I hope you're happy.
Wicked is now in theaters! I absolutely adored this film and cannot wait to see it again. One of the best things about the musical is, of course, the songs, and the movie does a fantastic job of adapting all of these iconic numbers into cinematic form. This was honestly a really difficult ranking, because Wicked honestly has, like, seven or eight stunning musical numbers. But I did do it, and I was very happy to rave about all of these amazing songs. So here is my ranking of all the musical numbers from Wicked (the movie; these are not my opinions of the songs from the show).
11. Dear Old Shiz
This barely counts as a musical number for the film, because this is essentially just Shiz's alma mater. It plays over Galinda's arrival, which is fun, because we get our first glimpses at the glorious set design of Shiz University, but it's really forgettable. If I wasn't a fan of the musical, I probably wouldn't even include this on the list, because it's so short and basically unnoticeable.
10. A Sentimental Man
A Sentimental Man is, like Dear Old Shiz, very short, but this has a little bit more going for it. First of all, it sets up an important plot beat involving the Wizard that will be paid off in part two (I'm not spoiling for those who don't know the story of the musical or book). Second of all, Jeff Goldblum is very fun and charming in this song and this entire scene. As a song, it isn't anything special, but I enjoyed Goldblum's performance and it serves an important role in the story.
9. Something Bad
Something Bad is really the only other song from Wicked that isn't iconic in its own right, and the film did a good job of making it memorable. Peter Dinklage is a fantastic actor, but he doesn't necessarily have the strongest voice, so the song itself is pretty mediocre. What makes it stand out is the accompanying visuals and foreboding, disturbing nature of it. Doctor Dillamond is such a tragic and sad character within the story, and we hear him voice his fears in this song while giving us an Oz-ian version of shadow puppets that show us the images he is talking about. I thought it was a cool way to elevate one of the musical's weaker numbers.
8. I'm Not That Girl
I don't personally love I'm Not That Girl, but Cynthia Erivo is such a good singer that I enjoyed it in this film. This was one of her strongest scenes. We see Elphaba start to catch feelings for Fiyero, all the while knowing that he will never return those feelings (or so she thinks). The positives here are really all due to Erivo. I don't think the song itself is that great, and it's meant to be a slower, more reflective ballad, so there's not really any accompanying dance numbers or anything, but Erivo makes it good.
7. What Is This Feeling?
There is a massive jump from I'm Not That Girl to What Is This Feeling?. From here on out, we are talking about the iconic numbers from the show. What Is This Feeling? was done beautifully. Jon M. Chu really put the work in to make this number feel vibrant and fun. The lighting was fantastic, the use of split screen was really great, and the dancing at the end of the song was awesome. This was also, of course, the first time that Erivo and Grande sing together, and that will always just elevate a song. I loved it...but Wicked has a lot of great frickin' songs.
6. One Short Day
One Short Day was probably the number that felt most improved from the show. I think it's a good song, but the movie added so many amazing things to it that just make it pop even more. The Emerald City is truly a sight to behold, and Chu shows as much of it as possible throughout this song. Everyone seemed to be having tons of fun during this number, which is just infectious and makes the audience feel excited and happy too. And, as a lifelong Wicked fan, there is a truly amazing moment during this song that had me
5. Dancing Through Life
This, along with One Short Day, is the song they changed most for the film adaptation. The entire Dancing Through Life sequence is probably about fifteen minutes, and it is breath-taking. It stars off in the library pictured above, which was a fun change from the musical that allowed for some really cool dancing. We then move to the Ozdust Ballroom, where some of the best choreography in the film comes out. This song is an absolute blast, but what really elevates it is its importance in the story. This is when Elphaba and Galinda become friends. That moment is executed to absolute perfection, with both Erivo and Grande boasting some of their strongest acting. I also want to give Jonathan Bailey his flowers here too. He is great as Fiyero throughout, but he steals the show in Dancing Through Life. This song is amazing and the accompanying sequence is too. And it's number five. That should show you how good this movie is.
4. No One Mourns the Wicked
As soon as the opening notes of the overture hit, I knew this film was something special. That was confirmed when No One Mourns the Wicked was just as amazing as I expected it to be. The introductory song to Wicked has everything; a great performance by Ariana Grande along with breath-taking sets and electric choreography. The flashback to Elphaba's birth is also done fabulously and just immediately gives you an idea of the scope and size of Wicked. What an introduction to this version of Oz. So, so great.
3. Popular
Galinda's most popular number is given proper treatment here. I actually think Popular was probably the weakest stage-to-screen version of a song...but it was still obviously fabulous. The one thing that holds it back from probably being the number two spot is how often they take breaks between Grande's singing. That said, this number is just so much fun. Ariana Grande flexes all of her comedic muscles as well as her sensational vocals here. The colors and energy just bring this song to life. It was so much fun. That's the word that keeps coming to mind: fun.
2. The Wizard and I
The Wizard and I has always been a great song. The lyrics are absolute genius. We see Elphaba in a hopeful place for the first time, and it is so devastating when you know where this story goes. This version of the song is something else, though. The first time you hear Cynthia Erivo sing is just jaw-dropping. The song builds and builds to its epic climax where you will get chills with how fantastic her voice is. My audience cheered when this song was over. I love the song in the musical because it's a great song, but Erivo brings it up a level all by herself. She is owed so much credit for making this one of the highlight sequences of the film.
1. Defying Gravity
There was never a question what would be number one. Defying Gravity is one of Broadway's most beloved songs, and Jon M. Chu, Cynthia Erivo, and Ariana Grande brought us an absolutely stunning film version. How can you top the magic of Elphaba's flight on stage? I don't know, but they absolutely did it. This number feels climactic in every sense of the word. It is the turning point in the story while also being this huge turn in Elphaba's character, and all of that is felt through the absolute musical powerhouse that this song is. Chu makes this song feel all kinds of massive and even adds some moments that make it more powerful. This was the exclamation point on Wicked. The entire film, I was thinking to myself "This is incredible, but it all comes down to Defying Gravity." And they absolutely knocked it out of the park. I was shaking with excitement as this was happening in the theater. It is one of the most cinematic, epic, awesome moments I have seen since the portals sequence in Endgame. I am so happy that they pulled this off. It was so, so incredible. And I cannot wait for the second part.
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