Credit: DisneyFrom the day it was first leaked, “This Is The Thanks I Get” from Disney’s Wish (2023) has paled in comparison to some of the studio’s other villainous numbers. If that’s true, why is it still one of the most replayed songs on the soundtrack?
Comparatively, the song sung by King Magnifico (Chris Pine) isn’t exactly as dark and brooding as something like “Poor Unfortunate Souls” or even the infamous and infernal “Hellfire,” but it unarguably fits the villain for all intents and purposes. A personality as glamorous as Magnifico doesn’t have a song about destruction and damnation because it wouldn’t fit his overall aesthetic. He’s a vain and villainous sorcerer with a narcissistic personality, so he sings a song about himself.
Inside the Magic has gone into great detail as to why Magnifico Works the way he does, and that his song is far more successful in getting its point across with its visuals than without. Yet some tear it to shreds and describe the song as “blandly peppy pop instrumentation that sounds like royalty-free background music for a Kohl’s commercial.”
King Magnifico Has a Sinister Secret Hit
Social media platforms are often a spawning ground for bad publicity, and hating Disney has essentially become yet another internet trend. Although Wish has only made $83,473,268 worldwide of its needed $400 million to be a success, its soundtrack might not be the stumbling block some seem to think.
Currently, “This Is The Thanks I Get” is the second most-replayed song on the soundtrack, sitting at 2,801,804 plays. Although “This Wish” still dwarfs it by comparison, this writer (along with around 2,802,803 more listeners) finds Chris Pine’s catchy plot for magical domination much more worthy of the top spot.
While one song might not speak for the entire film, it does contradict much of the criticism directed at Wish. Over two million listeners can’t possibly hate the film, and the soundtrack might encourage them to go see it in the theaters. Of course, there is another option to consider.
We are witnessing something that might be considered the Encanto Effect. While the Family Madrigal didn’t smash the box office, the movie more than made up for it when it got a home release on streaming. It’s safe to say that Wish could very well have the same effect, given what fans have seen on Disney+
Related: ‘Wish’ Proves Major Disney Disappointment, Reportedly Even Worse Than ‘Strange World’
Wish is far from the perfect Disney movie fans were likely expecting, but it has a growing fanbase that just might pull Disney back from the brink. Hopefully, Magnifico’s magic might be enough to keep many wishes alive.
ITM reached out to Disney for comment, but did not hear back by the time of publishing.
Do you think Wish might have an Encanto Effect? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!