Top Songs
Essential Albums
- This edition of the soundtrack to Michael Gracey’s fiercely upbeat P.T. Barnum biopic pairs the movie versions of the songs with instrumentals so you can recapture the film’s magic in the privacy of your own shower/bedroom/car. The original soundtrack was a chart-topper in multiple continents, and much of its appeal lies in its variety: These empowerment anthems draw on a kaleidoscope of genres, including dance-pop, hip-hop, arena rock and folk. Just as importantly, composers Benj Pasek and Justin Paul knit everything together with choruses fit to burst through big-top roofs—not least on the Golden Globe-winning R&B-pop of “This Is Me” and impassioned piano ballad “Never Enough”.
- Ben Platt, as the titular hypersensitive teen, artfully carries the show in the debut musical scored by La La Land’s Benj Pasek and Justin Paul. Emotionally authentic strings-and-guitar-propelled songs—particularly the out-of-control Act 1 finale, “You Will Be Found”—drive a story about loneliness that leads to an internet-shaking misunderstanding. The soaring “For Forever” and righteous, rock-driven anger of Rachel Bay Jones (as Ben’s mother, in “Good for You”) help give this musical the emotional heft of a great pop album.