Analyzing Victoria Monét's "The Power of Two" and what it means for The Acolyte

It was an exciting day for Star Wars fandom when the news came that an original song was created for the ending credits of episode 4 of Star Wars: The Acolyte. Even better, the song "The Power of Two" was produced and sang by Victoria Monét, the winner of Best New Artist at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

On Friday, June 14, "The Power of Two" was released, and like the show it will grace, it is a writing collaboration between Monét, D’Mile, and Michael Abels, the latter being The Acolyte's composer. "Power of Two" is both haunting and striking musically. The opening vocalizations sound like melodic breath, while a keening background wail gives the song's opening a ritual feel. In the chorus, backing vocals in unison split into two as a mirror to the Aniseya sisters. The melody starts in the lower registers but rises and falls with the emotional beats of the music.

More intriguing is the ambiguity of the lyrics. The message could be a reflection of either sister's mindset. We have seen the lives that each led after believing that they had lost each other and know that one was marked by her grief and the other by her grudge. In Episode 3, "Destiny," we see this take a dark and possessive note as Mae begins a fire to keep her sister from escaping the fortress with the Jedi. We still don't know what caused Osha to leave the Jedi or how the Master used Mae's trauma for their own purposes, but the song speaks to their dependence on each other and the conflict they feel.

"Parts of me will die with you
And I think it's gonna be the good parts
Don't wanna feel at all
Thick skin, big scars.
And we so one and the same,
So all my pain is your pain."

- Victoria Monét

It is a song about two souls so closely linked that it's hard to distinguish between them. When Monét sings of the soul as "a necklace that you could wear and take off, that you could rip and break off, that you could trade in the dark," it reminds us of the betrayal Mae felt at her sister's decision to side with the Jedi. On the other hand, Osha has been tracking her sister by following a series of murders, and it would be understandable if she saw her sister as trading in the darkness.

"Twin flame. I feel the shame when they call me your name.
Twin flame. And you feel the same when they say you're to blame.
Twin flame. I feel the shame when they call me your name.
Twin flame. Why work with myself if it's a losing game?"

- Victoria Monét

Monét further explores this inner conflict and confusion by challenging, "Where was your heart when you were destiny apart?" We have already seen the sisters turned against each other philosophically. The consequence of this is when Mae continues the witches' legacy of opposing the Jedi, but neither of them has explored what must happen now that they have faced each other again.

Mae has her quest as the Acolyte who "kills the dream," and Osha has worked with the Jedi to reach her sister. However, much remains to be decided about what will happen when one or the other is stopped or the quest comes to its conclusion.

Most importantly, is it possible for this losing game to have a victor at all? We'll have to tune in to the next episode to see this explored more.