You can imagine the pitch meeting for this: “Oh that’s a great idea – an origin story for Mufasa. Let me just check one thing: you do mean doing it like the 2019 “photorealistic” version that everyone hates, don’t you? And not like the 1994 one that’s universally-beloved? You do, that’s great, thanks.” One of the universally-beloved things about the original is its music: Disney took a real chance, in the middle of their Alan Menken-led revival, by asking Elton John to do the songs and Hans Zimmer the score. But it’s a chance that more than paid off – the result a glorious, joyous musical tribute to the pridelands.

For this prequel/sequel (for yes, it is both, though mainly the former) it was originally announced that Nicholas Britell was scoring (director Barry Jenkins’s usual composer), later also announced that Zimmer was returning to score as well, and later still that Lin-Manuel Miranda would be providing new songs. In the end, Dave Metzger actually wrote the bulk of the score. His sudden rise to prominence seems to be a story of a good guy finally getting his chance – he’s been credited in various roles on the music department of numerous Disney films for the last 30 years (the first, indeed, being The Lion King) but it wasn’t until 2023’s Wish that he got a lead composer credit – and now Mufasa is his second.

But first, the songs. Elton John knows how to write a song – and then the glory of The Lion King came in turning his luxurious melodies (and Tim Rice’s lyrics) into these westernised “African”-sounding pieces, lent an epic feel by Zimmer and his team of arrangers. Lin-Manuel Miranda also knows how to write a song of course – but set your expectations at the right level straight away to avoid disappointment, because there’s nothing here vaguely on the level of “Circle of Life” or “Can You Feel the Love Tonight?”

Having said that – the songs are absolutely not destined for iconic status but they’re generally fine. The album actually opens with someone who does return from the first score – Lebo M was such a key component of it, and his performance of “Ngomso” immediately brings hope that lightning is going to be caught in the same bottle twice. That does turn out to be the highlight of the song section of the album – there are a few slightly anonymous but still enjoyable songs here, but also a couple that rise above that. “Milele”, sung by Anika Noni Rose (making a welcome return to Disney musicals after The Princess and the Frog) is a truly beautiful number; and “We Go Together” is the other really good one, a sweeping piece full of fraternal love and pride.

The album does feature some pieces by Britell – these are generally very good, often featuring Lebo M’s vocals – aiming for similar roles as pieces like “Busa” in the original film – they don’t ever achieve that level but some of them are fairly close. The early “Kuqondile” is an inspirational piece, and a little later “Find the Way” soars away with a heavenly choir. Mysteriously, there’s also a single track credited to Zimmer – the 30-second “And So It’s Time”, which is lovely but so brief – there must be a story behind that, but I don’t know what it is.

I love Metzger’s score, I really do. Some people seem to have reacted to it a little like I react to those Star Wars and Indiana Jones video game scores that mimic John Williams’s style without finding any of his soul – and I can understand it because a lot of the score here is clearly built around Zimmer’s, sometimes directly quoting it but often kind of writing around it. I think it’s pulled off with real aplomb though, and does find a soul – it’s grand, traditional orchestral music for the most part, but the occasional (mostly percussive) interjections of that African sound means yet again we are offered a musical smorgasbord teeming with colour and life.

Some of the strongest moments come in the thunderous action music – “Destiny Reigns”, “The Race”, particularly “Burden of Pride” all appear in the earlier parts of the score and nicely build on the style Zimmer established three decades ago. Interestingly, none of them is pure action – all have some emotional sweep to them as well. The breathless “Run Mufasa!” is another highlight – the brassy hits going over the constant rhythmic accompaniment of the percussion is great. Later, “Elephant Stampede” sounds just like you might expect a piece with that name to sound – more frantic brass and percussion.

Particularly in the score’s second half, there are some much softer moments too: “All That Was Lost” is a clever construction, managing both melancholy and magical beauty; there’s a playfulness to “Jamaa” which is quite delightful before it too takes on a heavenly feel thanks to the choir; in “Beneath the Scars” there’s real emotional depth, at least before its unexpectedly upbeat conclusion.

The run of tracks that begins in the wonderful “The King Within” and lasts to the album’s end is really tremendous. That opening cue is again full of feeling, a kind of pride and glory coming to the fore. “We Made It” (a Britell cue) is softly lovely as it builds to its rapturous conclusion, and then we’re firmly back in action territory in the pulse-pounding “Clash of Kings”, which has a deliciously epic feel. “Blood for Blood” lures you in with ominous suspense before Metzger unleashes his brass section again – gnarly, snarly, angry. If you listen to “The Earth Will Shake” loud enough then it certainly will shake – this time the action combining with Zimmer’s Simba theme before the happy ending. We’re not quite done yet though – “The King of Milele” is surprisingly dark but then we get to the rousing “A Story of a Great King”, which ends in the only way a Lion King score could end.

I am self-aware enough to realise that I’m not really in touch with modern film music sensibilities any more, but even so I am amazed by the somewhat muted (at times negative) response I’ve read to this score online. I can’t imagine how anybody could have done it any better – the narrative appropriateness of using the Zimmer legacy themes may be questioned but I think Metzger incorporates them really well, along with the occasional reference to Miranda’s new song themes, and the wealth of his own new material. It’s very much an extension of the original The Lion King musical experience and while the songs may not hold up, the rest of it does, and I could count on the fingers of one hand the 2024 film scores that have provided me with more entertainment than this one. Bizarrely, Disney has released three albums – one with just the songs, one with just the score, and one with both – and while the songs don’t hold up to Elton John’s, there’s nothing much wrong with them either, so I don’t really know why anybody wouldn’t want the album with everything on. Regardless, it would be remiss to end in any way other than saying Metzger has pulled off something very impressive here, and he deserves great praise for that.

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