Deep Dive: Sonic Adventure 2 Music

• 16 April, 2025
• Sonic
• Essay

On a car ride home from a dinner, I was listening to the soundtrack of Sonic Adventure 2. As I tuned out the voices of the outside world, I focused deeply on the lyrics and instrumentation of the music. I've always had a fondness for the soundtrack of Adventure 2, but paying deep attention to it gave me a deeper sense of appreciation as I thought about the cutscenes and other music of the game.

The playlist I listened to on YouTube listed the character themes first, starting with Sonic's. As I focused on the guitars of It Doesn't Matter, I recalled the guitars of That's The Way I Like It... for Metal Harbor. They're very similar, especially the beginning of the latter song. And this made me realize, each character has a style of music that's reflected in their stages!! Hell, even in the titles!

I'm no musician, so I may get some terminology wrong, but please bare with me.

Sonic

Sonic's theme and his stage music tend to be pop-punk, which is pretty different from the first incarnation of It Doesn't Matter, which was hard rock. Pop-punk is best described as a more up-beat and positive sounding style of rock, which is incredibly fitting for Sonic. As a character, he's incredibly positive, even in the face of certain danger and doom. For example, after Eggman blows up half of the moon as a threat, Sonic isn't seen sulking, afraid or frozen. He's pissed at Eggman, but immediately he's trying to figure out how in the world Eggman managed to get such a power. He quickly connects the dots, and with Tails's help, they immediately craft a plan to take control of the situation. He doesn't linger on these negative feelings, but he uses them to spur himself into doing something he feels is right. This is even reflected through the first few lyrics of his theme:

... I'm just livin' by my own feelings

And I won't give in, won't compromise

'Cause I only have a steadfast heart of gold!

This attitude is heavily supported by the genre Sonic's music is put into! Most of them have this upbeat, determined tone to them that really fits both the level and Sonic. Escape From The City... for City Escape has Sonic cheerfully running from the police as they try to frame him for Shadow's actions and arrest him, and even when a giant G.U.N. truck is chasing him, Sonic runs from it with a smile and excitement. The tone of Won't Stop, Just Go!... for Green Forest even has an upbeat feeling, despite it being Sonic fleeing from an island about to blow up in 10 minutes!! Even as the story fully transitions to everyone on the Space Colonly ARK, Unstable World... for Crazy Gadget still holds onto that pop-rock with minor elements of techno. It works REALLY well with personalizing stages to its characters, even ones that two characters share together. Something else to note, too, is these titles are often really short and to the point, much like Sonic. None of them really convey a serious feeling, but a carefree "see it as it is" attitude. It's a really nice touch.

Shadow

I used to really not care for Throw It All Away as a kid. I loved the introduction to the song and its instrumentals, but I didn't care for the lyrics. However, as I got older, I started gaining an appreciation for it, and realized a lot of its deeper meaning. Its genre, industrial, reflects really well with Shadow's artificial creation. Specifically, industrial often mimics the sounds of industrial machinery. Much like an industrial machine, Shadow was manufactured and created by man. It's a perfect match for his character as he reawakens into a world without his best friend, Maria.

The lyrics of Throw It All Away relay Shadow's experiences comparing the old world he left and the new world he was brought into. It expresses a really cynical outlook on it, and it makes sense when you consider the trauma he's experiened: Maria's death.

Everybody tries to be straight

But things are still unchanged

It's useless to resist

Their effort will be wasted

Despite the many changes in the world he's left behind, it's still the same as it ever was for him. Shadow's view on humanity's been tainted by G.U.N.'s execution of Maria and arrest of Gerald Robotnik, the only two people who cared for him in his life to this point. 50 years may have passed, but humanity is just as selfish and uncaring as it was for him then. This is elaborated on later:

... Throw it all away

No one can break you, nobody can tear you

You live and endless life forever

Nobody can hurt or tear into him because of the walls he's put up, no thanks to his family's execution. He's throwing his life away to avenge the people he loves, because otherwise, he's constantly replaying Maria's death in his head over and over, like a record that just won't quit. Like an endless life.

The industrial genre definitely carries over into a lot of Shadow's stages, especially in its beat and drums. Similar to Sonic's stage names, they're short and to the point, but from the exact opposite angle of Sonic's optimistic attitude. Vengence Is Mine... for Radical Highway, Rhythm And Balance... for white jungle. The one that stands out is Mr. Unsmiley... for Sky Rail, a completely goofier name compared to the rest of his tracks. However, this name doesn't exactly come out of nowhere! Let's look at Throw It All Away again:

You see a light wherever you go

You have to face it again and again

Whether Shadow likes it or not, he sometimes sees a "light," Maria, in the people around him. You're likely wondering what this has to do with the song title, but let's rewind and look at the context. The stage this plays on, Sky Rail, is right after White Jungle. What causes the game to throw you into White Jungle? The cutscene beforehand, where Rouge radios Shadow and depressingly admits she might die, trapped in G.U.N.'s prison base. He gets flashbacks to Maria, thinking about her, and ends up going to rescue her. Rouge admits to him that it was incredibly out of character for him, and upon being faced with this "light," he chooses to deny what he saw in her. He pretends he was just retrieving the Chaos Emeralds. Rouge knows this isn't the fully story, but she doesn't have a chance to press him on it before Eggman comes in.

Mr. Unsmiley... for Sky Rail is the song for the stage right after he rescues Rouge from Prison Island and the seeds of doubt about his plan have been planted. While he's still dedicated in doing it for Maria, he's starting to think about his more detailed conversations with Maria, about how Gerald's goal was to benefit mankind and life on Earth. It's beginning to depict Shadow in another light.

Knuckles

Knuckles's theme takes an entirely new approach from his Sonic Adventure 1 variant, and for the better. Not to say the previous version wasn't good, but the way the music is arranged is infinitely more fitting for his character.

Something very important to note is that Knuckles is black-coded. He is a native, of course, with his tribe being based on Mesoamerican and Mayan culture, but he's also deeply associated with black culture. This is especially evident in the type of music he's associated with in Sonic Adventure 2, especially when you look at the singers. Both are black, and the genre of Unknown from M.E. is rhythm & blues, and hip-hop, both having incredibly black origins. Both singers for this version, Marlon Saunders and Dred Foxx, are black! This isn't even accounting for design elements of his, like his quills hanging down the way they do being similar to dreadlocks, or how his colors are that of the Jamaican flag, with the artist who designed and created Knuckles saying that he was initially based off of Jamaican culture. I cannot speak too deeply on the black experience and how Knuckles is written, as I am white, but it would be criminal to avoid talking about this aspect of Knuckles.

All of Knuckles's tracks involve rap, but they're all rapping about his thoughts and experiences. Unknown from M.E. does this too, but the level tracks specifically reflect Knuckles's thoughts in time with the story. They're raw, unfiltered, and unapologetically him. Knuckles is already LIKE this as a character! He doesn't filter himself. They're all a dive into his head!!

Yeah, Rouge, she's sexy and smooth!

A double cross spy-thief, that's out for my jewels, huh...

I'm feelin' her in mysterious ways.

... Yo what happened, my Emeralds' gone!

Somebody gonna get theirs quick, my word is bond,

Who could'a did this, that snitch named Rouge!

... Think you gon' fly and get away quick? Uh, uh!

Give up the Emerald or die, I don't love you!

Kick The Rock!... for Pumpkin Hill, Hunnid-P

These lyrics, as funny as it is to hear "sexy" in a Sonic game, does really well with going through how Knuckles feels about Rouge. They just met, and while he's conflicted about how charming she is, she's still going against everything he stands for by going after the Master Emerald! He's pissed and doesn't want to care for her, but she lives rent-free in his head.

It sure beats fighting with them foes all the time

But I gotta do it, they always stay outta line

Sometimes I wanna just chill and lamp

But I'm the protector of the Emeralds and gems

Dive Into The Mellow... for Aquatic Mine, Hunnid-P

Knuckles does NOT like getting wrapped up in all of this "drama" with Eggman and Sonic. But he has to, because when it concerns the Master Emerald and the sister Chaos Emeralds, it's his duty passed down to him from his ancestors to interfere and protect his heritage. He wants to live a regular life, but he can't, for better or worse.

Sonic, what are you doin' here?

I heard you were on a quest for the Master Emerald

You know me and you don't get along

I don't think that's the point right now, Knuckles

I know how much the emerald means to you

And I wanna help get it back

Stop bein' stubborn and think

Well I guess you're right

Ya damn right, Knuckles

Deeper... for Death Chamber, Hunnid-P

Despite Knuckles's hesitation and irritation towards Sonic and the situation he's in, he can't do this alone. He hates to admit it, too, but he begrudgingly accepts this help. Knuckles's biggest flaw, carried from Sonic Adventure 1, is how he prefers to be independent to a fault. Whether it be because it's all he's known for so long or not, it doesn't matter, because he's forced to confront it. It almost feels a little humiliating, especially with the "Ya damn right, Knuckles" line from Sonic in the song. Obviously, Sonic didn't actually say this, but it sure felt that way! It's such an interesting insight into how Knuckles works.

Rouge

Fly In The Freedom was always a joy to listen to, but I never really gave much thought about its lyrics until now. Her genre is Jazz, which, like Knuckles's music, is a very black music genre. However, her lyrics are a complete contrast from Unknown From M.E.: whereas his track is clear, open and honest, Fly In The Freedom is dodgy, vague, and dance around obvious meaning. Much like her character, you can do a basic surface level reading and guess that it's about how much she loves treasure hunting. After all, that's how she describes herself, right? It's not an inherently wrong read of the theme. However, there's a hidden meaning to her theme's lyrics that become clearer upon progressing through Sonic Adventure 2's dark story.

We first are introduced to Rouge through her fighting with Knuckles over the Master Emerald. We learn she loves jewels and feels entitled to the Master Emerald. It's implied she attempted to steal the Master Emerald, but either way, this is interrutped by Eggman attempting to steal the Master Emerald as well. Knuckles shatters it to prevent it from falling into Eggman's clutches, and Rouge freaks out. It almost mirrors his reaction in Sonic Adventure 1, where Knuckles was panicked and afraid when the Master Emerald was shattered. He actively feared for Angel Island's safety. However, Knuckles is confident in himself and knows it's better shattered than in once piece and with Eggman. It's a complete flip of how he handled things at first from Adventure 1! Aside from Rouge's entitlement to jewels, it's important to note Rouge wasn't working with Eggman yet. Through her dialogue, we learn she's on a mission to follow Eggman and figure out his plans, but why? When she reveals herself after Shadow explains the Eclipse Canon, she proposes working with Eggman to collect the Chaos Emeralds alongside Master Emerald shards. Much later, it's revealed she was hired by the president to gather intel on Project Shadow, since G.U.N., the military that acts on its own without order from the president, redacted and hid so much information about it. Considering that Eggman initially wanted the Master Emerald for the Eclipse Canon but settled with Chaos Emeralds, it's likely that Rouge initially was interested in the Master Emerald due to its connection with the Space Colony ARK. It's why she hunts down the Chaos Emeralds! Working with people who aim to take over the Earth while researching Project Shadow though is incredibly risky. Hell, she's discovered by Shadow later to be working with the president!

How does this relate to her theme? It's how she lives in the shadows, digging and hunting for clues to fulfill her mission. She's untamable, and despite working for the president she's very independent. With the Eclipse Canon being prepared for fire to assist in Eggman's takeover of the world, there's not a lot of time to work with. She has to do a lot: gathering Master Emerald shards, Chaos Emeralds, intel on Project Shadow... there's no time to waste!

Time never stop and wait for me

Show the way

Looking for answers

And looking for the clue

Yes, she's looking for the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald shards, but remember, she's also playing detective by looking for information on Project Shadow. This is a 50 year old project with files scattered, lost to time, and destroyed by G.U.N. through violent means. Her job involves a lot of risks, and it's compared to gambling in the sense nothing is guaranteed. There's more, too:

I feel that my wish will come true

I’ve never thought ahead to that luck

Is it my treasure?

Tell me what I’m really looking for

When she introduced herself to Eggman and Shadow, she's not inherently lying by saying she is a treasure hunter. She is, but she also is looking for something else. She's constantly looking for something, whether it be jewels or intel. Her "treasure" isn't inherently literal here, as it could be the jewels or the intel about Project Shadow.

Tell me what is this feeling?

Show the way

I’m in paradise

I’ll keep it forever

She initially didn't plan on quitting, but after the events of Sonic Adventure 2, she tells Knuckles that it's too much work for too little pay, so she's thinking of quitting treasure hunting. She has something better she's thinking about, and says it'll work out... which, I bet, is what that question is referring to: her feelings about Knuckles. Of course, Knuckles brushes it off with "whatever you say," but it's really interesting how even in the end, Rouge avoids being direct with people. It's reflected very well in her theme. Her track names, too, reflect that abstract theming... well, except one, being I'm A Spy... for Security Hall. That one is when we start learning more about her as a person in the story, so it's oddly fitting.

Tails

Something really interesting to note about Believe In Myself is how, much like its Sonic Adventure 1 variant, it's similar to It Doesn't Matter on the surface. However, Sonic Adventure 2 pushes Tails's individual in its music, giving it its own personality while still having that Sonic influence. In Adventure 1, the genre was pop-rock, which was an off-shoot of rock. It spoke to how closely Tails idolized Sonic and wanted to be like him, how he tried so hard to mimic him. Tails's story in Adventure 1 is about how he realizes he wants to be his own person, separate from Sonic. Adventure 2 carries this torch by having Tails act on his own, without consulting Sonic, and when Sonic is presumed killed by Eggman, Tails fully takes on his newfound independence with stride. This change in his character is reflected through his theme's genre turning into alternative rock. It keeps that rock origin and influence, much like how Tails keeps that influence from Sonic, but it develops into its own identity and is recognizable from Sonic by itself. The lyrics still reflect that desire to be his own person.

A common criticism I see aimed at this song in particular, for both variants, is that there's no sense of rhyme in its lyrics. Looking at It Doesn't Matter, there's a very clear sense of rhyme that makes the melody stick to your head. However, I think the lack of rhyme in Believe In Myself works to its benefit of portraying Tails. It's like asking a child to write a song about themselves, their feelings, and experiences. Much like a beginner, the lyrics portray a very clear feeling but lack that professional polish and expertise. It's just like Tails, who lacks that experience that Sonic has, but knows what he wants to do! Like someone taking those first few steps towards independence and confidence... which the song perfectly reflects in its cheesey lyrics:

If I just follow you, I will never see the light

Now is the time to find my way through this life

... Everything is a brand new challenge for me

And I will believe

Believe in myself

This is the only way for me

Much like how Believe In Myself is titled to be clear and straight to the point like a child naming their first song, the rest of Tails's tracks in the game follow this naming scheme. This Way Out... for Prison Lane, Rumbling HWY... for Mission Street. It's not immediately obvious, but "HWY" stands for highway! Isn't that so cool!?

Eggman

His theme is rock with some minor mechanical elements in its intro, which ironically is a similar genre to Sonic's in Adventure 1, being hard rock. However, the way E.G.G.M.A.N. expresses itself is incredibly fitting. The song radiates confidence, ego, and authority. There's no "I might," there's no "I may," it's only "I am" and "I will." It radiates in being unabashadly out there. There's only so many ways to describe how good this song is. This song, much like Eggman, puts everything you need to know on the table, front and center. Nothing's unclear and it's incredibly clear how calculated he is. He's always plotting something. He knows what he is and he's proud of it. In his words:

I am the enemy, I will succeed

My mission, yeah, I must complete

My name is Eggman, don't forget my name

If you ask me again, I will show you the same

The tracks for Eggman's stages mixes a few genres together: rock and techno, most commonly. This reflects Eggman's expertise in machinery and technology, while still bringing out that confidence he wears on his sleeve. Most of them carry that feeling of being on a mission, leaking confidence. Arguably, some of them even feel a little calming with how calculated they feel! It fits his demeanor in Sonic Adventure 2 the most, where he's really at his best. He's never been more sure, never been more confident. He comes very close to accomplishing his goal, too!

That's all I got to say about Sonic Adventure 2 and its amazing music. I hope this was an enjoyable read!!