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Malukah
Background information
Also known asMalukah
Born
Judith de los Santos

1982 (age 43–44)
OriginMonterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
GenresPop rock
OccupationsSinger, songwriter, composer
InstrumentsGuitar, Piano, Percussion
Years active2005–present
LabelsMateria Collective, independent
Websitewww.malukah.com

Judith de los Santos (born 1982), known professionally as Malukah, is a Mexican composer and singer-songwriter known for her cover versions of music from video games or TV series and movies, which she publishes on YouTube. She became known to an international audience when a video of her cover of the song The Dragonborn Comes from the game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim became a viral video in November 2011.[1] Since then she has contributed to several video game soundtracks, composed and produced original music, and performed live.

Career

[edit]

Early career and education

[edit]

Being a gamer since childhood, Judith de los Santos grew up with gaming related music. She started writing songs and singing at the age of 15,[2] took guitar, piano and percussion lessons[3] to later study at the Berklee College of Music. She graduated in 2005 with a dual major in Music Production and Engineering and Film Scoring with her debut album All of the Above.[4]

YouTube and video game soundtracks

[edit]

In November 2011, shortly after the release of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, her cover version of the game's song The Dragonborn Comes went viral. The video was reposted on the IGN YouTube channel as well as gaming-related websites and became quickly popular.[5] The original video on her own channel has over 27 million views, while the version on IGN's channel has over 18 million views by February 2025.[6][7] This and other popular videos, including songs set to music from the Mass Effect, Halo and The Witcher game series[8][9][10] helped her to obtain work in the video game industry.

She was commissioned to provide vocals for songs for the game Call of Duty: Black Ops II in 2012,[11][12] The Banner Saga franchise (collaborating with Austin Wintory, Taylor Davis and Peter Hollens).[13][14] In 2014, she composed and sang the ingame NPC bard songs[15] and the end credits song Beauty of Dawn for the MMORPG Elder Scrolls Online.[16][17] She was invited to be a part of an upcoming symphony project by video game composer Jeremy Soule, The Northerner.[18] She provided vocals for music in the short film The Forge, collaborating with Austin Wintory and Tina Guo.[19] She worked with Peter Hollens on a cover version of the Civilization IV Theme (originally composed by Christopher Tin) Baba Yetu.[20] Together they also worked on a cover of Lullaby of Woe, a song from the Witcher 3 soundtrack. Her vocals were featured in the song Outside the Realm in the 2nd season Stranger Things soundtrack.[21] The song was originally composed by Big Giant Circles for the video game There Came an Echo and was reused as thematic music for this purpose. She also worked with Miracle of Sound on his popular song Legends of the Frost based on the video game The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. She is featured on the Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 soundtrack. She provided vocal effects for the game Far Cry Primal working with BAFTA award-winning composer Jason Graves.[22] Recently, she contributed to the soundtracks of the video games Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 and the PlayStation 4 Virtual reality game Moss.[23][24] She and other musicians were invited by CD Projekt musical director Marcin Przybyłowicz to participate in a music video that recreates The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt main theme to celebrate the game's 5th anniversary in 2020.[25] Lately, she contributed vocals to music to the game The Pathless, worked on vocal editing in Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War for the song Alone, and contributed both vocals and vocal editing for multiple tracks in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6. [26][27][28][29][30]

Key Information

Live performances, streaming and original music

[edit]

She performed the Halo tribute song Frozen Sleep at the Halo Global Championships 2013 at PAX Prime.[1] Furthermore, she performed video game music at SXSW[31] and The Game Awards. She was a guest performer at the Video Games Live E3 concert 2014 in Los Angeles[32][33] and in her hometown Monterrey in 2016. She was invited to sing at The Elder Scrolls Online tavern community event during Gamescom 2018 in Cologne, Germany.[34] She performed at the Argentina Game Show in Buenos Aires in 2019[35][36] and the CES 2020 in Las Vegas.[37]

Malukah streamed as a partnered streamer on Twitch for almost 1,000 hours between 2016 and 2020, having reached 662,000 views and 38,800 followers in the music & performing arts and gaming category. Since 2020, she focused live streaming on YouTube.

In 2019, she released her latest original album I Follow the Moon.

Style and genre

[edit]

Her two original albums mostly cover the genres Pop rock or Folk rock. Collaborations with other musicians like Sonic Mayhem or Headhunterz are influenced by electronic music. Her contributions to the Call of Duty: Black Ops games cover the genre of Heavy Metal. The video game contributions, movie related originals, covers and medleys can be classified as fantasy folk rock or fantasy music. Her covers are influenced by music set to games like Mass Effect, The Elder Scrolls, The Witcher, Halo and Destiny, movies like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings or TV series like Game of Thrones. Recent releases mainly consist of cover works and single releases to various original songs (e.g. Hallelujah, Sound of Silence). The most gaming-related soundtracks include [clarification needed]Answers from Final Fantasy XIV, Nostalgia from the 2022 video game Asterigos: Curse of the Stars by Composer WeiFan Chang) and the cover of Living on The Rooftops from Dying Light 2.

Her vocal range can be considered as alto.

Discography

[edit]

Original albums

[edit]
  • All of the Above (self-published album, 2006)[38]
  • I Follow the Moon (2019)
[edit]
  • Forget the Lines, Secret (both songs from: Acoustic Cafe Series, Vol.1, 2009)
  • Reignite (Headhunterz ft. Malukah, 2012)
  • Legends of the Frost (Miracle of Sound, ft. Malukah, 2012)
  • Bleed Forever (in: Doomsday, Sonic Mayhem ft. Malukah, 2015)
  • World of Warcraft: Malach, Angel Messenger (in: Video Games Level 5, 2016)
  • Al Fin (from: Song Planet, 2016)
  • One More Time (from: Days of Tomorrow, R. Armando Morabito, 2017)
[edit]
  • The Dragonborn Comes (2017)
  • Reignite, a tribute to Mass Effect, single, released by Materia Collective (2020)
  • Lullaby of Woe (from: The Witcher 3, ft. work with Peter Hollens, 2020)
  • Good Riddance (ft. work with Peter Hollens, 2021)
  • Come little children (single, cover, 2021)

Video game soundtrack contributions

[edit]
Year Game Song(s) Contribution References
2012 Call of Duty: Black Ops II Where Are We Going?, Always Running, Archangel vocals [39]
2012 Journey Journey Waltz vocals [40]
2013 The Banner Saga Onward vocals & lyrics [41]
2014 The Elder Scrolls Online End credits: Beauty of Dawn

Bard songs: Battle of Glenumbra Moors, Chim-El Adabal

The Coldharbour Compact, Hymn to Kyne, Ithguleoir,

Ode to Queen Ayrenn, Over the Seas and Far Away,

The Plane Meld, Stagger and Sway, Three Hearts as One

composer, vocals

& lyrics

[15][16][17]
2015 There Came an Echo There Came An Echo Theme, Waiting For Fire vocals [42]
2015 Sunset Esperanza En Duelo, Eres Mi Vela (both Spanish traditional) vocals & lyrics [43]
2015 Monaco What Yours Is Mine vocals [44]
2015 Call of Duty: Black Ops III Zombie Menu Music, Dead Flowers

Dead Again, Dead Ended, The Gift

vocals

vocal editor

[45]
2016 Far Cry Primal ingame/soundtrack female character voice-acting (shouts) vocals [46]
2016 The Banner Saga 2 Our Steps, To The Night lyrics & vocals [47]
2017 Lone Echo Ready at Dawn vocals [48]
2018 The Banner Saga 3 Only Few Remember It Now vocals [49]
2018 Moss Home To Me vocals [50]
2018 Call of Duty: Black Ops 4 Where Are We Going? (updated version), Drowning

Mystery, Shockwave, Drowning, Stormbound, I Am The Well

vocals

vocal editor

[51]
2020 The Pathless A land, which was not my own (choir) vocals [26]
2020 Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War Alone vocal editor [52][27]
2024 Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Can You Hear Me? (Come in), Falling to Pieces

Can You Hear Me? (Come in), Destroy Something Beautiful

vocals

vocal editor

[28][29][30]

TV soundtrack contributions

[edit]
  • Panic Nation (2010, lyricist, composer)
  • The Forge (short film, 2013, feat. vocals)
  • Outside the Realm (feat. vocals), Stranger Things (Season 2, episodes 02 and 07)

Collaborations

[edit]

Malukah's collaborations usually involve other YouTube musicians like singer Peter Hollens or violinist Taylor Davis. For her video game contributions, she repeatedly worked with the composers Austin Wintory and Jason Graves.[40][50][53] Further collaborations involved musicians like Elena Siegman, Tina Guo and Kevin Sherwood.[45][51] Most noted were her collaborations with ZeniMax Online Studios for the bard songs and end credits song of The Elder Scrolls Online and with Treyarch for the Call of Duty: Black Ops franchise, contributing to several of the Zombie easter egg songs.

Awards

[edit]
  • Winner of the 10th Unisong International Song Contest 2005 (Everything)[54]
  • Two wins in the Rock category at the 16th LA Music Awards as female singer-songwriter of the year (Everything) and female vocalist of the year (I can't make it rain), and another nomination in Rock category for best album (All of the Above) in 2006.[2]

Trivia

[edit]
  • Malukah is known to sing in various real and fantasy languages. For parts of her cover versions from The Elder Scrolls franchise, she sang in dragon language, Dragon-tongue. For her cover version of Priscilla's song from the game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, she sang one verse in Polish as a tribute to the country, where The Witcher franchise has originated.[55] For The Banner Saga soundtrack she sang in Icelandic.[56] For the Civilization IV theme Baba Yetu she sang in Swahili.[57] For the cover The Fields of Ard Skellig, a song from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt original soundtrack, she sang in Gaelic.[58]
  • Her bard songs can be listened to in-game performed by several bard NPCs in The Elder Scrolls Online.
  • A NPC with the name of Malukah Lightsong was introduced with the Patch 6.2.0 in the video game World of Warcraft.[59]
  • She wrote a self-published short novel called The Stolen Pendant.[60]
  • The Skyrim modding community has added her Dragonborn cover to various game mods.[61]

References

[edit]
[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia
from Grokipedia
Malukah (born Judith de los Santos; June 6, 1982) is a Mexican composer, singer, and songwriter from Monterrey, renowned for her acoustic covers of video game soundtracks and original vocal contributions to prominent video game titles. Raised in Monterrey, Mexico, Malukah began writing songs at the age of 15 and later pursued formal education in music, graduating from Berklee College of Music with dual majors in Music Production and Engineering and Film Scoring. Her career gained significant traction through YouTube, where her 2011 cover of "The Dragonborn Comes" from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim—blending the game's bard song with its main theme—amassed over 27 million views and established her as a leading interpreter of video game music. This viral success led to opportunities in professional game audio, including composing the end credits song and bard songs for The Elder Scrolls Online (2013), as well as providing vocals for titles such as the Call of Duty: Black Ops series (Black Ops 2, 3, and 4), Far Cry Primal (2016), The Banner Saga trilogy, Moss (2018), No Rest for the Wicked (2024), and Sword of the Sea (2025). Beyond covers and game soundtracks, Malukah has released original albums like I Follow the Moon (2019) and performed live at events including SXSW, concerts in cities such as and , , and monthly concerts as of 2025. She has also received recognition, including two Music Awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and of the Year. Her work emphasizes ethereal, folk-inspired arrangements that highlight vocal storytelling, bridging fan-driven content with industry contributions in the gaming and music sectors.

Early life and education

Childhood and musical beginnings

Judith de los Santos was born in 1982 in , , . De los Santos grew up in a musical household where her mother, a skilled , played a pivotal role in fostering her passion for music. Inspired by her mother's playing, she began taking lessons at the age of eight and later expanded her skills to include drums, percussion, and guitar, with the guitar emerging as her favorite instrument. These early lessons laid the groundwork for her self-taught exploration of songwriting and performance. By her mid-teens, around age 15, de los Santos started composing original songs as a means to reflect on and process life experiences, marking the beginning of her creative pursuits. She honed her craft through informal local performances, playing her guitar and singing solo at coffee shops and small bars in . Her budding interest in video games during her youth also sparked a fascination with game soundtracks, blending her hobbies with her musical development. These formative experiences culminated in the compilation of her debut album, All of the Above, featuring songs written primarily during her teenage years.

Berklee College of Music

Malukah, born Judith de los Santos, enrolled at in , where she pursued a rigorous education tailored to her interests in music creation for visual media. She graduated in 2005 with dual majors in Music Production and Engineering and Film Scoring. These programs equipped her with technical proficiency in recording, mixing, and composing for cinematic contexts, emphasizing hands-on studio work and orchestration techniques essential for multimedia scoring. During her studies, Malukah engaged in collaborative projects that honed her production skills, including a standout team effort in 's inaugural Fantastic Scholastic Recording Competition in 2005. As part of a five-student Berklee ensemble, she contributed to producing, recording, and mixing a performance using microphones, demonstrating innovative placement and ensemble coordination under faculty guidance. This victory not only earned her a KSM27 but also marked an early milestone in applying her coursework to real-world audio challenges. Additionally, around this time, she released her debut album All of the Above, recorded with Berklee faculty and featuring student and alumni performers, showcasing her emerging songwriting and production abilities. Her film scoring classes at Berklee profoundly influenced her affinity for game music, as the curriculum's focus on syncing music to visuals and evoking emotional narratives mirrored the interactive demands of soundtracks. Inspired by composers like , whose work on series she later covered, Malukah developed a passion for epic, orchestral styles during these courses. This foundation directly shaped her post-graduation pursuits, including entering songwriting contests that built on her academic training in composition and production.

Career

YouTube breakthrough and covers

Malukah launched her YouTube channel, @malufenix, in 2011, initially uploading covers that received modest viewership of around 300 per video. Her breakthrough occurred on November 29, 2011, with the release of "The Dragonborn Comes," a female vocal cover blending the Skyrim bard song and main theme, which quickly went viral and amassed over 27 million views on her channel as of 2025. The video's success was amplified by media coverage, including a music video produced by IGN featuring in-game Skyrim footage set to her rendition, which highlighted her haunting vocal style and contributed to widespread recognition within gaming circles. In producing early covers like "The Dragonborn Comes," Malukah handled recording, engineering, and mixing herself, drawing on her training in music production and film scoring. She detailed the process in a 2014 tutorial video, demonstrating step-by-step vocal and guitar recording using software like , followed by EQ adjustments—such as boosting low frequencies for warmth in vocals and cutting muddiness in guitar tracks—to achieve a polished, atmospheric sound suitable for video game-inspired arrangements. This self-reliant approach allowed her to create immersive covers that resonated with fans, emphasizing emotional depth over complex orchestration. The viral impact of the Skyrim cover propelled her channel's growth, transforming modest beginnings into a dedicated following in gaming communities, particularly among enthusiasts who praised her as a "gamers' favorite female voice." By 2016, she had surpassed 480,000 subscribers, a figure that continued to rise to approximately 696,000 by 2025, fueled by shares in forums and within fandoms. This momentum led her to expand beyond Skyrim, producing covers for other titles like series, including "Priscilla's Song (The Wolven Storm)" in December 2015, which further solidified her presence in broader RPG communities.

Soundtrack contributions

Malukah's first major soundtrack contribution came in 2012 with Call of Duty: Black Ops II, where she provided lead vocals for several hidden songs in mode, including "Where Are We Going" from the Mob of the Dead map and "Always Running" from the Buried map. These tracks, composed by Kevin Sherwood, marked her entry into official soundtracks and were integrated as unlockable audio experiences within the game's multiplayer content. Her involvement stemmed from a commission by , highlighting her vocal style in blending ethereal and intense tones suitable for the mode's narrative-driven horror elements. In 2014, Malukah contributed original compositions and performances to , creating multiple in-game bard songs that enhanced the game's immersive world-building. Notable examples include "Beauty of Dawn," the end-credits song she wrote and sang, drawing from Tamriel's lore to evoke themes of unity and dawn's renewal, and other bard performances like "Three Hearts As One" and "Hymn to Kyne," which players encounter through NPC bards in taverns across the game's provinces. These pieces were developed in collaboration with , where she focused on authentic folk-inspired melodies using acoustic instruments to fit the MMORPG's medieval fantasy setting. Her work continued with ESO through updates, providing ongoing vocal and lyrical elements that players could interact with dynamically. Malukah contributed to the Call of Duty series with Black Ops 6 (2024), delivering vocals for the Zombies mode, including "Falling To Pieces" from the 2025 Shattered Veil DLC Easter egg, composed by Kevin Sherwood and featuring her layered harmonies over industrial rock arrangements. This contribution built on her earlier Call of Duty roles, emphasizing her ability to convey emotional depth amid high-stakes action sequences. Throughout her career, Malukah has collaborated closely with composers on soundtrack integrations, often providing custom vocals, lyrics, and production input to align with narrative needs. A key partnership is with BAFTA-winning composer , beginning with (2016), where she supplied vocals including primal chants, war cries, and whispers that immersed players in the Stone Age world. This process typically involves iterative sessions—reviewing game footage, composing demos, and refining performances in studios to match pacing and emotional beats— as seen in later works like (2018), with the credits song "Home to Me," and No Rest for the Wicked (2024), featuring her on the trailer track "We Prayed for Summer." These collaborations underscore her role in bridging vocal artistry with , ensuring songs enhance without overpowering it.

Live performances and original music

Malukah has performed at several prominent events, showcasing her vocal talents in live settings. In 2013, she debuted on stage at PAX Prime in , where she performed her Halo tribute song "Frozen Sleep" during Microsoft's Global Championship. That same year, she joined promotional tour at SXSW in Austin, delivering a live performance at the ESO event to engage fans with immersive game-inspired music. Her rising profile from covers led to further invitations, including a 2014 appearance at in , where she collaborated with composer and violinist Taylor Davis for a live orchestral rendition of tracks at the Axis Theater. In 2018, she performed at in , , as a guest at Tavern community event, singing bard-style songs to celebrate the game's lore and community. Beyond traditional stages, Malukah built a dedicated streaming presence on Twitch starting in 2016, where she hosted nearly 1,000 hours of interactive sessions blending music performances, fan requests, and casual gaming until 2020, amassing over 662,000 views and 38,800 followers in the music category. These streams fostered a close-knit community through real-time engagement, such as collaborative song choices and Q&A segments, evolving into her annual ReverbCon events that highlighted fan-voted sets. Following Twitch's partnership changes, she transitioned to in 2020 for exclusive live content, maintaining interactive virtual sessions that emphasize personal connections with supporters. Malukah's original music output reflects a gradual shift from cover work toward independent compositions, beginning with her debut All of the Above in 2006, self-released under her birth name Judith de los Santos as a collection of pop-influenced tracks exploring themes of and , produced independently in . After focusing on covers for over a decade, she returned to originals with I Follow the in 2019, an recorded in , , and co-produced with Rodrigo "Bucho" Montfort alongside a team of local musicians; it delves into reflective themes of memory, time's passage, and personal growth, inspired by stargazing and life's fleeting moments. This evolution continued post-2020 through virtual concerts on platforms like and , where she hosts monthly live performances featuring original songs alongside fan favorites, adapting to remote formats with interactive elements like real-time dedications during events such as her 2022 Ukraine fundraiser concert. As of 2025, she continues this tradition with regular YouTube-streamed concerts, including performances in January, June, October, and November.

Musical style

Genres and influences

Malukah's music primarily spans pop rock and folk rock genres, particularly in her original albums. Her debut album All of the Above (2006) features original pop/rock songs, showcasing a produced sound with rock instrumentation and melodic structures. Similarly, her 2019 album I Follow the Moon incorporates folk rock elements, blending acoustic textures with rock arrangements to create introspective, narrative-driven tracks. In her video game-related work, Malukah integrates fantasy elements, often evoking epic, otherworldly atmospheres through lyrical themes and orchestral flourishes inspired by immersive soundscapes. Her acoustic covers, such as "The Dragonborn Comes" from , emphasize folk traditions with harp and guitar, capturing a bardic, mythical essence that aligns with the fantasy genre's roots. These pieces highlight her affinity for acoustic folk as her foundational style, where she feels most comfortable, while adapting to orchestral and cinematic demands in game contributions. Malukah's influences draw heavily from video game composers and broader folk-orchestral artists. She cites , known for the series soundtracks, as a major inspiration for epic, harmonious compositions that blend orchestral depth with emotional resonance. Austin Wintory's work on Journey also shapes her approach to narrative-driven scoring, emphasizing atmospheric and exploratory elements. Additionally, Lisbeth Scott's peaceful, folk-infused albums influence her vocal-centric, serene folk expressions. Her early exposure to film soundtracks, like those from Star Wars, further informs her cinematic style. Across projects, Malukah adapts her style fluidly: acoustic folk dominates her stripped-down covers for intimacy and accessibility, while produced energizes her originals with fuller production and rhythmic drive. She blends genres innovatively, incorporating electronic elements in collaborations, such as the hardstyle track "Reignite" with , which fuses her folk vocals with high-energy synths and beats. Similarly, her contribution to Sonic Mayhem's "Bleed Forever" on the Doomsday EP merges folk singing with synths, creating ominous, game-like textures reminiscent of film scoring. This versatility allows her to extend stylistic range while maintaining a core folk-rock identity.

Vocal approach and multilingual work

Malukah's vocal style is characterized by an ethereal and evocative delivery that lends itself particularly well to fantasy-themed compositions, creating a hauntingly beautiful that transports listeners into immersive worlds. This approach allows her to seamlessly transition from soft, introspective ballads to more powerful, anthemic expressions, emphasizing emotional depth over technical showmanship. As a native Spanish speaker who became fluent in English through bilingual education and her studies at Berklee College of Music, Malukah demonstrates proficiency in multiple languages, extending to fantasy constructs like the Dragon-tongue from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and real-world ones such as Polish and Icelandic. In her cover of "The Wolven Storm (Priscilla's Song)" from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, she incorporates Polish for a verse as a tribute to the game's Polish origins, noting the language's challenges but appreciating its phonetic fit for the melody's emotional narrative of unrequited love. Similarly, for The Banner Saga, she co-wrote lyrics for the end-credits song "Onward" that were translated into Icelandic to align with the game's Viking-inspired lore, enhancing the piece's sense of ancient resolve and journey. Her original Skyrim bard song "Vokul Fen Mah" features half its lyrics in Dragon-tongue (Dovahzul), including the shout "JOOR-ZAH-FRUL," to authentically evoke the game's draconic mythology while blending with English for accessibility. These multilingual choices amplify the emotional impact by grounding performances in cultural or fictional authenticity, fostering a deeper connection to the source material's themes of heroism and longing. Malukah frequently employs techniques such as multi-layered harmonies and elements to build texture and intensity in her recordings, often multi-tracking her own voice to simulate choral effects suited to epic soundscapes. This method is evident in her contributions to , where vocal layering underscores the saga's themes of perseverance without instrumental support. Her adaptations prioritize lore fidelity, such as phonetically crafting Dragon-tongue phrases to maintain rhythmic flow and emotional weight, ensuring the vocals feel integral to the game's fantastical atmosphere rather than superimposed.

Discography

Original albums and singles

Malukah's debut album, All of the Above, was self-released on August 16, 2006, as a collection of original songs she composed during her early adulthood. The album captures themes of personal , reflecting specific life moments from that period, including emotional highs and lows such as fleeting happiness and hesitation in relationships. Recorded with contributions from musician friends, it features Malukah on vocals and was later shared publicly due to encouragement from her growing community. The tracklist includes:
No.TitleDuration
1Fairytale3:20
2High3:04
3Happy3:17
43:17
5I Can't Make It Rain4:00
6Hesitation3:49
7Covered in Red3:45
8Fear Front3:28
9Homesick Insomniac4:12
10All of the Above3:55
No significant commercial sales figures or chart performance are documented for the album, which remained a niche, self-published release prior to Malukah's rise in the online music scene. Malukah's second original , I Follow the Moon, was independently released on November 11, 2019, marking her return to original songwriting after a 13-year hiatus. Inspired by personal life experiences and cherished memories, the album blends themes of , resilience, and emotional release, drawing from her journeys in music and beyond. Recorded over several sessions in , , at Victoria Records, it was produced by Malukah and Rodrigo "Bucho" Montfort, with mixing at El Igloo and mastering at Studios 301 in , . The project was crowdfunded through her supporters and featured collaborations with musicians including Jack DeBoe on drums, Ian Kagey on bass, and Alexander Knutsen on electric guitars, alongside Malukah's own vocals, , and . The 11-track album comprises:
No.TitleDurationNotes
1I Follow the Moon4:03
2Bringing Me Down3:18
3Running From, Running From3:26
4I Gotta Leave3:57
5In the Darkness (feat. KSherwoodOps)4:12
6You Make It Easy3:45
7Safe Asleep3:32Lullaby-like
8Duele Tanto3:58In Spanish
9The Weight of the World4:05
10(Untitled instrumental)2:15
11I Yearn to Belong4:20
Reception highlighted Malukah's emotive vocal delivery, with reviewers noting the album's comforting, introspective quality akin to "emotional ," particularly praising tracks like "You Make It Easy" and "Safe Asleep" for their gentle, lullaby-esque warmth. Like her debut, it achieved no major chart placements but resonated with her dedicated fanbase, emphasizing themes of hope amid sadness. Standalone original singles include "I Yearn to Belong" (2025), co-written with Jason Graves for the upcoming game Hawthorn.

Cover albums and singles

Malukah's cover work primarily reinterprets music from video games and films through acoustic arrangements featuring her vocals accompanied by guitar, contrasting the originals' orchestral scores. Her first major cover release was the album The Dragonborn Comes, a collection of nine tracks drawn from The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim soundtrack composed by Jeremy Soule. Self-released on August 25, 2017, the album compiles medleys and individual songs originally popularized via her YouTube channel, remixed into intimate, bard-like performances that evoke the game's Nordic folklore themes. A remastered edition was released on July 12, 2024. The track listing for The Dragonborn Comes includes:
TrackTitleDurationNotes
1Awake1:57Medley incorporating ambient Skyrim motifs
2The Dragonborn Comes2:01Signature bard song cover
3Age of Aggression2:10Battle theme adaptation
4Ragnar the Red1:43Tavern folk song rendition
5Vokul Fen Mah2:58Original dragon chant-inspired piece
6Age of Oppression / Unbroken Road3:12Dual-theme medley
7Far Horizons / Night Theme3:05Exploratory and nocturnal fusion
8Tales of the Tongues / Secunda3:18Linguistic and celestial elements
9Dragonborn (Main Theme)2:45Epic closing orchestral reinterpretation
In 2020, Malukah released the single "Reignite," a lyrical tribute to the trilogy, transforming Sam Hulick's instrumental tracks into an emotional ballad about Commander Shepard's journey. Produced by Materia Collective and featuring with subtle electronic undertones to nod to the sci-fi source material, the single was issued on February 21, 2020, and later remastered for inclusion in her . Malukah expanded her cover catalog with Malukah Covers Vol. 1, a 2022 compilation of remastered tracks from various media, including . Released digitally on November 21, 2022, the album emphasizes acoustic intimacy over the originals' symphonic grandeur, with production by Malukah and remastering by Jaime Cavazos. Key Witcher inclusions are "The Fields of Ard Skellig," a haunting folk adaptation of the game's Skellige Isles theme originally released as a cover in 2020 and updated for the 2022 next-gen edition, and "The Wolven Storm (Priscilla's Song)," a melancholic reinterpretation of the in-game . Other tracks blend sources like Skyrim and with film-inspired covers, such as "Misty Mountains" from . The full track listing for Malukah Covers Vol. 1 is:
TrackTitleDurationSource Material
1The Fields of Ard Skellig (Remastered 2022)2:38
2The Dragonborn Comes (Remastered 2022)2:02
3Reignite (Remastered 2022)3:21 trilogy
4Frozen Sleep (Remastered 2022)3:05 (Cortana tribute)
5Misty Mountains (Remastered 2022)2:51The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
6The Wolven Storm (Priscilla's Song) (Remastered 2022)3:25
7The Bard's Song: In the Forest (Remastered 2022)3:21 (fantasy-inspired)
8Baba Yetu (Remastered 2022)2:58
9Dusk Till Dawn (Remastered 2022)3:15
10Silver for Monsters (Remastered 2022)3:10 series
11Unwritten (Remastered 2022)3:45 (media adaptation)
12Dragonborn (Remastered 2022)2:45
Recent cover singles include "Yellow (Wedding Waltz)" (2024, arrangement of Coldplay's "Yellow"), "Down by the River" (2024, from ), and "The Skye Boat Song" (2024, from Outlander).

Video game contributions

Malukah has made significant contributions to video game soundtracks, particularly through her vocal performances and songwriting for the Call of Duty series and . Her work often involves collaborating with composers like Kevin Sherwood, providing lyrics, vocals, and occasionally full compositions that enhance the narrative and atmospheric elements of the games' modes and bardic performances. These contributions are integrated as songs or in-game audio, recorded in professional studios to align with the developers' visions. In Call of Duty: Black Ops II (2012), Malukah provided vocals and co-wrote lyrics for several songs in the Zombies mode, partnering with composer Kevin Sherwood during recording sessions at Treyarch's facilities. For the Vengeance DLC, which includes the Buried map, she performed "Always Running," a track that plays upon completing specific in-game challenges and reflects themes of pursuit and escape within the undead narrative. Other contributions to the base game and DLCs include "Where Are We Going" for the Mob of the Dead map, capturing a sense of disorientation and mob mentality. These sessions emphasized layered vocal harmonies to build tension, with Malukah's ethereal style complementing the horror genre. For (2014), Malukah composed and performed multiple bard songs, drawing on her experience with fantasy-themed music to create immersive in-game performances by virtual in taverns across Tamriel. Notable tracks include "Three Hearts As One," an original composition she wrote and recorded, evoking the game's lore of the deities through folk-inspired melodies. She also contributed "Beauty of Dawn," the end credits song, which she developed in collaboration with the soundtrack team led by Brad Derrick, blending orchestral elements with her soaring vocals to symbolize hope and renewal. Additional bard songs like "," "Sway as We Kiss," and "The Planemeld is Nigh" feature her voice in various in-game emotes, recorded to fit the MMO's dynamic audio system without overpowering ambient sounds. More recently, in Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024), Malukah served as an additional vocalist across multiple tracks in the Zombies mode, again working with Kevin Sherwood on compositions that integrate into the campaign's darker, post-apocalyptic tone. Her contributions include lead vocals on for the Shattered Veil map, where her performance adds emotional depth to the lyrics about fragmentation and , recorded with a focus on to sync with intense moments. This role built on her prior CoD partnerships, involving remote vocal editing sessions to refine harmonies amid the game's high-stakes audio design. In 2025, Malukah provided vocals for the end credits song of Sword of the Sea, composed by , enhancing the game's adventurous and exploratory .

Television and film contributions

Malukah, whose real name is Judith de los Santos, drew on her film scoring training at to begin contributing to non-interactive media projects early in her career. In 2009, she served as music supervisor for the Detached, a contemporary Scrooge-inspired tale directed by Chadd Campbell, set in the and following an unscrupulous mortgage broker's encounters with ghostly visitors. Her role involved overseeing the selection and integration of musical elements to enhance the film's of isolation and redemption, marking one of her initial forays into cinematic music supervision. Malukah's vocal contributions expanded in 2013 with the short film The Forge, directed by Stephen Reed, where she provided vocals for music composed by Austin Wintory. This collaboration adapted her ethereal singing style to underscore the film's thematic elements, though specific production notes on the adaptation process remain limited in public records. Her most prominent television work came in 2017 with Netflix's Stranger Things Season 2, where she lent vocals to the track "Outside the Realm" by Big Giant Circles (Jimmy Hinson), featuring Ashly Burch. The song, originally composed for the 2015 real-time strategy game There Came an Echo, was repurposed for the series' episodes 2 ("Trick or Treat, Freak") and 7 ("The Lost Sister"), playing during pivotal scenes of emotional tension and supernatural intrigue in the Upside Down narrative. This placement highlighted Malukah's ability to blend indie electronic elements with haunting harmonies, fitting the show's 1980s synth-pop aesthetic while adding a layer of otherworldly depth. Fan reception was overwhelmingly positive, with viewers on platforms like Reddit praising the track's emotive vocals for elevating key moments, such as Mike Wheeler's introspective scenes, and the official upload garnering over 1.5 million YouTube views.

Collaborations

Malukah has engaged in several notable collaborations with prominent musicians and composers, particularly in the realms of acapella covers and soundtracks, which have allowed her to blend her vocal style with diverse artistic visions. These partnerships often involve co-writing lyrics or providing featured vocals, enhancing the emotional depth of the projects while exposing her work to broader audiences through established platforms in gaming and communities. One of her earliest and most enduring collaborative relationships is with acapella artist Peter Hollens, beginning with a 2014 cover of "Baba Yetu," the Grammy-winning theme from Civilization IV composed by Christopher Tin. In this project, Malukah provided lead vocals alongside Hollens' layered harmonies, creating an a capella arrangement that highlighted her soaring delivery in Swahili and English; the track was released as a YouTube video and digital single, garnering millions of views and introducing her to Hollens' large fanbase. Their partnership continued with subsequent acapella covers of video game-inspired songs, including "Vokul Fen Mah" from Skyrim in 2018, where Hollens initiated the idea to adapt one of Malukah's original bard songs into a lower-key, harmony-driven version, emphasizing powerful group vocals over instrumentation. Further collaborations include "Lullaby of Woe" from The Witcher 3 in 2020 and "Tale of the Tongues" from Skyrim later that year, both released as digital singles on platforms like Spotify and Apple Music, with Malukah as the featured vocalist; these efforts showcased a creative process rooted in mutual admiration for game music, allowing for playful experimentation in vocal arrangements. In 2021, they covered "Orpheus and Eurydice" from Hades, further solidifying their synergy in reinterpreting epic game themes. These joint projects with Hollens have significantly expanded Malukah's reach, bridging her gaming niche with mainstream acapella audiences and boosting her streaming presence. Malukah has also repeatedly collaborated with composer Austin Wintory on video game soundtracks, starting with the 2014 release of The Banner Saga, where she provided vocals and co-wrote lyrics for the end credits song "Onward," infusing the Nordic-inspired score with ethereal, narrative-driven melodies that complemented Wintory's orchestral arrangements. This partnership extended to The Banner Saga 2 in 2016, featuring her vocals and lyrics on "Our Steps to the Night," and The Banner Saga 3 in 2018, where she contributed additional vocals to enhance the trilogy's emotional arc. Beyond the saga, Malukah lent her voice to the ending track of The Pathless in 2020, providing additional vocals that amplified the game's adventurous tone, and to select tracks on Sunset in 2015, co-writing lyrics to evoke introspective atmospheres. These collaborations involved close creative collaboration with Wintory, often focusing on lyric integration to deepen storytelling, and have helped elevate her profile within the game audio industry by associating her with award-nominated scores. Her work with composer includes vocal contributions to the 2018 VR game , where she sang on tracks like "Home to Me," blending her warm with Graves' intricate to create intimate, folklore-like moments that supported the game's narrative of companionship. In 2023, Malukah featured on "We Prayed for Summer" for No Rest for the Wicked, premiering the track at and providing vocals that added a haunting, hopeful layer to Graves' composition; she also co-wrote and performed "I Yearn to Belong" for the upcoming game Hawthorn. These partnerships, characterized by iterative sessions to match her vocals with Graves' atmospheric scores, have broadened her opportunities in AAA gaming titles and reinforced her reputation for emotive performances in immersive media. Overall, these collaborations have been pivotal in diversifying Malukah's portfolio, fostering cross-genre connections, and growing her international fanbase through high-profile releases.

Awards and recognition

Songwriting competitions

Following her graduation from , where she honed her skills in music production and film scoring, Malukah began submitting original songs to international competitions to gain recognition as a songwriter. These early entries marked a pivotal phase in her career, establishing credibility and opening doors to professional opportunities in the music industry. In 2005, Malukah won the grand prize at the 10th Unisong International Song Contest for her original composition "," a heartfelt rock about resilience and self-discovery from her debut album All of the Above. The victory included a sponsored songwriting retreat trip to , which provided networking with industry professionals and further refined her craft. Building on this momentum, Malukah secured two awards at the 16th Music Awards in 2006 within the Rock category: Female Singer-Songwriter of the Year for "Everything" and Female Vocalist of the Year for "I Can't Make It Rain," another introspective track from All of the Above exploring themes of emotional vulnerability. These honors, which came with trophies and performance slots at the ceremony, highlighted her emerging talent as both a and performer, enhancing her portfolio and attracting attention from labels and collaborators in the scene.

Industry honors

Malukah has received several nominations from prominent game audio organizations for her vocal contributions to soundtracks. In 2014, she was nominated for Outstanding Achievement – Vocal Theme at the Annual Game Music Awards for "Onward" from , composed by , where she provided the lead vocals. She was also recognized as a runner-up in Outstanding Contribution – Soloist at the same awards, highlighting her emerging impact in game music . In 2015, Malukah earned a finalist nomination in the Best Game Music Cover/Remix category at the Game Audio Network Guild (G.A.N.G.) Awards for her collaboration with Peter Hollens on "Baba Yetu" from Civilization IV. These honors underscore her role in elevating narrative-driven soundtracks through emotive performances. A notable honorary recognition came from Blizzard Entertainment in 2015, when an NPC named Malukah Lightsong—a blood elf quartermaster—was introduced in World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor with patch 6.2.0, directly referencing the artist as a tribute to her influence in the gaming community. This in-game feature symbolizes peer and developer endorsement of her contributions to game-inspired music. In the 2020s, Malukah's vocals on Zombies mode easter egg songs for Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 (2024), including "Falling to Pieces" composed by Kevin Sherwood, have been praised by industry figures like Sherwood for their intensity and fit within the franchise's audio legacy, though specific award nominations for this work remain pending as of November 2025. Her repeated collaborations with composers such as Wintory, Graves, and Sherwood—spanning titles like The Pathless (2020) and Sword of the Sea (2025)—have solidified her status as a go-to vocalist for immersive game audio, often highlighted in developer credits and live performances at events like the inaugural Game Awards in 2014. In 2025, Malukah contributed vocals to the end credits song for Sword of the Sea, composed by , which received a for Best Score Soundtrack for Video Games and Other at the 68th Annual (announced November 2025). The soundtrack was also nominated in the Music category at The Indie Awards 2025. These industry validations have significantly advanced her career, bridging independent game music with mainstream gaming ceremonies and fostering broader appreciation for vocal artistry in .

Legacy

Impact on gaming culture

Malukah's cover of "The Dragonborn Comes" from , released in 2011, became a defining moment in fandom, amassing over 27 million views on and establishing her as a key figure in elevating game soundtracks to mainstream recognition. This acoustic rendition, blending the game's bard song with its main theme, resonated deeply with gamers by humanizing the epic score composed by , fostering emotional connections that extended beyond gameplay into shared cultural experiences. The track's virality not only propelled Malukah's career but also highlighted how fan interpretations could amplify a game's lore, turning incidental music into anthems for online communities. Through her covers and original compositions inspired by titles like and , Malukah has bridged the gap between gamers and professional musicians, encouraging a wave of fan-created content that democratizes production. Her emotive style, often featuring and vocals, inspired countless amateur artists to experiment with game OST remixes, contributing to the proliferation of cover communities on platforms like and contributing to the genre's growth as a legitimate musical form. For instance, her "Reignite" tribute to has been hailed by fans as a pinnacle of fan-made tributes, sparking discussions and derivative works within sci-fi gaming circles. Malukah's active participation in gaming events has further solidified her role in community engagement, where she performs live to connect directly with fans and promote interactive appreciation of game music. Appearances at major conventions, including tours starting in 2014—where she debuted "The Dragonborn Comes" onstage—and ESO Live , have drawn thousands, blending orchestral performances with fan Q&A sessions to cultivate a sense of belonging among attendees. Her involvement in international events like the Game Show in 2019 underscores her global reach, while monthly YouTube concerts and charity , such as a 2022 fundraiser raising $1,800 for aid through game-themed performances, exemplify her commitment to fostering supportive online and offline networks. In the long term, Malukah's work has enduringly shaped gaming culture by sustaining interest in well beyond initial releases, with her Skyrim covers continuing to garner millions of streams annually and influencing how developers integrate fan feedback into soundtracks. As of 2025, remastered versions of her early hits maintain strong reception, evidenced by live concerts drawing over 5,000 viewers and collaborations like "We Prayed for Summer" for No Rest for the Wicked (2024), which highlight her evolving contributions to the genre's emotional depth and narrative integration. She continued performing live concerts on throughout 2025, further engaging gaming communities. This legacy positions her as a pioneer in popularizing game music as a vibrant, community-driven art form.

Personal trivia

Malukah has expressed a deep affection for video games, which she lists among her top personal interests alongside her fondness for office supplies. She describes her dog Thor, a chocolate Labrador weighing around 95 pounds (43 kg), as "awesome" and has shared numerous stories about their adventures, including shopping outings and daily life together. In 2018, she composed and released an original song titled "Thor the Chocolate Lab" as a playful tribute to him, highlighting their close bond. Thor passed away in February 2023, after which Malukah shared heartfelt farewells on social media, underscoring the significant role he played in her personal life. As a personal passion, Malukah enjoys exploring multilingual vocal techniques in her performances, particularly singing in constructed languages such as the Dragon-tongue from series. She incorporated elements of this ancient-sounding language into covers like "Tale of the Tongues," a Skyrim-inspired song, to evoke the game's lore while showcasing her linguistic versatility. This interest extends to other fantasy languages, reflecting her enthusiasm for immersive world-building beyond professional commitments. An NPC named Malukah Lightsong appears in , introduced in the Warlords of Draenor expansion's Patch 6.2.0 as a warmongering conquest quartermaster in Warspear. This blood elf character serves as a level 40 elite NPC. As of late 2025, Malukah continues to reside in , , with no public announcements of relocation, and maintains her hobbies centered on creative pursuits like reading and casual socializing in her free time.

References

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