Following the beloved lion family from Disney’s hit movie, The Lion King, a new legend unfolds in their latest hit, Mufasa: The Lion King. This prequel takes viewers back to the origins of Mufasa, the legendary lion king himself, exploring his journey of loss, love, loyalty, and leadership that made him the beloved leader and king he is known as today.
As expected, Mufasa: The Lion King was gaining traction the moment its first trailer aired. Many fans of the original movie and its live-action remake began to grow excited as the movie’s release grew closer, but its release didn’t come without criticism.
Lin Manuel Miranda, the legendary musical director and movie soundtrack expert, was announced to be working on Mufasa: The Lion King in April 2024. This excited fans of his while also raising expectations for the movie and its soundtrack. Over the years, Manuel has worked on films and plays and has scored soundtracks such as Hamilton, Moana, In The Heights, Encanto, and countless others, building him a well-earned reputation in the music and movie industries.
Mufasa: The Lion King features seven songs with lyrics: Ngomso, Milele, I Always Wanted a Brother, Bye Bye, We Go Together, Tell Me It’s You, and Brother Betrayed.
While many fans have praised the songs, they are not without their criticisms, and many fans have been left reportedly unimpressed with his work on the movie.
As both a fan of Miranda and The Lion King, I can honestly say I was impressed by Lin’s work not only with the incorporation of multiple languages but also with his incorporation of African traditions while keeping the music contemporary and fitting to each scene.
“Ngomso” is the first song in the movie. Spanning only 1 minute and 16 seconds and it is sung primarily in Xhosa, a traditional South African language. It sets up the movie as we see the African plains in their present-day glory united under Simba, the new Lion King.
The song sets up the movie, taking place during Simba’s time as king as he welcomes his second child into the world. It sings of different tribes coming together and welcomes them into the kingdom. It is a beautiful opening to the movie and mirrors the vibe of the opening song of the original Lion King.
“Milele” is the second song in the movie. The song spans 2 minutes and 27 seconds, and it’s sung by young Mufasa’s parents as they teach him about a place called Milele.
Milele translates to an adverb meaning for all of eternity, and this song sets up the journey Mufasa later makes that leads him to the place he ultimately rules over forever. Milele serves as a place of hope throughout the movie, and the song itself reflects this idea. It reminds me of Hakuna Matata, and it serves as a reminder throughout the movie to keep moving forward. The song itself, in both its soundtrack and lyricism, is beautiful and perfectly complements the place it foreshadows.
The third song, and so far the most popular one of the movie, is “I Always Wanted a Brother”. It spans 3 minutes and 34 seconds. This song backscores Mufasa and Taka as they grow up and grow into their roles as each other’s brother and themselves.
This song is where Miranda’s style finally begins to break through. The song is catchy, upbeat, and a crowd favorite, going viral on TikTok as people make videos of them with their brothers. The song is about loyalty, and the fun nature of the soundtrack and lyrics goes well with the brothers singing it.
The fourth song is “Bye Bye”, the villain of the movie’s solo song. This song is only 2 minutes and 15 seconds long, and it felt like a random song to have in the movie. It is sung by Kiros as he kills the last lion pride and becomes the king lion.
Of all the songs, this one ranked the lowest for me. It felt that they needed a song to mirror Scar’s, “Be Prepared” and this was what they could come up with. The phrase “Bye Bye” is repeated throughout, creating a contrast between the evil nature of the villain and his catchphrase, which made me take him less seriously rather than completing his evil image. While it’s still a good song, if I had to criticize one song, it would be this one.
“We Go Together” is the fifth song, spanning 2 minutes and 43 seconds. Sung by Aaron Pierre, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Tiffany Boone, Preston Nyman, and Kagiso Lediga. Mufasa, Taka, Sarabi, Rafiki, and Zazu sing this song as they go on their journey to Milele and grow closer as a new family.
This song is the perfect fit for the scene it accompanies. One of the group coming together and finally bonding; the song is fun, catchy, and ultimately hard not to love. Viewers can’t help but smile as they listen to this group of unlikely friends sing together about their newfound hope and friendships. The tune is simple but fun, and all the characters singing together completes the song and perfects the vibe of the scene.
“Tell Me It’s You” is the sixth song and my personal favorite. The 2 minute and 36 second love song is one of the best works in the movie; the love song between Mufasa and Sarabi is when Mufasa finally comes to terms with his feelings for Sarabi.
After the status of Mufasa and Sarabi’s relationship throughout the movie, this song is the perfect way to solidify their romantic relationship and to acknowledge all that has happened to them while also setting the scene for them to move forward. The music in the sound borrows subtle undertones and notes from “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” but takes the love story and song lyrics in a different direction. It is underrated, and I hope to see it gain the traction it deserves shortly.
The last song is “Brother Betrayed“, sung by Kelvin Harrison. It lasts 1 minute and 38 seconds and follows closely after “Tell Me It’s You”. This song follows Taka as he feels betrayed by Mufasa because of their shared love for Sarabi and Mufasa’s newfound love for her.
The contrast between the love song and this song of betrayal and revenge perfectly sets the scene for the conflict that is to come and represents the conflict and rage going on in Taka’s heart. The song is eerie and sad while also representing his anger and malice towards Mufasa. The song completes Taka’s backstory and puts all the pieces of the story into place.
Overall, my song ranking in order from best to worst would be: “Tell Me It’s You,” “I Always Wanted A Brother,” “We Go Together,” “Brother Betrayed,” “Milele,” “Ngomso,” and “Bye Bye.”
It’s safe to say that Lin Manuel Miranda and the whole crew scoring Mufasa: The Lion King did not disappoint!
