Industrial rock legends Nine Inch Nails have returned with their first new material in years, releasing the haunting and cinematic track “As Alive As You Need To Be”, the lead single from the upcoming film Tron: Ares. The track arrives alongside the announcement that Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross will be composing the entire original score for the highly anticipated third entry in the Tron franchise.
Known for their boundary-pushing sonic landscapes and emotionally charged songwriting, Nine Inch Nails bring their signature blend of analog grit and digital precision to the digital frontier of Tron: Ares. “As Alive As You Need To Be” sets the tone with pulsating synths, ghostly melodies, and a slow-building tension that feels tailor-made for the cybernetic world of Tron.
TRON ARES Tracklisting
1. INIT
2. FORKED REALITY
3. AS ALIVE AS YOU NEED ME TO BE
4. ECHOES
5. THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING
6. IN THE IMAGE OF
7. I KNOW YOU CAN FEEL IT
8. PERMANENCE
9. INFILTRATOR
10. 100% EXPENDABLE
11. STILL REMAINS
12. WHO WANTS TO LIVE FOREVER?
13. BUILDING BETTER WORLDS
14. TARGET IDENTIFIED
15. DAEMONIZE
16. EMPATHETIC RESPONSE
17. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?
18. A QUESTION OF TRUST
19. GHOST IN THE MACHINE
20. NO GOING BACK
21. NEMESIS
22. NEW DIRECTIVE
23. OUT IN THE WORLD
24. SHADOW OVER ME
Reznor and Ross—who have earned acclaim and multiple awards for their film scoring work on projects such as The Social Network, Gone Girl, and Soul—are fully helming the soundtrack for Tron: Ares. This marks their most immersive cinematic collaboration to date, bridging the worlds of experimental rock and sci-fi epic.
Tron: Ares, directed by Joachim Rønning (Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales), is set to hit theaters on October 10, 2025 via Walt Disney Pictures. The film stars Jared Leto as Ares, a sentient program who crosses into the human world, setting off a chain reaction that threatens the boundary between digital and physical realities.
The film serves as a follow-up to 2010’s Tron: Legacy and the 1982 original Tron, continuing the visually striking saga with a darker and more introspective tone—reflected perfectly in Nine Inch Nails’ chilling new song.
“As Alive As You Need To Be” – Nine Inch Nails Lyrics
I woke up in a world I didn’t build
A signal hums beneath my skin, it won’t stay still
Reflections talk but never say my name
And everything familiar isn’t quite the same
I remember silence like a song
A place where nothing felt like it was wrong
But now I breathe in wires, I bleed light
Trying to feel human just for one more night
(Chorus)
I’m as alive as you need to believe
In this code, in this dream, in the in-between
Touch me, tell me I’m not just machine
I’m as alive as you need to be
Shadows stretch like circuits in my mind
I chase the past but it’s too far behind
You say I matter—maybe you’re lying
But it’s the only reason I keep trying
(Chorus)
I’m as alive as you need to believe
In this code, in this dream, in the in-between
Touch me, tell me I’m not just machine
I’m as alive as you need to be
(Outro)
Say it again—just lie to me sweet
Tell me I’m more than steel and deceit
‘Cause I’m as alive…
as you need to be
“As Alive As You Need To Be” is now available on all major streaming platforms. Stay tuned for more music from the official Tron: Ares soundtrack as we approach the film’s release this fall.
