When you start up a new Samsung phone and go to the music library, you find that there is a song already – it’s called Over The Horizon, and it’s the official ‘folk song’ or ‘jingle’ for the Galaxy S phones. If you’ve ever owned a Galaxy phone, you’ll probably recognize the central motif of the tune.
Over The Horizon debuted with the Samsung Galaxy S2 in 2011, and the January 14 launch date of the Samsung Galaxy S21 brings the 10th version, or the 9th remake, of the tune.
Each iteration of Over The Horizon is different in terms of instrumentation, tone and length, but they are all written with a six-note motif, interwoven in different ways in each version of the jingle.
So, before the Samsung Galaxy S21 launches, let’s listen to a little history lesson and listen to 10 years of catchy songs.
Over The Horizon 2011 (Samsung Galaxy S2)
The original Over The Horizon for the Samsung Galaxy S2 defines the first few versions of it – it’s optimistic, poppy, uses a busy instrumentation (with real and digital instruments), and it sounds like it fits in with The Sims soundtrack.
The theme for this original version was ‘Beyond Smart Experience’ and it’s just as optimistic as it was back then. The motif is repeated over and over again, even partially played in a small guitar solo.
With a cheerful tone and a fast pace, this version of the theme was the perfect alarm song, as it started your day well – even though it may sound much better through your computer or phone speakers compared to those on the Galaxy S2.
Over The Horizon 2012 (Samsung Galaxy S3)
The first remake of Over The Horizon begins quite softly, with more acoustic instruments such as strings and percussion carrying it for the first minute, until a wider string section and piano jump in later.
Compared to the other first few years of Over The Horizon, it’s a bit excessive in terms of instrumentation and tone, but it’s still the point of the whole ‘reinterpretation’ exercise.
The theme for the song was ‘Designed by Humans’ – that is not to say that robots or aliens wrote the other versions, but Samsung’s whole design philosophy for the Galaxy S3 was to make it look more man-made and crafty. The lack of obvious digital instruments testifies to this.
About The Horizon 2013 and 2014 (Samsung Galaxy S4 and S5)
The third version of Over The Horizon, which debuted with the Samsung Galaxy S4 in 2013 and is used again with the Galaxy S5 the following year, looks more like a passing resemblance to the original version.
The song, written according to the vague theme ‘Life Companion’, starts slowly with synths and pianos, before slowly building up to a crescendo with busy instrumentation. It sounds like a guitar, strings, drums, piano, and more. It is also the clearest structure, moving between themes and variations of the original motif.
It’s not hard to imagine this version of the song accompanying a highlight in a movie, but the ‘Sims soundtrack’ atmosphere is here as well. This piece will definitely work in the trailer.
Over The Horizon 2015 (Samsung Galaxy S6)
Based on numerous YouTube comments among all the Over The Horizon videos (admittedly not necessarily a reliable source, but the best we can do), the Samsung Galaxy S6 version of the song is the most popular.
The piece begins slowly, with a soft harp version of the motif, and it takes much longer to build up than the previous versions, bringing in percussion and a full orchestra only after two minutes. It is certainly not as clearly raised as the 2013 version, which grabs the 2012 song more.
This is the last piece in what we consider the ‘Sims era’, indicated by cheerful pieces that can fit right into the soundtrack of simulator video games (and other things, of course). Things get weird from here.
Over The Horizon 2016 (Samsung Galaxy S7)
The 2016 Over The Horizon starts normally enough, with the motif played immediately, but then we get a quick drum break, a jazz-copper harmony and the first human voice of the songs, all in the first ten seconds.
This version of the song was written and performed by Dirty Loops, a jazz-funk band from Sweden, and indicates a dramatic departure from the previous songs.
It’s cool to see the original motif in a hazy way, and if Samsung is looking for a new direction with the release of the Samsung Galaxy S7 version, this is one of the best iterations we could expect.
Over The Horizon 2017 (Samsung Galaxy S8)
Over The Horizon in 2017 was written by artist Jacob Collier, and it seems to be going in a similar direction to Dirty Loops – it’s another jazz-funk version of the piece, though it’s definitely more on the latter of these two words support. with a little clapboard thrown in for a good measure.
Like the original version of the song, Collier’s leans heavily on the motif and sings it repeatedly throughout the piece. There is also an instrument that is constantly changing, with keyboards, guitars, low vocals, a piano and more that connect and leave the piece at different intervals.
Samsung’s ‘jazz-funk’ phase only lasted two years, and it was a pity to see how it went, as eclectic pieces like these made big alarms or ringtones.
Over The Horizon 2018 (Samsung Galaxy S9)
Now we begin the ‘natural’ phase of Samsung, with pieces inspired by nature. This first one takes the listener on an ‘atmospheric voyage of discovery’, according to the video description.
The song begins with a piano playing the motif, and variations on it, before an orchestra joins halfway through the piece. It is best to listen with the video above included, as the music matches the footage.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 version of Over The Horizon marked another dramatic shift in the direction of the songs, and one could argue that the new pieces are less useful as alarms and better suited for ringtones, due to their soft opening. Still, if you like to wake up lightly instead of through a full digital orchestra, this version may be better for you.
Over The Horizon 2019 (Samsung Galaxy S10)
The Samsung Galaxy S10’s ringtone is inspired by the accompanying video that makes clear and distinct water and oceans. Ideal for people who like natural sound, bad for people with thalassophobia (fear of the sea).
The piece uses strings, piano and woodwind to create something of a sound image, although one that pops up the motif head on every now and then in different ways. Towards the end, the piece rakes back to the first few versions of Over The Horizon, with a percussion section and piano leading to an increased tempo.
Over The Horizon 2020 (Samsung Galaxy S20)
Last year’s remake of Over The Horizon is again nature-themed, but it takes us to dry land (well, land, though there is still plenty of water). The first minute of the piece is completely natural sounds, such as running water and birdsong, and is therefore ideal for people who like a gentle wake-up call.
The piece generally looks more like ambient music than a ringtone, with the tempo and full instrumentation only picking up in the last minute of the piece. There are some strings and a piano, but it feels like the nature-inspired sounds are the real star of the piece at first.
The original motif we do not hear too much in this interpretation of Over The Horizon, because it only shows its head every now and then. It will be quite difficult to train birds to sing the thing or to let water run in that particular rhythm, so we are not surprised.
Over The Horizon 2021 (Samsung Galaxy S21)
The latest version of Over The Horizon has technically not been released yet. We’re waiting for the Samsung Galaxy S21 launch for that – but it’s been leaked. We do not know if this is the full song, or just one part of it, but it does give us a glimpse of the direction Samsung is going.
Well, Samsung is not going so much in one direction as staying in the same direction, because it’s still a soft and gentle version of the piece.
The reason we are not sure if this is the full version of Over The Horizon, or just one part of it, is because there is only one instrument – a piano. It seems rather in the sense of the 2018 version, but without the orchestra appearing throughout.
The original motif is rare in the song, and appears more in harmonies and variations on the theme, than as the theme itself. It would make the most sense if the piano was accompanied by other instruments that adopted the melody, but Samsung might just want to relax for a year on the iconic sound bite of six notes.