University of Westminster Music Degree course celebrates 30 years & makes history

24 April 2025 - Press release

BBC hit comedy drama BOARDERS Original Soundtrack album announced
Released 2 May
First single ‘Gold’ by Joy & Jee Melodies will drop 24April
Download single here, Listen to full album here & Album DSP link here

 

Announcing BOARDERS Original Soundtrack - a unique collection of Black music from the next generation of composers graduating from University of Westminster’s Music BA Hons degree course, which is set for release on 2 May, preceded by first single ‘Gold’, a joyous, infectious Afropop/R&B banger by Joy & Jee Melodies which will drop on 24 April, distributed by Warner Music.

The University of Westminster music degree course marks 30 years this year with this groundbreaking project as the only degree course in the country offering real-time learning, work placement and a credit on a high profile TV programme across two seasons.  As a result, the BOARDERS Original Soundtrack album is entirely composed by university students.

The music for Studio Lambert’s acclaimed series has been commissioned in a totally unique way with undergraduate degree students at the very start of their music careers. Under the guidance of BOARDERS Musical Director, respected Black music expert and Associate Professor at the University of Westminster Mykaell Riley, music students have written and composed all the original tracks for both seasons 1 and 2 of ‘BOARDERS’, bringing their fresh creativity to the sound of the hit show.  

Across 18 tracks, the album spans Black music genres from afrobeats, R&B, soul, drill, rap, trap, afro swing, drum n bass, pop, techno and electronica created by 12 composers: Ronn, Joseph Burnett (aka DOCTOR JAY), Jewel Appiah (aka Joy & Jee Melodies), Maisy New (aka Maisy Grace), Corrie Fraser, Cristian Jermane, Rodrigo Espino, Ryan Skidmore (aka Duccbod), Balaji Pillai (aka ChunkyKid), Sydney Yack (aka DAPHNE) and Jordan Johnson (aka JJ) and featured artist Pauline Riou (aka paups).  

The album has been mastered by respected music producer and engineer Ikon (Tems, Wizkid). Each of the 12 composers on the album have brought something unique to the project, with a richly diverse combination of backgrounds, talents and musical perspectives, with a mix of male and female songwriters, vocalists, rappers and programmers using a variety of technologies to create the killer ‘BOARDERS’ soundtrack. 

Mykaell Riley, Director of the Black Music Research Unit (BMRU) at the University of Westminster, said “I’m thrilled to announce the release of the BOARDERS Original Soundtrack album with first single ‘Gold’ by Joy & Jee Melodies. The University of Westminster music degree course champions Black British music into TV and film and this project is the first of its kind from any music degree course in the UK, where you have real time learning and work placement within a hit BBC drama across two seasons, which by the end of the course, students can achieve an IMDB credit. 

It's been so rewarding to see these 12 incredibly talented music degree students and composers gain the invaluable experience and real-life challenge of creating a TV soundtrack for the hit show ‘BOARDERS’. We have had students contributing from Europe, India, Canada, US, Mexico and the UK. Across seasons 1 and 2 soundtracks, there have been a whopping 34 IMDB credits in total for Westminster student composers. This is a huge achievement for students who will enter the industry with recognised work on a major production, and reflects the Music course’s commitment to equipping students with real-life experience, skills and connections required for a long-lasting career in the music industry.”

Jewel Appiah, of Joy & Jee Melodies, said “Being involved in the production and writing process for the music used in BOARDERS Season 2 has been an amazing experience. It has helped me to grow creatively as a producer and introduced me to the wonderful world of audiovisual work. ‘Gold’ is about just letting go and going with the flow, it’s about believing in yourself and a higher power. It’s an uplifting track. Being the first single released from the project is so special, particularly as it is featured in the closing scene of Season 2, which makes it really memorable.”

Madeleine Sinclair, Creative Director for Studio Lambert, Scripted and Executive Producer on BOARDERS said: “Music is such a huge part of Boarders and we’ve been so lucky to work with the brilliant Mykaell Riley and his talented students on two series. Daniel Lawrence Taylor (creator, writer and exec) and I are consistently amazed by the calibre of the tracks produced by the students and to have their music celebrated on this album from Warner Music is fantastic. We can’t wait to share the sound of BOARDERS with the fans!” 

Laverne Thomas, Operations Lead, Warner Music Africa added: "We are incredibly proud to be distributing the official soundtrack for BOARDERS seasons 1 and 2. This project is a testament to the power of music in storytelling, and we are thrilled to showcase the incredible talent of up-and-coming musicians and music students from Westminster University. Their work brings a fresh and dynamic energy to the series, and we can't wait for audiences to experience the soundtrack. The collaboration represents our ongoing commitment to supporting emerging artists and amplifying new voices in the industry.”

Produced by Studio Lambert (part of All3 Media), the second season of the smash hit show BOARDERS returned to screens in February via BBC iPlayer in the UK and will launch on Tubi in the US on 17^th April. With a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, this award-winning show has received rave reviews. Created by award-winning writer Daniel Lawrence Taylor, BOARDERS follows five talented Black students from inner-city London who receive scholarships to attend elite boarding school St Gilbert’s. 

The University of Westminster music degree has championed a huge array of exceptional talent into careers in the music industry, with notable artist alumni like Amir Amor (Rudimental), Bree Runway and Estelle, and music industry figures including Jake Nava (music video director Beyonce ‘Crazy In Love’ & ‘Single Ladies), Al Shux (producer & writer Jay-Z’s ‘Empire State Of Mind’, ‘All The Stars’ by Kendrick Lamar & SZA), Ben Wynter (AIM), Luke McGrellis (Universal Music Publishing), Jin Jin (songwriter for Jess Glynne & Raye) and Remi Harris (music industry consultant).

Series 1 and 2 are available to watch on BBC iPlayer, and Series 1 is on Tubi in North America and LATAM, with Series 2 released on 17 April 2025 and in Germany on ZDF.  The show is produced in association with All3Media International. 

Album tracklisting: 

1. Take A Step Back – Ronn
2. Gold – Joy & Jee Melodies 
3. My Game – Maisy Grace, Corrie Fraser
4. Take My Number – Cristian Jermane ft. Cheeks & Jon
5. Too Real 4 Ya – Cristian Jermane
6. JBE – DOCTOR JAY
7. Unknown Memories – Rodrigo Espino ft. paups
8. Possibility – DAPHNE
9. It’s Alright – Duccbod
10. Sip My Cup – Ronn
11. Yep he Got It – Corrie Fraser
12. Neck Her – Ronn
13. Dark and Gray – Ronn, ChunkyKid
14. Risky Cash – Ronn
15. Dreaming Of You – Hussein Boon
16. Skin – JJ
17. Welcome – JJ
18. Never Be The Same – DOCTOR JAY