The Princess and the Frog (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

The Princess and the Frog, released in 2009, is the 49th Disney animated feature film and also marked a return to traditional animation for the studio. The story is loosely based on the 2002 novel “The Frog Princess” by E. D. Baker which in turn was based on the fairy tale “The Frog Prince”.

Set in 1920s New Orleans, the main protagonist Tiana aspires to open her own restaurant. At the same time, Prince Naveen of Maldonia arrives and wishes to marry a Southern belle in order to continue his lavish lifestyle after being cut off financially by his parents. Naveen chooses to marry Charlotte, Tiana’s best friend and the daughter of sugar baron Eli “Big Daddy” La Bouff.

Eli throws a masquerade ball in Naveen’s honour and Charlotte hires Tiana to make food, thereby giving Tiana enough money to purchase the former sugar mill where she wishes to open her restaurant. While preparations are underway, Naveen and his valet Lawrence explore the city and encounter voodoo witch doctor Dr. Facilier. Facilier convinces the pair that he can make their dreams come true, but instead turns Naveen into a frog and cause Lawrence to possess an amulet that lets him take on Naveen’s appearance. Naveen, now a frog, comes to the ball and asks Tiana (who he believes to be a princess) to kiss him and supposedly break Facilier’s spell. Tiana agrees but upon kissing Naveen she turns into a frog herself. Chaos ensues and Tiana and Naveen escape into a bayou. There, they seek to find a way to both become human again and undo Facilier’s curse.

The music in the movie is a combination of jazz, zydeco, blues, and gospel. Ne-Yo wrote and performed the R&B love song end title “Never Knew I Needed”. Critical reception to the soundtrack was overly positive, with it placing at position 80 on Billboard 200 upon release.