Disney's Encanto!

[Daniel]

Lin-Manuel Miranda wasn't a songwriter for Mary Poppins Returns.

[Ben]

[EricJ]

(checks IMDB)
...Huh. Well, that explains a lot. Looks like Honest Trailers got that one wrong, then.

Hint, Disney: Hook up the gravy train to Marc Shaiman.

[Farerb]

Why would they?
Yes, there are people who don't like Moana's or Encanto's songs and yet they were proven to be more successful than the songs in Mary Poppins Returns.

[James]

I thought he did the songs for MPR too!

[EricJ]

I thought Lin does EVERY danged thing in every project he attaches himself to!

Why would they?
Yes, there are people who don't like Moana's or Encanto's songs and yet they were proven to be more successful than the songs in Mary Poppins Returns.

Well, just because Mary Poppins Returns happened to stink, that wasn't the songs' fault!
In case you were following the last page's discussion, we were talking about who had the better actual conceptual idea of how to write a coherent musical where the songs don't have goofy desperate rhymes or waste your plot time for six minutes.

And if you're about to say "B-but Hamilton!", the prosecution rests.

[Bill1978]

I cannot believe that this is the place where I would find my 'Miranda is not the musical messiah everyone claims he is' group. And with the exact reasons why I don't enjoy his talents as much as the majority. Most of the songs from Encanto and Moana fail my musical test. If you remove the song and you can still follow the story then the song is essentially filler. Every musical is entitled to one or two of these to be fair but a good musical will still have visuals attached to the song that progresses the plot. Most of Encanto's song and Moana's song fail my basic test. As do many of the songs from the 2 Frozen movies.

But having said that, he is capable of writing the occassional earworm.

[Ben]

Mary. Poppins. Returns. Does. Not. "Stink".

That there be banning talk…

[Farerb]

Well, just because Mary Poppins Returns happened to stink, that wasn't the songs' fault!
In case you were following the last page's discussion, we were talking about who had the better actual conceptual idea of how to write a coherent musical where the songs don't have goofy desperate rhymes or waste your plot time for six minutes.

And if you're about to say "B-but Hamilton!", the prosecution rests.

Don't care about Hamilton.
I was talking specifically about the soundtracks success, not the movies. Example: Bruno being the #1 song at the top of the charts for many weeks, topping previous Disney songs like A Whole New World, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Color of the Winds and Let it Go.

Personally I don't care about Encanto's song, but I do acknowledge that they are successful while MMR's songs were never on MOST people's radar. You liked them? Great, but you're in a minority, and what Disney is looking for is a success, so why would they replace the songwriter who gave them successful songs for others who didn't? They don't care what Eric and Eric alone thinks.

[Bill1978]

Don't care about Hamilton.
I was talking specifically about the soundtracks success, not the movies. Example: Bruno being the #1 song at the top of the charts for many weeks, topping previous Disney songs like A Whole New World, Can You Feel the Love Tonight, Color of the Winds and Let it Go.

As a follower of music charts I hesitate to compare today's chart with yesteryear charts due to the way they are compiled and data collected. Streaming has totally changed the way charts appear. Remember in the 90s the record companies controlled were were deemed chart songs so something like Hakuna Matata couldn't chart win most countries. But I imagine if streaming existed when The Lion King was released, it may have been a major force on the charts. Also don't forget Bruno did nothing until it had the home release, so technically it wasn't an out of the gate success like Let It Go was.

A Whole New World got to #1 like Bruno did AND it has a bunch of Grammys to go with it, something Bruno hasn't got at the moment. And the state of the albums chart at the moment is quite dire so it is also hard to compare chart successes fairly. But a #1 is a number one in anyone's book and is great for promotional purposes.

I don't think Miranda is going anywhere soon with Disney or even film music. Not until he gets that little golden man on his shelf at least. The songs from Encanto are ok, but it's really the presentation that let's them down as great memorable musical moments. The main issue I have with the songs is that the characters are aware they are singing or at least can hear other characters singing. When in a good musical score the singing is natural and no one notices that people are singing and dancing - unless its part of the plot. Hoenstly, they should have made Mirabel's power the ability to hear people's inner thoughts as song - like in Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist - and the songs would have been much more conducive to the movie's plot.

[Ben]

Well as far as Miranda and Disney goes, we all have his tinkered-with Little Mermaid to come, natch. At least he has Menken on hand to reign him in, for what that's worth, though I dread whatever they’re going to do with Sebastian. I hope Rob Marshall doesn’t let me down!

[Farerb]

Bill1978, I agree with you about Encanto. To me the movie feels like music videos made by TikTok users with a thin plot to loosely connect them together.

Personally if Miranda really wants to work with Disney then I prefer that he worked with a good composer like Menken or Opetaia Foa'i (whose contribution to Moana is diminished for some reason). I don't care for his usual style as can be seen in Encanto, Vivo or In the Heights. I don't believe in worshipping the guy and I do think he's a bit overrated, but I don't believe in hating him only because he does what he loves to do.

[James]

Mary. Poppins. Returns. Does. Not. "Stink".

That there be banning talk…

I’m not sure our forum software will let you ban a moderator.

[Ben]

S'okay, Big W…he's not a mod!

[EricJ]

Er, I THINK he means the heresy is a little more widespread.