The first official music track for Kingdom Hearts 4 has just been released as part of the Kingdom Hearts 20th-anniversary vinyl collection. Fans finally received official confirmation that Square Enix is working on the next Kingdom Hearts game last April in the form of a cryptic Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer. In it, Sora awakens in a modern-looking city named Quadratum - just in time to battle a gigantic monster using his trusty Keyblade and some sort of grappling hook ability.
No further details about Kingdom Hearts 4 have been revealed so far, but fans have naturally speculated about where Sora’s story will go after Kingdom Hearts 3 concluded the series-spanning “Dark Seeker” myth arc. There has also been debate about which Disney-owned properties could be introduced as new worlds in Kingdom Hearts 4 - with eagle-eyed viewers spotting a hint at Star Wars in the initial KH 4 trailer. Sure enough, the Kingdom Hearts 4 trailer itself has been ripe with hidden details for hardcore fans of the series, including the brand-new music track that played as Sora battled against his newest foe.
Now fans can listen to Kingdom Hearts 4’s rousing “Reality in the Dark” track by itself, thanks to the efforts of YouTubers like UmbraMuninn who bought the recently released Kingdom Hearts 20th-anniversary vinyl collection. “Reality in the Dark” was included in this compilation of the best themes from the Kingdom Hearts series as a bonus track, and fans have been uploading high-quality rips of the song for fans to listen to without the noises from the trailer. UmbraMuninn’s upload is especially clear, save for a few popping sounds.
As with most of Kingdom Hearts’ memorable tunes, Kingdom Hearts 4's “Reality in the Dark” was composed by Yoko Shimomura, a prolific musician known for her work in games like Street Fighter 2, Mario + Luigi: Superstar Saga, and Xenoblade Chronicles. Shimomura has been playing "Reality in the Dark" live during showings of Kingdom Hearts Concert - Second Breath, though recordings of these concerts weren’t allowed.
This means that the recent rips from the Kingdom Hearts 20th-anniversary vinyl collection are currently the only way for most fans to listen to Kingdom Hearts 4’s “Reality in the Dark” track by itself - though it is only a matter of time before Square Enix releases an official version outside of the vinyl compilation. The music of Kingdom Hearts is just as memorable as the characters and worlds of Disney and Square Enix’s beloved crossover franchise, and “Reality in the Dark” is a fitting new addition for the upcoming Kingdom Hearts 4.
Kingdom Hearts 4 is currently in development.