Arriving in theaters 30 years after the 1994
Disney
animated classic and five years after the 2019 "photorealistically animated" version of the same story, Mufasa: The Lion King is a prequel and sequel to the 2019 film. Whereas the 2019 movie mostly rehashed songs from the 1994 musical alongside two new ones (including "Spirit" by
Beyoncé
),
Mufasa
includes seven original songs in all by franchise newcomer
Lin-Manuel Miranda
, warranting a 16-minute songs-only soundtrack release. (A separate score recording with material by
Dave Metzger
,
Nicholas Britell
, and
Lebo M.
was also issued, as was a deluxe soundtrack that combined the songs, score, and instrumental versions of the songs.) Notably featuring contributions from the
South African Cultural Gospel Choir
-- who sing in English, Swahili, and Zulu here -- the new tunes are highlighted by "We Go Together," an uplifting group number delivered by
Aaron Pierre
(Mufasa),
Kelvin Harrison, Jr.
(Taka), and
Tiffany Boone
(Sarabi), among others. Elsewhere,
Anika Noni Rose
(as Afia) and
Keith David
(Masego) duet on the ballad "Milele," and
Braelyn Rankins
(Cub Mufasa) and
Theo Somolu
(Cub Taka) contribute to "I Always Wanted a Brother." Despite the soundtrack's short length and lack of
-level star power,
Mufasa: The Lion King
's music was a moderate hit, cracking the Billboard 200 and the Top Ten of the Billboard Top Soundtracks chart. ~ Marcy Donelson