"This Wish," The Most Awkward "I Want" Song

[@Grey_3438]

I'm honestly starting to feel like Julia Michaels was set up for failure from the very beginning, from being given little context on to what the damn movie was even supposed to be about, to being given 3 weeks to produce and finalize such an important song for the protagonist, to even being hired as the film's songwriter in the first place as it's clear that she's working *way* outside her element

[@Musicombo]

My thoughts exactly; poor Julia Michaels...

[@lrizzard]

yeah, this is really on disney.

[@katherinesmallbean3594]

I am still so dumbfounded as to why they would get pop artists for a 100 year anniversary musical

[@Grey_3438]

@@katherinesmallbean3594 It's talked about more in The Pop-ification of Disney Music, but basically, Disney corporate is more concerned what's widely marketable to the masses and is likely to make it to #1 on the charts moreso than they are about making sure their movies tell a cohesive story because wider market appeal = more money in their wallet. Leaning into a more pop-y sound for their music and making it more vague and "relatable" is their method of doing so.

[@jamiegdubois]

⁠@@katherinesmallbean3594exactly! It’s so weird to me that Alan Menken wasn’t involved in this at all.

[@thatoneguy9399]

It’s weird they wanted another radio hit when “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” was arguably the biggest hit of ‘Encanto’ and it’s a song that’s fully reliant on the story and even adds further context. ‘Wish’ just has songs because it’s supposed too, not because it’s adding further context to the story. As a result, it feels like a bad jukebox musical rather than an original piece

[@AskForDoodles]

But that's the thing, Disney never expected WDTAB to be the big hit it was, exactly due to how story-context-heavy it was. They expected 'Oruguitas' to be the big award-winning hit. (You'd think they'd have learned their lesson from that, though; that story doesn't make something un-marketable)

[@erikbihari3625]

As i've seen with past/good Disney musicals, you can have a story without music but a musical without a story, Never!

[@synsvids]

"We Don't Talk About Bruno" is so good. Unfortunately, I can only sing half of it either until Camilo's part comes in or dead fish lady, because I bust up laughing at those parts

[@cousinparty7266]

@@AskForDoodlesI believe they just put Oruguitas up for rewards because it was the most “artistic” song from the movie Besides that they mainly used the opening number in marketing and Bruno had next to no presence in the marketing until the soundtrack came out

[@griffinkimball2454]

And just as a matter of opinion, the context based songs are almost always my favorites because they feel enhanced by their movie and less generic.

[@TisPopRock]

I feel like pop songs are supposed to be a little vague so people can interpret the song however they like, especially with break up songs. Musicals need to be more specific because they’re about the character and not the audience.

[@txwtw]

EXACTLY.

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

Pop songwriters are garbage

[@ericraululyeetusdelyeetus5028]

Just give her rock, you cowards.

[@auliamate]

EXACTLY. This goes for basically any genre of music that is made as a standalone track. Even artists who have plots within their music (The Weeknd is really the obvious example) leave it open to interpretation. That’s the point of stand-alone music. Not music in musicals. Musical tracks and songs have a story to progress, a character to develop. Therefore, they sacrifice being interpretative for being story-drivers and character-builders. Songs in musicals are there to be catchy and good, but also progress the plot, the arc. Therefore they can’t afford the type of vagueness radio songs have. If I can interpret an “I want” song to mean something else, or to be wanting nothing, then something’s wrong

[@causal_internetuser]

YES!

[@HJ-oo8ph]

To me the most egregious line is “throw caution to every warning sign.” It’s like they wanted to use the phrases “throwing caution to the wind” and “ignoring the warning signs” but couldn’t decide on one so they just merged them, failing to realize that merging them just…doesn’t make any sense at all. It really adds to the whole “ai-generated” feel of the rest of the movie, cause that’s exactly the kind of blunder an AI trying to analyze human speech would make.

[@annamelvina216]

And that line is part of the chorus - it gets repeated a couple times. It makes even the most singable part of the song grating.

[@katherinesmallbean3594]

"Throwing caution to the wind" means you are throwing it aside to be blown away, aka ignored. If you throw caution to the warning sign, then.... ???? 😭 Most logical interpretation is that she is taking her internal feelings of caution and associating them with the signs telling her to be cautious. Which is......... basic human thinking. 😂 Erm...... good job Asha. Big brain.

[@nonsensology]

If you imagine warning signs as a person, this line could be interpreted as "throwing someone's unwanted advice back at them", which is a neat idea, but as we know, the execution didn't land.

[@yamiyugipokemon99]

@@annamelvina216 They repeat the SAME LINES over and over in this song ;_;

[@cousinparty7266]

@@annamelvina216 exactly 😭 At least with the rent line in magnifico’s song is a one-and-done thing

[@helalokischild6316]

"Throw caution to every warning sign" is such an odd line its REALLY making me believe my theory that these songs were AI assisted. That line and Magnifico's infamous "I let you live here for free and I dont even charge you rent". I refuse to believe those lines were written by actual, thinking human beings

[@nixxdra]

I nominate “I got these genes from outer space” to be most likely to be ai generated. What in the world does that even mean?

[@kylepangilinan9075]

@@nixxdra If they went with the original Star Boy concept, it would have been a cool (but sloppy) hint that Magnifico was actually another Star Boy who became jaded after years of wish granting. But that involves cool concepts and hint laying, and considering Disney corporate, I'd bet that it was actually just AI generated.

[@mariokarter13]

I'm willing to bet the original line was "throw caution to every red flag," but they realized that was even worse and decided to crack open a thesaurus.

[@randomperson-kx6mv]

I think Wish was in production before AI got big, so I doubt AI has much to do with anything here? This movie is probably just the result of corporate meddling or hiring the wrong people/bad direction or something like that.

[@TrekBeatTK]

It’s literally two completely different aphorisms at odds with each other. I HATE it.

[@txwtw]

“This Wish” sounds more like a demo rather than a finalised song.

[@txwtw]

@@GuitarGoals sounds like a demo made on the first day of production that was left in Disney’s vaults and then was released years later on KZbin. It gives off those vibes. The rhythm, melodies, harmonies, lyrics, and structure are so unnatural.

[@wtnv]

and then youve got the demo version of At All Costs that people are making animatics of left and right x) disney really cant do anything right can they

[@txwtw]

@@wtnv bro even I’m planning on making an animatic of that.

[@thatonepossum5766]

@@wtnv I love that there’s a fandom growing around the original concept for the movie, instead of the actual movie. xD

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

The fact that they hired pop songwriters doesn't help, because pop songs aren't Disney material, and pop songwriters shouldn't write Disney songs or be interacted with by a 10-ft. pole. The movie is awful, the songs are even worse, the story and plot is infuriating because of the double standards and hypocrisy of the main character, who is essentially a freaking Mary Sue at this point, and everyone who worked on this movie is trash, trash, trash. Everyone who works for Disney is scum. I despise everyone working at the forsaken studio, and I hope to never watch another Disney movie ever again.

[@agatha6999]

Honestly I cannot take Asha's "Something more than this" line. Girl, something more than what? You live in a flourishing kingdom that doesn't charge anyone rent (as memed on as that line is, that is extremely generous of Magnifico) and has the optional chance to get your wish granted (I seriously will never understand why she was so distressed and shocked so many wishes dont get granted. Girl 1 wish a month means 12 total, unless your kingdom has a population of like 60 why is it that surprising.)

[@Sakuyamon]

Yea no kidding! If Magnifico truly didnt charge anyone rent, he is a better king than all of the worlds nobility throughout history together! It was extremely common for kings and feudal lords to tax their people a lot- sometimes to the point of starvation and death...The rentfree housing was probably why he managed to attract so much people to his kingdom in the first place. Who dont want to live with a king like that?

[@nala7829]

@@Sakuyamon I wouldn't go as far as to call him inherently better for it - there weren't taxes on (some) nobles throughout the reigns of Louis XIV and XVI, but that doesn't mean it was even a good place to be in for the nobles (who were lowkey prisoners). I'd much rather have Brian Boru or Arthur than that. Hell, even Richard III would be a better pick. Taxation is theft but that's not the worst crime a government can commit.

[@agatha6999]

@@Sakuyamon Ikr like I wouldnt even care about the wish part as soon as I hear rent free with no strings attached like other kings put a tax on people just wanting to dress nice 💀💀 Rosas didnt deserve Magnifico

[@barbararab6390]

Also, yeah people forget what they wished for, but so what? I mean, do they forget that's what they want or do they forget how to make it true themselves? What if someone wishes for love and it ends up making someone pretty much brainwashed? If people are too lazy and just want their biggest wishes to just be handed to them, that's not Magnifico's fault

[@elitegamer9310]

The line "throw caution to every warning sign" is what lost me.

[@mooniegoodie]

LESSON: don't try to Miranda if you're not Miranda

[@xtremeyoylecake]

Same with Alan Menkin

[@jonelrobinson582]

Agreed!

[@MYNAMACHEF]

No Miranda period

[@Lunar_Atronach]

And sometimes don't Miranda even if you are Miranda. Just, Miranda less

[@Plaspos]

not just Miranda (Moana and Encanto), also Robert Lopez (Frozen), Alan Menken, Howard Ashman, Tim Rice etc. all had experience with multiple successful broadway musicals and knowing how to write a character song

[@catus-cactus]

Why did they direct her to sing ‘weighed down’ as a high note?

[@Coufu]

Expectations subverted 🙄

[@KiraAotsuki]

They saw that bit from Saving Mr Banks about Spoonful of Sugar 😂

[@nager1997]

Up on the down

[@unripetheberrby6283]

😂😂

[@Thisnamemadememad]

@@KiraAotsukiI was just about to say that lol

[@superfanmusicmaker]

The vagueness of the song really just sums up the biggest issue Asha herself has a protagonist. They gave an "I Want" song to a character who _doesn't want anything._ In most Disney movies - and most Hero's Journey narratives in general - the protagonist starts out with personal goals and ambitions that drive their actions to start with (Rapunzel wants freedom, Anna wants true love, Mirabel wants her family's acceptance, etc). And by the end of the story, they either achieve their goal, or they go on an arc where they gain something more meaningful instead, and realise what they _wanted_ wasn't what they _needed._ There's a good starting point at first with Asha initially wanting to be Magnifico's apprentice, but then not even 15 minutes in, that's immediately swept under the rug and has nothing to do with the rest of the story. They don't even have her making a wish of her own, despite the entire plot revolving around her conflict with a villain whose entire thing is hoarding people's wishes. As a result, Asha has literally no personal desires or ambitions, and spends the rest of the movie as a passive non-entity who just goes and does whatever Star prompts her to do. She's such a bland and poorly-defined lead that the only thing she has even remotely resembling a motivation is just for _other_ people to get what _they_ want.

[@rosiescott1531]

Totally agree, she ended up being really bla because she had no defining features or anything to strive for. They really needed to make the effects of having your wish taken from you much more noticeable and serious. And then the character she's fighting for needed to not be a forgettable grandad, it should have been a best friend or a sister with a strong personality who is damaged by giving up their wish, so that we can understand why Asha cares. Also 'throw caution to every warning sign'??? How did that line make it to the demo let alone the finished song?

[@lilithreusch2614]

This! Exactly this thing, thank you!

[@cousinparty7266]

⁠@@rosiescott1531Istg that line threw me off even back when we got the teaser in April I “wish” that was the worst line in the soundtrack but unfortunately that’s not the case…

[@agatha6999]

And even the apprentice thing wasn’t a true want of Asha’s considering her motive was to ask for her grandfather’s wish to be granted

[@Cardinal_claw]

​@@agatha6999 Which ironically makes Magnifico's reaction to the interaction understandable. The majority of applicants are probably there for the same thing she is. Also shows how selfish she/the other people are. They absolutely take Magnifico and his magic for granted

[@Ro9ge]

As much as you might hate it, another example of a song-writer heavily involved in the story of the movie...Lin Manuel Miranda! He did a lot of work with Encanto, and pushing through the first song before Disney could refuse or change things is how he got them to agree to such a large family in the first place.

[@marli4442]

why is evryone hating on him hes not that bad of a guy

[@overdays75]

hes apparently an asshole irl my theater teacher (i dont do theater i promise : ( im part of tech crew) he met lmm irl and apparently he was an asshole also lmm is pretty overrated his songwriting, rhyming, and flow are mid asf @@marli4442

[@starry.princesss1115]

​@@marli4442 I don't think anyone hates him, he's just a big meme now

[@genericname2747]

And he changed Oscar into Bruno just for a song

[@zasproductions9258]

@@genericname2747what’s wrong with that? Bruno sounds more fitting than Oscar, plus it’s the reason why We Don’t Talk About Bruno became popular

[@ghostygirl2395]

This song really sounds like something i'd make up and sing to myself while walking or in the shower. Just, like, putting high notes wherever, no real throughlines, the occasional questionable rhyme scheme... I mean, if the character is making this up as she goes, then I guess it at least makes sense in context!

[@Breadcrumbs_1803]

I thought I was the only one who did that 😂

[@pescuezoee]

specially the gibberish

[@nica7747]

Frrrr

[@ZoZoZoeee]

omg this puts into word the feeling I have with the song. The melody just goes everywhere with no sense whatsoever.

[@laureate90]

I think you're right about Disney keeping Wish bland to make it marketable. But I'd go a step further, and speculate they may have commissioned as non-specific a song as possible so they could still use it if they decided to completely overhaul the script again. Disney seems very scissor-happy in the editing room lately, and we can theorise Wish underwent at least one complete storyboard change by the concept art of 'Star Boy'.

[@casperrabbit7254]

The whole movie reeks of having gone through production Hell tbh, wouldn't surprise me if we get even more revelations the plot was meant to be totally different lmao

[@xadalau9758]

The fact the movie is so badly rendered, though the more common explanation is a bad asthetic choice, imma still theorise It was due to lack of time. Those concepts like star boy and the villain couple, the final designs for the characters are there (well, except starboy, who become a cute pokemon-like character). So my theory is a good chunk of animation of the original story was made, and for some reason various changes and edit were made, therefore lot of It was redone/cut. It also would explain why the movie feels so directless and many plot points that are never developed - because they'd be leftovers from previous versions. What I am especulating here is that the movie was so changed/edited It not only caused a less polished animation but is the reason the story is such a mess.

[@Attaxalotl]

Magnifico's general demeanor might also be a remnant of that; there was a concept where him and Amaya were supposed to be a genuinely villainous power couple. There might have been a different where the message was "be careful what you wish for," and Magnifico's rudeness and refusal to explain much was what started the plot.

[@mariatorres-by6du]

@@casperrabbit7254 I don't know if you've seen a couple of story boards that are going around for the "original" concept, but it's very different. Asha appears to be part of a group of traitors that run away from Magnifico, knowing that he is fully evil. Magnifico doesn't just keep the wishes until he decides to grant them, he eats them, and this doesn't cause the vague sadness of the movie but a sort of paralazing desease were you can't even walk. It is implied that Magnifico has some kind of cover up to avoid that kingdom finds out about the people whose wishes have been eaten by keeping them in a sort of dungeon that Asha has to sneak in. It looked very interesting and like it made more sense than the final product.

[@whiteraven181]

@@mariatorres-by6du Now THAT is a Disney kids movie that I as a fully grown adult would still be willing to watch! That sounds fun and I would LOVE to see what kind of villain songs they had in mind for that version of the film! I don't think I could get through this final cut without falling asleep and a young relative would have to drag me there in the first place.

[@Danmarinja]

Everything I’ve seen about this movie makes me feel like it was written backwards. They wanted a 100-year celebration movie, so they called it ‘Wish’ to bring Disney full-circle, then were forced to create a villain who makes no sense. They wanted to have a popular song, so they wrote an I Want song because those do well, and ended up with a flavourless pop song instead of a classic Disney song. They wanted an art style that combined the new and the old, so made a weird hybrid 2D/3D thing that ends up lacking the hand-drawn charm and the modern developments and the art style just looks like a straight-to-DVD sequel.

[@cassualtea2040]

Plus the combination of old and new has been done before and done well, Klaus, Arcane and Hotel Transylvania have all done incredible jobs of creating compromise between 2d and 3d in a way that maximizes their charms for the setting they are in, and when you look at behind the scenes work all their drafts and concept work and development

[@nica7747]

@@cassualtea2040frrrr

[@TheStepmonkey]

Exactly, it's a complete SOULLESS and unoriginal movie...

[@grandempressvicky6387]

There's this team on KZbin that do YT shorts of 2D characters in a 3D engine (blender). Their animations look great so I don't know Disney half-assed it when they have WAY more resources than a small KZbinr. Worse yet but Marvel's What If and other cartoon shows all look way better than this movie and are hand drawn.

[@SammEater]

You know what it's even more hilarious? That one short they did for the 100 year anniversary was better than this movie. lol

[@DeadFishFactory]

Disney probably wanted the songs to be vague so that they can be played on the radio as a generic pop song, but let's be honest: the real reason is that they didn't have a script ready so the songwriters really have no idea what these songs are supposed to be about. They just have a vague idea of what the story is about, so they write music with that genericness in mind, without the characters singing anything specific to their situation or characterization, because they aren't given what these are. We know from the documentary on Frozen 2 that they were making a movie in search of a story, and even lifted an entire song from some other movie in production ("Into the Unknown", I think). It's safe to say that Disney's animation discipline has been shot to shit.

[@mooniegoodie]

Basically they wanted a jukebox musical but with original songs

[@antoniosaesthetic9045]

They also probably changed the script a bunch of times while the songs were being written so that didn’t help. The demo version of “At All Cost” sounds like it could have been for the scrapped Starboy and Asha plot or when Amaya and Magnifico were both the villains

[@caseypei4300]

yeah their pipeline has been getting more messed up for a while now. like how in the MCU oftentimes actors didn't even know the context while filming (not directly created by disney but yk). it's no wonder that creatives don't deliver a good product when they're this far removed from the final vision.

[@gjeanf2005]

“vague enough that they can be played on the radio as a generic pop song” I call this the Greatest Showman Effect.

[@causal_internetuser]

Except Greatest Showman was actually good.

[@txwtw]

It being written by pop song-writers pretty much explains it all, doesn’t it? But tbh I’m sure there’s plenty of pop song writers who can come up with better song structures and lyrics than Wish’s song-writers.

[@babyblouie4761]

Tbh the Olivia and Billie examples show that you can write amazing pop songs for movies, you just actually need to give them context and involve them in the process

[@txwtw]

​@@babyblouie4761 I don’t like either of those artists but I can at least give credit to Billie, that song was actually pretty good ngl. And yeah I agree you can write amazing songs despite them being in the genre of pop.

[@koiloylo]

@@txwtwi don’t tend to listen to olivia’s music but i think her song for the hunger games movie was a perfect example of furthering the story through song, the lyrics really resonated with the plot for me if that makes sense. it felt very harmonious, wish on the other hand is the opposite of that

[@Musicombo]

I feel bad for Julia Michaels being shut out of the creative process and only being given 3 weeks to write a Disney musical song, though.

[@xx_robotkrew_xx1446]

@@Musicombo that’s a fair point. I feel like everyone is dogging on her because she was the main song writer, but at the end of the day Disney was the ones who approved of the songs, and if she wasn’t as involved as other song writers in the past, it kinda makes sense. Just saying the quality of these songs shouldn’t be blamed solely on her when it was ultimately the big mouse’s decision at the end of the day

[@agatha6999]

To give credit to "For the First Time in Forever" I don't think it's entirely dependent on its context. Anna spends the song listing off everything she didn't get to do from balls, romance and mundane things like just having company to talk to. Furthermore, both Anna and Elsa bring up the gates being opened which is what is mainly happening for the first time in forever and what makes Anna break out into song. It's obvious enough to tell that Anna is singing about wanting to be able to enjoy her freedom that everything she's sung about makes it clear she's been denied

[@identitypattern1649]

honestly, I thought that one was pretty solid! Still gets stuck in my head sometimes lol

[@YAMA_Vidz]

Heh… balls…

[@Mysterious-Night]

@@identitypattern1649im gEtting WhAt im drEaMinG of!!!

[@honeybeenation]

I think that’s what she meant! The wording was a little weird in the video, but on listening to that whole section again, I think she meant it’s dependent on the context given in the song itself. As in, the “want” would make zero sense without Anna singing about the context of their setting, so the song is dependent on that as a result.

[@mariokarter13]

"If you can cut the song out of the movie and lose nothing, you haven't done your job properly." - paraphrasing a guy that worked on The Little Mermaid

[@Sootielove]

I'll say the dissonance is also included in the animation. A lot of people confuse that with the film's rendering, but the actual acting of Asha in this song is incredibly derrivative when you comapre it to Tangled, Frozen, and Moana. The context is actually quite melancholic; Asha has just run from her home, upset and confused about Magnifico refusing her Saba and mother's wishes and her family are angry at her for questioning him about it. She's confronted with a massive lack of support in the face of seeing a problem she wants to solve. Her want is to confront Magnifico and allow all of Rosas to have their wishes granted. It's fierce and spiteful want, it isn't a longing or excitement the way Anna or Rapunzel's are, but despite that she's animated cheerfully smiling and running up to reach for the stars at the end in almost the exact same way they do. This is the issue all of Wish faces and it guts Asha's identity as a protagonist. She isn't allowed to manifest her wants in a unique, motivated way. It's fascinating to hear you discuss it from a song point of view and it really makes me wonder what a good "I want" song for Asha would have been

[@court_jester7904]

probably would've been more interesting to make her seem like a selfish villain at first!

[@Attaxalotl]

One of my favorite theories about this movie is that Magnifico was _supposed to be right_ and it had a "be careful what you wish for" message. It explains too many things, like how Magnifico can be a bit harsh but is entirely in the right, or an "I Want" song where the protagonist doesn't seem to want anything. It would've been a cool bait-and-switch for Asha's character arc to be "Oh wait I was wrong" and Magnifico's being "Oh wait I should actually explain my reasoning so this doesn't happen again."

[@Meimoons]

@@court_jester7904But then that would just make her into another version of Elsa, which would be harder for kids to distinguish her and Elsa apart. Ultimately more development on Asha should've been done.

[@chelseacounsell]

Oooh yes they should've given her a villain song instead. Like a fierce battle song.

[@aemiecho3956]

yooo her 'I want" song sounding a bit villain-y (but only underlyingly, like we can hear it in the music but not the lyrics) would have been sick, although that would mean the whole movie would have needed to develop completely differently

[@Coufu]

So I make this wish That Disney would start giving a hoot about the good songwriting and storytelling again

[@snowflakesandroses]

Seriously! 😩

[@octosquid48]

So I make this wiiiiiiiiish But that won’t happened because we'llforgetitandthekingwon'tgrantit (I was trying to stay in the same rhythm as the song lol)

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

Dream on. As long as capitalism is a part of society now, you can't do nuthin' about it. Nothing. Your wishes mean nothing to the wealthy pigs that oppress us normal people.

[@a.z.p.]

So I make this wiiiiiiish That they'll start to give a shiiiiiii......

[@peronkop]

Wasn't there a strike about this while this was in production?

[@aetheriansunrise5433]

I'm absolutely loving all your analysis of the wish songs. It really helps put into words about what felt so off about the lyrics. If you want to systematically roast the entire soundtrack I'll be right here with the popcorn

[@katedillon1977]

or any soundtracks, really. or just music theory in general. i need a new youtuber like how Sideways used to be--highly recommend his channel, but he doesn't post anymore :(

[@Jayjee762]

Seconded

[@hellogoodbye8620]

Omg yeah. I missed Sideway’s content a lot and it’s great to have other people who are doing analysis of songs that go into the music theory

[@sweetsandcharades8383]

@@hellogoodbye8620Howard Ho does music theory, too. He has a series on Hamilton.

[@nica7747]

FRRRRR

[@giannaromagnoli2675]

When I think “I want” songs immideately in my head i hear Belles “I WANT ADVENTURE IN THE GREAT WIDE SOMEWHERE” and it almsot makes me tear up bc of how strongly I *feel* her *passion*. The entire song builds up to that chorus/belt by explaining her desire. Just from that song, we learn she lives in a small, quiet town and she loves to read abt this fufilling stories so her motive makes perfect satisfying sense. It’s almsot a bit relatable which just enhances its appeal to the heart of the audience. On the other hand, I find it really hard to relate to or even understand Ashas desire so there’s no heart-felt connection.

[@silverally4572]

yes! reminds me of a video by sideways where he points out that at one point you can *hear* belle's voice actress smiling, it's insane how much emotion and passion is in the song

[@iwakeupandboomimarat]

geniunely its one of my fave disney moments, even if its just someone wanting to leave their small town you can tell how important and meaningful it is to her

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

@@silverally4572 where?

[@skdjcmsbdjc]

@@imthebossmermaid3648found it by looking up “sideways beauty and the beast.” That’s all you had to do. Like it’s not hard lol

[@ZoZoZoeee]

That, or Ariel's very tender "what can I do, to live where you are', and Mulan's completely heartbroken 'why is my reflection someone I don't know', or Moana's freely shouting 'one day I'll know, how far I'll go", or Hercules' aching "I would go most anywhere to feel like I belong"... while Asha's song makes me feel the opposite of what all I Want songs should make you feel. I want her to sit down and stop dreaming lol

[@august1837]

The lyrics, the singing, the rhythms, its all so pop it hurts

[@txwtw]

They could have gotten Broadway song-writers, not freaking pop song writers.

[@auliamate]

Agreed, and I listen to mainly pop music 😂😂

[@Meimoons]

OMG PLEASE. Like I can listen to my favorite pop songs but I also want old classic broadway songs even more! 😩

[@rosalinaj9717]

Depends on what pop you’re talking about

[@ketaminepoptarts]

@@rosalinaj9717 no it doesnt

[@cynthesia07]

Personally, the only song that I actually like in the movie is "At All Cost" And even then, the problem with it is that they took what is obviously a love song. And gave it to Magnifico and Asha. A villain/hero song could work. But since it was intentionally a love song from the start. It just sounds like they were singing it to each other and it felt so weird. Julia Micheals is definitely a talented songwriter for stand alone pop music and it's obvious that love songs are her strong suit. But even then, Disney screwed her over They got rid of the romance in the movie but they didn't want to get rid of the love song they wanted to play at weddings. That's the money hungry mindset Disney has that's causing them to fail

[@riyazuo]

Julia has written so many hits, but in this film they obviously didn't really collaborate with her, they just hired her to write songs with vague details and vaguely a pop song, vaguely musical song and thrown it in different parts of the film 😫 kinda sad that this is her official musical debut

[@storietellermusic]

@@riyazuoJulia Michaels’ pop songs are inspiring and full of heart which is why I was disappointed with her plastic mechanical numbers in Wish.

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

It's so creepy out of context because Magnifico is an adult man who looks about in his 40s(and may even be older than that) with a whole ass WIFE who is the best, while Asha is a 17-year-old girl, a CHILD. IDK how the hell they expected to release a song like that, sung by the teenage heroine and the villain old enough to be her dad, make it sound romantic, and expect anyone to not be weirded out, especially since they didn't release the video for it at first. We of course all know that modern Disney won't sink to those lows. But still. Why market the song this way???

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

@@storietellermusic That's because Julia's pop songs are meant to be pop songs. That's why they work. Trying to make a musical song a straight, cliche radio pop song isn't going to work. Just like trying to sing an acoustic song in an opera. Not saying that pop musicals can never work(Six: the Musical, for instance), but there are still some elements of musical songs that make them different from and more complex than your everyday generic pop songs.

[@Monker4444]

When I was in the theater watching this movie, I remember leaning over to my sister and saying "This song feels like it has too many syllables." I couldn't put it into words, but the song in general felt like the auditory version of tripping over yourself. I appreciated the way you laid things out in this video. It was like you were putting words to all the thoughts I couldn't articulate.

[@SandNebula232]

It’s like throwing everything in your fridge into a bowl and it just turns into a brown nasty sludge

[@liamannegarner8083]

This song feels like someone built a puppy and every bone in the skeleton is upside down, and they trained it to do a little dance and make you go "aww" while it begs for death.

[@AW-xc1xc]

Body horror dystopia is calling for you

[@ashesandposies]

That poor puppy 🐶 🥺

[@tiamystic]

That’s really specific

[@destinymace]

So it's the pug of Disney osts

[@wantedbird55srandomchannel28]

That's a description... How does one build a puppy though?

[@Lady_ETHNE]

I'm so glad you brought up "You can't catch me now," for Hunger Games. I'm not a fan of Olivia Rodrigo (not that she's bad, I just don't listen to her music) but I am a huge fan of BOSBAS and even before watching the film, when I listened to "You can't catch me now," all I could think of was Lucy Grey and how her impact will effect Snow for the rest of his life, specifically with Katniss. But when I listened to "This Wish," in Theatres, I was also very confused on what this was supposed to be about. The lyrics don't have much of a central theme and it really shows. Great analysis again Astor! Would love to see you tackle "At All Costs," especially considering the original lyrics and context of the song.

[@breawycker]

Yes! Olivia Rodrigo sweep

[@natthecat3602]

i got chills when i heard it for the first time. having read the book in 7th grade, i’ve been a huge fan and i just imagined the memory of lucy taunting snow with what he did all those years ago.

[@TheStepmonkey]

Love that song, Olivia did a good job 👌

[@mariokarter13]

"Throw caution to every red flag." "There's no such thing as a caution flag, do you mean a caution sign?" "Then how about I change it to warning sign?" "Perfect. The song's due in 20 minutes."

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

This made me snort thank you fucking much. 😤

[@youdontknowwho505]

I like how this is phrased like a high school group project.

[@greayworks7232]

This is a really weird sidenote but something I loved so much about The Bobs Burgers movie is how imperfect a lot of the characters singing voices are, they aren't smoothed over and they work because of how well they fit into the character's theme and personality. There is so much more charm to Sunny Side Up Summer than anything found in Wish.

[@chelscara]

I still regularly listen to “Lucky Ducks”, it’s one of my favorite songs! I also just have their soundtracks downloaded though so maybe I’m just biased 😂

[@moon7shinev150]

Or the Not That Evil song

[@casperrabbit7254]

Honestly, the whole movie felt like a first draft. I don't claim to be an expert writer but there were so many moments where the dialogue or exposition felt clumsily written, like they scribbled down what they wanted the characters to say but weren't given any time to go back and make it sound natural, or rephrase it to fit the character's personality more effectively. It's really noticeable in some of the early scenes.

[@mentosmariel]

It feels like it wasn’t sung in its’ original language. This sounds like a decent dub at best.

[@LavenderWhale]

Some of the actual dubs do it better- for instance the Spanish dub has Asha talk about reading the “señales con sensitez,” or “sensibly read the signs, “ which is way more coherent than “throw caution to every warning sign”

[@despinasgarden.4100]

​@@LavenderWhale Magnifico and Loki have the same voice actor in the spanish dub, that's another win for spanish speakers.

[@SammEater]

And just like dubs for the Lion King remake, everyone else was better than the original english singers. Amazing.

[@Angninjin22]

What! No way :0 Ok thanks to this comment now I want Magnific​o with Loki personality, so he can be a real villain this time@@despinasgarden.4100

[@JayEeBee]

i'm sure you're aware already, but i think part of the reason Lin Manuel Miranda does those rhymes in lines is because of the Sondheim influence in his work! Sondheim (at least in the works he did solo, less sure about his collaborative works) very much would rhymes in lines (see "while her whithers wither with her" from Into the Woods as the easiest example to pull from here). i do think Lin Manuel Miranda does overuse this a lot ("so I'm the oldest and the wittiest and the gossip in New York City is insidious..." is a great line from him, the Bruno rap from "All of You" in Encanto is not) but there's at least purpose behind it. it feels like Julia Michaels did these internal rhymes without going into why LMM does it or the influences behind LMM's work outside of him being "oh he's the Broadway guy that does rap". do i think Wish would've been better if she had explored more of the musical theatre canon that LMM, the Lopezes, and Alan Menken were influenced by? probably not, but i think it might've at least forced the songs to go through at least one more draft.

[@supremeoverlord0]

That's interesting, and thank you for the examples! It might just boil down to personal preference, but I don't see the problem in the "overuse" of LMM rhyming structure- I find it quite fun and it has a lot of flair. I love tongue twisters and whatnot, so lines like the NYC one from Hamilton are just plain fun to me. 😅

[@ellaenergy]

Thank you for mentioning All of You. Absolutely hate that song. I was trying to find literally any hate or criticism on it when the movie became popular, aaaand nothing. There’s a lot more I could talk about with the rest of your comment obviously but that’s just one part that made me happy lol

[@supremeoverlord0]

@@ellaenergy Agreed. "All of You" was very lackluster. >w< Admittedly forgot about it until this comment.

[@desdar100]

This and he was influenced by the Hip-Hop of the 80s\ Early 90s ( De la Soul, LL, Queen Latifah, Tribe Called Quest, Big Pun, and Biz Markie). That was built off of doing wacky rhymes and free-styling to make hyperbolic points.

[@pescuezoee]

@@ellaenergytbh i liked it, specially the bruno rap part its catchy to me idk

[@Angninjin22]

Can't believe the girl who expected her wishes to come true because of a star instead of working hard or appreciating the things she had *gets what she wants* Tiana made her wish come true yeah but she got what she needed: *love* I love Tiana's song and I want her to succeed but I want her to notice what she needs( same can be said with other animated characters they want something but they need something else that is better for their lives and health ) . Unlike other I want songs this feels... weird not only because of the reasons you mentioned but because Asha is so boring and with no personality. That's the reason this song didn't resonate inside me, maybe with others did but for me no Anyways good video as always

[@astorrhymemaster]

That's a really good point, and a critical flaw of Wish's story. Asha was a happy and fortunate girl who got told "no" ONCE and then she wished upon a star and started a revolution over it. Tiana worked her butt off for her dream, Cinderella put up with horrible things before she got her wishes, etc

[@txwtw]

@@astorrhymemaster Tiana and Cinderella are true role models. Asha is just a spoilt character disguised as a “good” guy.

[@Sakuyamon]

Yeah, I see Tiana as the anti-thesis to Wish. It goes straight against what this movie is saying. Tianas story is about realizing that what you need is more important than what you want. Sure, Tiana got what she wanted too, but she first had to work hard for it and then give it up, it made her truly worthy of it. Wish is just a confused mess...but it didnt need to be. It could have intertwined right along with the lessons of Tiana, but right now it goes right against it, which is so weird because its also trying to say the star sprite is the wishing star of Tiana, aka Evangeline. These people didnt know what the eff they were doing!

[@miticaBEP07]

I want to defend Asha, but I honestly have no idea what quality you'd give her in one of those edits about princesses' main quality. Like kindness for Snow White, patience for Cinderella, curiosity for Ariel, bravery for Mulan and so forth... what's Asha's thing?

[@barbararab6390]

Asha doesn't even go through a character arc, not even a "you had what you wanted already". Her and everyone in the kingdom just wanted their wishes to be handed to them for free and with zero effort on their part

[@ryankleinicus]

This has been the most difficult movie to talk about with people. The people who like it because of how simple it is can't find any fault in it. I could hardly comprehend any of the words in these songs because it felt like there were 25 words per measure.

[@cousinparty7266]

People like this movie??? I can’t think of a Disney movie that has been this trashed on since ralph breaks the internet

[@nkbujvytcygvujno6006]

​@@cousinparty7266 People who've never cared about the quality of media and think anyone who looks into things deeply enough to criticize is somehow being stupid and wasting time that could be spent pointlessly working probably love it.

[@rosestar1324]

I've heard kids say they love this movie, and one stupid adult🤣

[@rosestar1324]

I also feel like the singer doesn't enunciate several lines. I'm usually really good at hearing lyrics in songs but for some parts I went "girl wtf are you even saying??"

[@Shaowraven2266]

@@cousinparty7266 I never saw any hate for ralph breaks the internet and it seems most like it since google user reviews put it at 78% positive reviews lol.

[@GrayShadowOfNight]

What I caught is how they ignore the doubles. Like when Asha sings about running and doesn't start running. Or when she sings about something coming down but _thats_ the high note. This adds to the whole disconnect between song and movie even further. "More than this" is then the extreme case of it. Because they don't show how "this" is bad. Someone sweeping their courtyard isn't negative. And you cant have a whole song about how great the city of Rosas is and how happy people are to live there.... And then don't elaborate on what the "this" in "more than this" is.

[@laureate90]

Nice video, thanks for making. And at 10:40 I think we get a glimpse of why Julia's lyrics are so sketchy. She says there that the protagonist wants to 'fight for things that she found immoral'... Yeah, you don't fight FOR things you find immoral, you fight against them, and FOR things you want to see in the world. It's a nitpick, and likely just a slip of the tongue, but it suggests her command of language isn't everything it could be.

[@ella-gz4fj]

Exactly. That was so reminiscent of "Throw caution to every warning sign"

[@Meimoons]

Or the “having freedom in my bones, but still got the lid on” bit. Like ???

[@edoboleyn]

Nice catch. Prepositions are tiny but mighty. They direct verbs and decide meaning. She also writes, “I’ve got reservations and hesitations / On where I should even begin.” “About” is the correct word here. As you and other commenters make clear, these details add up.

[@edoboleyn]

@@Meimoons Hey, some of us have DIED of bone-freedom overflowing our bone-lids. 😭 Then the freedom starts to overflow and threatens to enter the bloodstream. The bone-lids-you know, the lids that keep things inside our bones-weaken. We have to be hospitalized with severe, life-threatening levels of bone-freedom. The bone lids pop off. All the bone-freedom becomes blood-freedom, and the immune system responds. The body attacks itself. It’s tragic. They made a House episode about it. People thought it was lupus, but they threw caution to the warning signs.

[@flickcentergaming680]

​@@edoboleyn It's never lupus, even with that one magician. It was bone-freedom overdose.

[@shellinsanity9936]

The way Lin is managing to get used as a good example in this video tells a clear thing, You cant jsut use a song writer because they've worked on other things that have become popular, they have to understand and their music has to fit your vision of what your making. He worked for Encanto, he saw the vision and connected in a way to make songs that worked The same didn't happen when he worked on Little Mermaid. and obviously the music writers of Wish had no connection because they had quite literally never written a musical before and so had no idea what they were actually doing, they just wrote pop songs with the vague concepts given to them.

[@moon7shinev150]

He knew what he wanted he even changed Bruno's original name Oscar to Bruno so that it fits into the song. Hence the lyrics Bruno no no no and it's perfect

[@ride-playerbb2818]

That bit where Julia talks about what Disney gave her to go off with to make this song really answered something I've been wondering for a while now, cause ever since listening to Wish's sountrack, I've been listening to lot of the Disney Channel Original Movies' soundtrack, because while they may not be everyone's cup of tea, they do have their own charm, and I'm wondering what they made them work (not saying the Disney Channel formula would've worked for Wish. I highly doubt it honestly). Now I realize, for the most part, you can tell that either the songs were made specifically with the movies in mind, or they wrote stories out of the songs. Either way, they had synergy. One was made for the other. This Wish meanwhile was made with a vague prompt that Disney decided to insert in the final product that really doesn't fit what the song is going for.

[@HelenaIsis616]

A huge issue with Disney is they haven’t quite realized how much streaming has changed the game. People aren’t going to spend money to see “safe” movies in theaters because they know it’ll just end up on streaming in a couple months. Innovative movies where you can’t completely predict what’s going to happen is what will get people to come to the theater to watch the movie.

[@Juupitrr]

Totally agree

[@andrewqi6695]

This is the point right here. also schaffrillas productions agrees

[@amyvasquez4268]

Even as someone who is a fan of the movies from this studio, I really hope that the serious rivalry they’re getting from other studios will convince them to actually improve. I’d like to mention that Iger is gonna get replaced again this year, so I’m praying that the next CEO, while likely not great, is better than the two Bobs at his job

[@cadyfitzgerald3273]

“So I make this wish” Girl, what wish? I don’t know what you’re wishing for?? You haven’t said???

[@Moomoomaniac]

It's so weird how accurate it is to say that this is a pop song, because this definitely does not feel like it fits in with the Broadway repertoire. It's almost as weird as my compulsion to subscribe to you now after having watched a couple of your analysis videos

[@sesame1715]

THANK YOU - I was looking for an explanation/analysis for why this song felt so awkward. I'm a (casual) musician and it was so difficult for me to detect a pulse until the chorus, where the use of duplets throws the pulse off for me. It took me looking at a transcribed score for me to figure out its time signature, and even so it kind of felt like stretch. While it might be a skill issue, the rhythms are super awkward and make zero sense to me. I would be really interested in seeing a behind-the-scenes look into the production of this soundtrack, because it would be great to develop my breadth as a musician and fully understand the motivations behind these musical choices. I am however actually going to watch the movie tomorrow so maybe something will be revealed there 👋😭

[@whitedogsblackcats]

Same expect I'm not a musician at all. But I could definitely tell something was so bland and weird about the song. I even like the instrumentals but I knew something was off with everything else.

[@SpiderkillersInc]

I can’t wait to see you do At All Costs. Which is my personal favorite of the soundtrack and I cannot take it seriously in context. Because it wasn’t written for the specific context.

[@egg_bun_]

The accuracy!!

[@RahRizzle123]

Anything that gives Tangled the series more praise makes me happy

[@AdventureGirl-zn4wc]

Same!

[@freyamary2072]

It’s so crazy to me that they kept the music vague so it could be played on the radio when We Don’t Talk About Bruno is so plot-specific but was a huge hit

[@wbuck]

It's so wild that they're chasing another chart-topper by making a vague and "universal" pop song, when "We Don't Talk About Bruno" is one of the most specific and musical theatre-y songs the Disney canon has had in a decade.

[@dubitataugustinus]

I have to say that I LOVE Waiting on a Miracle... It might even be one of the most relatable I Want songs I've ever heard, Stephanie Beatriz's tone makes it feel like Maribel starts as lamenting and ends up demanding, making a stand, I feel like she understands things better as the song progresses. And ending in a sad point is so special in a story where the conflict is toxicity within family. Regarding I Can Go the Distance, rather than becoming a hero (which he didn't know he had to do until after he spoke with Zeus) I think it's ultimately about fitting in, and the will to do whatever it takes to find his place. I guess it's interesting that these two, as well as My Reflection, are basically my favorite examples of I Want songs. I like it when there is a deeper problem latent behind the words, like an underlying theme that speaks to the characters individually.

[@rosykindbunny1313]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't she sing Waiting on a Miracle while in labor? That's pretty impressive.

[@dubitataugustinus]

@@rosykindbunny1313 That's what I've heard o.o and while it sounds impossible, I wouldn't put it pass Stephanie Beatriz. It really sounds like she is going through a breakthrough!

[@natecgames4612]

As a spectator that has very little knowledge in creating music, I feel like This Wish and This is the Thanks I Get were placed in the movie to be similar to We Dont Talk About Bruno in most every way. The thing that made that specific song a good radio hit along with being a good song for the movie was that it was unable to be placed sooner or later in the story. It is a neat form of exposition that transitions the audience from Mirabels dad finding out about the shards to right when dinner starts with the family and Isabela's boyfriend while also staying interesting throughout by giving prominent family members and a few towns floks opinions on a character that was actively being avoided by the story and changing the tone of the music with every major opinion being shared.And then once the setting changes for the next scene mid song, they continue with the final verse while setting up the table and having the prominent family members sing their verses again but together in a singing technique that i heard was called a "Madrigal". It stays intresting not only while listening to it but while researching why its so good and catchy. Wish was made to emulate it without the reasoning for the songs to be in the script.

[@Mysterious-Night]

Not to mention “I’ve got reservations and hesitations” is nowhere near as good as “i can lead with pride, I can make us strong.” … “Challenges that find me” “Come find me” It’s just a totally rip off.

[@Danul623]

Here for any and all analysis of Tangled the Series' music. It's so slept on and it's so very good.

[@amyvasquez4268]

Definitely helps that they’ve got Alen Menken on it

[@borikidor]

Disney peaked with their I want songs with Bufords song from Phineas and Ferb. It goes like: *IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII* *WAAAAAANT* nothin'

[@aaronbeasley974]

LMAO

[@peachbunnii]

Tangled animated series had no business being that good and yet it IS. Seconding the waiting in the wings 🔥

[@AdventureGirl-zn4wc]

Yeah, my favourite has to be Ready As I'll Ever Be, with Nothing Left To Lose not far behind. I love Ready As I'll Ever Be so much, but I wish Varian had the whole song to himself because he definitely deserved that villain song.

[@TomiokaSansC0ckSvcker]

Wish could never

[@Aiden_Person2217]

It sounds like if someone genuinely started singing in the woods with no prep

[@handlebecauseihaveto]

Usually an I Want song is supposed to specify what the character actually wants, and "more than this" does not say anything. And the lyrics are so clunky it's impossible to understand wtf she's saying ⅓ of the time

[@justineberlein5916]

Heck, even Cats, the musical that famously doesn't have an I Want song until the end of Act 1, still has a functional I Want song. And that's especially impressive, since the Act 1 version is labeled a prelude, with the full version not even coming until the musical's almost over

[@emalaw1329]

The "I'm past..." couplet in the bridge is particularly outrageous. As a songwriter, you have to really try and pace the lyrics in an outlandishly counter-intuitive way, in order to make Ariana DeBose's Broadway-grade diction produce the jumbled mess that those two lines become when sung.

[@maddenboseroy4074]

@@justineberlein5916 According to Sideways, the "I Want" song is actually "Memories": "TOUCH ME! IT'S SO EASY TO LEAVE ME!"

[@Eloraurora]

​@@maddenboseroy4074 I love that video. It's so sad how much it's been cut up by copyright claims.

[@maddenboseroy4074]

@@Eloraurora I believe he has a less cut up version that's unlisted but linked in the video's description.

[@jaceybella1267]

OH GOD THANK YOU I swear I thought I was losing my mind. So many people cited this as the "good song" from Wish but it's just so incredibly awkward and sounds overly wordy at times. I didn't have the full knowledge to explain it all, so I'm glad someone like you can break it down like this! I also think the demo version of the track sounds a bit better, I think the type of vocal artist they used for the demo suited it more and made it seem a touch less awkward (albeit the issues are still present, just less notable to me)

[@user-ne6di4hj3h]

The demmo is sung by Julia

[@cupcakKe_express]

The one Ariana Debose song at the d23 in 2022 (the demo version) is so much better. While it still has bad lyrics, the vocals and the music made it sound more alive AND more Disney

[@JonathanGaeta]

I’ve heard better Disney songs. Heck I would rather listen to Disney Renaissance songs as they are more memorable than, whatever This Wish is

[@iwakeupandboomimarat]

id say at all costs is the best song but to me it feels like a cut song from a previous film or a demo they never used and just. threw it in here bc

[@jaceybella1267]

@@iwakeupandboomimarat for real tho, at all costs is definitely the best song on the soundtrack but it makes next to no sense in context! It's a love song, you can't just change a single word and call that good! My theory is that it was made for Wish, though. I've heard in early concepts that the Star character was a Star Boy and love interest for the main character. I really think the song was going to be their big love song. God I wish we got to see that concept on screen

[@rana-hb3yt]

honestly I'm really worried for the future of animated musicals.. if Disney can't even get it right anymore, idk...

[@stephanos6128]

the better artists are at studios that dont restrict them or rush them as insanely as disney does so while disney goes down the crapper other animated musicals might not. especially since Wish flopped embarrassingly, everyone knows not to mimic it to make money or fame. plus theres always indie.

[@maddenboseroy4074]

@@stephanos6128 NO art form should be rushed. Look at Spider-Verse: they cooked with both films.

[@stephanos6128]

@@maddenboseroy4074 Idk what to tell you Spiderverse was definitely rushed, they just didnt mis-managed as bad as Wish so it didn't turn out like dogshit.

[@justsomeboredsithlord4320]

in defense of lin-manuel, when he rhymes things together, he actually takes note of how the song progresses in melody, what to put emphasis on, how many syllables there are per beat, and it flows well because of it. wish doesn't really do that, and constantly breaks any patterns it tries to set up with melody, rhyme scheme, emphasis. so much so that i just end up lost, and wondering what they were even going for in the first place.

[@maddenboseroy4074]

That defense of Lin works to defend Eminem as well.

[@justsomeboredsithlord4320]

@@maddenboseroy4074 mhm! both are good at their craft :DD

[@fayorieana]

When pointing out the odd time signatures, I think it's important to note that How Far I'll Go had a 4/4 time signature change because it wanted to show how regimental and boring Moana felt taking on the role as chief would be. It's made even clearer by the fact that when she returns to the original time signature, she sounds so excited and happy (because ocean woo) whereas in Wish it just sounds... Messy?

[@emalaw1329]

There's no time signature change in How Far I'll Go though, it's 4/4 all the way through. If you mean when the drums kick in on "I can lead with pride...", it's only the accents in the rhythm that change. what happens in This Wish, on the other hand, is a bona fide switch from a 3-time to a 4-time, which are counted and felt in an almost entirely different way. I see however what you mean, about the changes having an actual storytelling purpose in the songwriting for Moana. In this, it just sounds like the songwriter was getting bored.

[@eatatjoes6751]

Honestly what drives me insane about the omnipresent guitar is that in Encanto it at least feels natural because the community is in Columbia and the guitar seems to follow what the characters are singing as if it was part of their vocal chords like Moana, but in Wish it feels like the guitar was crammed down Asha’s throat with the grace of stampeding elephants and I *hate it.* It’s so forced and corporate like the rest of the movie that I’m kind of surprised that the villain wasn’t some twisted Bob Iger analogue ala Shrek.

[@maddenboseroy4074]

According to Ray Greene for The AV Club, Magnifico might be.

[@brainless_mastermind]

I also really liked the line "If I could just be pointed in any given direction on where to go and what to do". Nice and ranty. It seems they knew she didn't have a clear goal and just ran with it which is what made her such a weak protagonist

[@winifredeghrudje9427]

I never knew people hated Lin Manuel Miranda songs 😭

[@ArmednotTriggered]

Eh...Lin @ his best is "Hamilton" Lin @ his worse is "Scuttlebutt." Lin has very specific style, but that style doesn't really work for the classic Disney musical. Lin Manuel Miranda does a great job of creating "pop" songs that are digestable to a larger audience, but it's..a far cry from what Disney used to be...

[@winifredeghrudje9427]

@@ArmednotTriggered oh I know scuttlebutt is terrible encanto and moana slaps

[@ShadowKamehameha32]

It's a less of a hatred of Lin's songs, and more of the corporations that saw hpw popular his songs became and decided "We must copy this for everything going forward"

[@herpderp3916]

I was mostly soured on him from Hamilton being goddamn everywhere for a while. I think it being pushed on me so hard turned me from indifference to open dislike. His musical style is fine, I guess, but it's way too pop for me to actually like.

[@SizzlingSocks]

i love them sm

[@caoisekamay1175]

I like that point about For the First Time in Forever being entirely context-dependent. It just reminded me how good Frozen 1's music was. To this day 'Do you wanna build a snowman' becoming a popular hit still baffles me because that song is not structured like a pop song at ALL but the Lopezes are just such talented songwriters that it worked.

[@maddenboseroy4074]

While "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman" was context dependent, there was enough vagueness that it could be taken out of context. And boy did they take it out of context - "Do you wanna #&@% a snowman?", anyone?

[@EternalCherryMerry]

After the disaster of Wish, I WISH people will now stop complaining about Encanto. Because at least the damn movie had good songs for everyone. We Don't Talk About Bruno now makes more sense as to why it was everywhere back then... BECAUSE IT WAS A GOOD SONG (Every song that is good WILL be overly-played and it just makes sense that people will end up disliking it soon after) Encanto was more of a musical at one point, and I do understand the disappointment of basically "no villain" in it, but at least they made a great job at their songs and... generational trauma 💀

[@Shadalan1]

Spot-on analysis as usual, Wish is so utterly tragic as a 100th year anniversary film for Disney it's heartbreaking. Another thing I noticed about the transition into the "Grand chorus" like Moana was the running animation at 9:36 is also almost a 1 to 1 copy of a similar scene in How Far I'll Go when Moana starts running lol. This level of copying was understandable for Robin Hood when the company was in dire financial straits but they have NO excuse today. Not that you're lacking in Disney content to analyse lately but have you considered checking out the 'competition' that is starting to crop up in fanworks online? Things like Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss with their big theatrical 'Broadway' musical numbers etc? I'd also recommend Gildedguy's work but most of his animations are only set to existing songs rather than original works so might not be as worthy of analysis from a songwriting perspective.

[@nevaehhamilton3493]

Asha's hair wasn't even rendered correctly as she was running!

[@genericname2747]

Balders Gate 3 had a better villain song than an actual Disney movie

[@mxveewz]

@genericname2747 memento mori, friend

[@genericname2747]

@@mxveewz unus annus

[@shizukagozen777]

11:17 The way her hair keeps magically coming back on her shoulder, it's killing me. 😂😂🤣

[@GrayShadowOfNight]

What did I miss, that people tend to hate Lin so much? He's really good with rhythm and lyrics. He's perfect for musical stuff, no? And the songs he made for Moana and encanto are not just catchy, but suit characters and story really well

[@moon7shinev150]

People are just gonna hate to hate

[@yay29823]

I think people have the right to like or dislike Lin's music, but I personally do not understand it, because most of the stuff he writes I think it's amazing

[@GrayShadowOfNight]

@@yay29823 oh yea for sure, I definitely don't argue about personal preference. But I thought maybe there's a reason why the trend is going towards dislike

[@yay29823]

@@GrayShadowOfNight I think there is, maybe it's because he's everywhere

[@dionysusfilms165]

I love him, but sometimes his particular style doesn’t match a character or a song. He does have some very signature moves that can become a little gimmicky and annoying if done improperly

[@christopherauzenne5023]

Great videos, if you continue these analysis of wish you should analyze “At all cost” and how it actually succeeds at being a love song…. Which in turn means it fails entirely because it’s a duet between the hero and the villain (who is both older and married) towards some floating orbs It’s kinda a weird reverse “let it go” situation, where it started as a villain song but how it ended up made them change the film entirely but here it’s the opposite situation

[@Meimoons]

But even “At All Costs” is awkward. Another pointed this out down to the lyrics not making sense.

[@christopherauzenne5023]

@@Meimoons fair enough, but still it atleast feels like an awkward song from a musical and not like an awkward pop song forced into a musical

[@maddenboseroy4074]

@@Meimoons How do the lyrics not make sense?

[@fictionwithphoebe]

I’m so happy you mentioned “Waiting in the Wings.” Tangled: The Series has some great songs! 😃

[@crashban4t.f.s.b783]

Bob Iger intentionally sabatoged Wish for no reason and he said that this honors Walt…………….Screw Bob for saying that garbage. This would have made Walt furious. Walt would want Disney to go forward. Not backwards.

[@JonathanGaeta]

From what I’ve seen from the concept art. For example the star was going to be human and the king and queen were gonna be duo villains, all of this would’ve made the movie good, flawed yes, but good. Instead all of that got scrapped where the star looks like the love child of Kirby and a Luma, the villain is the most bland Disney villain including the worst Disney Villain song where I would rather listen to Be Prepared or Hellfire.

[@maddenboseroy4074]

His "keep moving forward" WAS the basis for Meet the Robinsons.

[@crashban4t.f.s.b783]

I changed my mind on Wish. The 100th anniversary movie shouldn’t have been a princess movie. It should have been something else.

[@baysidesuixide]

holy SHIT when you popped back to "how far I'll go" for the time signature change I GASPED 😂 you're so good at articulating certain issues with songs that untrained ears or those of us with little musical knowledge could *hear*, but not explain. Your videos are so satisfying because you voice a frustration that I have with a lot of these modern disney songs but could never really properly explain. So many of us grew up adoring disney musicals that still absolutely hold up because of how well written and composed they are-- and the huge dip in quality over the years sometimes feels maddening. I've been binging your videos for the past couple days and I'm super looking forward to listening to whatever you'd dissect next!

[@Mathee]

The amazing reverse I Want song from The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals, "What Do You Want Paul?", perfectly explains why a protagonist needs a clear goal/want, which is what the I Want song is for: "So what do you want Paul? What's that one, concrete goal that motivates all your actions?" "I don't think I have one of those!" "Well then, how is anyone supposed to SYMPATHISE with you Paul?"

[@anoopkashyap401]

Even AI couldn't make something this bad, it had to be Disney

[@the3cryers758]

fr tho

[@mangledfoxy2052]

This is like the biggest insult I can think of and I love it

[@Whitelisted_Productions]

I think the saddest part of the movie is that the Asha’s VA is actually really talented as both a singer and voice actor, she was just given the worst I want song in Disney history

[@TheKarishi]

It's interesting - and perhaps a little scary - to me that this film is so lacking in self-awareness. It's a film with a villain whose entire schtick is making the populace bland and generic, and then it's written in a way that seems to believe "mass appeal" comes from expressing feelings but never events, contexts, or memories. That is, it assumes the masses it's attempting to appeal to are the kind of society you'd get when the villain was winning.

[@matthew-005]

Can I marry your brain? Your analysis is always so detailed yet clear and understandable. I just love the way you hand communicate and the addition of your emotional tone communicates your feelings on the song and what you are talking about.

[@ThatWackyWaffle]

I think her brain is already taken, sorry

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

"Can I marry your brain?" 🤣

[@matthew-005]

@@imthebossmermaid3648 Have you never admired someone just for there mind? It kinda like only liking someone for their body but instead of their looks it's just their mind you like I love the way her mind works.

[@imthebossmermaid3648]

@@matthew-005 Ofc I have, I just found the wording funny, that's all.

[@matthew-005]

@@imthebossmermaid3648 Hey if it gave you a laugh fine by me. Also what is ofc?

[@Marigold11037]

This whole situation reminds me of Show Yourself from Frozen 2 - it was a beautiful song and felt empowering to listen to, but it never decided what it was actually about. Even in behind the scenes videos, every person responsible for the song seemed to have a different interpretation of what the song was about and what the fifth spirit was intended to be. Frozen got away with it because it had beautiful musical direction and you know, is Frozen, but Wish didn't have much going for it even before it came out. The lyrics are vague and rhythmically awkward and the melody sounds like the first draft you write while listening to a backing track, not the final version.

[@amethystimagination3332]

Even I want songs that are a little more vague still have enough information to tell you what the character really wants. People make fun of Belle’s “I want adventure in the great wide somewhere” but the line that follows is way more telling, “and for once it might be grand to have someone understand”. She wants to meet someone she relates to, who doesn’t see her as odd because they understand her. And the lyrics before that are her venting about how much she hates Gaston. Even out of context it still makes sense

[@MrJoeyWheeler]

I straight up went back to watch Belle and Belle's reprise since it's one of my favourites - you're right. Sure, her desires are on the vague side compared to Snow White, but she still has a clear idea that can be conveyed. Even in her vague lines early on of "wanting more than this provincial life", that's still way more specific than "something more than this" - it's a very clear statement that she is unsatisfied with her current position in life, rather than just a hand-wave of dissatisfaction.

[@pmf98]

I just want to say that the architecture of the tower the main character is singing on at 8:03 makes as much sense as the structure of this song. I had to pause the video and do a double and triple take of this tower. Why is there a random archway that comes down in the middle of the stairs? Why is there a narrow room in the tower that facilitates such a weirdly placed window? Where do those stairs on the left go to? Why is the roof positioned so that rainwater and debris will immediately fall onto the balcony and the people walking on it instead of extending over the railing? At another angle the tower seems to be rather book shaped, so what is its possible purpose? Why does it look like the railing on the right doesn’t go along the stairs coming up? This architecture is as half baked as this movie.

[@papershadow]

There’s the AI talk about the script and songs, this tower looks like someone 3D modeled a piece of architecture in an AI generated image’s background, in that it’s very “I guess it resembles a tower” until you look at the details thrown together

[@kingdingaling6516]

Going back to Disney's old roots, Alan Menken would've been the natural choice. Plus he's the king of reprises.

[@amyvasquez4268]

Seriously WHY didn’t they get him for Wish?! This is their big 100th anniversary musical… I don’t think he would’ve made the movie a lot better tho, the story would still be awful

[@jamesofglory]

FINALLY someone talking about metre in music!!! all the discussion about the music in this movie seems to be coming from people who don't know why the good songs are good -- they just say it sounds 'AI generated'. But what they mean is, it doesn't sound natural because the lyrics are poorly composed. The poetry just isn't there. Thanks for making this video!

[@jamesofglory]

As a songwriter myself I cannot bear to have a lyric that sounds unneven. I'll fuck with the syntax JUST to make it sound more pleasing, because I'd rather sound like yoda than write a lyric that feels like missing a step on the staircase.

[@raccoonchild]

​@@jamesofglory The way you worded that is hilarious but so true

[@laurenwoods3609]

I've been on a weird binge of critical takedowns of Wish and this is hands down one of the best song breakdowns I've seen yet. Well researched, well scripted and well edited! Will be watching more from this channel.

[@dradel2050]

Wow every time you cut to a different song I have whiplash from how much better they are

[@DarkAngel459]

'This Wish' reminds me why I'm not a huge fan of a lot of pop songs recently; there were times when I couldn't understand every word the singer was singing. I know sometimes the emotion gets in the way, but there are so many songs where the emotionality stays the same, and I can understand every word.

[@plunkdaddy4505]

I feel that the ultimate issue with the song is that the protagonist’s (I forgot her name) is vague and abstract that the song feels almost pointless. Moana wanted to explore the seas, Quasimodo wanted to go outside, Hercules wanted to become a hero and the protagonist of Wish wants… her grandfather’s vague wish to be granted. Every other character’s desire is clear and tangible while being something the audience can understand and relate to. But the desire of a unclear and murky wish, is entirely unrelatable because it isn’t rooted in any desire that can realistically be achieved.

[@ThatWackyWaffle]

The protagonist’s name is… A… something. Just call her ‘Uninteresting Secondary Antagonist’

[@MacaldaReye]

YES! DIG INTO THIS ONE LETS GOOOOOOO

[@reistellae]

My first time hearing this song was Ariana DeBose singing this for Disney's Christmas Day Parade (which is hardly a parade, but I digress). She was surely giving it her all, but I couldn't help to think to myself "this song sounds really awkward" and it felt half finished. Thank you for breaking down and putting into words just why this song fell so flat!

[@KuroOokami167]

This song so weird. I mean... even the most generic songs still have a focus. There's always some identity behind the lyrics. This just sounds so indecisive despite being a song that states the character is supposed to make a decision. It sounds confused. The execs really just wanted content thrown out there, and it shows. Also, 3 weeks? Did they really only give the artist 3 weeks to make something? A 100 year anniversary film and your main character's "I want" song is only given 3 weeks of development... Ugh... this is money that could've gone towards more seasons of The Owl House or something. Anyway! Great video! Much appreciate the breakdown! Hope you listen to some tracks you like too.

[@maddenboseroy4074]

#SaveTheOwlHouse

[@kaleidico]

The parallels between how far I'll go had be chuckling so hard I've never been into music but I've really been enjoying the breakdowns on this channel

[@crowposting]

I almost wonder if they intentionally set up Wish to fail, as a way to say "see look the more traditional disney movies dont sell well". But thats just a theory, a film theory!

[@Sarah_H]

Reading the second verse with the context that Disney wanted this song to portray a "stubborn activist", it reads like she was upset that she got told "no" once and is now going on a crusade to try and convince everyone that her (naive, spoiled) way of thinking is right. Like that video of the little boy trying to convince his mom that he should be allowed to have cupcakes before dinner. "Linda, Linda, honey, listen, we should totally allow EVERYONE to have their wishes granted because NO ONE would EVER wish for things that would have negative consequences, for themselves or others! I am incapable of considering that there might be legitimate REASONS why things are done the way they are here!"

[@black_leaf_uwu]

The song actually makes sense if you consider the context given to the writer. She believed Asha was singing against a corrupt town filled with things she seemed immortal, the line "Something more for us than this" would make sense if the "this" was a corrupt town where the quality of living is awful but nobody can speak up because they're threatened with being cast out or gaslit into thinking everything's fine. I mean, imagine a kingdom where the upper class lives in riches because its members suck up to Magnifico, don't care about the others or are made to believe that the others live well too. Poorer people would live in the outskirts of the kingdom, more exposed to danger and in awful living conditions with roads filled with holes, abandoned or run-down buildings and guards all around threatening anyone who dares speak up against the king. Asha could start singing and show us someone desperate whose house collapsed or something, then someone hiding from armed guards, richer people looking in disgust at her and then turning away, until the climax of the song when she finally sings to the stars. If people in Rosas were actually corrupt or unhappy, Asha rebelling would make a lot of sense, and so would be her wishing to the stars. She could have found out that her king is corrupt but her grandfather could have tried to shut her up, afraid of the consequences, so her only hope left would be turning to the stars for help. The "I want song" wouldn't have been so generic, and it would have actually made sense. The problem here is that the people of Rosas are actually happy to live there, Magnifico isn't corrupt and actually grants wishes with criteria that seems reasonable and Asha just seems a spoiled child as a result of this, because she creates problems where there aren't any. TLDR: If Magnifico was actually corrupt and evil from the start, using and gaslighting others to get their wishes for selfish reasons, leaving them to live in a horrible town it would have made sense for Asha to speak out. There just needed to be an actual problem in Rosas, not: "Oh, my grandfather's wish won't get granted because of reasons that make sense!!"

[@ultraviolet0421]

You made a really good point in regards to the song not being specific enough to the story. I've actually had it on repeat for a few weeks now, not because I'm super into it (although I do quite like how it sounds), but because it reminds me of my OCs. It reminds me a lot of the story I've crafted for them and what they're going through, so I often listen and imagine they're singing it because it's so easy for me to insert their story into it. Thing is, I've never really been able to do that with the other Disney 'I Want' songs (the closest I've come is Waiting On a Miracle but even then that's just bits and pieces) because it's so hard to divorce them from their original context. So while I do enjoy listening to the song and thinking about my characters, you are right that it sounds more like a pop song about a generic situation than a musical song about something specific

[@redtailarts101]

The Moana comparisons make me feel validated when I hear This is the Thanks I Get as a cheap knockoff of You're Welcome.

[@mane53017]

The tried so hard a Lin Manuel Miranda without him

[@theflickchick9850]

I remember almost straining my ears while watching the movie because one side of my brain was like "Oooo pretty melody" and the other side was like "What is this girl TALKING about?!"

[@GemmaTrellis]

The fact that just thinking about Mulan’s “I want song” makes me teary but the song from “Wish” makes me feel nothing says a lot

[@WeebaLu]

My theory "This Wish" doesn't sound as good and why the artist wasn't involved is because the plot kept changing so many times throughout development that they couldn't really even decide on what leads up to that 'I want' song so they just commissioned a vague one so if they changed the plot for the millionth time, they wouldn't need to commission a rewrite. I think that goes for ALL the songs in Wish, because At All Costs is clearly a cut love song from when the star was a whimsical boy Asha had a romance with, but they kept it because they realized they needed to find a way to use all the generic songs they commissioned so they made this weird as hell context where Magnifico and Asha are romantically singing about the wishes??? I dunno, this movie screams corporate meddling at every turn.

[@thewoodlandcryptid]

i hope people never stop bashing this movie. maybe it'll finally force disney to stop the direction they've been going in and actually put heart in their movies again

[@cisa_m]

I never thought I'd see the day... this is the first Disney movie that I am afraid of even seeing in English. Every translation I understand and have heard of Wish's songs just elevates this movie. I remember listening to This Wish for the first time, super happy because I love Ariana DeBose in West Side Story, and it was so... underwhelming. Not only was she rushing and having difficulty setting the rhythm from the 1st line, but in her live performance at Disney World I was even flabbergasted at how weird she sounded! She probably felt the necessity or was told to sing like that, but on the "started running" line all I could think was "girl, the guitar is there, you don't need to sing its part too 😆". I also felt that she was adding unnecessary emphasis the whole time, but I hadn't seen the movie. I guess now I understand she tried to add emphasis because there was none. How do you drive home a point you can't actually make through the lyrics? So far, I love Italy and Spain's translations best. In Italian, Asha says that a "wish lit up inside [her]". It's not the most creative, but I think is a lot more poetic, that she didn't know she had a wish to make in the past and the happenings around her led her to that. I feel that's kinda how wishes work and it sounds really beautiful In Castilian, Asha wants to "give our wishes their power" and I feel this is the most amazing translation and, in part, helps write out some of this movie's flaws. Magnifico is keeping their wishes captive in a way, but if you wish to help those around you, shouldn't you be allowed to? If you wish to invent something new that helps people, shouldn't you be able to? Sure, a better lesson would be to wish, but also to work to towards achieving your wish, but I can't say that past movies have gone that deep on their lessons either 😅 I feel this translation especially ties it all very beautifully during the reprise. The whole town wants to feel their wishes have power, that they're not just whims to ask stars or rulers.

[@rosennacht7624]

I’m SO glad you addressed the beginning line “Isn’t truth suppose to set you free” cause it sounded off whenever I heard it. Like theres parts of the song that flow fine and some that don’t and I thought the issue had to do with me the whole time.

[@lukas_copy_1]

Also, We Don't Talk About Bruno went number 1, and they literally just sing exposition at you in that song.

[@lightningvolt3150]

yea but it sounds good

[@hannahbrennan2131]

The lyrics of the songs in this movie are so bad. Come back Howard Ashman! We need you!

[@katedillon1977]

RIP Howard Ashman 😢😢

[@txwtw]

Howard Ashman is rolling in his grave seeing Wish’s soundtrack 💀

[@EthalaRide]

I don't think even an AI Howard Ashman could right this shipwreck

[@amyvasquez4268]

As much as I enjoy Lin, we need ANOTHER good and experienced musical song producer to join Disney and shape them back up like how Ashman and Menken did. Or even better, multiple of them. I remember seeing one reviewer I follow suggest the Hadestown people

[@txwtw]

@@amyvasquez4268 exactly, i’m getting tired of Lin. We need someone different

[@LAPIS-vt7cl]

I love how well you try to both deliver constructive criticism as well as explain parts of songwriting to someone like me wouldn't fully understand such things normally. I also love the 'I will find my way' acknowledgement since I see a lot of people commonly gloss over it. I would be interested to hear your take on the show Centaurworld 🤔