So Close (Enchanted song)
"So Close" | |
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Stephen Schwartz | |
Producer(s) |
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"So Close" is a song written by composer
Enchanted's songs become more contemporary in style as Giselle matures into a modern-day young woman, with "So Close" resembling the style of music featured in Disney films during the 1990s, a theme similarly reflected by the character's choice of wardrobe during the scene. A romantic pop ballad, Menken and Schwartz based "So Close" on the title song from Disney's Beauty and the Beast (1991), a song Menken himself had written the music for, while its cinematography was designed to invoke the camera movement in Beauty and the Beast's famous ballroom sequence. The track was arranged and produced by Robbie Buchanan, who had previously arranged pop versions of the theme songs from Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin (1992) and Pocahontas (1995).
The song has received generally negative reviews from film and music critics, who were unimpressed with its slow tempo. "So Close" was one of three songs from Enchanted nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards. McLaughlin's live performance during the telecast was met with critical acclaim, and is credited with introducing the singer to a wider audience while bolstering sales of his own material.
Writing and recording
"So Close" was written by composer
Menken recorded an early
Menken had written an alternative version of "So Close", which the filmmakers enjoyed but ultimately rejected in favor of the final version used in the film.[5] Additionally, a song originally written for the villain Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) was eliminated from the film because Lima felt that the musical number would occur too close to "So Close", wanting to prevent the film from becoming a "full out" musical.[9] The song was released on November 20, 2007 as part of the film's soundtrack.[10]
Context
Background
Stylistically, the songs in Enchanted progress and become more modern over the course of the film,
Giselle's transition from a fairy tale character into a "real woman" is exemplified by her wardrobe choices.[17] The purple gown Adams wears during the ball sequence was designed by costume designer Mona May, who drew inspiration from costumes used in 1930s musical films, specifically gowns worn by actress Ginger Rogers, as well as several concept drawings of early Disney Princesses.[18] However, the costume designer also wanted the dress to resemble an outfit purchased from Bergdorf Goodman, explaining, "it’s so important to be slick and modern, to be not fairy tale anymore, because we’ve seen the fairy tale ... She’s now a modern girl. She’s deciding to stay here to really understand this world, to know her feelings and who she is", an idea she believes is supported by the gown's silhouette and color.[18] May described Giselle's final look as "completely modern", devoid pouf and curls in her hair.[17] Identifying Giselle as one of Disney's first princesses "to save the prince", May also wanted her gown to demonstrate the character's "feminine strength".[18] Although Giselle is shown undergoing a makeover during a shopping montage, the filmmakers avoided showing Giselle trying on different outfits to ensure that her final selection remains a surprise.[18] Adams helped design the "glass slippers" her character wears during the scene, which were custom made to allow her to dance.[15] Meanwhile, Roberts' outfit pays homage to the Beast's tuxedo in Beauty and the Beast.[19]
Executive producer Chris Chase decided to set the scene in the
Use in Enchanted
The sequence is preceded by a shopping montage, in which Giselle (Adams) is treated to a shopping spree by Robert's daughter Morgan (
The song offers "an outer voice that mirrors Giselle's inner emotional journey."
Composition
According to the song's official
"So Close" is a
Reception
Critical reception towards "So Close" has been generally negative.
"So Close" was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 80th Academy Awards in 2008, in addition to "Happy Working Song" and "That's How You Know" from Enchanted.[4] "So Close" was the only nominated song from Enchanted not performed by Adams.[33] The three songs had collectively sold 177,000 digital downloads prior to the awards ceremony.[36][37] Although Peter Knegt of IndieWire enjoyed Enchanted's songs, he felt that "So Close" was undeserving of a nomination.[28] Billboard polled its readers, asking them which of the five nominees they hoped would win Best Original Song,[38] 10% of whom voted for "So Close".[39] "So Close" is ranked as McLaughlin's most streamed song on Spotify,[34] having accumulated more than 16 million streams as of January 2019.[8]
In 2020, Ross Tanenbaum of
Live performances and covers
McLaughlin performed "So Close" live at the 80th Academy Awards,[41] where the song had been nominated for Best Original Song.[42][43] The performance was introduced by Dempsey,[44] while dancers dressed as the film's main characters recreated the ballroom scene on stage.[45] McLaughlin's performance earned critical acclaim,[46][47] and is credited with establishing him as "an overnight sensation" while introducing his music to a wider audience.[48][49] Following McLaughlin's performance, Amanda Valentovic of Bandsintown deemed the song a "classic".[50] McLaughlin's debut studio album Indiana experienced a 1,514% increase in sales on Amazon overnight, resulting in the album peaking at number-one on its Movers & Shakers chart.[51] AllMusic biographer Marisa Brown wrote that the singer's public "profile received an extra boost" following the ceremony, claiming that McLaughlin "used the resulting momentum to drum up support for his third studio album, OK Now."[52] Charlee Vaughan and Jared Johnson, both critics for The Sojourn, lamented the fact that the singer excluded the song from his 2012 and 2013 performances at the Phillippe Performing Arts Center, which Vaughan found unusual considering its popularity.[34][53]
Singer
Japanese singer Koda Kumi covered the song in 2017 for the Japanese cover album, Thank You, Disney. Like the rest of the songs from the album, she retained the English lyrics, although the musical arrangement became pop and jazz influenced.
References
- ^ Gans, Andrew (February 24, 2008). ""No Country for Old Men" Wins Best Picture Oscar; Day-Lewis, Cotillard, Coens and "Sweeney" Also Winners". Playbill. Archived from the original on April 18, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ "Anderson's McLaughlin to perform at Oscars". The Herald Bulletin. February 23, 2008. Archived from the original on March 10, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9780810891920 – via Google Books.
- ^ ISBN 9781617747137 – via Google Books.
- ^ a b c Weintraub, Steven (November 21, 2007). "Stephen Schwartz and Alan Menken Interview – Enchanted". Collider. Archived from the original on September 19, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Noyer, Jérémie (March 18, 2008). "Get Enchanted! Chapter Three: Musical minstrels Alan Menken and Danny Troob!". Animated Views. Archived from the original on May 5, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c d "Alan Menken And Stephen Schwartz – Enchanted". Discogs. Archived from the original on February 20, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ a b Potts, Ricky (January 2019). "Artist Interview: 1-on-1 with Jon McLaughlin". rickyleepotts. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "Stephen Schwartz Comments on Disney's Enchanted" (PDF). Stephen Schwartz. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "So Close". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^ a b c d Noyer, Jérémie (March 21, 2008). "Get Enchanted! Chapter Six: Director Kevin Lima and exec producer Chris Chase". Animated Views. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
- ^ Weintraub, Steven (November 20, 2007). "Amy Adams Interview – Enchanted". Collider. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ Fischer, Paul (2007). "Amy Adams Leads an Enchanted New Life". FilmMonthly. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
- ^ ISBN 9781474234184 – via Google Books.
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- ^ Cleveland.com. Archivedfrom the original on November 25, 2007. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Lenker, Maureen Lee (February 10, 2019). "Makeover Magic: The secrets behind your favorite romantic comedy makeovers". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved March 13, 2019.
- ^ Wloszczyna, Susan (November 22, 2007). "New Disney princess Giselle has an enchanting royal lineage". USA Today. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ Kam, Nadine (November 15, 2007). "Pouf! Costume magic". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved March 14, 2019.
- ^ Hall, Sandra (January 3, 2008). "Enchanted". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c d e Iacobucci, Jordan (November 17, 2022). "Enchanted: Every Song In The Film, Ranked From Worst To Best". Screen Rant. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
- ^ a b c Buckley, Michael (November 18, 2007). "Stage to Screens: Menken & Schwartz Are "Enchanted"; Plus Bosco, Chenoweth, "Hairspray"". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 1, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c "Disney's Enchanted and a new Menken/Schwartz score". MusicalSchwartz.com. Archived from the original on April 17, 2021. Retrieved March 7, 2019.
- ^ Schwartz, Stephen (2 January 2008). "So Close – By Jon McLaughlin – Digital Sheet Music". Musicnotes.com. Archived from the originalon April 22, 2021. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ a b Biancolli, Amy (November 21, 2007). "Enchanted". Houston Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
- ^ Filmtracks.com. 2007. Archived from the originalon April 16, 2021. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
- ^ a b Knegt, Peter (November 17, 2010). "For Your Consideration: The 10 Worst Original Song Oscar Snubs of the Past 10 Years". IndieWire. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Li, John. "Enchanted Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2007)". MovieXclusive.com. Archived from the original on September 1, 2020. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
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- ^ The Odyssey Online. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ Freeman, Zach (November 19, 2007). "CD Review: Enchanted Soundtrack by Alan Menken". Blogger News Network. Retrieved March 11, 2019.
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- ^ a b c Johnson, Jared (October 7, 2013). "Jon McLaughlin Review". The Sojurn. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
- ^ Singh, Anvita (May 5, 2020). "Hollywood Rewind | Enchanted: Amy Adams is the perfect princess". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on March 9, 2022. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
- ^ ""Enchanted" tunes dominate Oscar contenders". Reuters. February 22, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
- ^ Graff, Gary (February 21, 2008). "And The Best Original Song Oscar Nominees Are..." Billboard. Retrieved March 12, 2019.
- Nielsen Business Media, Inc.March 1, 2008. p. 4. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
- ^ "Who gets your vote for best original song in a motion picture at the Academy Awards?". Billboard. February 27, 2008. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Tanenbaum, Ross (August 1, 2020). "10 Most Underrated Disney Songs". Screen Rant. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ Brokaw, Joanne (5 September 2008). "5 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Jon McLaughlin". Beliefnet. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ Finke, Nikki (February 22, 2008). "Best To Expect The Worst Oscars Ever…". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
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- ^ Leasure, Logan (August 27, 2008). "Jon McLaughlin – OK Now". Jesusfreakhideout.com. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ Christian, Lititz (October 23, 2008). "MUSIC REVIEW: Get lost in a silky smooth voice". LNP Media Group. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
- ^ Rodriguez, Albert. "SGN Exclusive Interview - Jon McLaughlin rockets from the farm to the Oscar stage". Seattle Gay News. Archived from the original on July 13, 2017. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
- ^ "Indiana native Jon McLaughlin Returning to IMS to sing 'God Bless America' at 500". Indianapolis Motor Speedway. May 23, 2018. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ Valentovic, Amanda (November 7, 2016). "Photo Gallery: Jon McLaughlin in St. Louis". Bandsintown. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
- ^ "Jon McLaughlin Tour Dates and Concert Tickets". Eventful. Retrieved March 9, 2019.
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- ^ Vaughan, Charlee (October 11, 2012). "Concert Review: Jon McLaughlin". The Sojurn. Retrieved March 10, 2019.
- ^ a b Jacques, Adam (February 28, 2010). "How We Met: John Barrowman & Jodie Prenger". The Independent. Retrieved March 8, 2019.
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