Ever since it was announced that the Wicked musical adaptation would be released in two parts, fans spent time trying to figure out where the first installment would end. Many believed it would be after the conclusion of “Defying Gravity,” which is how Act 1 of the hit Broadway musical concludes. Others thought that the film might take a more shocking approach and leave things at a much more random point.
Now, with the first installment of Wicked hitting theaters on November 22, we finally have our answer.
Soundtrack tracklist: Which songs are in ‘Wicked’ part 1?
Spoiler alert: We now know that part 1 will start with “No One Mourns the Wicked” and end with “Defying Gravity,” just like Act 1 of the musical. But what you may not know is the backstory for why that is.
“We found it very difficult to get past ‘Defying Gravity’ without a break.” songwriter Stephen Schwartz said in his newsletter, The Schwartz Scene. “That song is written specifically to bring a curtain down, and whatever scene to follow it without a break just seemed hugely anti-climactic. So, for these two reasons, plus the excitement of doing something that’s never been done before with a musical, we have decided to do two movies.”
You can view the entire Wicked: Part 1 tracklist below!
- “No One Mourns the Wicked” sung by Ariana Grande, Andy Nyman, Courtney Mae-Briggs, Jeff Goldblum, Sharon D. Clarke and Jenna Boyd.
- “Dear Old Shiz” sung by Shiz University Choir and Ariana Grande.
- “The Wizard And I” sung by Cynthia Erivo and Michelle Yeoh.
- “What Is This Feeling?” sung by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
- “Something Bad” sung by Cynthia Erivo and Peter Dinklage.
- “Dancing Through Life” sung by Jonathan Bailey, Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Ethan Slater and Marissa Bode.
- “Popular” sung by Ariana Grande.
- “I’m Not That Girl” sung by Cynthia Erivo.
- “One Short Day” sung by Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
- “A Sentimental Man” sung by Jeff Goldblum.
- “Defying Gravity” sung by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
The soundtrack—released by Republic Records—is expected to be available on all streaming platforms on November 22. CD and vinyl versions will also be available for purchase wherever these musical formats are sold.
Which song are you most excited to hear in part 1 of the ‘Wicked’ movie?
What new songs have been added to the ‘Wicked’ movie
Another thing Wicked fans have been trying to figure out is if songs are going to be added to the film.
Back in 2016, Schwartz did say, “I can tell you that at least as of now, there will be probably four new songs in the movie.”
It is believed that three of them were in the original Broadway script, and one has been added in. However, since all of the songs in part 1 of the Wicked film are from the stage show, we know that the new songs won’t make an appearance until the second installment.
“As we prepared the production over the last year, it became impossible to wrestle the story of Wicked into a single film without doing some real damage to it,” director Jon M. Chu said of the decision to split the adaptation into two parts. “As we tried to cut songs or trim characters, those decisions began to feel like fatal compromises to the source material that has entertained us all for so many years.”
“We decided to give ourselves a bigger canvas and make not just one Wicked movie but two! With more space, we can tell the story of Wicked as it was meant to be told while bringing even more depth and surprise to the journeys for these beloved characters.”
The first part of Wicked will hit theaters nationwide tomorrow, Friday, November 22, and the second part will be released in 2025.
