'The Greatest Showman' Soundtrack Review

The Greatest Showman hit the theaters December 8, 2017. Since then, it has not done anything but receive amazing buzz about the movie, the acting, the singing, and the music. I saw the movie awhile back, and I have listened to the soundtrack on repeat more than once. Each song is different than the last and each song has a different story from the real world incorporated into the movie as well. Songs from this album have reached the charts with famous song writes who helped along the way. The Greatest Showman is about PT Barnum and how he started the original circus would eventually lead to the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus. This movie focuses on the original story of PT Barnum. Here is my review on The Greatest Showman Soundtrack along with a synopsis on the movie as I tell the story of each song.

1. The Greatest Show

To start the movie off, we see Hugh Jackman in what looks like a Circus tent and spotlights, so we only a shadow of PT Barnum. This song embodies what is in store for the rest of the movie, and you would expect this song to be one that wraps up the movie but threw us through a loop with putting it at the beginning and starting the movie with a smile.

2. A Million Dreams

PT Barnum was a poor boy who found the love of his life because his father was a tailor to a rich family. "A Million Dreams" is a song young PT sings to the girl of his dreams about the life they are going to live together one day. The plans and the dreams he has, to create a world for him and his family. This is one of my favorite songs on the soundtrack because it’s a progressing song and a transition into adulthood for PT and his wife Charity.

3. A Million Dreams (Reprise)

PT and Charity’s lives do not play out as planned and they end up being very poor and PT loses his jobs. His two daughters finish the song off after a break and sing the reprise to their father to keep his head up.

4. Come Alive

PT has a brilliant plan to create a show with people who are outcasts, and this song takes you through the auditions and all the people who come forward to share their insecurities and make them something spectacular and into an amazing showcase. This song introduces us to all of the other characters that become important in the rest of the movie.

5. The Other Side

Zac Efron plays a playwright who is falling off the edge of the world with alcoholism and is extremely rich. PT wants Phillip (Zac Efron) to help create a show and help fund the circus. The two go back and forth trying to create a deal to agree upon.

6. Never Enough

PT finds an Opera singer and wants to make her famous. This is the song she sings when it is her first time on the stage in the United States. The song starts to set up another part of the story, and embodies how no matter how hard we try or what we do for people, it might never be enough. Phillip (Zac Efron) is falling in love with a character from the circus (Zendaya). But, they cannot be together because in this time period, interracial couples were frowned upon. Phillip must start deciding from this point on what route he wants to take in life with Anne.

7. This Is Me

After the success of Jenny’s Opera debut, PT forgets about his friends and family in the circus. The rest of the circus notices this and takes it to heart. They have lived their lives being different and rejected and do not want to take anymore. A chart-topping song about standing up to the challenges that life brings, "This is Me" takes the crown for one of the greatest songs to be written in a musical. I have seen numerous musicals, but this song left the audience crying in the theater with half a movie to go. Powerful lyrics and meanings behind the world today not accepting everyone for who they are, I listen to this song at least three times a day.

8. Rewrite the Stars

Phillip and Anne start to realize that if they want to live a life together, they must fight the social aspects of an interracial relationship. The couple starts dancing with in the trapeze and flying around the circus ring, singing to each other about the possibilities of just being together and breaking the stereotypes. Anne knows that they can’t be together because she thinks that the society can only tell them if they can be together or not. This duet is shows Zac and Zendaya’s voices off beautifully and will be stuck in your head all day.

9. Tightrope

Charity starts to miss PT as he travels the world with Jenny as she sings Opera. Singing and dancing about the life she misses, just the two of them and their daughters, trying to conquer the world and enjoy life as it brings challenges. But, always having each other to lean on and know that everything is going to be okay. Throughout the song, she starts to realize that their marriage and family might be starting to fall apart.

10. Never Enough (Reprise)

PT and Jenny get closer, and PT realizes that he needs to go home to his family and friends where they belong, and Jenny is heartbroken, so the reprise is her last song on tour and she quits the entire thing.

11. From Now On

As the last song in the movie, the song brings the movie to a full circle. After the circus gets burned down, and PT has lost everything, he starts to realize who is family is. The rest of the circus tries to cheer him up and the song progress the start of the rebuilding of the circus and his life, starting to see what really matters in life and remembering why he started the circus in the beginning. When I saw this movie, this song left the biggest grin on my face.

The Greatest Showman is one of my all time favorite movies. It teaches so many lessons to take away. The songs and lyrics in the movie put the cherry on top. It will surprise me if this soundtrack doesn’t win a copious number of awards. Everyone’s voices mesh well together and each song is different than the last. The emotions and instrumental backgrounds are what make the songs so different. If you have not listened to the soundtrack yet or seen the movie, I highly suggest it and can tell you that you are missing out on so much!

If you have any other suggestions for me, let me know! Hope you enjoyed some or all these songs. Make sure to support your local music scene ALWAYS and let the world know your favorite music. Let me know what music you want me to review next!

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