The Tangled franchise had Alan Menken at the helm, and as usual, awesome ensued.
The Movie
- "Mother Knows Best"
is an amazing villain song for Gothel. It perfectly emphasizes the kind of character she is, acting nice to Rapunzel by seeming to warn her about the supposed dangers of the outside world, while in reality just manipulating her. - "I've Got A Dream" is a really catchy song and a great way to show off the pub thugs as characters who act tough and evil but in reality are just regular people with dreams of their own.
- "I See the Light" is probably the most popular song of the movie and it's easy to see why. It's extremely heartwarming, showing the bond that has now grown between Rapunzel and Flynn, and the lyrics are amazing with the voice actors doing an amazing job.
- "Kingdom Dance" is a standout number in the score, played over the largely dialogue-devoid scene of Rapunzel exploring the castle town of Corona with Flynn, Maximus, and Pascal. It has the infectious, celebratory tone of a Renaissance Faire in high gear, building up to a jubilant climax that plays over a group dance in the town plaza.
- "Something That I Want" by Grace Potter is one of the all-time great credits songs for a Disney movie. Plus, it's accompanied by the beautiful and whimsical artwork of Shiyoon Kim that perfectly captures the film's mood and characters.
Tangled Before Ever After
- "The Wind in My Hair" would later become the theme song of the series and it makes sense why. The theme song is perfect for what the series is about: Rapunzel wanting to explore the world and discovering new things adventure and fun. The song is also extremely well made in general with great acting and catchy lyrics.
Tangled: The Series
Season 1
- "Ready As I'll Ever Be" is probably the best in Season 1. It shows everyone getting ready for the final battle, from the perspective of each character. It shows the army getting ready for their distraction, Rapunzel and King Frederic getting ready for their sneak attack, and Varian wanting nothing more than to free his father. The lyrics are super good and fit together like butter, and the song fits in at the perfect time and shows some great character moments like the captain learning to trust Cassandra with leading the guard.
- The end credits theme, "More of Me", is performed by Natasha Bedingfield (she of "Unwritten" fame). and it truly brings to the fore Rapunzel's determination to make the most of her new freedom.
Season 2
- "Waiting in the Wings" is a critical moment in Cassandra's character development, especially if you'd see/hear it again after seeing Season 3. It gives us an inside perspective of how Cassandra feels, with her constantly feeling like she is outshone; she's waiting for her chance to shine but never gets it.
- The reprise version of "Waiting in the Wings" is just as good, showing Cassandra as a child constantly waiting for her mother who never really cares about her, and it has great lyrics.
- "With You By My Side" is an amazing way to start off the Season finale, showing how far the trio has come in their adventure and perfectly portraying the fear of what's ahead. The song also shows great foreshadowing of the eventual betrayal and fall of Cassandra, in really great subtle ways.
Season 3
- "Crossing the Line" is a great way to show Cassandra's fall, her reasons for it, and Rapunzel trying to convince Cassandra to turn back but Cassandra expressing her continued frustrations at Rapunzel and continuing to go towards the darkness. It does not sound like a typical Villain Song, signifying how Cassandra views her role in all this as a downtrodden hero finally taking her destiny into her own hands.
- "Nothing Left to Lose" has managed to reach trending status; the song is absolutely incredible. It shows the contrast between Cassandra and Varian, with Varian trying to convince Cassandra to stop as he has been in the same position Cassandra is in. It also gives a closer look into how Cassandra thinks of herself: she believes herself to not be the villain and is just doing what we should even with everyone knowing how she has fallen. The song also has absolutely incredible animation as a bonus.
