The Unique Way Disney Uses Highly Memorable Songs in Minor Keys to Introduce Their Villains to the Audience

In an amusingly informative essay, the knowledgeable music writer Polyphonic explains the unique way in which Disney uses songs to introduce the film’s antagonist to the audience. The songwriters typically employ darker minor keys in songs that are often written alongside the film to seamlessly communicate how villainous the film’s villain actually is. And these are songs that stick around for a very long time.

Over the years Disney has created a whole host of memorable villains. And while the story and the actors are a part of the reason these villains have stuck with so many people, the songs are just as important. These songs help tell the story and show you who these characters are. Even beyond that, they show you each character’s terrible potential, the potential to take our happy ending and replace it with something much worse.