#one of the greatest disney songs actually

[bellanottes]

[whencartoonsruletheworld]

funniest disney history facts i can think of atm

literally EVERYBODY thought the lion king was gonna flop and pocahontas would be their greatest movie ever made. people begged to ditch lion king and work on pocahontas.

the reason robin hood ends so abruptly is that there was an actual ending planned and storyboarded but the crew spent too long arguing about everyone’s fursonas to finish animating it

madam mim was way less comedic in the original book but because her character was too similar to maleficent (who was in their latest film at the time), the sword and the stone crew decided to differentiate her by making her fucking hilarious

when making a goofy movie, jeffrey katzenberg (studio chairman at the time) told bill farmer to give goofy “a normal voice.” farmer, who had been voicing goofy for eight years at that point, including in the goof troop show that a goofy movie was a sequel to, was very confused. after making an attempt they decided to scrap that note completely.

as of march 2023, farmer is still voicing goofy, and tony anselmo has been voicing donald since 1986. the 2017 reboot of ducktales, which was slated as “wanting to do for donald what goofy movie did for goofy,” featured both actors as those characters; they had also been doing the voices for the original ducktales and goof troop/goofy movie. all the times goofy and donald interact in the 2017 ducktales however, donald was voiced by guest star don cheadle as a joke

current voice of mickey mouse bret iwan has stated that he has attempted to play kingdom hearts and did not do well

disneyland’s current world of color halloween overlay features a plot that is basically “the disney villains simultaneously adopt a goth kid” and i love it

people will make jokes about “well math says that the beast would’ve been 11 when he was cursed” well that was actually the original intent, but a flashback scene of baby beast was scrapped because he looked “too much like eddie munster”

when disney sent a representative to pixar to check on toy story production, she was like “this is all great! what style of music are you thinking” and they were like “for what” “for the songs” “we uh. we weren’t gonna have. any songs” and she went dead silent and then went “i have to make a call” and left the room

saludos amigos and the three caballeros were made as ww2 propaganda. the government commissioned disney to make movies to make latin america like them so that they wouldnt side with the nazis and provide them an in to invade, and latin america really liked donald duck so

saludos amigos was apparently the first time many usamericans realized that latin american people were like. people. film historian alfred charles richard jr said that the film “did more to cement a community of interest between peoples of the americas in a few months than the state department had in fifty years”

while latin america generally liked both films, chilean cartoonist rené rios boettiger fucking hated the chilean segment of saludos amigos, seeing the main character of pedro the plane as a weakass bitch, so in response he created condorito, the most popular comic character in all of latin america

disney wanted to adapt ts eliot’s old possum’s book of practical cats. his widow adamantly refused, and then sold the rights to andrew lloyd webber bc he wanted to make it sexy and she said “tom would’ve liked that”

in case you haven’t seen the defunctland, walt disney wanted epcot to be a futuristic utopia where he was basically the dictator. then he died so they just made it another theme park

speaking of defunctland the first defunctland video was on disneyworld’s alien attraction and please watch it. please it’s so funny

after the huge failure of the black cauldron disney was going to shut down its animation department. the department tried to convince them to keep them alive by showing them the one scene they had finished for the next movie– the mouse burlesque from the great mouse detective. it worked

the only attraction the black cauldron ever got was in tokyo disneyland where they put a tour under cinderella’s castle where everyone had to escape the disney villains trying to kill them, only to end at the horned king and the cauldron, who would try to sacrifice them to satan. this tour was popular but was closed in the early 2000s as the tunnels didn’t fit earthquake regulations and i want it in disneyworld so bad

walt disney once referred to his unionizing workers, led by goofy’s creator art babbitt, as “commie sons of bitches,” and i want a mickey build-a-bear that calls me a commie son-of-a-bitch whenever i squeeze its paw

[violetwolfraven]

You know what maybe I’m just tired and feeling the existential dread of growing up, but actually my small, petty hill to die on is that I don’t think I will ever forgive Disney for abandoning the fairies franchise. I cannot even properly express what those movies were to me as a kid. They very well may have been my first hyperfixation. But come on beyond the sentimental value, those movies:

Encouraged kids to take an interest in nature and be nice to plants and animals.

Depicted a (mostly female) friend group that spent virtually every scene they had together onscreen building each other up and supporting each other.

Featured a female lead who is essentially a mechanical engineer, and is not treated as any less magical or important for it than her friends who can magically make flowers grow or bend light (except for the first movie wherein her feeling less magical and important is the central conflict).

Gave said female lead a “love interest,” I say in quotations because while they are definitely implied to have romantic feelings for each other, he is never called anything other than her best friend and the two of them ending up together is never treated as an urgent priority. Their friendship is incredibly important to both of them, but no one acts like it’s a problem that they’re just friends for now.

Redeemed the mean girl pretty damn successfully (in my opinion), Vidia never apologizes for most of her actions onscreen, but she does realize when she’s gone too far and makes an effort to fix her mistakes, and from that point on she is integrated into the friend group who, as I mentioned before, spend 90% of their screen time uplifting each other.

In The Lost Treasure, let Tink’s temper have consequences, a good lesson for kids in not taking their friends for granted and treating them kindly, but also teaching respect for boundaries and personal space through Terrence’s end.

In Secret of the Wings, demonstrated that sometimes rules are there for safety reasons, but you can try to think of a creative solution to do what you want while still keeping things safe for everyone.

In Legend of the Neverbeast (admittedly not the greatest movie in the series), depicted the fairies having to say goodbye to an animal companion permanently, something most kids will probably experience at some point.

Inspired a banger of an online game and several banger songs.

And what has Disney done with this franchise they spent 7 years on (longer if you count the books)?

Allowed a massive decline in quality on the last movie made (Legend of the Neverbeast) and then acted shocked when it didn’t do as well as the previous ones.

Cancelled all fairy projects after that.

Shut down the game in 2013.

Made a bunch of the songs from the soundtracks seemingly disappear off the face of the earth.

I know it doesn’t make the top 100 shitty things Disney has done, probably not even the top 1000, but I am still extremely salty about it, even though it’s been almost 10 years.

[dancingdewey]

I might just be severely sleep deprived and on cold meds, but I am also completely honest when I say that I think perry the platypus might be one of the greatest characters ever conceived of

he has an absolutely unique character design, he's mute, he's a secret agent, he loves his family more than anyone can imagine but they don't even know that and that is the tragedy inherent in his character, he has a homoerotic bond with his nemesis, he's funny, he's effortlessly cool, he pretends to be lawful good but is actual neutral good, he has the most banging theme song in the world

everyone always talks about disney turning kids into furries with robin hood and zootopia, but I KNOW there's some of you out there that were turned to furridom by perry, I just know it

[diseaseriddencube]

My Hazbin Song Rankings

Sometimes I only enjoy small sections of a song, but if those sections are good enough it can still rank higher than a song with a high percentage of decent sections.

Hell’s Greatest Dad: there's parts I don't like much but the song still gets 10/10 from me. The beginning segment for Lucifer and Alastor are my absolute favorite. After that it gets a little eh? I wish that fiddle moment went on for a second longer. Alastor's second section is more like 7/10. Mimzy is...yeah

Poison: 10/10 perfectly solid, no parts I dislike, while I prefer Angel's pilot va more in general, this guy does a good job especially for the songs. The song's catchy, no interrupted or talking sections, the animation for it is also very nice.

Hell Is Forever: 7/10 I like this one, Adam's chorus is absolutely a banger. the sections in between the chorus are more like 5/10, this one's in my playlist

Stayed Gone: 4/10 for the song as a whole, but the actual singing segments get a 7/10 for me, it just bothers me that half the song is talking rather than actual singing. I like Vox's voice, and Alastor plays well in contrast. The tune is nice and catchy, and the ending is perfectly sinister. That's the tea~ (this is in my playlist, with cropped out sections)

INSIDE OF EVERY DEMON IS A RAINBOW: the better beginning song from Charlie, 6.5/10. it's fairly catchy actually but it's not my favorite by a mile

Respectless: 6/10, Carmilla's got a nice powerful voice but Velvette's sections are the part I enjoy, it's a decent song but it won't go in my playlist.

Finale: the majority of the song gets like. 3/10. don't love it. the 25 seconds from the Vs get an 11/10 why couldn't the entire song be this good 😭 Alastor's part from a song perspective is maybe 4/10, as a scene it's a 10/10, but we're ranking the music alone here.

Loser, Baby: 6/10, I like the older style, the beginning part doesn't have appeal but I like the swing of the chorus. Husk's voice in general ain't my favorite but it's alright for this genre. Angel doesn't sound great in this one. Not going in my playlist but I like it well enough.

Happy Day In Hell: solid beginning song, very disney princess. It's not quite my thing, but it's catchy enough and doesn't bore me. 6/10 it ain't bad. wouldn't go in my playlist but I like it well enough

Inside of every demon, is a lost cause: a pilot song, any Alastor song may get a biased ranking, this gets like 5.5/10 though, it never really got my attention much as a song.

Out For Love: 5/10 eh, nothing about it I particularly hate, but it's forgettable and not doing anything for me. didn't need to be a song.

You Didn’t Know: the beginning sucks so bad, stop saying Sera you're pissing me off 😩 Sera's voice ain't doing it for me. Lute's beginning is where it starts getting better. maybe because they're reprising the much better Hell Is Forever. Charlie and Emma's duet is quite badass though. 5/10

Welcome To Heaven: 3/10, catchy but forgettable. didn't need to be here.

More Than Anything: put it away please. 3/10, it's fine I'm just really bored of it, if it wasn't 3 whole minutes long maybe I'd be more okay with it

More Than Anything (Reprise): just put. it. away. please!!!!

Ready For This: 3/10 I'm just bored, nothing wrong with it. forgettable. 5/10 for that little alastor/rosie section, I love their little dance too.

It Starts With Sorry: ugh. 2/10 I wouldn't put this on my playlist at all. it's slow and sappy and uuuuggghhh this did NOT need to be a song, bad viewer experience

Whatever It Takes: 2/10 put this shit away, this didn't need to be a song, it's so boring ahhhhhhh, Carmilla doesn't even sound great in some parts of this. it just goes onnnnnn and oooooonnnn. Vaggie's singing voice bothers me because she doesn't sound like herself, I honestly though she had a separate singing va

[domiej]

Zira- Simba’s pride.

While we’re on the topic of one of Disney’s greatest sequels, why not take the time to talk about a good villain.

My good sis ZIRA.

Remember Zira? Scar’s wife???(I think)

Back when Disney actually made evil villains.

I’ve always, for some odd reason, liked Zira. She was delusion, a bitch and was entertaining to watch. And she showed 0 shame about it.

Proudly moved out of the pridelands to a place with little food, no water. Was willing to hand kovu over as punishment . Creeped around pride rock like a stalker.

And above it all, start to finish, she was a TRUE hater. I must give her her props. She loathed Simba and stuck to it, she never had a change of heart, not even when Vatani (her own daughter, mind you) looked at her with sheer disgust and told her it was over.

This bitch looked at her daughter and said “then you will die as well”. ROUND OF APPLAUSE👏👏👏👏

A TRUE hater.

We don’t see that quote often in disney films especially nowadays, we see them be slightly regretful or panic in their last moments, but Zira????? Zira did NOT fold. She knew she was gonna fall to her death and still tried to take Kiara with her…….. and still fell.

She may get ALOT of hate but she stood ten toes down for her man and no one, not even her own children could stop her. And hey! I respect it.

Zira, you will always be great to me. “My lullaby” was the best song in the soundtrack.

[hooked-on-elvis]

HE SURE IS A PRINCE!

"I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine"

[1] Elvis photographed at the Blue Light studio in Memphis, 1954. [2] Cinderella, a Disney movie released in 1950. [3] Elvis' first Sun Records publicity portrait, 1954.

Studio Sessions for Sun September 10–?, 1954: Sun Studio, Memphis The songs that came to Elvis’s mind were as motley a crew as can be imagined, yet each one was drawn from his own experiences. His prodigious memory helped him dredge up songs from the oddest places, and the Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis movie "Scared Stiff" was one. He recalled Martin’s rendition of a number called “I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine,” which had actually been written for Cinderella but was never used in the Disney film. The movie version differed from Martin’s 1950 recorded version, and it was the screen performance he remembered; he took Martin’s approach one step further, speeding the song up, solidifying the beat, and adding an energetic vocal delivery on top.

Excerpt: "Elvis Presley: A Life in Music" by Ernst Jorgensen. Foreword by Peter Guralnick (1998)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine” was written by Mack David in 1949 for the Disney film “Cinderella”, but the song ended up being misused for the film released in the early 1950. The song was recorded by different artists during the following years. For instance, in addition to Dean Martin, Patti Page is another artist for whom Elvis had the greatest admiration. Her version of “I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine” was released in 1950. It’s not strange to assume that Elvis also heard her version before recording the song in 1954.

Here's Dean Martin performing the song in scene from movie "Scared Stiff " (1953):

Elvis recorded the song on September, 1954 and it was first released as a single on October 4 the same year, with B-side "Good Rockin' Tonight".

Listen to “I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine” by Elvis Presley — Guitar: Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley. Bass: Bill Black

When Elvis signed with RCA Records in late 1955, RCA reissued all five of his Sun singles, inclusing "I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine" / "Good Rockin’ Tonight".

RCA's reissue of Sun Records' original Elvis Presley singles.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FURTHER INFO

Are you curious with the movie the King watched and which inspired him in some level to pick a song for his early records? Watch the 1953 movie 'Scared Stiff, starring Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis: dailymotion.com

FUN FACT: Our dear Lizabeth Scott (Loving You, 1957) is also in this movie, playing Mary Carroll.

Dean Martin, Lizabeth Scott and Jerry Lewis in "Scared Stiff" (1953)

Elvis photographed in 1954.

CREDITS FOR THIS POST: Ernst Jorgensen and his amazing book, "Elvis Presley: A Life in Music", one of my favorites which I keep at reach all times; for the Sun Records and RCA's 1954 single sleeves and respective release dates: elvis100percent.com and Discogs; for pictures: IMDb.com and Pinterest, for movie and song info, Wikipedia and elvisthemusic.com, and for the recordings, Youtube.

[acaplaya-musings]

A random assortment of Geoff Castellucci pictures - Part 3

Y'all seemed to enjoy part 1 and part 2, so here, have a part 3! Featuring pics of Geoff from videos where I haven't already saved any screencaps from (not counting Voiceplay Visuals posts), but where he still looks really good anyway. And so because this one involves me going back and rewatching certain videos for the purpose of screenshot grabs (always nice to have another excuse! <3), these pictures are going chronologically by video, oldest to newest, rather than alphabetical by title. And again, featuring little bits of thoughts/commentary from yours truly. This one ended up being longer than part 2 as well, so enjoy!

(Everything below the cut as like the previous posts!)

Starting off strong my fam!!

I said as much in my VoicePlay Visuals post I think but this is honestly one of Geoff's best "shorter (or at least shorter-ish) hair" looks imo. Like look at those waves and curls! To! Die! For!

Also the open shirt with the popped collar is such a look and I kinda wanna see Geoff with a popped collar more often tbh

Also on the Panic Medlry Part 2 video someone commented "Is it just me or is Geoff extra hot in these last two vids". VoicePlay replied with "It's not just you. There was no air conditioning. ;)" XD

I forgot how hard it is to get decent pics of Geoff from this video, rip. I couldn't not include anything from it though! I mean come on!

Sir excuse me who gave you the right (and can they give you the right more often please)

I don't even know what it is in particular about this look that's so good but dear god everything just works and like, y'know, as I very frequently say: He's! So! Pretty!!!

Actually I do know one key component: his smile!!! <3

Well hello there good sir! 👀

Yet another video where Geoff smiles a lot and it's so lovely and nice but goddang is it hard to get a clear pic of him!

Yes a good portion of these pics is honestly just me showing some of my favourite Geoff smiles from different videos, and I apologise for nothing <3

Look, I love Geoff as a Disney villain, of course I do, he slays it absolutely every single time, but goddamn, I would love for more Disney Prince Geoff, in vibes/aesthetic if not any actual Disney song.

Also shoutout to one bit during Eli's When I'm Older section, where Geoff is looking off to the side and smiling <3 (smiling at Kathy? Maybe?)

(Oh and actually, between Sh-Boom and this video, I'm realising I kinda sorta wanna make a picture collection post for Layne as well - he does have some good looks sometimes! Nothing Else Matters, Hellfire, Warriors, y'know?)

Jumping ahead 1.5 years now!

Butter is such a fun video - everyone looked like they had such a great time!

If I Were A Rich Man/Girl MY ABSOLUTE BELOVED

The fluff in the hair, the visible bit of white/grey, the shirt, the smile!!! This video has me so weak y'all <3

Honestly Geoff looks phenomenal in almost every single medley video in particular and I love it (almost every medley - Greatest Showman Medley isn't in this photoset for the same reason that Kidnap The Sandy Claws and Hide And Seek aren't, lol)

(Also appreciation for the long-sleeve shirt behind rolled up to the elbows 👀)

Geoff from like 2022 onwards was "I'm going to find a hundred different black outfits to wear in videos and I'm going to look good every time" /j

Couldn't help but include a pic from We Don't Talk About Bruno in this - he's so silly (affectionate) <3

Not including any pics of Disney Princess Geoff(tm) only because it makes me laugh too much XD (seriously even as soon as Ashley starts singing Isabela's part I already start giggling, and it does in fact get me every time, but you can find a couple of pics of it in my VoicePlay Visuals post for this video HERE

I haven't rewatched this video in a while, so I wasn't exactly sure what kinda quality of screencaps I was gonna be able to grab from it, but well... it delivered!!!

I said this in a comment on the video as well but whoever had the idea to have that little bit of breeze/wind blowing Geoff's (and Adriana's) hair back, you're a genius and I love you

Also DJ_410 has occasionally referred to Geoff having "puppy dog eyes" or something along those lines, and man, he ain't wrong!

Someone said in the comments of this video that "Geoff is slowly turning into a silver fox" and honestly so true bestie <3 (ages! like! fine! wine!)

Also love how you can see the full necklace in this one (fun fact: Geoff's wearing a white singlet underneath, but he actually deliberately ripped it open a little bit at the neckline, which is how we end up with this 👀)

Plus this is the closest we've come to Geoff wearing a upturned/popped collar since the Panic Medley!

I Love Drunken Sailor A Normal Amount

Okay so obviously I already had one image from this video already saved to my folder - my profile pic - but nothing otherwise, and man is this video a goldmine. The arms! The hair! The eyeliner!!!

We really were absolutely spoiled when it came to Sleeveless Geoff in 2023 quite honestly

And what better way to end this post than with the god-tier all around stunningness that is Geoff in Hellfire?

I mean come on he literally looks like a goddamn painting!

So that's all for now! I might at some point do a part 4 or something dedicated to Minis and/or Shorts, but I do have a couple of other post ideas in mind for later down the line, so we shall see!

[amerricanartwork]

More Love for Lilypad

Hi! To be honest, I don’t know why I’m writing this, I guess because reading everything has moved me more than I probably thought.

I don’t know how much text he let me put

I have read the current Lilypad publication and I honestly loved it, otherwise I would be here writing like an excited silly girl.

How do you connect the story of Luna and No Harassment with Sleeping Beauty (From the Disney movie because the original story is horrible, believe me, you wouldn’t want to use it if it were the original), it’s so beautiful that it moved me and connected me more with the ships. how much I love them and lilypad mainly sadly for my part I don’t see much art from them (I think it happens to me with ships that generally are not so popular or so loved, it happens to me with the message of love from SpearmasterXHunter, Godmode SaintXEnot, lilypad and PebblesXSun )

The topic, I loved reading these ideas that come from your ingenious and beautiful imagination, I want to read more of this and that would be all! Nice day/night :3!

PD: As a warning, I don’t know where I had to send this and I’m sorry if I didn’t have to send it here, and I take this opportunity to say that your ArtiXGourmand is simply beautiful and I adore it!

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

Oh my, @amaerumeru, thank you so much for this submission!!

I’m so glad to see someone enjoy those ideas so much, and to hear my essay has inspired some more love for these two sweethearts! Seeing people sympathize at least with the fairytale stuff is a very pleasant surprise!

Regarding the lack of content, I feel you, I’ve had my fair share of rarepairs across my fandoms too (heck, I’m even considering adopting a super rare RW ship right now...), and not being able to find content of them is always pretty rough! Although for me, the struggle doesn’t always come from lacking any content of the ship, but lacking the specific kind of content I want for it. 

Part of the reason why I began that extension of the Lilypad essay by listing the ship tropes I love and particularly explaining the main two was because, to me, how a ship is depicted is just as important as which ship is depicted. It’s so much so I actually won’t like content of a ship I normally love if I don’t like the way the characters are and act within it, or if I don’t like the ideas being shown through the characters enough. 

Both situations exist with Lilypad, and although I can excuse the lack of content as Rain World generally not having much canon ship potential, the portrayal struggle is one I have faced in basically every fandom I’ve been in, where no one seems to really appreciate those traditional dynamics I love with the ships I enjoy the most. Most of the time I still enjoy the content because it’s pretty cute and romantic, and I don’t dislike anything about it enough to cancel out that cuteness/romance factor, but it’s still not what I love most, tailored to what I identify with the greatest; I’ll eat it, but it’s not my favorite flavor. And with the New Year and self-improvement being a common focus this time of year, I figured I’d finally get the courage to take my classic art approach with these themes now; if I can’t find someone else who’s made the content I want, I’ll make it myself (like this sketch I drew up for this post), and just maybe they’ll find me!

And find someone I have! Once again, I’m so glad someone appreciates these older fairytale tropes, and I really do feel inspired to openly make more content including these ideas! I’ve always had a habit of thinking about not just ships, but fiction in general through the lens of the poetic significance characters, scenes, and plot points do or can have, and recently I’ve developed a habit of linking characters and ships back to songs and previous characters from other cartoons (like I did with Sleeping Beauty here), and trust me, if you want more content of this sort, I could both write similar essays deriving these themes within other ships AND make a lot more Lilypad content like this! I mean, after posting that addition I realized somehow forgot to talk about “Once Upon a Dream” specifically and how it so perfectly fits this ship, so I’m already probably gonna do a post and drawing on that sometime soon — !

And one last thing, thanks for liking the Artimand stuff too! Artimand is probably a better example of my “I like this ship in general, but I really wanna see more of these traditional themes in content for it“ attitude, so it’s nice to see that’s enjoyable to other people on some level too!

 Big thanks for the submission, a reason to ramble even more about Lilypad and my favorite ship tropes, and inspiration to make that drawing, Meru! And hey, I love hearing the deeper reasons why other people ship what they do too, so if you ever wanna ramble about your own ships, I’m all ears!

[twistedtummies2]

Top 20 Lion King Songs

Today is a big day for Disney fans (and many a furry, for that matter): it marks the 30th Anniversary of one of Disney’s most successful movies, “The Lion King.” While the actual celebrations by Disney itself for the event have been…controversial, shall we say? It is worth pointing out that the movie is extremely worthy of commemoration: it was, and still is, one of the most successful animated films ever made, and many people I talk to have said it’s one of their favorite movies of all time. It’s not hard to see why, either: it’s grand and epic on a scale that seldom few Disney films before it quite reached, in terms of scope and human emotion…which is ironic, since there are no actual humans in the story. It also spawned no less than two animated TV shows, a couple of direct-to-video sequels, a (very bad) CGI remake, and one of the single biggest stage musicals of all time. Interestingly, both the movie and the musical were considered fool’s projects. Many people thought neither would work. So to see how successful they’ve been is certainly intriguing, if nothing else. 

One of the things that has made the Lion King, in nearly ALL its forms, so successful is undoubtedly the music. It’s very, very rare you’ll find someone who DOESN’T say the songs in the original film are among the greatest in any musical, movie or not…and the stage show and other spin-off pieces have only continued this tradition, introducing new songs all their own that are often equally fantastic, if not more so. Therefore, after some consideration, I decided to do a sort of deep-dive countdown of my favorite songs from the franchise’s history. Now, one important thing to note is that this list will NOT cover the Timon & Pumbaa TV series, the direct-to-video film “Lion King 1 ½,” and the aforementioned CGI remake. In all these cases, it’s because I can’t really remember too many original songs from any of them, and the ones I do recall I wouldn’t place on this countdown anywhere. That, however, still leaves us plenty of material: this list will cover the original movie, the stage musical, the sequel “Lion King II: Simba’s Pride,” and the TV series “The Lion Guard” - an entire sequel series that told the story of Simba’s son and his friends protecting the Pride Lands, taking place between “Simba’s Pride” and the original film. With that said…it’s time to praise the Circle of Life. These are My Top 20 Lion King Songs!

20. Beware of Poa.

Just a heads-up right off the bat: fifty percent of this whole countdown will be tunes from “The Lion Guard.” This is primarily due to the simple fact that, being a TV series with no less than 75 separate episodes, there’s a lot more music to be found there than either of the films or the stage show. And it all starts with our first choice: “Beware of Poa.” This song appears in the episode “Poa the Destroyer,” where one of the Guard members - a young hippo named Beshte - starts inadvertently causing trouble at the mystical Tree of Life. Beshte doesn’t mean any harm, but he apparently doesn’t know his own strength, and his size causes many a headache for those who live at the Tree. This culminates in the character Pinguino singing a song about the mysterious “Poa the Destroyer,” believing Beshte to be some sort of monster out to ruin the Tree of Life, and rallying other animals to his side. The song is visually delightful (which goes for most melodies on this countdown), and very catchy, but ultimately just isn’t as “important” as other songs on the list, in terms of story, character, and context. Still, it’s a lot of fun - one of my personal faves from the series as a whole - so I decided to give it a place.

19. I Just Can’t Wait to Be King.

Yeah, I know, placing this song so low in the ranks is tantamount to heresy for some people. One of the things I considered when both choosing and ranking songs, however, was a simple question: how often do I actually come back to the song? How often do I sing it, how often do I reference it, and how much do I look forward to it when watching the piece? And when considering all those facts, this number actually fell somewhat short compared to a lot of other tunes. Do not misconstrue this to mean I dislike it, however: not only is this song very fun - arguably the most outrageous song, visually, in the entire original movie, for a start - but it’s also rather important. This is the song that shows us where Simba’s journey as a character begins: he’s young, simple-minded, cocky, adventurous, and doesn’t fully understand the responsibilities that have yet to be heaped upon him. He’s a showboating spoiled brat at this point, and while we see the humor in what’s going on, that is a point worth noting: almost immediately after this song is when things start to go wrong in his life, and from that point on, he faces increasingly harder challenges he has to not only survive and endure, but learn from. In that sense, it’s a remarkably necessary tune…but I guess I prefer songs that are slightly less “kiddy,” on the whole. Speaking of which…

18. Hakuna Matata.

Depending on who you are, seeing this song so low in the ranks will either be the most heinous blasphemy known to man…or seeing it here AT ALL will be the same. “Hakuna Matata” seems to be a very polarizing number; I tend to find that most people loved it a lot as kids, but as we get older we gravitate more towards the other songs in the film. There are also some people who just love the song in general…and, one should add immediately, some who think the song is annoying and always have. I fall into the formermost category: I remember as a little kid singing this song and enjoying it a lot, but as a grown-up it’s probably one of the songs I skip over most with this franchise. And while it kind of has become its own unique phenomenon, it must be noted that the song serves an important purpose in the original film. First of all, it musically introduces us to the core philosophies of Timon & Pumbaa: letting go of the things that one can’t change or doesn’t like to think about and simply moving on with one’s life. Second of all, the philosophy itself is an important theme in the film, as Simba has to balance what to throw away and what to cling to from his identity and his past from this point on. Third and finally, it serves as the primary comic relief number of the movie…and to its credit, that comic relief is pretty sorely needed, since the scenes that preceded this song for the past ten to twenty minutes, at least, were pretty intense: among the most dramatic, dark, and adrenaline-inducing in the whole film. A bouncy little ditty that translates to “don’t worry, be happy,” is actually sort of important: it gives an audience hope, as well as levity. Overall, I still think it’s a tune worth some merit…but, just like “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King,” there are plenty of other songs I like more.

17. You Best Not Mess With Mama.

The villain songs throughout the Lion King franchise are pretty darn great, and if there’s anything one can take away from this countdown, that’s probably it: at least a quarter of this countdown - more if you count the Honorable Mentions - are beats from the baddies. The series, as a whole, has a talent for creating antagonists that are equal parts entertaining and utterly awful, like so many other fantastic Disney Villains, and their musical moments are a big part of what make them all so fun to watch. Case in point: Mama Binturong, one of the main villains from Season 3 of “The Lion Guard.” Mama is a cantankerous old crook who obsessively hoards tuliza plants - her favorite food (which may or may not be fictional) - and has an army of porcupines as her enforcers. Her song more or less just enforces her character, but what makes it great is the style: first of all, the visuals are done in monochrome - the only spot of color being the purple tuliza flowers - with aged film-scratches on the screen, giving it a unique look that none of the other songs ANYWHERE in the franchise have, as far as I can find. This and the sort of jazzy vibe of the music plays up Mama Binturong as a rather different villain. She feels almost like an old-timey gangster in binturong’s clothing, which helps her stand out. There’s not much else to this one, but just like “Poa the Destroyer,” it’s a lot of fun, and the aesthetics make it highly memorable.

16. My Own Way.

This is a case where I think the original singer is the primary reason this song works so beautifully. “My Own Way” is another case of a song from “The Lion Guard” that doesn’t really serve any long-lasting purpose, but more is just a stepping stone in the episode it’s a part of. The character in focus is Fuli the Cheetah, a member of the Guard. In the episode, “Fuli’s New Family,” her friends worry about how much time she spends on her own, and their attempts to give her more company get on her nerves. “My Own Way” is essentially Fuli cementing her outlook on life, while venting about her frustrations with the situation: it’s not that she dislikes her friends, but she values both her privacy and her own sense of independence. She’s not really lonely, nor is she antisocial. She simply enjoys her “me time” and the feeling of having no one else to worry about now and again. Fuli’s voice actor - as well as her singing voice - is performer Diamond White, whom some may know for the voice of Marvel’s Moon Girl, or as Frankie Greene from “Transformers: Rescue Bots.” And while this show had plenty of awesome singers - some unexpectedly so - I think White’s voice is the most singularly breathtaking of the entire cast. Anytime Fuli sings, it is BLISS on my ears. Her voice is so clear, with this beautiful blend of purity and power; it brings a lot of soul and spice to the character, and makes relatively simple songs like this one feel far more impactful. The song is good on its own terms, but I think it’s White’s vocals that really give it most of its punch. It’s my favorite solo tune from the character.

15. May There Be Peace.

This is the last sort of “one and done” song from “The Lion Guard” on the list: by which I mean, the song serves a purpose in the episode it hails from, but it doesn’t really impact the show or the characters as a whole. After this point on the list, the tunes featured from the show tend to have much more impact on the overarching plot of the series. With that said, there’s nothing wrong with “one and dones,” and this is a spellbinding example of that. This song serves as the centerpiece of the episode “The Ukumbusho Tradition,” which tells the story of the Guard and their families attending a holiday celebration. The event commemorates a peace treaty made between the lions and the elephants many years ago. It’s a cute episode, and the song itself is very sweet, with a tender message that pleas for not only peace between peoples, but also for people to do what they can to make that peace happen - a topical concept in just about any era of human history, I’d say. Overall, however, neither the episode nor the song do much to further the characters or the show on the whole, like I said…but as far as bits of fluff go, it’s a very, VERY nice one. Gentle, soothing, yet poignant.

14. When I Led the Guard.

Now things from “The Lion Guard” side of this list get interesting. In Season 2 of the series, Scar was resurrected by two of the main antagonists from Season 1 - Janja and Ushari - and thus began a long-running and elaborate scheme to gain revenge on Simba and destroy the Pride Lands. This scheme came to its climactic conclusion in the Season 3 premiere, “Battle for the Pride Lands.” That’s where this song comes in: “When I Led the Guard” tells the story of how Scar not only gained his namesake, but also began his descent into darkness. It also serves as important foreshadowing, since Scar plots to put Kion - the main character, Simba’s son - through the same tortuous trial. There is a LOT that makes this song great: the performance from Scar’s actor in the show (due to a decided lack of Jeremy Irons OR Jim Cummings), David Oyelowo, is genuinely stunning. The instrumentals give a lot of weight to the tune, as well. And of course, the foreshadowing of what’s to come is great. My only real problem with the song is the backstory itself: there are some issues with it I’ve addressed in the past that I just can’t overlook. Still, it is cool to SEE that backstory, and provides some interest comparison and contrast with what’s to come. It may not be on par with “Be Prepared,” but it’s still a great musical moment from the Lion King’s first and greatest villain in its own right.

13. A New Way to Go.

In the words of Rafiki, “change is good.” A recurring theme throughout the Lion King franchise is characters learning from their mistakes and changing for the better. Not every character learns, of course, and those characters usually end up being the villains…but sometimes, even a villain can learn to become something better. Case in point: Janja the Hyena. Janja is the main antagonist of the first season of the Lion Guard, and remains a major villain going into its second season, as one of the ones responsible for resurrecting Scar. He is, in essence, for the first two thirds of the series, the Guard’s arch-nemesis, even more than Scar: Janja has been a thorn in their sides literally since all of them were children. He seems one of the least likely characters to have a chance at redemption…but over the course of the show, we do start to see some soft sides pop up now and again with his character. Things reach a turning point when Jasiri - a rival hyena who is actually friends with Kion, and an ally of the Guard - saves Janja’s life. This leads into this song, which occurs (like our previous pick) during “Battle for the Pride Lands.” It’s revealed that being rescued by one of his enemies has caused Janja’s whole world view to turn upside-down: he suddenly finds himself wondering if bringing Scar back and serving him was really the best decision, and if joining Jasiri and making peace with Kion and the Pride Landers might be better for him and his clan. At the same time, however, he isn’t sure if he CAN turn over that new leaf: after everything he’s done, is redemption even possible for someone like him? The use of color throughout this sequence, as well as both visual and lyrical callbacks to earlier scenes and songs, make this moment of a villain questioning their morality and trying to decide whether it’s time to make a change or not all the more interesting to see and hear. Janja had many fun songs throughout the series, but I think this number really cemented him as possibly my favorite character in the show. What can I say? I love a good redemption arc.

12. Tree of Life.

In Season 1 of the Lion Guard, Janja was the main antagonist. In Season 2, it was Scar. So, with Scar (and Ushari) defeated for good at the beginning of the third and final season, and with Janja reformed in the same storyline…who was going to take over the reins of main villain in the episodes to come? Enter Makucha: a gluttonous leopard who appeared a couple times in the show prior, but had never really seemed to be THAT big a threat. He was a fun antagonist, but he only showed up in two or three episodes: compared to characters like the ones I’ve just mentioned, among others, he was more of a nuisance than a real menace. So I imagine it must have been quite the surprise for fans when he suddenly returned and became the main antagonist of the final season. As if to cement his new status as the next “big bad” of the franchise for the remainder of the show, he was given a villain song all his own…and one with a delightfully ironic title. “Tree of Life” is the point where Makucha changes from just an annoyance to a real danger: obsessed with the thought of finding the titular mystical hideaway, Makucha declares his plan to find a guide who can lead him and his fellow leopards to the Tree, for the sole purpose of devouring every single animal he can get his jaws around once there. This becomes the main antagonistic conflict of the Season, as Makucha tracks the Guard across their journey, gathering followers along the way, amassing an army that can conquer the Guard. The song isn’t as “intense” as many other villain songs in the show, but the irony of the title, the importance it has in the series - as well as for Makucha’s character - and the performance of the singer (veteran voice actor Steve Blum) makes it one of my favorite villain songs in the entire franchise.

11. We Are One.

FINALLY, we can move away from the Lion Guard for one gosh-danged minute! Instead, let’s talk about the ORIGINAL sequel to the Lion King, “Simba’s Pride.” This song focuses on Simba and his daughter, Kiara. The young princess - following an encounter with an Outsider named Kovu (more on him later) - feels some uncertainty about her status and her future. She often feels rather cooped-up by her role as princess, and isn’t sure whether she should follow her heart or stick with the traditions that have been established. Simba - wanting to comfort his daughter - sings this heartfelt but playful song about family, saying that while she may not know what to do now, she will know in the future. And as her father, he will do what he can to support and to help her. The song is sweet, but it’s also EXTREMELY ironic: to be blunt, Simba’s kind of one of the bad guys in this story, or at least I would argue as much. He’s not a villain, by ANY means, but he does make some decidedly non-heroic choices, and has been making them even before this point. He’s become obsessed with preserving the safety of his family and the Pride Lands, after everything that occurred in the first film. And sure enough, as the movie goes on, his choices become increasingly more questionable: it later is, funnily enough, Kiara standing up to him and going against his wishes that ultimately makes him realize his own folly, and how he’s been betraying the very ideal he tried to teach her as a cub. As a result, the song serves as a starting point for BOTH characters’ story arcs, as Kiara has to eventually choose between her own heart and her family, and Simba has to realize that “We Are One” does not only apply to those who share the same blood. It’s a lovely song on its own terms, but the context makes it all the more fascinating.

10. Kwetu ni Kwetu.

Aaaand we’re back to the Lion Guard. Don’t worry, we won’t be sticking with the show too much longer. XD This song appears in the the episode “The Hyena Resistance,” in which the aforementioned Jasiri and her clan have to decide whether to officially join forces with the Pride Landers and take a united stand against Scar and his cronies, or simply run and hide. Jasiri, as you may or may not suspect already, is not the “run and hide” kind of person. Tired of all the havoc Scar and his henchmen have been causing for her and her friends, she sings this song to convince the rest of her clan to join in the fight and take a risk to protect their homeland. I absolutely love Jasiri as a character: from minute one she was a lot of fun to see in action, and she only got more and more interesting as the series went on. This song is one of her crowning moments…and I say that with a double meaning. (If you’ve seen the series, you’ll get the reference there.) It’s fairly short - like most songs in the series, to be honest - but it does a great job with the time it has. It’s basically the Lion Guard’s version of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” A rallying cry that is fairly short, but very strong.

9. On the Last Night.

If “Kwetu ni Kwetu” was the Lion King universe’s version of “Do You Hear the People Sing?” then this is that same world’s version of “One Day More.” It’s also our last song from the oft-before-mentioned “Battle for the Pride Lands” on the list. The scene is kind of what it says on the tin: it’s the final evening before the titular battle, when the Pride Landers will have to face Scar’s army. The setup is both tense and yet serene: everything is peaceful. There’s no immediate danger occurring. It’s even quite a beautiful time. But over all this tranquility is the looming Sword of Damocles: the realization that, by morning, things will be different. There’s no telling who will win, who will lose, or what exactly will happen. The Guard members gather together to reassure one another and make a final, solemn vow to do all they can to win and stick to their ideals in the chaos to come. It’s…a surprisingly heavy moment, all things considered, and the song matches it perfectly. There’s a quality to the music and vocals that is both soothing and yet suspenseful. It is the lead up to the biggest, most dangerous moment in any of these characters’ lives so far, and even though they have great confidence, there’s still plenty of doubt and uncertainty. I get shivers - literal, genuine, I’m-not-exaggerating-at-all SHIVERS - almost every time I hear this one. It may not be from one of the films, nor the stage show, but it’s definitely on par with many of the more famous songs in this franchise. No question it belongs in my Top 10.

8. One of Us.

We now return to “Simba’s Pride”...which is ironic, because this is probably Simba’s lowest point in the story, as a character. For those who don’t know, the sequel film to “The Lion King” is essentially a Disney-ified rendition of “Romeo and Juliet.” Kiara, as you might guess, is Juliet…which leads us to our Romeo figure, Kovu. This young, dark lion is the adoptive son of Scar, and has been raised by Zira for the sole purpose of assassinating Simba and taking over the throne. However, Kovu falls in love with Kiara, and starts to realize how wrong all the things Zira taught him were. Simba starts off distrusting of the lion (not helped, likely, by the fact he bears an uncanny resemblance to his evil uncle), but eventually starts to open up…and this song occurs after everything goes to absolute Hell in a teapot. Zira, tired of waiting on Kovu, and worried he’ll back out of the plan, ambushes Simba with her followers, wounding the great King. Although Kovu renounces his allegiance to them shortly thereafter, Simba is not only unaware of this, but really wouldn’t care if he did: in his mind, Kovu has proven himself to be a traitor, and so he publicly denounces the young lion and banishes him. Now, the dark lion has nowhere to call home: both of the prides he once served have exiled him forever. “One of Us” is sung by the wrathful Pride Landers, as they basically chase the browbeaten Kovu out of their territory. This song isn’t exactly a villain song, but it’s certainly not a happy one: it’s a very tragic and depressing moment, as this character we’ve come to care about is left totally alone through really no fault of his own. In some ways, it’s one of the darkest songs in the Lion King catalogue…although I will say, the lyric “See ya later, Agitator!” is…honestly really freaking silly. Come on, guys, we know you could do better. XD

7. My Lullaby.

If “One of Us” is one of the darkest songs in the Lion King universe, I would honestly argue this one - also from “Simba’s Pride” -  IS the darkest. It is, if nothing else, the most viscerally brutal and downright sadistic song in the entire franchise. This is performed by Zira, the main antagonist of the sequel: a follower of Scar who plots revenge against Simba and the Pride Landers, after she and her fellow Outsiders were banished to the farthest reaches of the Outlands. Left to raise Kovu, whom Scar intended to be his heir, Zira plots to train him to be an assassin and find a way to use him to destroy Simba and his family. “My Lullaby” is essentially Zira reveling in her own bloodlust, as she fantasizes about the carnage and horror she has in mind for the future. She doesn’t just want Simba dead, she wants a BLOODBATH, and the lyrics - combined with Suzanne Pleshette’s snarly, vicious vocals - make that abundantly clear. The only thing that really keeps it out of the Top 5, for me, is that - for once - the visuals are a bit lacking for me. There’s some great moments, make no mistake, but a LOT of this song - especially visually - feels like “Diet Be Prepared,” which is a shame. Overall, however, the song itself definitely stands on its own feet…or, rather, paws (ba-dum-tss) as a marvelously malevolent melody.

6. Shadowland.

After a very, VERY long list already, we finally come to our first entry on the countdown native to the stage version of “The Lion King.” While most of the show’s songs originated in the animated film, there are a couple of numbers that are exclusive to the musical. One of the most notable is “Shadowland.” In the original film, despite being one of the major characters, Nala - Simba’s best friend and future love interest - never gets a song to herself in the movie. In fact, we don’t even see her as an adult until she’s already left the Pride Lands, in the final cut. While this does work for the film by making Nala’s return to the plot and appearance before Simba more of a surprise, the musical is able to give her some more focus, and show us how she, like Simba, has grown and changed. In this song, after facing unwelcome advances from Scar (awkward), Nala realizes that the only way the Pride Lands can be saved is if she finds help elsewhere. So, unsure of what will happen or when/if she’ll return to the home she’s always known, she flees and escapes into the Outlands, bidding farewell to her mother and the other lionesses on the way. The song is sad and spooky: Nala is going through a LOT of emotional turmoil here. On the one hand, the world she knew is decaying, dying, and doomed. There’s nothing left for her there, in more ways than one. But on the other hand, leaving means leaving the family and the values she’s always held dear. And while she does plan to return, it’s not clear what’s going to happen or what she’ll come back to. The song is set to one of the most touching melodies in the original score, only heightening the impact. It’s one of the few changes the musical makes to the plot, and it’s an effective alteration.

5. Can You Feel the Love Tonight?

It’s honestly hard to think of what to say about this romantic classic. I just…really love it. It has some personal connections to me, which is part of the reason why…but that IS only PART of the reason. The rest of it…I’m not sure. I simply think it’s a beautiful song that touches a chord, and I’m not even the romantic type! The song occurs in the original film (and the Broadway show) after Simba and Nala reunite as adults. After so many years apart, they start to feel things for each other they probably never felt before…but even as these new, romantic feelings flow through them, there’s uncertainty on both ends. The reunion is happy, but also unsteady: Nala isn’t sure why Simba disappeared so many years ago, and Simba is afraid to tell her the entire truth. The song is both jubilant and yet tremulous, as each flips between soaking in the atmosphere and discovering their emotions, and then pulling back as they realize things aren’t quite as perfect as they seem. It’s a sweet song, and it’s one I really enjoy…I just don’t have a lot to talk about with it. Don’t worry, the next one will give me PLENTY to ramble about. :P

4. We’re the Same (Sisi ni Sawa).

We’ve returned to “The Lion Guard” one final time, and I have to say it: this is quite possibly the single most important song in the entire show. It might even be one of the most important for the franchise as a whole. At first glance, and without full context, you’ll probably wonder why: this takes place in the episode “Never Judge a Hyena,” which is one of the earliest episodes in the show. It introduced Jasiri, and established her as a friendly hyena in contrast to Janja and the trio of Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed from the film. The tune is sung as a duet between herself and Kion, as the lion prince learns not to judge a proverbial book by its cover, and that he and the hyenas - as a whole - are not so very different. Good lesson, classic trope for a kids show…but what’s the big deal? The song isn’t bad, obviously, but what makes it so special? Well, simply put, this song involves all of the major themes in this franchise all at once. I mentioned that one major overarching theme in the series is growth and change, and this song - this scene, this episode - marks one of Kion’s major turning points in his story arc. But it also plays into two other themes, which are especially pronounced in the TV series: duality and tolerance. Throughout the whole franchise, and especially in this show, the protagonists and antagonists alike have to learn to work together with animals of different species and/or walks of life in order to achieve their goals. The thing that ultimately sets them apart is that the antagonists can never fully settle their differences, which is part of what leads to their downfalls. The protagonists are able to coexist harmoniously with other people. This covers tolerance, and as for duality…in this series alone, the catchphrase of this song comes up NUMEROUS times as the show goes on. It’s used as a way of showing that the villains and the heroes are never really all that different from each other: a lot of these characters, both good and bad, have common ground, and could easily have gone down a different path if circumstances and certain choices had been different. In short, “Sisi ni Sawa” basically sums up EVERYTHING that the Lion King is about, and does so in a cute, catchy, fun way. The more I see/hear it and the more I think about it, the better the song becomes in my mind; it easily earns a place in my Top 5.

3. Circle of Life.

While “Sisi ni Sawa” may well summarize all the major themes in this franchise (especially in retrospect), I think “Circle of Life” DEFINES what the themes and ideals of this franchise are - both in terms of its messages and its sense of scope and style. This song, purely and simply, is EPIC: from the opening, bold, almost shocking notes that herald the iconic sunrise, to the traditional African chants that fill it through the course of the number, to the way the music swells and crescendos once again…it is a song that brings you on a journey, and at the same time sucks you into this world. The music, on its own, promises something grand and almost operatic in its size and values, while at the same time delivering a message that is remarkably simple and clear: life moves on, change is constant, and we should respect everything that goes into that. It’s not a surprise that this tune both opens AND closes the story of the original movie; everything cycles back and around. It really tells us the message of the whole movie in a nutshell: life is full of doubt, tribulation, and big change. To survive, you must both hold true to who you are, and learn to adapt; do so, and you can - hypothetically - achieve great things. It’s just as poignant and impactful onstage as it is onscreen, and one of the most iconic songs and sequences not just in this franchise, nor even just in a Disney movie, but arguably from any film ever made. I’d say, for those reasons above all else, it deserves a place in the top three.

2. Be Prepared.

Look, I know Circle of Life is epic, but…come now. If you know me, it shouldn’t be even REMOTELY a surprise I feel this song tops it. “Be Prepared” is widely regarded as one of the greatest villain songs of all time; most people I know would easily name it among their Top 5 Disney Villain Songs, in particular, at the very least. For me, I’m not AS huge a fan of it as most people (you can blame Vincent Price and “The Nightmare Before Christmas” for that one), it’s still among my top ten Disney Villain musical numbers, and it’s easily the crowning glory for all of the villain songs in this franchise. The lyrics are mincing, the instrumentals have a great sense of weight to them, and the rhythm itself has a sort of twistedly playful quality to it; it’s both a funny and a threatening song, matching the villains involved as Scar and the Hyenas declare their intentions to kill Simba and Mufasa so they can take over the Pride Lands. (Mostly Scar, to be fair.) Something interesting about this number, though, is the context it takes place in during the story: this is really the last scene where I think the audience can genuinely say they unironically love Scar. Why? Because the very next sequence after this is Mufasa’s death: while Scar is still enjoyable after that point, the fact he actually succeeds in not only killing a protagonist, but all of the details that go INTO killing that protagonist, makes us see him in a different light. Only a couple minutes ago, we were enjoying the wild ride of wickedness with him, and now we’re afraid of what’s coming next, as we see that not only is he WILLING to go the distance…but, unlike many other Disney Villains, he’s SUCCEEDED in doing so. It honestly reminds me of Shakespeare’s Richard III (who I honestly think is more comparable to Scar than Claudius, despite the Hamlet influence): Richard starts off as a dastard, sure, but he’s also something of an underdog. Once he’s on top of the world, he only becomes an even worse monster, which makes the audience’s feelings about his character more complicated. “Be Prepared” is the story of where Scar starts off…making it the beginning of the end for so many good things the characters in the story value, and heralds our change in outlook on this antagonist. It is a master stroke.

1. He Lives in You.

I have to be honest, I was strongly, STRONGLY tempted to name “Be Prepared” as my number one choice. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized…no. As much as I love Be Prepared, THIS is the song that I think of first when I think of the Lion King franchise in general. Invented for the stage musical, the song later became even more famous when it was used as the opening number for “Simba’s Pride.” In its original context, the song first appears in the scene where Mufasa tells a young Simba about the Great Kings of the Past. It is famously reprised later, when Rafiki guides Simba to the place where he sees his father’s ghost, and Simba chooses to accept his role as the one true king and return to the Pride Lands. In “Simba’s Pride,” the context is obviously different; essentially, it serves the same purpose as “Circle of Life,” and evokes much of the same imagery, but it establishes that this isn’t the same story: “He Lives in You” has a more determined and yet comforting sound to it. It’s a song that indicates a story continuing, or a story changing, not a story beginning. For a sequel, this works brilliantly, indicating the same ideas as “Circle of Life” in a different manner. In the stage show, it works even better, as it powerfully delivers the messages Simba needs to hear most. Something about this song is so haunting, and yet so inspiring; it doesn’t get quite as many kudos as “Circle of Life,” but it really is one of the most powerful in the franchise. And for me, it’s one of the songs I listen to most from the whole thing. It’s kind of funny ending this list on a song that WASN’T from the original movie, but I guess that’s kind of poetic in its own way: over the course of three decades, “The Lion King” has evolved and stretched out. Things have changed, and as the movie itself points out, “change is good.” I have no problem whatsoever declaring “He Lives in You” to be My Favorite Lion King Song.

HONORABLE MENTIONS INCLUDE…

Long Live the Queen.

Lions Over All.

Outta the Way.

Chow Down.

[chromatic-mediant]

Disney, you need to #RenewTheAcolyte

The other day, I was talking to a non-Star Wars fan who hadn't seen the Acolyte and they didn't know anything about it except for the review bombing. When they asked me if the show was good, here's how I explained it. This show is pre-2002 Christina Aguilera. She did release some truly great songs in that era. You can clearly see she's a talented artist with a powerhouse voice, but the biggest problem was that her label didn't give her enough room to grow. When they finally gave her more creative control on Stripped, she released one of the greatest pop albums of the decade.

Right now, the Acolyte feels like that great artist who's being strangled by their record label, because the biggest problem with the show isn't the actual story, but the way it's told. So much of it could've been improved by showing instead of telling, but that would've required more episodes or at least longer running times than 30 minutes. That's not the writers' fault, or even the directors; it's the higher-ups at Disney. For example, as much as I liked that scene where we got to meet Senator Rayencourt in episode 8, I think he should've been introduced earlier. Remember that scene in episode 1 where Vernestra and Sol are talking about the senate not trusting them? That would've hit so much harder if we had seen Rayencourt or the other senators breathing down their necks, or maybe if, much like Clone Wars, there had been a story about the way regular people perceive the Jedi.

I don't know why Disney is hell bent on this 8 episode limit, but if Star Wars fans are telling them again and again that the show needs more time for the story to breathe, they need to get their act together and listen. Season 2 has so much potential to be great. I really hope they don't axe it before it even has a chance to grow.

[ladytemeraire]

Actually no re: that post from @kintatsujo, one of my favorite details in Hunchback of Notre Dame comes at the end of Hellfire

Because yes, Hellfire is the one of the greatest villain songs of our age, I will die on this hill; Frollo is the most terrifying and monstrous Disney villain of Disney in general and the Disney Renaissance in particular because there is no magic, no mythology, no godhood – there is just a man and his bigotry and his lust struggling against his sacred duty —

And yet —

At the very end of Hellfire, Frollo holds the last note of "she will be mine or she will burn" for a ridiculously long time, long enough for the main chorale leitmotif to play out in its entirety, and even before he drops the note the choir has disappeared and Frollo is left alone in a cold-toned stone corridor.

There is no Inquisition here; there is no sacred choir, there is no church or Church (he's not even in Notre Dame, he's in his own personal quarters), there is no promise of divine retribution, there is no Hellfire. There is simply a man in the cold dark stone corridors of his quarters, squaring with his own insatiable desire and guilt against the responsibilities of his office and the divine calling, with nobody to hear or witness but the wind whistling.

(Contrast literally all of Sanctuary, where Notre Dame herself and implicitly the saints and even God work to free Quasimodo, rescue Esmeralda, and subsequently protect and defend those who stand against injustice, and thus excoriate and ultimately destroy those who oppress the innocent and oppose the will of God. The choir absolutely demands a plea for salvation from the fires of Hell over the course of this scene from long before the moment Frollo ignites Esmeralda's pyre, culminating in "Save me, immolated Savior, who opens the gates of heaven; hostile wars oppress, give vigor, bring salvation; be the glory everlasting, glory, glory, always glory, in the highest" with the sopranos absolutely belting sanctus sanctus in excelsis landing as Quasimodo frees Esmeralda and bellows Sanctuary — the compassion and will of God comes down embodied in Quasimodo to free one injustly condemned, and then continues in Quasimodo and in Notre Dame herself to defend holy ground and repel injust invaders looking to desecrate her grounds in the name of false piety. What counsel shall be called to defend, when even the just man can hardly be secure?)

Frollo spends the entirety of Hellfire justifying himself and his actions, begging for forgiveness and absolution and justification, and at the end it's just him. He has been offered sanctification - every time he pleads "it's not my fault, I'm not to blame" the choir echoes mea culpa, mea maxima culpa (by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault), and so in the end It's just him. It is his own finger-pointing and condemnation turned inward, and it's such a good visceral and physical representation of how isolating that rigid mentality and false piety can be from actual repentance, forgiveness, and grace.

[thealmightyemprex]

...yo, you would know this: what was the first Disney Villain Song™️? I was thinking about the villains of EARLY early Disney movies and how they don't have songs, and then I realized I don't know when those became a thing.

There are actually a few villain songs for the early villains

The very first is Honest John with Hi Diddle De Dee,way back in 1940

With the early villains the villain songs tend to be about the villain but not sung by them(Headless Horseman and Cruella De Ville) ,sung by a comedic villain (Queen of Hearts,Captain Hook and Madam Mim who all get proper villain songs ) ,or its a side villain (Si and Am ,King Louie and Kaa who get the ones people remember from the early days .

However the modern Disney Villain Song in style and flare really started with Professor Ratigans Worlds Greatest Criminal Mind

@the-blue-fairie @themousefromfantasyland @ariel-seagull-wings @piterelizabethdevries

[justdalek]

Okay, this might just be me not digging deep enough, but I feel like people complain about the musical numbers in Hazbin Hotel coming across as “jarring” without diagnosing the reason why the music is jarring to the viewer.

I have been rewatching the episodes quite a bit, until the realization hit me in episode 6:

There’s no true transitions from background music, to vamps, to the actual song for most of the songs in the series thus far.  And in some instances, there’s no vamps at all.

Let me explain.

A vamp (in terms of musicals) is when there is music that leads up to the musical number that is about to be performed.  For example, in Disney’s 1989 The Little Mermaid, the sequence right before the song “Under the Sea” has the beginning melody of the song play underneath Sebastian’s dialogue of him telling Ariel that going to the surface is a bad idea.  That little music diddly evolves into Under the Sea naturally without hitting the audience from out of left field.  This was popularized by Howard Ashman, who was a pioneer for the revival of Disney and its movie musicals with the Renaissance Era.  The point of the vamps is to introduce the motif of the song fixing to be song, as well as helping to aid in the character’s mounting emotions that lead them into singing.

To quote Ashman, “You have so much emotion that you have to sing it.  Then you have even more emotion that you must dance.”

Keep in mind that Hazbin Hotel is basing its format off of traditional Broadway musicals.  Each 20-minute episode has two songs in it, usually being sung by the protagonists, or occasionally the antagonists.  The songs move the plot along, as well as provide exposition or a tension for the plot of the episode and the overarching plot of the season.

Here’s the song list (up to episode 6):

Episode 1: Happy Day in Hell (Charlie and Citizens of Hell) and Hell is Forever (Adam and Lute)

Episode 2: Stayed Gone (Vox and Alastor) and It Starts with Sorry (Charlie, Sir Pentious, Vaggie, Angel Dust)

Episode 3: Respectless (Carmilla, Velvette,  Zestial) and Whatever It Takes (Zestial, Carmilla, Vaggie)

Episode 4: Poison (Angel Dust) and Loser, Baby (Husker and Angel Dust)

Episode 5: Hell’s Greatest Dad (Lucifer and Alastor) and More Than Anything (Lucifer and Charlie)

Episode 6: Welcome to Heaven (Heaven Ensemble) and You Didn’t Know (Emily, Charlie, Sera, Adam, Lute)

Let’s dissect each number in terms of its introduction (I can make whole posts on all the numbers, but that’s a post for another day unless you guys want me to talk about it more).

Happy Day in Hell

Man, this song makes sense but also no sense with its introduction.  If you wind the episode back 10 seconds before the song starts, you will notice that the background music completely stops as Vaggie says something about the extermination while Charlie is catching her breath.  Then, Charlie immediately starts her song.

If the background music continued to swell through under Vaggie’s dialogue and morphed into the motif of Happy Day, then the musical number would’ve not have been so weirdly started.

Hell is Forever

This song has an interesting vamp in that it starts with higher instruments detailing Charlie’s hops as she lays down her plans to show Adam and Lute.  My issue with this particular vamp is that the background music right before it is (again) hard cut with a couple seconds of pure silence before we are immediately thrusted into the vamp.  This comes off as a very weird choice as I think that the music should’ve continued through without breaking it apart like that.  It would’ve made the quickness of the reprise of Happy Day in Hell seem more natural in comparison to the dialogue, as well as not throw the viewer off the rails with a slowish background song then an immediate whiplash into the musical number with no real transition.

Stayed Gone

This is one of the few songs that I think works perfectly (it's also my favorite but shhhh).  The vamp and emotion from Vox is on point, and I really wish that most of the songs would take from this song’s set up.

It Starts with Sorry

This one is kinda a weird one for me, and it’s very specific.  The transition from the background music to the vamp is wonderful, but then the transition from the vamp to the actual song has this almost abrupt cut.  The vamp has strings, but then it’s barely a fade into the glockenspiel of the actual song.  It causes this very weird sound drop that makes it not sound right at all.  If the strings would’ve stayed, but at a much quieter level with a resolution chord for the song, you can still have the same effect of the beginning measure of Sorry without that weird track change (Don’t worry, I’ll talk about the audio editing later).

Respectless

I dunno why I had it in my head originally that there was no background music before the song began, but honestly if this particular song didn’t have the background music, it would’ve been perfect actually.  This style of song is like an argument, so it would’ve made sense for it to come out of left field because Velvette (and the audience by extension) was not expecting Carmilla to defend Zestial.  However, there’s this weird choice of having tensions with the strings, then immediately having a guitar strum over it that doesn’t gel well with it at all before the background music gets cut off abruptly.  For this one, it’s not even a musical choice, this is almost a weird editing choice that I am not sure how to feel about.

Whatever It Takes

(This is my least favorite song for a number of reasons.  Bare with me on this one)

I think this song is the biggest beef I have in terms of how it’s introduced.  The mood is somber, and the vamp towards the song is quiet, but then the song is immediately loud, almost like it’s shouting.  I had my headphones all the way up to listen to the background and the vamp, and I almost threw off my headphones when the first notes of the song and that Zestial sing started playing (no shade to either).  I’m not sure what the hell was going on in the audio mixing department, but the songs are not doing well at all in the context of the episode (outside of it, they’re both great).

Poison

I love the vamp into the song for this one, personally one of my favorites of that mount musical volume before Angel starts to sing.  My one issue with it is the background music right before it.  It’s only a couple of seconds, but it shouldn’t be there at all.  I understand that it’s part of the Vee’s “menace theme”, but it should’ve just stayed out and kept the silence.  It would’ve made the vamp into Poison so much more effective.

Loser, Baby

This one is an odd one.  No vamp, just pure silence before Husk breaks into song.  I feel like the silence could’ve been prolonged just a touch more, then Husk starts to sing without the piano.  I feel like the beginning piano lick ruins that silence between Husk and Angel’s confessions to each other, and makes the song feel jarring to the lines right before it.

Hell’s Greatest Dad

Hrmm, I’m… perplexed.

There isn’t a musical problem this go around, but there is a set problem.  The chandelier that falls from the ceiling is meant to signify to Lucifer that his daughter does in fact need his help, but that chandelier has (at least to my recollection) never appeared once in the show, let alone the episode.  It’s the falling set piece that makes this song outright jarring because the setup doesn’t work at all.  Music-wise, it’s fine, no complaints from me.

More Than Anything

Listening to all these scenes back to back made me realize a problem that this song is the biggest sufferer of: volume change.  Just like with Whatever It Takes, the sudden volume change from the background music into the vamp is simply jarring.  I understand that it’s two different tracks that are put next to each other, but you can lower the volume of the vamp to make its transition so much more natural.  I’m not sure if this style for the musical numbers is an oversight or a deliberate decision at this point, but I honestly think that the audio volume is perhaps a bigger culprit than the music transitions.

Welcome to Heaven 

This feels like two scenes Frankensteined together.  You have Emily introducing herself, as well as (probably) her motif playing in the background, then out of left field, St. Peter starts to sing the song. 

Full stop. 

You cannot cut from one shot to the next as a musical transition from speech to song.  It would’ve made much more sense to have Emily and Charlie walking towards the gates, then St. Peter and Emily say “Welcome to heaven” as the music starts to play for the number.

You Didn’t Know

The music transition is a bit smoother (volume still needs adjustment, but not nearly as much as More Than Anything), but the tension in the score isn’t really there, which I feel like is the culprit for this song.  If there was tension in the music while Sera was talking and Emily was looking at the list, it would’ve made more sense to have Emily sing instead of talk.  In all honesty, if Emily would’ve spoken, “But she was right,” then Sera says, “What?” then Emily sings, “But she was right, Sera,” I think that would’ve made this transition work almost perfectly.

This is no shade at anybody working on Hazbin Hotel, this was just something I noticed nobody talking about.  The team is doing a wonderful job on the show, and I absolutely love it all!  I’m just wanting to give my two cents on a topic that no one was really delving into.

Lemme know if you guys want me to talk in more detail about any of the songs, I am more than happy to do so!

[yubellia]

Nobody needs a Snow White remake. Snow is already a strong protagonist

Yes. I just said that. And I mean it. You can‘t believe how the actress that plays Snow White is getting on my nerves. „She won‘t be saved by a prince.“ „it’s not about ‚one day my prince will come‘.“ and NO! This is not about her skin color! That discussion is so annoying anyway. This is about her talking nonsense! Nothing more!

Seriously, I know it sounds like I am looking down on that girl. Yes, girl. She is just 23. And I know she probably doesn’t have that much control over anything there. But all I see is a kid, that thinks she is super smart and smug because she has it figured out and isn’t realizing that she knows nothing.

Like, excuse me?! Did she even watch the original movie? Did the team behind this movie watch the original?!

Let’s take a look because if you do, you see that snow is not a damsel and indeed very strong in the context of her circumstances! Everything they claim Snow White lags, she already has. You just have to look and actually want to see it!

——————————————————

The first scene with snow is after the queen learns about her not being the fairest anymore. Snow is forced to work as a maid wearing rags pretty much. Is she complaining or whining? No. She puts on a smile and sings a song about how things will get better. She get to know the prince, the queen is jealous and orders the huntsman to kill her.

One of the things people complain about is that snow is too passive. Too nice. Sorry but that is her greatest strength.

It’s her kindness that made the huntsman spare her life. What made the dwarves take her in. After she runs away, she breaks down crying in the forest before the animals help her. She sings a song and NEVER cries again in the entire movie.

You have to understand that Snow White is a teenager. She just learned that her stepmother, the only family she had left, wants to kill her. She ran, has no food, no home for the night. She has nothing except the clothes that she wears. Breaking down crying in that moment isn’t weak. It’s VERY UNDERSTANDABLE AND ACCURATE!

Now, she finds the cottage and decides to clean up. That’s not Disney being anti feminist and Snow White being a weak woman. She realizes that she won‘t be able to stay for free. She notices that no one is doing household chores, which is what the queen forces her to do for years. So she thinks, I proof myself usefull to them and than, they might let me stay. She even said that outright!

She notices that there is a position that could give her an advantage and she uses that! She is very resourceful and uses what little she has! Not just that! She also proofs that she has leadership skills like a royal by splitting the chores up to the animals! „Snow white won‘t dream of love. She will dream of becoming a leader!“ pah! She already is! It’s small yes but that’s natural in her position! Where exactly is Snow White shown to be weak!? Or a damsel that needs to be saved?! She saves herself (with animals).

Later when she sends the dwarves to wash their hands, she takes on a strict but caring role. She shows leadership skills the entire time!

And yes, there is a little bit of romance. She does hope to see the prince again. But she NEVER waits for him to save her! She focused on what’s important and did it herself! What’s so damn wrong with dreaming of a loving relationship?! Can somebody explain that to me!?

At the end, Snow White is the story about a victim of abuse, she escapes, TAKES ON A JOB! And earns her place and food among the dwarves. She does beg them to let her stay but NEVER without offering her services. And even when she literally has the most powerful woman of the land against her, she tries to stay positive and put on a smile! A truly strong, independent woman who gets her happy ending with her prince! A great role model if you ask me.

Do you see now why I think that Rachel Zegler and Disney have no damn idea what they are talking about when they speak about the original movie!? You CAN watch the original Snow White and find a very positive feminist message on how to be strong AND kind despite the odds! But if you don‘t WANT to see it, we get a remake no one asked for! Yes Snow White is not this „in your face!“ feminist! But honestly, we don‘t need more girl boss movies. And I am saying that as a woman!

If they wanted to do something unique and expand on the original, why didn’t they use the real original story and combine it? Make the queen try to get rid of Snow White not twice but FOUR times in total. That way they could focus more on the characters, their bonds and make the queen even creepier.

——————————————————-

I hope i didn’t offend anyone too much here. But I think many people are already scared for this movie. But seriously, watch the original and remember this post. You will see it. I promise.

[anbaisai]

here it goes the jamil-lover confession, then!

i've noticed a pattern in my life:

i have always been a disney girl. a disney villain girl. or villain girl, simply, because since i was 9 years old and watched eah (which was from mattel) the rebels were my team. but in disney i was always team villains. i liked the designs better, the music of the villains seemed better than the songs of the main characters, i have seen 30 times that halloween special of house of mouse, i know by heart songs and songs and songs of disney villains... etc.

At about 10-12 it came my ✨descendents✨ phase. i always loved the vk's, even more the four rotten, and i actually had sorta a crush on jay (he was one of my fav characters, i liked his looks and personality but i didn't even realize i was crushing on him, lol, the most Carlos shit ever 🤙🏻).

about two years ago i discovered Twisted Wonderland and it became my obsession. bam! died with jamil, i love him, he's my all, i want to do his hair, kiss him, eat his cooking and go to his club practices.

and about less than a year ago i got into the villain recruiters fandom, and my second fav, (after veil bc she queen<3), is farja. my question: AND THIS PATTERN WITH THE CHARACTERS BASED ON JAFAR WHAT THE FUCK IS IT!!?

the guy as a villain is great. there he stays! colour palette and eyeliners? very memorable, that's it. but defo he's not 'pulling looks' like, idk, the evil queen, for example. and then disney comes along and laughs in my face, takes the old misogynist and creates super hot variants, with long hair, great fashion sense, attitude, rounding the 17's years old and probably bisexuals or sum based on the bastard! i fall for it every time.

HELP-

so, given that jay and farja copied jamil, (what? no, of course jamil wasn't the last one out, don't talk rubbish, the copycats are them), i vote they get assigned a Scarabia uniform and compensate our perfect snake boi by helping him with his chores in the dorm and letting him have the day off to rant against kalim- ajdgskhd, i mean rest.

that's it, end of my statement ✨ I CANNOT BE THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS NOTICED THAT, NO!!!?

That's crazy 😭😭 I haven't seen the shows and stuff you've mentioned but its so funny that you consistently liked characters with the same vibes, it's like everything led up to you being into Jamil in the end 💥 I'm sure there are other people out there who have fav characters overlapping with yours, sometimes we just have a type y'know-

I actually (embarrassingly) never really was into a lot of Disney Disney media as a kid, save for maybe liking a few movies but never really got invested, so imagine my complete surprise when I got this deep into a game made by Disney, much less a character based on Jafar... What began as me downloading the game on a whim and not expecting to play for long turned into a 4 yr+ investment and the greatest source of motivation to create that I've ever had. Seriously, Jamil Viper has some scary powers beyond just his UM...