The Music That Tells A Story

Music is everything. It can leave a lasting impression or give you the “ick”. But, we all have those moments when that one song comes onto the radio, and it never leaves. Almost like a tick. But, when it comes to films that you fall in love with, a film that has those awesome songs that leave a mark for a long time… they made the movie because they served a purpose. Either to get stuck in your head, tells more of the story, or they are just fan-freaking-tastic.

Well, lets go over a list of films that dig themselves into your head.

Sing

There are a few songs sung by someone that really stand out. Such as Johnny when he sings “I’m Still Standing”. This song choice was about him losing everything, including his father who was in prison after Johnny wasn't their to help him. Yet, he’s still standing after all this time… like a true survi…sorry. I’ll stop.

For Johnny, this was very important to sing. Because it was about standing tall when you feel knocked down. And it also showed his father that he was in fact a singer and loves it too. That it was his calling.

As for Ash, her song she chose was “Set It All Free”. She was always in the back. Never getting to sing her own songs and feeling unheard. Lance kept her from using her voice, and she really deserved to be heard. Not just figuratively, but also her singing skills. Her song is one of the top songs I’ve had listen to way too many times.

But Lance wasn’t the only one that tried to take her voice away. Judith and her stubbornness trying to shut things down, took away the beats from her. And in Ash’s defiance, she used her own two feet for the steady beat for her song. With her feet, she still stood strong, unwavering, and proved she had what it took to stand proud no matter what.

With Meena, her song was “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout A Thing”. Her whole life, she was shy and worried about how people saw her. Never using her vocals and hiding them away. Her vocals are intense, and it was awesome she finally lets her voice fly off her lungs.

And of course, there is Rosita and her “Shake It Off” with her song about being a hard working mother, doing all the dishes, the laundry, the cooking, and everything else. And yet, she keeps pushing forward no matter what.

And while Mike never felt like a strong character, he was small but mighty. A little rascal that you wouldn’t trust with anything. And its funny that Rosita’s song about “Shaking It off” causes Mike to NOT “Shake It Off” and sends him on his way back to sing his heart out about doing it “My Way”. He shows off his talent of his deep voice, by doing it his way, and almost flies away by the helicopters. But still, he fights against it, holding on for dear life, by still doing it his way, and being victorious.

With all the key songs for the ending, with Johnny’s “The Way I Feel Inside” that he doesn’t get to finish singing, the strong points of the music choices and the story, is to stand tall, be proud, speak up, and never back down from a challenge.

Encanto

With Encanto, the important songs that really drives the story, are the songs sung by four individuals. And like the story, the music tells us the story again, but it sings about what’s underneath, the secrets, the buried truths.

With Mirabel, it was “Waiting On A Miracle”. About not being seen, not fitting in, how small she is compared to them. And she asks for a miracle.

With that, the foundation and everything that we believed begins to crumble.

Then we learn more about Luisa with her song, “Surface Pressure” where she feels the weight of her family, always needing to be the strong one. Always being the go to person to fix things. To be the unbreakable daughter when she just wanted to break.

The foundation breaks further.

Mirabel finds Isabela who sings “What Else Can I Do?” and we discover she felt like she was always having to be the perfect daughter. Always having to make things beautiful even when she felt sad. She just wanted to be who SHE wanted to be. To be unperfect.

And with now knowing how truly broken the family is, we don’t learn about Bruno’s side and what he feels. He doesn’t even sing to tell his story. Only those who think he’s a villain tell their point of view, becoming an unreliable song. Instead of telling us the secrets hidden, they only tell the warped truth.

And while “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” has such an amazing variety of tones, from Dolores soft catchy “Ch Ch Ch”, Camilio’s catchy yet dark “Bruno is a villain” singing, Isabela’s delicate singing, and the random townspeople singing about how they were cursed, and all coming together in ordered yet chaotic singing, just beautiful music. But, the words they sing, is all warped truths without Bruno’s side of the story.

Only when Bruno sings during the “All of You” song, do we hear it from him about what he was actually trying to do. Yes, its as weird as he is, but that’s okay, because he’s friends with Hernando and Jorge.

In the end, the music within the story really tells their own stories that the none-singing parts don’t tell. They gave us the emotions and the secrets.

Trolls

Now its time for Trolls. Many songs the trolls sing, are catchy for sure. But there is one song that truly stands out in the crowd of music. One that has the biggest impact in the film. The game changer that sparks the biggest change in the trolls, and the most emotionally driven lyrics, and scene, that really hits hard.

The all is lost moment we never truly are prepared for in a Disney, Pixar, or even a DreamWorks film.

When Branch see’s Popper lose her color along with her hope, is devastating to say the least. In this moment, Branch breaks his no-singing vow, sings “True Colors” to Poppy. At first, it has no effect on her, or any of the trolls.  But he doesn’t give up. He sings his heart out, as the Hug Watches chimes away. He speaks from the heart, telling her he will always be there for her, and this bring back her colors, only for him to confess his love for her. And this moment in the song, was so important with confessing his love, he shows his colors too.

But it doesn’t stop there. They sing together, bringing the light back into the troll’s hearts, and their hope and colors shine once again.

He breaks his vow, brings back Poppy’s color, confesses his love, brings out his color, and everyone else’s color, all in one heartfelt song in the moment they needed hope and music the most. This song? It saved them all. Imaging if he didn’t sing? This film probably would have a sad ending.

The Greatest Showman

Animation isn’t the only section of music that makes the movie. One such film that really hits strong, is The Greatest Showman. And this one is very catchy, so hopefully it becomes a tick in your brain for a while.

The first song that really makes the movie, is “A Million Dreams”. This is because, when Barnum was a kid, he falls for a girl at first sight. True love. Soul mates. A match guided by the same idea.

He sings “A Million Dreams” that talks about the future, almost telling us what the movie is about and how its all for her. He had a million dreams that he wanted to see with Charity, and she wanted to see them all with him.

But if that was the set up of what the story was about, naturally it has to go sour at some point, right? Well, that’s exactly what happens. His dream was to explore the unknown, and that came to be the Circus of the unknown, the weird, and the music that drives them to relax and to enjoy the show.

One after another, he slowly builds the circus that would take the world by storm, to take everything out of the shadows and bring it to the spotlight, front and center.

And with each new addition, came backlash.

With so many people to join that were thought of as “Freaks” by the people, they each had something they wanted to hide, or something to chase after.

Such as Phillip knew what the backlash was going to be. If he joins, he’ll be an outcast too, so he wanted nothing to do with it. But Burnum wasn’t having it. He sings “The Other Side” and argues that he will be free and happy for once in his life. And when they settle, he comes out as a partner, even though Burnum looked at him as an apprentice.

With Phillip, he falls in love with Anne, one of the “unusuals” that joined the circus. Their love was “Forbidden” especially for Phillips parents. And this causes a wedge between them. But still, Phillip tries to show her he still wants her, and he believes she still wants him. She, naturally, he has to sing this through “Rewrite The Stars”.

And you can see they both want to be together, but as Anne says, they can’t have each other as they may break again. So, for her, they need to continue to hide their love.

Which brings us to Lettie, who has had enough hiding, and sings out loud “This Is Me”. She is proud of who she is, and rightfully so. She’s a kind and powerful woman who after seeing they were still an outcast when it came to the rich, she had enough. Her vocals are strong and fierce, and she shines against the people who wants her in the shadows. 

Burnum losses sight of what truly mattered and eventually pushes away Charity. Only when he loses everything, his circus, his family, and his building, does he realize what he had to begin with. Which he sings “From Now On”, and as he sings, he slowly realizes what he could have again. Something he should have never lost to begin with.

And this really calls out an idea. Never lose sight of what you have, when chasing your dreams.

The Takeaway

Many love musicals and movies with music that hits hard. Whether its Guardians of the Galaxy or Footloose. Greatest Showman or Tangled. Or even the almighty Encanto. The music can make or break the movie, but when done with precision, it makes all the difference in the world. It can add something new, like sharing secrets that characters don’t want others to know. It can sit hand in hand with the tone. Maybe, it can just be that awesome soundtrack like the Guardians of the Galaxy. But at the end of the day, it all comes together. Story, conflicts, characters, even the music can make the movie.