift isn’t only pop and country. Everything about the song is catchy, addicting and perfect. It’s incredible and easily the best song on the record. Hopefully a music video will be released for it soon.

“The Hunger Games” soundtrack is not only amazing by industry standards, but also in general. Nearly all of the songs are crafted to perfection and show unexpected sides of artists, making the record really special. It seems to be a rarity to have a soundtrack that can appeal to everybody’s music tastes. Listeners will be left wondering if the second soundtrack released for part two of the series will be able to outdo this one since it’s just that good.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Listen to: “Eyes Open,” “The Ruler and the Killer” and “Just a Game”

Skip: “Run Daddy Run”