Wicked: The Soundtrack is the soundtrack album to the 2024 epic musical fantasy film Wicked by Jon M. Chu, the first of the two-part film adaptation of the stage musical of the same name by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman. It was released by Republic Records and Verve Records on November 22, 2024, the same date as the film's theatrical release in the United States. Along with the film cast, the soundtrack is billed to Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the film's two main stars, who each appear on seven tracks out of 11 on the standard release.
| Wicked: The Soundtrack | ||||
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| Soundtrack album by | ||||
| Released | November 22, 2024 | |||
| Studio | AIR Studios | |||
| Length | 53:58 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | ||||
| Wicked chronology | ||||
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| Cynthia Erivo chronology | ||||
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| Ariana Grande chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Wicked: The Soundtrack | ||||
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Background
editThe soundtrack album comprises 11 songs from the film, with all songs from the first act of the original stage musical being included.[1][2] Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who play Elphaba and Glinda, respectively, each appear on seven songs.[3] The majority of the vocals were recorded live on set, rather than in a recording studio.[4]
It was produced by Wicked composer Stephen Schwartz, Greg Wells, and Stephen Oremus, and was mixed by Wells.[5][6] All songs were orchestrated by Jeff Atmajian.[7] Mike Knobloch, President of Music and Publishing at NBCUniversal, stated that Schwartz, Wells, Oremus, and the production team wanted the album to be "a standalone and complete aural experience" from the film itself.[8] He further stated:
The original cast recording is iconic, so priority number one was to not mess it up. It has also been a great opportunity to make a soundtrack for a beloved musical that will only be the second Wicked album in two decades. But while our primary mission was to make the film, we didn't want the soundtrack to simply be a 'copied and pasted' byproduct."[8]
Production
editWork on the soundtrack began early in the film's pre-production process, as the musical numbers would largely drive production. The process began by developing the songs' instrumental tracks and recording demos in phases.[8] The film employed a large orchestra of 85 musicians, in contrast to the smaller pit orchestras used in Broadway productions. Schwartz stated, "There's this huge, magical world that Jon Chu has created and the music needed to have the size to occupy that world. . . .Songs needed to be adjusted based on the action we're seeing on the screen. In some cases, things were expanded."[9]
Cast vocals were recorded throughout filming, which required the work of sound engineer Simon Hayes, who worked as a live sound mixer. Each actor was equipped with three microphones: one boom mic and two lavalier microphones. They were also fitted with in-ear monitors that would play a live keyboard or the pre-recorded music.[4] When certain filming restrictions did not allow the actors to sing the entire piece live, their live performances were intercut with their pre-recorded studio vocals. Schwartz stated, "The way their voices sounded in the recording studio needed to match how they sounded when they were on a soundstage, and that was tricky. We had a strong technical team and we were very aware going in that we were going to mix and match."[9]
Musical numbers
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"Popular" was the first musical number shot for the film.[10] Schwartz, Wells, and Oremus proposed modifying its rhythm from the stage musical version and "hip-hop[ping] it up a little bit", but Grande insisted that the song stay true to the original.[11][12] The song features an extended ending with additional key changes.[13]
In the song "One Short Day", Schwartz wrote a new section "to show more of the propaganda that the Wizard was disseminating and really understand better this magic book — the Grimmerie".[14] The new section was performed by Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth, who originated the roles of Elphaba and Glinda on Broadway, respectively.[15][16]
The "Defying Gravity" sequence was filmed about a year into production, having been delayed by the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike.[17] Erivo stated that she wanted the character's voice to grow throughout the song.[18] Regarding her battle cry at the end of the sequence, "I was always looking forward to that moment, just because everything builds to there. Your body and your brain and your mind – and your heart, really – are waiting to be able to release that one final note, because it’s the ultimate moment where [Elphaba] can become herself."[19]
"Ozdust Duet", a new orchestral track, is included as a bonus track on digital versions of the album.[20][21] It combines elements from "Dancing Through Life" and "For Good", the latter of which is expected to be included in the second film.[22]
Release
editThe soundtrack album was released on November 22, 2024.[23][24] In addition to digital download and streaming, it was also released on CD, LP, and picture disc.[25][26] Exclusive variants of the CD and LP were released at Target and Barnes & Noble.[27][28] Upon its release, soundtrack album listening parties were held at music stores throughout the United States from November 22 to 24, 2024.[29]
Singles
editOn November 21, 2024, Hits Daily Double reported that "Popular" and "Defying Gravity" were expected to be released as singles.[30] "Popular" made its radio debut in the United States on November 22, 2024, the same date as the film and soundtrack's release, as the album's mainstream radio single.[31][32]
Commercial performance
editWicked: The Soundtrack became the most-streamed musical soundtrack on Amazon Music within the first 24 hours of its release.[33] Within the first three days of its release, "Defying Gravity" had been streamed on Spotify 4.9 million times; "Popular" followed suit with 4.6 million streams.[34]
Critical reception
edit| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| The Daily Telegraph |   [35] |
The soundtrack received praise from critics, with Variety's Chris Willman writing that "the album puts a further exclamation point on Schwartz's rare brilliance as both melodist and lyricist, a la [Stephen] Sondheim".[36] In addition to commending the vocal performances of Erivo and Grande, Billboard's Stephen Daw praised the updated "poppy" orchestration and vocals provided by Jonathan Bailey in "Dancing Through Life", noting that it is a particular improvement from its original Broadway cast recording counterpart.[21]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Stephen Schwartz.
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "No One Mourns the Wicked" | Ariana Grande featuring Andy Nyman, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Jeff Goldblum, Sharon D. Clarke and Jenna Boyd | 7:27 |
| 2. | "Dear Old Shiz" | Shiz University Choir featuring Ariana Grande | 1:11 |
| 3. | "The Wizard and I" | Cynthia Erivo featuring Michelle Yeoh | 5:36 |
| 4. | "What Is This Feeling?" | Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo | 3:48 |
| 5. | "Something Bad" | Peter Dinklage featuring Cynthia Erivo | 1:48 |
| 6. | "Dancing Through Life" | Jonathan Bailey featuring Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode and Cynthia Erivo | 9:47 |
| 7. | "Popular" | Ariana Grande | 4:01 |
| 8. | "I'm Not That Girl" | Cynthia Erivo | 3:57 |
| 9. | "One Short Day" | Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel featuring Michael McCorry Rose | 6:32 |
| 10. | "A Sentimental Man" | Jeff Goldblum | 2:12 |
| 11. | "Defying Gravity" | Cynthia Erivo featuring Ariana Grande | 7:39 |
| Total length: | 53:58 | ||
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Ozdust Duet" | The Wicked Orchestra | 2:11 |
| Total length: | 56:18 | ||
| No. | Title | Performer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Commentary" | Stephen Schwartz | 0:33 |
| Total length: | 56:42 | ||
Personnel
edit- All music is composed by Stephen Schwartz.[7]
- Stephen Schwartz – producer
- Greg Wells – producer, mixer, arranger, keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, synth programming
- Stephen Oremus – producer, arranger, conductor
- Jon M. Chu – executive album producer
- Marc Platt – executive album producer
- Maggie Rodford – music supervisor
- Robin Baynton – supervising vocal editor and engineer
- Dominick Amendum – production music supervisor, arranger, keyboards
- Ariana Grande – vocal producer
- Cynthia Erivo – vocal producer
- Laurence Anslow – additional mixing
- Jack Dolman – supervising music editor
- Catherine Wilson – supervising music editor
- Benjamin Holder – music associate
- Jeff Atmajian – arranger, orchestrator
- Nick Wollage – recording engineer, orchestral mixer
- Ian Kagey – choir recording engineer
- John Prestage – recordist
- Jason Soudah – assistant song engineer
- Laura Beck – assistant engineer
- Wil Jones – assistant engineer
- George Lloyd-Owen – assistant engineer
- Eve Morris – assistant engineer
- Sean Phelan – assistant engineer
- Jonathan Beard – additional orchestration
- Ed Trybeck – additional orchestration
- Henri Wilkinson – additional orchestration
- Ashley Andrew-Jones – orchestra editing
- Douglas Romayne – orchestration mockups
- Kevin Kliesch – orchestration mockups
- Jordan Cox – lead music preparation
- Global Music Service – music preparation
- Aiden Davis – music preparation
- James Reagan – music preparation
- Brad Ritchie – music preparation
- Jeremy Isaac – orchestra leader
Musicians
edit- Richard George – violin
- Fenella Barton – violin
- Mark Berrow – violin
- Daniel Bhattacharya – violin
- Natalia Bonner – violin
- Thomas Bowes – violin
- Charlie Brown – violin
- Ben Buckton – violin
- Emil Chakalov – violin
- Ralph de Souza – violin
- Christina Emanuel – violin
- Dai Emanuel – violin
- Jonathan Evans-Jones – violin
- Nina Foster – violin
- Kathy Gowers – violin
- Raja Halder – violin
- Marianne Haynes – violin
- Philippe Honoré – violin
- Ian Humphries – violin
- Martyn Jackson – violin
- Patrick Kiernan – violin
- Bea Lovejoy – violin
- Dorina Markoff – violin
- Laura Melhuish – violin
- John Mills – violin
- Steve Morris – violin
- Everton Nelson – violin
- Odile Ollagnon – violin
- Oscar Perks – violin
- Tom Pigott-Smith – violin
- Kotono Sato – violin
- Sarah Sexton – violin
- Anna Szabo – violin
- Cathy Thompson – violin
- Clare Thompson – violin
- Michael Trainor – violin
- Matthew Ward – violin
- Debbie Widdup – violin
- Warren Zielinski – violin
- Bruce White – viola
- Laurie Anderson – viola
- Nick Barr – viola
- Catherine Bradshaw – viola
- Reiad Chibah – viola
- Sue Dench – viola
- Clive Howard – viola
- Martin Humbey – viola
- Helen Kamminga – viola
- Peter Lale – viola
- Fiona Leggat – viola
- Lydia Lowndes-Northcott – viola
- Kate Musker – viola
- Andrew Parker – viola
- Bruce White – viola
- Nick Cooper – cello
- Adrian Bradbury – cello
- Tim Gill – cello
- Sophie Harris – cello
- Paul Kegg – cello
- David Lale – cello
- Rachael Lander – cello
- Vicky Matthews – cello
- Frank Schaefer – cello
- Bozidar Vukotic – cello
- Bruce White – cello
- Tony Woollard – cello
- Mary Scully – double bass
- Steve Mair – double bass
- Paul Kimber – double bass
- Roger Linley – double bass
- Rupert Ring – double bass
- Steve Rossell – double bass
- Ben Russell – double bass
- Lucy Shaw – double bass
- Beth Symmons – double bass
- Laurence Ungless – double bass
- Dominic Worsley – double bass
- Karen Jones – flute
- David Cuthbert – flute
- Helen Keen – flute
- Eliza Marshall – flute
- Tim Rundle – oboe
- Janey Miller – oboe
- Sue Bohling – oboe
- John Anderson – oboe
- John Carnac – clarinet
- Duncan Ashby – clarinet
- Anthony Pike – clarinet
- Nicholas Rodwell – clarinet
- Gavin McNaughton – bassoon
- Emma Harding – bassoon
- Rachel Simms – bassoon
- Simon Chiswell – bassoon
- Richard Watkins – French horn
- Nigel Black – French horn
- Diego Incertis – French horn
- Corinne Bailey – French horn
- Phillippa Koush-Jalali – French horn
- Henry Ward – French horn
- Alexei Watkins – French horn
- Paul Booth – saxophone
- Sam Mayne – saxophone
- Nick Moss – saxophone
- Colin Skinner – saxophone
- Jamie Talbot – saxophone
- Philip Cobb – trumpet
- Patrick White – trumpet
- Daniel Newell – trumpet
- Christian Barraclough – trumpet
- Kate Moore – trumpet
- Gareth Small – trumpet
- Andy Wood – trombone
- Ed Tarrant – trombone
- Barry Clements – trombone
- Chris Augustine – trombone
- Jon Stokes – trombone
- Phil White – trombone
- Owen Slade – tuba, cimbasso
- Frank Ricotti – percussion
- Julian Poole – percussion
- Gary Kettel – percussion
- Chris Baron – timpani
- Simon Chamberlain – piano
- Bryn Lewis – harp
- Hugh Webb – harp
Vocalists
edit- Wendi Bergamini
- Larkin Bogan
- Ashley Brown
- Michael Cole
- Meg Doherty
- Danny Drewes
- Alyssa Fox
- Caitlyn Gallogly
- Julie Garnyé
- Troy Iwata
- Jesse JP Johnson
- Kristoffer Cusick
- Pablo David Laucerica
- Ross Lekites
- Kara Lindsay
- Michael McCorry Rose
- Desi Oakley
- Allsun O'Malley
- Marissa Rosen
- Michael Seelbach
- Shayna Steele
- Nikki Renee Daniels
- Nicholas Ward
- Derrick Williams
- Max Chambers
- Scarlett Diviney
- Austin Elle Fisher
- Annika Reese Franklin
- Jackson Hayes
- Spencer Lincoln
- Theo Lowenstein
- Skylar Bohon Oremus
- Nora Winer
- Isabella Ye
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[37] | 11 |
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Format(s) | Editions(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | November 22, 2024 | Standard | [25] | ||
| December 6, 2024 |
|
Fan edition | [38] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Keates, Emma (October 9, 2024). "Well, it doesn't look like there are any new songs on the Wicked soundtrack". The A.V. Club. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ Anderton, Joe (October 9, 2024). "Wicked movie soundtrack confirms which songs are in first movie". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ Cremona, Patrick (November 21, 2024). "Wicked movie soundtrack: All the songs featured in Part One". Radio Times. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ a b Culwell-Block, Logan. "How Sound Mixer Simon Hayes Captured the Wicked Movie's Live Singing". Playbill. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ Wells, Greg [@sirgregwells] (September 5, 2024). "Spent the last 25 months building this music day and night. The first of two Wicked movies comes out this Nov. 22 along with the first of two soundtrack albums, that I mixed and produced with the incredible Stephen Oremus and legendary composer Stephen Schwartz". Retrieved November 3, 2024 – via Instagram.
- ^ Lazarenko, Arlette (October 27, 2024). "How a Newfoundland producer helped shape the music in upcoming blockbuster Wicked". CBC News. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ a b Wicked: The Soundtrack (booklet). Wicked Movie Cast, Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande. Universal Studios, Republic Records, Verve Records. 2024.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ a b c Rys, Dan (November 22, 2024). "How the Music of 'Wicked' Came to Life, From Broadway to the Big Screen". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Scheps, Leigh (November 21, 2024). "'Wicked' Composer Stephen Schwartz Details His Journey Down The Yellow Brick Road". Grammys. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Lee, Ashley (November 25, 2024). "Inside the 'Wicked' musical number that could win Ariana Grande an Oscar". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 26, 2024.
- ^ Gutterman, Annabel (November 15, 2024). "Stephen Schwartz on Wicked's Biggest Songs". Time. Archived from the original on November 20, 2024. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
- ^ Sharf, Zack (November 26, 2024). "'Wicked' Team Considered Making 'Popular' More Hip-Hop. Ariana Grande Refused: 'Absolutely Not. I Want to Be Glinda, Not Ariana Playing Glinda'". Variety. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ Sharpe, Josh (November 7, 2024). "'Popular' Number Features Extended Ending in WICKED Movie". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on November 9, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Ellis, Maddie (November 22, 2024). "Composer Stephen Schwartz on how that electric 'Wicked' cameo came to be". Today. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Hall, Margaret (November 22, 2024). "Behind the Broadway Cameos and the New Song in the Wicked Movie". Playbill. Archived from the original on November 23, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ McCluskey, Megan (November 22, 2024). "All About That Major Surprise Cameo in the 'Wicked' Movie". Time. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Erivo, Cynthia (November 23, 2024). "Cynthia Erivo says trust with co-star Ariana Grande helped them tell story of 'Wicked'". All Things Considered (Interview). Interviewed by Scott Detrow. NPR. Archived from the original on November 24, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ Richlin, Harrison (November 10, 2024). "Cynthia Erivo Says 2023 Strikes Shutting 'Wicked' Production Down Kept Her from Shooting the 'Defying Gravity' Sequence for Six Months". IndieWire. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Linton, Siena (November 22, 2024). "Cynthia Erivo underwent 'cardiovascular conditioning' to play Elphaba in 'Wicked'". Classic FM. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Universal Music Sweden (November 22, 2024). "Wicked: The Soundtrack är ute nu!" (Press release) (in Swedish). Mynewsdesk. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ a b Daw, Stephen (November 22, 2024). "Every Song From the 'Wicked' Soundtrack, Ranked From Worst to Best". Billboard. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Wood, Alex (November 22, 2024). "Wicked movie: every musical easter egg we spotted in the film". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Aniftos, Rania (October 9, 2024). "'Wicked: The Soundtrack' Has a Release Date: Here's Where to Pre-Order". Billboard. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ Paul, Larisha (October 9, 2024). "'Wicked: The Soundtrack': Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo Perform Half of the Musical's Track List". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 20, 2024. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ a b Betancourt, Emiliana (October 9, 2024). "'Wicked: The Soundtrack' Release Date Announced; Album Includes the 11 Songs from Act One of the Musical". Variety. Retrieved October 9, 2024.
- ^ Sharpe, Josh (November 22, 2024). "WICKED Movie Soundtrack Available Now". BroadwayWorld. Archived from the original on November 22, 2024. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Lassner, Erin (October 18, 2024). "The 'Wicked' Movie Soundtrack Is Available for Pre-Order — Here's How to Snag the Limited-Edition Vinyl, CD and Fold-Out Poster". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ Sharpe, Josh (October 22, 2024). "Elphaba and Glinda Vinyl Editions for WICKED Soundtrack Now Available for Pre-Order". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
- ^ Sharpe, Josh (November 11, 2024). "U.S. Music Stores to Host Official WICKED Movie Soundtrack Listening Parties". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ Bad, I.B. (November 21, 2024). "Witching Hour". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Fields, Taylor (November 22, 2024). "Ariana Grande's 'Popular' Gets Nationwide Radio Debut". iHeartRadio. Retrieved November 22, 2024.
- ^ Cantor, Brian (November 23, 2024). ""Wicked" Songs "Popular" and "Defying Gravity," Rosé's "Number One Girl" Make Top 100 On US Spotify". iHeartRadio. Retrieved November 23, 2024.
- ^ @amazonmusic (November 25, 2024). "the amount of times we listened to this soundtrack = unliiiiimited 🩷💚" (Tweet). Retrieved November 25, 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Masunaga, Samantha (November 25, 2024). "Will 'Wicked' box-office success rejuvenate the tricky business of Broadway adaptations?". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ Collins, Nicole (November 22, 2024). "Father John Misty produces an epic masterpiece – plus the week's best albums". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved November 25, 2024.
- ^ Willman, Chris (November 23, 2024). "'Wicked: The Soundtrack' Album Review: Stephen Schwartz's World-Beating Song Score Gets Its Due, and So Do the Divas Who Deliver It". Variety. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
- ^ "Oricon Top 50 Digital Albums: December 2, 2024" (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved November 27, 2024.
- ^ Sharpe, Josh (October 30, 2024). "New WICKED Soundtrack Fan Editions Available for Pre-Order". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
