Persona 5 - Life Goes On / Freedom and Security | Reacting To Video Game Music!

[@JessesAuditorium]

VGM Drummer I'm subbed to covered this :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/g4iXaXunmL-Bo5Isi=bzquD01wWMdGEt1A

[@thegoodthebadthequiky]

Freedom and Security is a song that does something I rarely see video game OSTs accomplish, which is double as both an unsettling, story-driven mood piece and still be suitable lo-fi for chill listening out of context. It seems hard to invoke both discomfort and ease in the same piece, but this song has always done that for me, and for that reason is always one of my favorites in this soundtrack.

[@V1G4M1]

Discomfort for those that see things from the outside, ease for those inside, living in blissful ignorance

[@pablo1389]

So Happy World gives off the same vibe

[@Firestar0513]

I still think the area the song actually plays in is probably the most visually interesting and unsettling location in any game I have played

[@Multigameguy35]

Lacunosa Town is one of those songs for me

[@Maxbeedo2]

5:28 I can't speak for previous Personas, but P5/P5R is set within major cities. You're constantly riding subways, it's crowded, and there is indeed a jazz club (in Royal), so I'd say it matches pretty well. Visually in game, most NPCs are shadowy silhouettes, and given some of the story themes, it always represented to me that we pass by thousands of strangers throughout life without really noticing them, even if they might really need help, but when we focus on them and listen they're given color and form. "Wake Up Get Up Get Out There" for example has repeated lyrics "Can we make a difference", and the overall jazzy upbeat nature is probably meant as an energetic push. Freedom and Security would maybe be an example of a counterpoint to that, which plays in a location where people have basically given up. Or maybe that's just me trying to gleam meaning after spending 500+ hours between them all.

[@zecendia]

Iirc p3 is set in a decently big town,not quite literally Tokyo levels of p5,mind you,but still decently big.P4 in contrast to either of them is set in a town so small they have one whole grocery chain store that ran most other stores out of business. It allows p4 to have its murder/kidnapping mystery storyline seemingly without stakes quite as high as the ones in p5 and P3(seemingly is the keyword here,because much like the other ones,it does end up with some good ol jrpg shanking of some god adjacent entity). I cant comment on p1 and 2 locations.

[@MagnyusG]

The music absolutely matches the setting, because it's such a spanning story, the music also matches the mood of whatever activity or task you'll be doing. The only times you'll find that the music juxtaposes whatever you're doing would likely be user 'error' like something serious is happening but you leave the area and go do something silly in a sidequest or something, but for the most part they avoid that by making activities like that unavailable during serious parts.

[@Laurcus]

To answer your questions, Persona 6 has been rumored to be in development for a long time. Personally, I expect it to be announced at the next Persona Super Live concert, which is May 31st 2025 in Osaka. Before then we have the DLC for Persona 3 Reload called Episode Aigis - The Answer, which comes out in a couple days. So expect some new Persona requests soon. After that we have Atlus's new game, Metaphor: ReFantazio, which comes out October 10th. It's unknown if Metaphor is a Megami Tensei game at this time. The lore nerds are gonna need to really dissect that one, though with what we've seen I lean towards yes. More importantly for you, Shoji Meguro is the composer for Metaphor, though the musical style is quite a bit different from his work on Persona. Concerning your other question about do the songs fit where they're played... It's very hard to divorce myself from my biases, but generally I'd say yes. To me, the music greatly enhances the individual scenes. There's a synergy there that's hard to put into words, especially for someone like me that has no background in musical theory. I think the craziest example is actually Battle Hymn of the Soul/The Battle for Everyone's Souls. As you know, that's an instrumental track, but during the fight where it plays, there's spoken word poetry throughout the fight, which effectively acts as the lyrics for the song. "The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate... Entrusting his future to the cards, he clings to a dim hope. Yes, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed...Attaining one's dream requires a stern will and unfailing determination. The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... The silent voice within one's heart whispers the most profound wisdom... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Celebrate life's grandeur... Its brilliance... its magnificence... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Only courage in the face of doubt can lead one to the answer... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... It is indeed a precious gift to understand the forces that guide oneself... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... There is both joy and wonder in coming to understand the hearts of others... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... One of life's greatest blessings attained from the gift of life is the freedom to pursue one's personal goals... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... To find the one true path, one must seek guidance amidst uncertainty... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... It requires great courage to look at oneself, and forge one's own path... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Ever-present alongside time is fortune, cruel and unflinching... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... One needs strength to endure, and rise above suffering and torment... The Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... In the face of unavoidable disaster lies the opportunity to search for redemption. The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate... Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yet, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed... Beyond the journey you have taken lies the absolute end. It matters not who you are... One thing is always certain: death awaits all." If you've never seen the Nyx Avatar fight I'd honestly recommend looking it up, as in this case more than any other, you haven't heard the "real" version of the song unless you've seen it in game imo. As for Life Goes On and Freedom and Security, Life Goes On is actually a fairly insignificant song in the grand scheme of things. It's the music that plays during exams. I think, as its name implies, it's meant to make you feel that despite all the crazy shit happening around you, the world won't wait for you. No matter what you did the day before, you've still got school in the morning. Life just goes on. Freedom and Security is the dungeon theme for the Prison of Regression/Depths of Mementos. This is the classic JRPG moment where the game shifts its focus to "Let's kill God." though this is a lot more literal in Persona 5 than in most JRPGs. Throughout the Prison of Regression, you see all the people in society have given up their free will and submitted themselves to God, content to be ruled over in blissful ignorance. The people inside the prison include all the villains you've defeated up to that point, implying that though they were criminals, murderers, rapists, slavers, etc, the villains were in a sense walking the same path of rebellion as the main characters, and by defeating them, you put them in the prison and forced them to submit to God, effectively acting as agents of the system you were rebelling against. It's meant to make you question if you're actually in the right, since the system oppressing you is the same system that puts rapists behind bars. There's a dissonance between your ideals and actions that may not be reconcilable. You espouse freedom as the highest virtue, but what about when people use that freedom for evil?

[@MetroidFission]

Life Goes On, if I remember correctly, only plays when doing your school exams in the game so you hear it a couple of times and that's it. It doesn't have a version with vocals though I get why you think there'd be one lol. Freedom and Security plays in a very late game dungeon, right before the end of the game so that's why it sounds so tense. I might be wrong but I think the name of the song on the OST is "Freedom and Peace", you can find it under both names on KZbin so it's a bit confusing. Game is very good, though I think the one reason I wouldn't recommend it is because of how long a playthrough can be. I did a playthrough where I did about 99% of what was available in the game (no NG+ exclusive super bosses) and I have just over 150 hours in it.

[@Raddkann]

the soundtrack lists it as Freedom and Peace

[@rontheauraknight9606]

Should note Jesse is playing all 3 Xenoblade games this year, so it’s not like he isn’t willing to put in big time commitments

[@ElJackFrostMamadisimo]

​@@rontheauraknight9606 the 3 of them this year? He did say somewhere Xenoblade 3 would be really down the line

[@aylinilya.]

@@ElJackFrostMamadisimoi’m hoping that isn’t in like 3 years or something

[@oyskal]

these songs are so insanely perfect for the part they are supposed to play

[@scarletthecat1491]

@@oyskal fr, freedom and peace is my favorite “palace” theme just because of how well it goes with the mood

[@minhyuknam5977]

You know Jesse’s gonna like it once you see that smile come up the first few seconds into the song 😂 Jokes aside, I gotta say you’re hands down one of my favorite KZbinrs, especially in the music scene. You appreciate every single track you listen to, whether they’re your cup of tea or not, and you analyze it in a way that feels so… human! If that makes sense. I also appreciate the way you listen to every song all the way through, because it gives you that authentic experience. I can go on and on, but thank you for doing what you do- and for allowing me to appreciate some of my own favorite tracks (big Persona fan) in new ways!

[@rosemclean2519]

16:13 “I’m still a Persona fan, I’ve just never played the games.” Don’t worry, most Persona fans have never played the games.

[@kats1646]

"HUGE Persona 5 fan FINALLY plays Persona5!"

[@Nedoxu]

Yeah, sure, in the same way that people who say they're a Linkin Park fan despite having only heard "In the End" are fans lmao.

[@nickwatic]

​@@Nedoxumore would have heard Numb because of jay z

[@takeyourheart1]

Why is this a stereotype? I don’t get it I feel like I missed something but I’ve seen this said before.

[@Raddkann]

@@takeyourheart1 theres a lot of people who call themselves "fans" but only watched a playthrough on youtube and listen to the music. and those same "fans" are usually the ones who mischaracterize the characters the most.

[@MACGamer100]

I really hope we get to see a reaction to "Disconnected" and "Don't" from Persona 3 Reload The Answer DLC reaction

[@Stormfall7]

Freedom and Security! Definitely a top favorite from 5. It sounds amazing on it's own, but hearing it with context in-game can really make you see it in a different light. The location it plays in is pretty disturbing or unsettling, and makes the song sound heavier than it already does.

[@hylia8347]

due to the fact that each persona game has their own music vibes -- my friends and i have joked that persona 6's feel would be country ahahaha

[@DJSingleTone]

When it comes to Freedom and Security (which is a top 5 favorite Persona 5 song for me), I would blast this sad-sounding song to the point where my grandma would ask me if I was okay

[@paulasalaburu6180]

Shoji Meguro was influenced by Jamiroquai when doing this soundtrack... that explains a lot. Apparently this particular song was influenced by their song Space Cowboy :)

[@mullergui13]

Nah don't worry about running out of stuff. There's still many new songs from Strikers and Tactica that you haven't gotten to yet. Plus, Atlus will 100% keep making more games with the P5 cast. Also, Metaphor is just around the corner and that OST is from Shoji Meguro.

[@sverd3901]

ooh we can do this!

[@JesseB15]

One of the least chill songs would probably be Prison Labor from P5 Royal. Is also one of my favorites.

[@Lana_305]

I can vouch, Prison Labor is my personal favorite song from the game.

[@FenrirHatake]

Love the game. Love the story. Love the music. Can't wait till you hear more of some of my favorite P5 tracks.

[@dimentiox80sshenanigans50]

Freedom and Security is so underrated!

[@Smartlili]

man I can just hear the cat saying "Ooh we can do this!" every time life goes on plays

[@Laurcus]

A slight addendum to my other comment since I forgot to answer this question. Imo, the least chill song in P5 is Will Power, which if I'm not mistaken you haven't reacted to. Also Jaldabaoth.

[@SJPaladinHawk]

Gotta listen to "Awakening" and then "Will Power" next to each other. They flow so well.

[@takeyourheart1]

Awakening into Will Power is my single favorite musical moment in the game.

[@ReijiNRen]

Also Jaldeboath into Our Beginning. (Forgot the name for a bit)

[@TheBpendleton44]

This is a background song when you are doing an activity after/during school

[@Redhead_20567]

Whenever I take most of my school exams online, I often play Persona exam music to help me focus and concentrate.

[@Aiscence]

I really think the songs are really fitting to the context they are used in, at least in my opinion they made the game look very arts-y but it wouldn't be complete without the OST completing it

[@effortlessfury]

The music plays a strong role in defining the setting; it fits because it's the one setting the tone. It somehow works even if it's not the context you would imagine from the music alone.

[@rex_yaldabaoth]

You mention the difference in vibe between smt, and while some of that is because of the setting, (SMT is post apocalyptic usually) some of it that shoji meguro hasn't composed for SMT since Nocturne. So while SMT4 and 5 are definitely inspired by some of his tracks, over the course of those games ryota kozuka has been carving out his own identity musically? Which I think really shines through in the latest tracks in SMT5 Vengence. I mean, SMT5 basegame alone had 20 different battle themes for different locations and bosses, and vengence added even more, it's amazing stuff with a great variety.

[@Dell-ol6hb]

The bassline is killer in Life Goes On

[@marymurphy1429]

The song you're thinking of is called beneath the mask. It's one of my favorites too. It plays when you're walking around town at night, and it feels incredibly fitting. If I ever actually go to toyoko one day I would want to listen to that whole walking around at night too

[@landis9767]

the miniboss theme "keeper of lust" is a pretty intense instrumental punk-rock-like song. but yeah, it's mostly chill, groovy or atmospheric stuff

[@DylanYoshi]

Persona 5's soundtrack in particular is less about evoking setting (most of the time) and more about evoking theme. P5 is a tribute to the phantom thief genre (very popular in anime, such as Lupin III or Kaito Kid), which is known for having a lot of jazz. Individual songs, of course, vary in what kind of theme they're trying to represent, but as an overarching idea they want to keep the player feeling like they're a stylish thief even when they're in a classroom taking a test.

[@NekomatchaJun]

The closest thing I've recently experienced to that mid album instrumental tradition is with Periphery's most recent album where they slammed a vaporwave song in the middle of their djent metal album. It's the most djent prog thing I've every listened to.

[@FSAPOJake]

The music in the Persona games so perfectly matches the setting and mood of each game that I can't think of any video game series that does it better. 3, 4, and 5 are so different and yet each one is so perfectly fitting. 4 is my favorite one overall, by the way, but in terms of music, 3 is king for me.

[@Oracle3331]

If anyone knows of a vocal cover of "Life Goes On," please drop it here. Jesse mentioned it sounded like it had vocals and now I need to here that!

[@takeyourheart1]

The music matches the whole aesthetic of the game. You’ve really gotta play it to understand. It’s a super vibey and aesthetic series.

[@jonieljoestarzawarudo8172]

"Ooh, we can do this!"

[@vincenzosparno7679]

I think you could do something really fun, which is react to the opening videos of all the Personas. You'd be amazed at how beautiful the visuals are. It would be really fun to watch you do that ;)

[@Raddkann]

We are so back

[@NSDominator]

I say this to myself every time I listen to a Persona 5 reaction from you, but I'm saying it here this time - PLAY THE DAMN GAME! With love tho ❤

[@edwinpritom6336]

The final boss music (your choice) would be intense for Persona 5 series.

[@Moricant]

Ohhh, we can do this!

[@funklestiltskin6140]

Freedom and Security's name is also a reference to a Benjamin Franklin saying "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety." Which is fitting given the theme of the game.

[@calvinospina7307]

I agree video game music is underrated

[@chickenplox3397]

My birthday is coming up in 10 days from this post, gonna turn 20. It may be a long shot but I want to see you react to Let the Speed mend it from Sonic and the Lost rings or sand desert From sonic riders. They're like the most definitive desert sound tracks to me whenever I think about the desert.

[@pedrozanon7245]

What's the song playing in the background while he is talking about "life goes on"?

[@menosay1912]

I think Beneath the Mask is what you listen to. Also having less songs might be better considering the backlog you have.

[@iaxacs3801]

You're not gonna run out for a long time, you've barely touched the spinoffs and Royal. There's even the anime OPs (don't watch it) Edit: Just listened to Belief-John Mayer, you're right that's a good song. Reminded me more of Alleycat though, over Freedom and Security. But Alleycat does go more into the Blues

[@snowyfey]

try the golden one , name BGM III Persona 2 or the the MAP 1 persona 2 ost :3

[@AshwatSharma]

Gentle madman pls :)

[@splash6882]

oooo guys we gotta get him on “don’t” and “disconnected” from persona 3 reload: episode aigis eventually 👀✨

[@Zelisius]

Could you react to a Helldivers 2 song called "cup of libery tea"?

[@PlanCeee]

Wth was going on in the background? Lol. Sounded like a dog being murdered.

[@SomethingLog]

Beneath the mask

[@siencrosse3400]

im not a fan of the persona series but i love the music

[@bwomph]

You don’t have to play the games, because they are very long. I played the games after hearing the music and seeing the design and UI. Persona 4 Golden is probably my favorite. I hope that you listen to more Persona 4, because you haven’t heard much of Shihoko Hirata’s voice. It’s pretty much a toss up between which persona game has the best music, but Persona 4 might be my favorite. I hope that someone recommends Heartbeat Heartbreak, Signs of Love, Pursuing My True Self, or Shadow World. I also hope that someone recommends Wiping All Out and A Way of Life from Persona 3 Portable, and Axe to Grind from Persona 5 Strikers.

[@Smartlili]

has he reacted to throw away your mask yet?

[@2dat115]

Not if you play when you play😊

[@boshman11]

No comment on the BASSLINE in Life Goes On? Get back out there and check that bassline out again

[@Pembawa-p9c]

pliss react to persona 3 reload - disconnected -

[@nickr3526]

Reminder is been a year since your last Yakuza react. As a fan my disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined.

[@postacolpyaptic7391]

Still waiting on the FFXIV - In Fulgur and Fire

[@Mansy88]

i wish you someday play the persona franchise, specially 5 😜

[@Fearfulgull]

Why has there been no punishing gray raven requests,hes missing out on peak

[@cerealexperimentsgrain]

i mean no offense to the requesters but why these songs...? they're decent songs but nothing special, really. at least not when compared to a lot of other p5 songs he hasn't heard.

[@Greekanese31]

That's just your opinion, man. I personally find Freedom and Security to be one of the top 5 songs in the game

[@cerealexperimentsgrain]

@@Greekanese31 what about this song makes it stand out next to literally any other song in the entire soundtrack? even when it comes to dungeon themes, futaba, kaneshiro, and (spoilers for royal) maruki have significantly better themes. again, not saying this is bad but i really would like to know why people like this track as to me it's incredibly mediocre and nothing special at all

[@Crystalhair2024]

​@@Greekanese31 i love freedom and security too but i think it's fair to expect the most famous songs to be recommended first in a game

[@DaChongster]

Contextually "Freedom and Security" fits well with its respective dungeon and blends two opposing feelings together; not an easy thing to pull off while making it cohesive. It's also cool how the song has the cadence of the scat singing from "Tokyo Daylight" but presents it in an entirely different light. The liveliness of Tokyo is just a facade and the reality is the bleakness below. On a storytelling front I think the song does very well and that's what makes it memorable, least that's my take on it. Personally i'd recommend the blend of Jaldabaoth/Our Beginning for something Jesse should listen to but most of the soundtrack be bangin in one way or another so aint a loss there.