Songs like Popular and Defying Gravity have become cultural sensations, with fans now getting to see them in a whole new light in Jon M Chu's acclaimed adaptation. The director has revealed, however, that it was Defying Gravity that was the song that "evolved the most".
Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, Chu revealed: "We saved that to the very last thing because that had the biggest pressure and it's hard when Defying Gravity – as written – was meant to be the end of an act, not the end of a movie, and we knew that that wasn't quite emotionally enough.
"So we had to do some back plumbing to make sure that whatever we watched in this movie, we were rooting for that last moment, that it was emotionally satisfying. Not just saying, 'Screw you, wizard. I'm coming back.' It was more of like, 'What does that do for Elphaba? What's that hole that she needs to heal for herself and not wait for the wizard to fix it that she could do?'
"So, that was deconstructing how Defying Gravity plays out, giving a little more room in certain spaces. And that's scary when you're breaking up such a classic, iconic song. And yet, we knew it was necessary."
But not all of the fan-favourite original songs from the musical feature in Wicked Part One, due to the fact that the film has been split into two parts, the second of which is due to arrive in cinemas a year from now.
So, which songs do feature in Part One? And is there any new music? Read on for everything you need to know about the Wicked movie soundtrack.
Wicked movie soundtrack: All the songs featured in Part One
The following songs are all featured in the movie – many of which have been extended from the versions which appear in the hit stage musical.
All tracks are written by Stephen Schwartz
- No One Mourns the Wicked performed by Ariana Grande (featuring Andy Nyman, Courtney-Mae Briggs, Jeff Goldblum, Sharon D Clarke and Jenna Boyd)
- Dear Old Shiz performed by Shiz University Choir (featuring Ariana Grande)
- The Wizard and I performed by Cynthia Erivo (featuring Michelle Yeoh)
- What Is This Feeling? performed by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo
- Something Bad performed by Peter Dinklage featuring (Cynthia Erivo)
- Dancing Through Life performed by Jonathan Bailey featuring Ariana Grande, Ethan Slater, Marissa Bode and Cynthia Erivo
- Popular performed by Ariana Grande
- I'm Not That Girl performed by Cynthia Erivo
- One Short Day performed by Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Kristin Chenoweth and Idina Menzel (featuring Michael McCorry Rose)
- A Sentimental Man performed by Jeff Goldblum
- Defying Gravity performed by Cynthia Erivo (featuring Ariana Grande)
Are there any new songs in the Wicked movie?
No. Although composer Stephen Schwartz has promised that there will be new songs over the two-part release, none of those new additions are included in Part One.
That said, that doesn't mean there isn't anything new for fans of the musical to enjoy – far from it.
While all the songs heard in the film will be extremely familiar to diehards, several of them have been altered and extended – with the bumper version of the musical's most beloved track Defying Gravity standing at 14 minutes.
So, you're certainly getting bang for your buck.
Movie director Jon M Chu chatted exclusively to RadioTimes.com and explained a bit more about what went into the decision-making process around Defying Gravity in order to convey Elphaba's personal journey.
Chu explained: "If we followed the emotional track of Elphaba, we needed her to not just fly right away. We needed to plant that she could fly earlier in the movie and then we needed the moment where she actually has to have a reason why, for herself, not just out of anger and spite to do it – but for her own, to save herself, to save that little girl that she used to be and maybe other girls in the future.
"So when she says, 'It's me' and she's flying up ... it's not just her saying that, it's us as the audience, saying, 'Yes, it's you, you can do this.' So that was the scariest thing.”
Back in 2023, Schwartz had exclusively told RadioTimes.com that it had been a "privilege" to write new songs for the film's two leads.
"We weren't really able to get the whole story into one movie without it being far too long," he said of the decision to split the story into two parts.
"[But] it did leave some room for exploration that has led to a couple of new songs, and it's just been a privilege to be able to write with the voices of Cynthia and Ariana in mind."
We look forward to hearing those songs when Wicked: Part Two arrives next year!
What songs will be in Wicked: Part Two?
While we don't know the titles of any of the promised new songs, in terms of the tracks from the original musical, we can expect the following to all appear in Part Two when it's released in 2025 – perhaps also in extended versions.
All tracks are written by Stephen Schwartz
- Thank Goodness
- The Wicked Witch of the East
- Wonderful
- I’m Not That Girl (reprise)
- As Long as You’re Mine
- No Good Deed
- March Of The Witch Hunters
- For Good
- Finale
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Wicked: Part One is now available to watch in cinemas.
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