Over the years, Disney has developed a reputation for being a very strong and influential brand. Many people are familiar with their movies and music. Disney has been producing some of the highest-grossing movies since the late 20th century. The main reason for this is its music, which serves as the ultimate reason for the movie’s success. This has been a tradition in Disney movies since their inception.
Consider, for example, the soundtracks of The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and Aladdin and compare them to the scores of the Disney princess movies Frozen, Tangled, and Brave. The thematic similarities are immediately noticeable. Several critics have commented on how both the Disney princesses and their villains get the bulk of their musical material from a single song, usually sung by a minor character who warns the heroine about danger or tells her about her royal lineage.
“Disney movies are basically fairytales retold with children being their target audience (not always but majority of times and that’s why they change the gruesome endings with the ‘happily ever after’ endings). Many times they cannot portray the characters’ emotions and thought processes through painful dialogue alone. This is where songs come in. The music and lyrics, along with the animation put forward a very compelling narrative. Frozen, Moana and Encanto, among many others, are the best examples of that. The audience remembers the plot and emotions because of the beautiful soundtrack the creators have incorporated into them. All of these combined make Disney movies worth watching. And it being a family-friendly experience only adds to its charm,” says Saman Syed, a postgraduate who is hooked into Disney movies.
Music is considered one of the key elements in storytelling. The recent animated movie “Encanto” tops it all when it comes to its soundtrack and visuals. It was a package of animation along with a musical. The song “We don’t talk about Bruno” gives us a complete understanding of the reason behind Bruno’s disappearance. Everyone loves songs, especially when they relate to the characters in the movie. The song “Let it Go” in the movie “Frozen” by Idina Menzel reached its peak of popularity because of how completely it depicted Elsa’s character. This was so loved by many that it also won the award for Best Original Song at the 86th Academy Awards. The song does relate to her character because it shows her struggling and wanting to be free of the restrictions that her powers put on her life.
Another Disney movie buff, Fathima Muskaan says, “Disney likes setting standards. It has built standards of beauty, love, fortune and destiny. But the one element it kept untouched was its music. The songs spoke of emotions, tranquility and the hardships of the protagonists. I might forget what happened to Elsa but I’ll never let the songs of Frozen be forgotten. Every time I’m in a fix where I think I’m overwhelmed, I listen to “Let it Go” and let go of my problems. So cheers to Disney for giving us cathartic songs”.
Walt Disney established a film industry that has impacted people of all ages for many years, and music is primarily responsible for this. Music and musicality are integral to Disney films across all genres. Disney films have always had a close relationship with music, as evidenced by their Oscar wins in the “Best Music Score” category.
