The Princess and the Frog (soundtrack)

The Princess and the Frog (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack of the 2009 Disney animated film The Princess and the Frog. It was released by Walt Disney Records on November 23, 2009, just a day before the limited release of the film in New York City and Los Angeles. It contains ten original songs and seven score pieces, all but one of which were composed, arranged and conducted by composer Randy Newman, who previously worked with the film's executive producer John Lasseter on Pixar's films Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Toy Story 2, Monsters, Inc. and Cars. "Never Knew I Needed" was written and performed by Ne-Yo. The song had an accompanying music video which featured rotation on Disney Channel. The song was also sent to rhythmic radio on October 27, 2009. The songs are performed by various artists most of which lend their voices to characters in the film. The score features African-American-influenced styles including jazz, zydeco, blues and gospel.

"Almost There" and "Down in New Orleans" were both nominated in the Best Original Song category at the 82nd Academy Awards; they lost to "The Weary Kind". "Down in New Orleans" was also nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media at the 53rd Grammy Awards.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Randy Newman, except track 1 which is written by Ne-Yo

The Princess and the Frog (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
No.	Title	Performer	Length
1.	"Never Knew I Needed"	Ne-Yo	3:38
2.	"Down in New Orleans (Prologue)"	Anika Noni Rose	0:28
3.	"Down in New Orleans"	Dr. John	2:27
4.	"Almost There"	Anika Noni Rose	2:24
5.	"Friends on the Other Side"	Keith David	3:35
6.	"When We're Human"	Michael-Leon Wooley, Bruno Campos and Anika Noni Rose featuring Terence Blanchard	2:22
7.	"Gonna Take You There"	Jim Cummings featuring Terrance Simien on Accordion	1:46
8.	"Ma Belle Evangeline"	Jim Cummings featuring Terence Blanchard	1:56
9.	"Dig a Little Deeper"	Jenifer Lewis featuring the Pinnacle Gospel Choir and Anika Noni Rose	2:48
10.	"Down in New Orleans (Finale)"	Anika Noni Rose	1:38
11.	"Fairy Tale/Going Home" (score)	Randy Newman	4:17
12.	"I Know this Story" (score)	Randy Newman	5:27
13.	"The Frog Hunters/Gator Down" (score)	Randy Newman	6:04
14.	"Tiana's Bad Dream" (score)	Randy Newman	6:22
15.	"Ray Laid Low" (score; with a reprise of "Almost There")	Randy Newman; cameo appearance by Anika Noni Rose	3:22
16.	"Ray/Mama Odie" (score)	Randy Newman	4:01
17.	"This is Gonna Be Good" (score)	Randy Newman	3:20

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Filmtracks

Matthew Wilkinson of Screen Rant stated that Princess and the Frog is among Disney's finest princess films and found its soundtrack to be outstanding. Wilkinson considered the film’s portrayal of New Orleans culture through its vibrant jazz music, varied songs, and depiction of Mardi Gras to be particularly effective. Grace Magee of Comic Book Resources described The Princess and the Frog as an underrated Disney film, emphasizing that while its visuals can be unsettling, the music is a highlight. Magee noted that the soundtrack includes a significant villain song, "Friends on the Other Side," which serves as a pivotal moment in the film, and praised "Almost There" for its truly beautiful vocals.

Matt Watkins of MovieWeb said that Newman's soundtrack is filled with jazzy musical numbers and skillfully integrates various genres to capture the vibrant cultural backdrop of New Orleans. Watkins particularly praised the lively and empowering "Almost There" performed by Anika Noni Rose. Alexis Petridis of The Guardian asserted that Newman's soundtrack for features a series of excellent pastiches of New Orleans music, including R&B and zydeco, and found its greatest moment to be a tribute to voodoo.

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart performance for **The Princess and the Frog (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)**
Chart (2009)	Peak position
UK Compilation Albums (OCC)	63
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)	12
US Billboard 200	80
US Kid Albums (Billboard)	10
US Top Soundtracks (Billboard)	7

Chart performance for **The Princess and the Frog (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)**
Chart (2023)	Peak position
UK Soundtrack Albums (OCC)	28

References

"Disney's The Princess and the Frog soundtrack". Starpulse. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
FMQB
"The Princess and the Frog Soundtrack". Walt Disney Records. Archived from the original on December 13, 2009. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
Morris, Christopher (December 1, 2010). "53rd Annual Grammy nominees". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2010.
"The Princess and the Frog (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) by Various Artists". iTunes.
Allmusic review
"Filmtracks: The Princess and the Frog (Randy Newman)". filmtracks.com.
Wilkinson, Matthew (February 27, 2021). "Every Song From Disney's Princess And The Frog, Ranked". Screen Rant. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
Magee, Grace (May 7, 2022). "The Best Song From Each Disney Princess Film, Ranked". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
Watkins, Matt (February 14, 2024). "10 Best Randy Newman Movie Soundtracks, Ranked". MovieWeb. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
Petridis, Alexis (July 18, 2019). "The 30 greatest Disney songs – ranked!". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
"Official Compilations Chart on 21/2/2010". Official Charts Company. February 21, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
"Official Soundtrack Albums Chart on 21/2/2010". Official Charts Company. February 21, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
"Billboard 200: Week of January 16, 2010". Billboard. January 16, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
"Kid Albums: Week of January 2, 2010". Billboard. January 2, 2010. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
devops (January 2, 2010). "Soundtracks: Week of January 2, 2010". Billboard. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
"Official Soundtrack Albums Chart on 25/8/2023". Official Charts Company. August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2024.

External links

Disney Records website

v t e Randy Newman
Studio albums	Randy Newman 12 Songs Sail Away Good Old Boys Little Criminals Born Again Trouble in Paradise Land of Dreams Bad Love Harps and Angels Dark Matter
Live albums	Randy Newman Live
Compilations	Lonely at the Top: The Best of Randy Newman Guilty: 30 Years of Randy Newman The Best of Randy Newman The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 1 The Randy Newman Songbook Vol. 2
Musicals	Randy Newman's Faust
Soundtracks	Avalon Toy Story James and the Giant Peach A Bug's Life Toy Story 2 Meet the Parents Monsters, Inc. Cars The Princess and the Frog Toy Story 3 Monsters University Cars 3 Toy Story 4 Marriage Story
Songs	"Mama Told Me Not to Come" "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" "Sail Away" "He Gives Us All His Love" "Simon Smith and the Amazing Dancing Bear" "Political Science" "You Can Leave Your Hat On" "Louisiana 1927" "Rednecks" "Short People" "I Love L.A." "You've Got a Friend in Me" "When She Loved Me" "If I Didn't Have You" "It's a Jungle Out There" "Our Town" "When We're Human" "Friends on the Other Side" "Down in New Orleans" "Almost There" "We Belong Together" "The Ballad of the Lonesome Cowboy"
Related	Discography Accolades Nilsson Sings Newman Alfred Newman David Newman Emil Newman Joey Newman Lionel Newman Thomas Newman

v t e The Princess and the Frog
Soundtrack	"Never Knew I Needed" "Down in New Orleans" "Almost There" "Friends on the Other Side" "When We're Human"
Other	Tiana Tiana's Bayou Adventure
Related Video games	Kinect: Disneyland Adventures Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure Disney Princess: Enchanting Storybooks Disney Magic Kingdoms Disney Mirrorverse Disney Dreamlight Valley
Related	Disney Princess Once Upon a Time (season 7) "Greenbacks" "A Taste of the Heights" Ralph Breaks the Internet Descendants Descendants 3 Almost There: A Twisted Tale Lego Disney Princess: The Castle Quest Once Upon a Studio

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