The Second Act and Closure: Wicked, For Good - The Soundtrack

WICKED: FOR GOOD - THE SOUNDTRACK

SCORE: 85/100 - 8.5

Good and evil possess a fine line, but the story of 'Wicked' portrays it in an unexpected and introspective way that is sure to enchant.

'Wicked: For Good' managed to completely snatch my breath away with my mother on opening night - the theatre was nearly empty as it always is in my city, but the energy of the movie was entirely captivating. It was one of the best nights I have had in a while with a movie I had been waiting for not-so-patiently for an entire year; and god was it worth the wait. 

There are countless moments within this soundtrack that still give me goosebumps, from the recapping on 'Every Day More Wicked' to the deeply cinematic sounds of the ballads and captures of the movie, this is a musical done right. The adaptation of the source material while still managing to add unique flair and new content wrapped up the character's stories exceptionally well, and the plot twists within the movie made it one of the most exhilarating movie experiences I have had. 

On the rare occurrence of a soundtrack being worth listening to outside of a movie's context, the soundtrack ends up being one of the best aspects of the film; and this remains the case with both parts of 'Wicked', with For Good being particularly dark, intense, and highly captivating. Everything comes together within the songs, and the narrative and pace are both clear through just the soundtrack alone. The storytelling aspect that every musical must have is done to an exceptional degree within the 'Wicked' universe, and it manages to take a notoriously choppy second act into new horizons with new content and a freshened approach.

The energy of each character comes off in each song, and their stories are told in every note. The unique writing and melodies that suit each character lead each song to feel like summaries of each character and their personal stories, and Glinda's character development in particular showcases a much more real and raw side of her that was not touched upon in the first film. There is a fire sparked inside of Elpheba, and her nature is shown on the album through intense narration that showcases her battle for what is right and her fight against propaganda that is laid out by the Wizard and Madame Morrible. 

It's a movie that made us both laugh and cry all at once, but the music wasn't as strong as the first film, with some weak vocal performances from other cast members (excluding Cynthia Erivo and in most cases, Ariana Grande) and songs that aren't as catchy - but tracks like 'I Couldn't Be Happier', 'No Good Deed' and 'The Girl in the Bubble' make this soundtrack a showstopping continuation that will carry on the delightful atmosphere of the movie even after viewing it.