Album review: ‘The Greatest Showman: Reimagined’

When “The Greatest Showman” hit theaters in December 2017, the film’s soundtrack became an instant success.

The movie musical follows the story of P. T. Barnum, the creator of the modern circus, and features 11 original songs written by award-winning composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, who are also known for their work in “La La Land” and “Dear Evan Hansen.” The soundtrack was a hit worldwide, reaching number one on iTunes in 77 countries and topping the charts in the U.K. for 11 consecutive weeks.

Now, less than a year later, “The Greatest Showman: Reimagined” album, released Nov. 16, 2018, is sparking the interest of millions of fans all over the world. The “Reimagined” album is composed of the original songs from the film and features popular artists including Panic! At the Disco, P!nk, Ty Dolla $ign, Kesha, Pentatonix alongside many other artists. While this seems like a wide variety of artists and genres that could never produce a cohesive album together, the album actually meshes the artist’s differences and combines them into something that is a masterful tribute to the original soundtrack yet entirely new.

The most stunning part of the album is the fusion of genres. The original film soundtrack consisted of songs that were meant to fit the pop or show tunes genres, so it was refreshing to hear the familiar songs become transformed simply by being performed in a different style with new voices and instrumentations. However, the artists did not merely copy the original song’s styles but rather accentuated the pieces of every genre that were already hidden within each song.

For instance, Panic! at the Disco’s rendition of “The Greatest Show” highlighted the theatricality of the circus through Brendon Urie’s flashy vocals and the glamour of brassy band instruments. Clarkson’s powerful voice brought out the yearning and heartache encapsulated in the song “Never Enough.” Additionally, the remix of “This Is Me” featuring Keala Settle, Kesha and Missy Elliott accentuated the inspiring strength of the lyrics through the powerhouse vocals and the passionate rap sections.

Through all of these components, “The Greatest Showman: Reimagined” album can appeal to people with all different music tastes. It encompasses the strengths of each music genre: the aching emotion of ballads, the raw truth of rap, the groovy energy of funk, the spirited joy of pop and the earthy ambiance of country. Each artist is distinctly different, but much like the circus, the performers’ differences create a unique kind of unity.

Finally, the album embodies the spirit of “The Greatest Showman” film itself making dreams come true. As seen through P. T. Barnum’s struggles and successes, dreams can only be made real if the dreamer both believes in the dreams and actively works toward them. In the “Reimagined” album, the artists take the lyrics and music that are already there – the preexisting dreams – and make them their own – working towards a new meaning and a new masterpiece.

“The Greatest Showman: Reimagined” album is now available for streaming and purchase on YouTube, Amazon, iTunes, Spotify and most music streaming platforms.