Wicked: The Soundtrack | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | November 22, 2024 | |||
Studio |
| |||
Length | 53:58 | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Wicked chronology | ||||
| ||||
Cynthia Erivo chronology | ||||
| ||||
Ariana Grande chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Wicked:The Soundtrack | ||||
|
Wicked:The Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2024 epic musical fantasy film Wicked by Jon M. Chu,the first of the two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. It was released by Republic Records and Verve Records on November 22,2024,the same date as the film's theatrical release in the United States. Along with the film cast,the soundtrack is billed to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande,the film's two main stars,who each appear on seven tracks out of eleven on the standard release.
The soundtrack album comprises 11 songs from the film,with all songs from the first act of the original stage musical being included. [1] [2] Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande,who play Elphaba and Glinda,respectively,each appear on seven songs. [3] The majority of the vocals were recorded live on set,rather than in a recording studio. [4]
It was produced by Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz,Greg Wells,and Stephen Oremus,and was mixed by Wells. [5] [6] All songs were orchestrated by Jeff Atmajian. [7] Mike Knobloch,President of Music and Publishing at NBCUniversal,stated that Schwartz,Wells,Oremus,and the production team wanted the album to be "a standalone and complete aural experience" from the film itself. [8] He further stated:
The original cast recording is iconic, so priority number one was to not mess it up. It has also been a great opportunity to make a soundtrack for a beloved musical that will only be the second Wicked album in two decades. But while our primary mission was to make the film, we didn't want the soundtrack to simply be a 'copied and pasted' byproduct." [8]
Work on the soundtrack began early in the film's pre-production process, as the musical numbers would largely drive production. The process began by developing the songs' instrumental tracks and recording demos in phases. [8] The film employed a large orchestra, in contrast to the smaller pit orchestras used in Broadway productions. Schwartz stated, "There's this huge, magical world that Jon Chu has created and the music needed to have the size to occupy that world. . . .Songs needed to be adjusted based on the action we're seeing on the screen. In some cases, things were expanded." [9]
Cast vocals were recorded throughout filming, which required the work of sound engineer Simon Hayes, who worked as a live sound mixer. Each actor was equipped with three microphones: one boom mic and two lavalier microphones. They were also fitted with in-ear monitors that would play the finished studio backing tracks or a live keyboard. [4] [10] When certain filming restrictions did not allow the actors to sing the entire piece live, their live performances were intercut with their pre-recorded studio vocals. Schwartz stated, "The way their voices sounded in the recording studio needed to match how they sounded when they were on a soundstage, and that was tricky. We had a strong technical team and we were very aware going in that we were going to mix and match." [9]
"Popular" was the first musical number shot for the film. [11] Schwartz, Wells, and Oremus proposed modifying its rhythm from the stage musical version and "hip-hop[ping] it up a little bit", but Grande insisted that the song stay true to the original. [12] [13] The song features an extended ending with additional key changes. [14] [15]
In the song "One Short Day", Schwartz wrote a new section "to show more of the propaganda that the Wizard was disseminating and really understand better this magic book — the Grimmerie". [16] The new section was performed by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda on Broadway, respectively. [17] [18]
The "Defying Gravity" sequence was filmed about a year into production, having been delayed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. [19] Erivo stated that she wanted the character's voice to grow throughout the song. [20] When recording rehearsal tracks of the song, Erivo first sang the ending battle cry "by the book" before Schwartz encouraged her to try different variations. [21] She stated, "I was always looking forward to that moment, just because everything builds to there. Your body and your brain and your mind – and your heart, really – are waiting to be able to release that one final note, because it's the ultimate moment where [Elphaba] can become herself." [22]
"Ozdust Duet", a new orchestral track, is included as a bonus track on digital versions of the album. [23] [24] It combines elements from "Dancing Through Life" and "For Good", the latter of which is expected to be included in the second film. [25]
The soundtrack album was released on November 22, 2024. [26] [27] In addition to digital download and streaming, it was also released on CD, LP, and picture disc. [28] [29] Exclusive variants of the CD and LP were released at Target and Barnes & Noble. [30] [31] Upon its release, soundtrack album listening parties were held at music stores throughout the United States from November 22 to 24, 2024. [32]
A sing-along edition of the album will be released on December 20, 2024. [33]
On November 21, 2024, Hits Daily Double reported that "Popular" and "Defying Gravity" were expected to be released as singles. [34] "Popular" made its radio debut in the United States on November 22, 2024, the same date as the film and soundtrack's release, as the album's mainstream radio single. [35] [36] "Popular" and "Defying Gravity" were released as singles in Italy on December 13, 2024. [37]
Wicked: The Soundtrack became the most-streamed musical soundtrack on Amazon Music within the first 24 hours of its release. [38] Within the first three days of its release, "Defying Gravity" had been streamed on Spotify 4.9 million times; "Popular" followed suit with 4.6 million streams. [39]
In the U.S., the album debuted at number 2 on the Billboard 200 with 139,000 album-equivalent units, and topped the Top Album Sales chart with 85,000 sales. It marks the highest debut for a soundtrack of a musical stage-to-film adaptation. [40] [41] In addition, the album topped the Top Soundtracks and Vinyl Albums charts. [40] In the same week, seven of its songs charted on the Billboard Hot 100: "Defying Gravity" at number 44, "Popular" at number 53, "What Is This Feeling?" at number 68, "No One Mourns the Wicked" at number 86, "Dancing Through Life" at number 90, "The Wizard and I" at number 93, and "I'm Not That Girl" at number 94. [42]
On the British charts, the album debuted at number 1 on the compilations chart, album downloads chart, and soundtrack albums chart. [43] It was biggest debut week for a musical soundtrack in the 2020s, and earned the largest weekly vinyl sales for a musical soundtrack in the 21st century. [44] On the British singles chart, "Defying Gravity" debuted at number 7, "Popular" debuted at number 13, and "What Is This Feeling?" debuted at number 17. [43]
On the Australian charts, the soundtrack debuted at number 3 on the albums chart, while "Defying Gravity" debuted at number 42 on the singles chart. [45]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
The Daily Telegraph | [46] |
The soundtrack received praise from critics, with Variety 's Chris Willman writing that "the album puts a further exclamation point on Schwartz's rare brilliance as both melodist and lyricist, a la [Stephen] Sondheim". [47] In addition to commending the vocal performances of Erivo and Grande, Billboard's Stephen Daw praised the updated "poppy" orchestration and vocals provided by Jonathan Bailey in "Dancing Through Life", noting that it is a particular improvement from its original Broadway cast recording counterpart. [24]
All tracks are written by Stephen Schwartz.
No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "No One Mourns the Wicked" | Ariana Grande featuring Andy Nyman, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Jeff Goldblum, Sharon D. Clarke and Jenna Boyd | 7:27 |
2. | "Dear Old Shiz" | Shiz University Choir featuring Ariana Grande | 1:11 |
3. | "The Wizard and I" | Cynthia Erivo featuring Michelle Yeoh | 5:36 |
4. | "What Is This Feeling?" | Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo | 3:48 |
5. | "Something Bad" | Peter Dinklage featuring Cynthia Erivo | 1:48 |
6. | "Dancing Through Life" | Jonathan Bailey featuring Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode and Cynthia Erivo | 9:47 |
7. | "Popular" | Ariana Grande | 4:01 |
8. | "I'm Not That Girl" | Cynthia Erivo | 3:57 |
9. | "One Short Day" | Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel featuring Michael McCorry Rose | 6:32 |
10. | "A Sentimental Man" | Jeff Goldblum | 2:12 |
11. | "Defying Gravity" | Cynthia Erivo featuring Ariana Grande | 7:39 |
Total length: | 53:58 |
No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "Ozdust Duet" | The Wicked Orchestra | 2:11 |
Total length: | 56:18 |
Notes
All music is composed by Stephen Schwartz. [7]
Chart (2024) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA) [50] | 3 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [51] | 17 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [52] | 7 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia) [53] | 30 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard) [54] | 9 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [55] | 9 |
French Albums (SNEP) [56] | 38 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [57] | 16 |
Icelandic Albums (Tónlistinn) [58] | 27 |
Italian Albums (FIMI) [59] | 42 |
Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon) [60] | 11 |
Japanese Hot Albums ( Billboard Japan ) [61] | 47 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [62] | 3 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [63] | 26 |
Polish Albums (ZPAV) [64] | 74 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE) [65] | 6 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [66] | 37 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [67] | 37 |
UK Compilation Albums (OCC) [68] | 1 |
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC) [69] | 1 |
US Billboard 200 [70] | 2 |
US Soundtrack Albums (Billboard) [71] | 1 |
Region | Date | Format(s) | Editions(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Various | November 22, 2024 | Standard | [28] | ||
December 6, 2024 |
| Fan edition | [72] |
Stephen Lawrence Schwartz is an American musical theatre composer and lyricist. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written hit musicals such as Godspell (1971), Pippin (1972), and Wicked (2003). He has contributed lyrics to a number of successful films, including Pocahontas (1995), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), The Prince of Egypt, Enchanted (2007), and Disenchanted (2022).
Shoshana E. Bean is a Tony-nominated American singer, songwriter, and stage actress. She has appeared in numerous musicals, performing in major Off-Broadway and Broadway theatres, including in the original production of Hairspray.
Wicked is a musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. It is a loose adaptation of the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West, which in turn is based on L. Frank Baum's 1900 novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its 1939 film adaptation. The musical is told from the perspective of two witches, Elphaba and Galinda, before and after Dorothy's arrival in Oz. The story explores the complex friendship between Elphaba and Galinda. Their relationship is tested by their contrasting personalities, conflicting viewpoints, shared love interest, reactions to the corrupt rule of the Wonderful Wizard, and ultimately, Elphaba's tragic fall.
William Gregory Wells is a Canadian record producer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and mix engineer. He has worked with Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Quincy Jones, Adele, Twenty One Pilots, Missy Elliot, Burt Bacharach, Celine Dion, Kid Cudi, Deftones, Timbaland, Taylor Swift, Michael Bublé, Stephen Schwartz, Dua Lipa, John Legend, Selena Gomez, the Count Basie Orchestra, Rufus Wainwright, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, Ryan Tedder, Weezer, Jazmine Sullivan, Katy Perry, OneRepublic, Carrie Underwood, Jamie Cullum, Pink, Theophilus London, Keith Urban, Crash Test Dummies, MIKA, Aerosmith, Elton John, and Sir George Martin. Throughout his career, Wells has written or produced projects selling a cumulative 130 million units.
"Popular" is a song from the musical Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz. It was originally recorded on November 10, 2003 by American actress Kristin Chenoweth, who portrayed Glinda in the musical. The song was released as part of the accompanying cast recording on December 16, 2003. The song is about Glinda trying to help her roommate Elphaba become more popular. American singer Ariana Grande performed a version of "Popular" for the 2024 film adaptation of the musical, which was released as a single.
Eternal Sunshine is the seventh studio album by American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande. It was released on March 8, 2024, by Republic Records. It is her first new album in over three years, following the release of Positions (2020). Written and produced by Grande, Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh, and Oscar Görres amongst others, Eternal Sunshine is a pop and R&B record with dance, synth-pop and house influences, characterized by mid-tempo synthesizers, subtle guitar and string elements.
"Defying Gravity" is a song from the musical Wicked, composed by Stephen Schwartz. It was originally recorded on November 10, 2003, by American actresses Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who portrayed Elphaba and Glinda in the musical respectively. The song was released as part of the accompanying cast recording on December 16, 2003. It is mostly a solo sung by the main character of the show, Elphaba, with two small duets at the beginning and the middle of the song between Elphaba and her friend Glinda, and a chorus part at the end in which the citizens of Oz sing.
Wicked is a cast recording containing the majority of the songs from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical Wicked, with music and lyrics by composer Stephen Schwartz and a book by writer Winnie Holzman. Released on December 16, 2003 by Decca Broadway both in physical and digital releases. The former contains a foreword and a short synopsis, provided by Gregory Maguire, who wrote the 1995 novel on which the musical is based, in addition to lyrics to those songs included.
"The Wizard and I" is a musical number from the hit musical Wicked. It is primarily a solo number for the character of Elphaba, serving as her "I Want" song, though the character Madame Morrible also sings in the introduction to the song.
Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon, she is an influential figure in popular music and is known for her four-octave vocal range which extends into the whistle register.
"Popular Song" is a song by Lebanese-British recording artist Mika, released as the second single in the United States from his third studio album, The Origin of Love. The song features American singer Ariana Grande and is included on her debut album, Yours Truly. The track was written by Mika, Priscilla Renea, Mathieu Jomphe and Stephen Schwartz, and produced by Mika and Greg Wells. The radio version featuring Ariana Grande was produced by Jason Nevins. It was released as a promotional single on 21 December 2012. It was initially sent to impact contemporary hit radio in the United States on 13 August 2013, but its release was moved up a week earlier.
The American singer, songwriter, and actress Ariana Grande has released seven studio albums, one soundtrack album, one live album, one remix album, one compilation album, two extended plays (EPs), sixty singles, and fourteen promotional singles. Throughout her career thus far, Grande has sold over 90 million records worldwide, making her one of the best-selling music artists of all time. According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), she has sold over 131 million units, across albums, singles, and features, and 13 million albums and 95.5 million digital singles units as a lead artist. In the U.S., Grande has moved 22.4 million album units, and garnered over 23.6 billion streams across lead artist credits, according to Luminate. Having amassed over 105 billion consumed streams thus far, Grande is the most streamed female artist ever. She is also the most streamed female artist of the 2010s on Spotify and Apple Music. She has amassed 86 chart entries on the Billboard Hot 100—the third most entries for a female artist—including nine number ones and 22 top-10 hits altogether so far. Grande was named the sixth top female artist of the 2010s decade, and was ranked among Billboard's Greatest of All Time Hot 100 Artists, at number 78. Grande is also one of the best selling female artists in the UK, with over 31 million units.
Yours Truly is the debut studio album by American singer-songwriter Ariana Grande. It was released on August 30, 2013, by Republic Records. The album's songs were recorded over nearly a three-year period, with Harmony Samuels, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, Patrick "J. Que" Smith and Grande's Victorious co-star Leon Thomas III, as well as others, handling the album's music production. Featured collaborators include Big Sean, Mika, Mac Miller, and The Wanted's Nathan Sykes.
The Sound of Music: Music from the NBC Television Event, also known as The Sound of Music: 2013 NBC Television Cast, or sometimes simply The Sound of Music, is a soundtrack album for The Sound of Music Live! released by Sony Masterworks on December 3, 2013. Released in CD and digital download formats, the album includes studio recordings instead of live tracks; the live performance was broadcast two days after the album release. A bonus compilation of nine instrumental tracks from the score was available exclusively through Walmart outlets. The album peaked at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and number 2 on the Billboard Soundtracks.
Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanasu Erivo is a British actress and singer. She has received several accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. She is one of the few artists to receive nominations for the EGOT.
Wicked is a 2024 American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu, and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, with songs by Stephen Schwartz. It is the first installment of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name based on the 1995 novel, which in turn is based on the Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz.
"POV" is a song by American singer Ariana Grande. It was released on March 23, 2021 by Republic Records as the third single from her sixth studio album Positions (2020). Grande wrote the song with Tayla Parx, and it was produced by Mr. Franks, Oliver "Junior" Frid and Tommy Brown.
Wicked: For Good is an upcoming American musical fantasy film directed by Jon M. Chu and written by Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox. The sequel to Wicked (2024), it is the second installment of a two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name loosely based on the 1995 novel, which in turn is based on the Oz books and the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. The film stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, with Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, Marissa Bode, Peter Dinklage, Michelle Yeoh and Jeff Goldblum rounding out the principal cast.
Wicked: The Original Motion Picture Score is the film score composed by John Powell and Stephen Schwartz for the 2024 film Wicked by Jon M. Chu, the first of the two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. It was released by Republic Records on December 6, 2024.
"Holding space" is a psychology concept meaning towards creating a safe space for someone or something by being present for them, physically, emotionally and mentally without judgement.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)