Tim Burton sat down with MTV News for an exclusive interview last night just before giving a Lincoln Center audience a sneak peek at three scenes from his upcoming film, Sweeney Todd. Nonesuch will release the film's soundtrack on December 18, and there'll be plenty to hear: As MTV.com reports, "It is the music that carries this film." And just to be sure, the site's headline reads, "Johnny Depp's Voice Steals the Bloody Show."

As the director explains, there's plenty of opportunity to hear the film's star sing. "Most musicals have ten pages of dialogue, and then they burst into song," he says. "The music is threaded throughout this."

After speaking with Burton and catching the screening, MTV's Josh Horowitz confirms. And for him, in the case of this Sweeney, it's both the brilliant music and the actor who's singing it that has people curious:

Clearly all eyes will be on Depp when Sweeney Todd is released. The film is undeniably his, and the clips don't lie: The performance looks to be a tour de force. Save for a shock of white in his hair, it's Depp's voice that will draw the most attention. Each of the three scenes showcased the actor front and center ... As for the biggest question of the day—can Depp sing?—the answer, at least judging by these scenes, is a resounding yes ... Thanks to decent natural talent coupled with emotion behind the words, Depp sells his character from the start.

To read more from the article, visit mtv.com. Check back with the Nonesuch Journal for more soundtrack news as it becomes available.