One reason we became obsessed with the High School Musical franchise is the catchy tunes and relatable lyrics, and Disney Channel has done it once more with their show on Disney+, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series.
With all new characters, the plot tells the story of a high school who is putting on the musical of HSM in their drama program, and the show combines our old favorite songs with brand new music as well. The melodies will make you want to dance, and the lyrics have us singing along the whole time. Here are our ten favorite lines from the Disney+ soundtrack:
“I Guess I’m Saying I Don’t Not Love You.”
Have you ever been in a relatively new relationship where your feelings are getting stronger, but you’re just not sure if you’re able to say, “I love you,” to that special someone? “I Think I Kinda You Know,” is the song for you. After Nini and Ricky were dating for a year, she wrote him this song in an attempt to express her feelings. Sometimes when you can’t come right out and say it, using a double negative such as, “I don’t not love you,” can help you get around that. There are a whopping five versions of this song, including one by Olivia Rodrigo (Nini), one by Joshua Bassett (Ricky), a duet, an acoustic version, and an instrumental version.
“I Feel In My Heart The Start Of Something New.”
It was the first song that we ever heard in the original High School Musical, the song that grabbed our attention and got us hooked on the actors and plot when we saw Troy and Gabriella doing karaoke at the New Year’s Eve party. Well, it’s back for the HSM series, and this time, Nini is singing it for her Gabriella audition.
We loved the song then, and we love it just as much now as it represents a new era in the High School Musical franchise. We are ready for “The Start of Something New!”
“Even If I Woke Up In My Dreams, Would There Still Be Something I’m Missing?”
Ashlyn has been given the part of Ms. Darbus in HSM, and Miss Jenn tasked her with writing a song for her character. “Wondering,” is a touching piano piece about questioning the past and imagining if things would be better now if different paths were taken. We often can find ourselves sitting around and wondering, “What if?” This lyric about waking up in our dreams is relatable because everyone has had a dream, whether while asleep or a daydream, where we wished things could be different, but we still have to question, would it be everything we hope it would be? Both Julia Lester (Ashlyn) and Olivia Rodrigo sing this song in a beautiful duet on the High School Musical: The Musical: The Series soundtrack.
“You Shine Just Like The Stars, And I’m Not Even A Nightlight ‘Cause What I Did Wasn’t So Bright.”
EJ made a big mistake and went through his girlfriend’s phone, and she unfortunately found out. He decides that the best way to apologize is to return to their singing roots and write her a song entitled, “A Billion Sorrys,” sung by Matt Cornett. In this tune, he expresses his faults and his feelings, hoping that it will be enough to win her forgiveness. We love this metaphorical line comparing his girlfriend to the stars and himself to a nightlight. It shows that he is in awe of how wonderful she is while being humble and admitting that he was a bit dumb in his actions.
“All I Have Is Myself At The End Of The Day, But Shouldn’t That Be Enough For Me?”
In, “All I Want,” written and performed by Olivia Rodrigo, Nini is torn between two guys, but with both having hurt her in different ways, neither seems to be a good match for her. She sings about how she wants a decent boyfriend and long lasting love, but she isn’t sure if she is expecting too much or if she is somehow at fault.
We’ve heard it many times, that all we have is ourselves, but we as humans want so much more. We crave companions in the form of friends, family, and romantic interests. While it can be important to be happy by yourself, Nini needs to learn that it’s okay to want to find love with someone else as well.
“No More Running; I Run This Show.”
“Born to be Brave,” is a lively and bouncy jam all about self-empowerment and believing in who you are. It begins with Dara Renee (Kourtney) and Olivia Rodrigo singing loudly together after skipping the school dance to do their own thing, but the song also ends up being played at the dance as well. They chant and cheer about how things that got them down in the past have led them to where they are and shaped the strong individuals that they are today. The line, “No more running, I run this show,” shows that they are no longer scared of the situations and circumstances ahead of them; instead, they realize that they are in control of what they do next, and they’re not afraid to face the world!
“She Stands For Us, And We Believe.”
Due to a couple of fibs on her resume, Miss Jenn may not be able to continue as drama teacher, and the school board must have a hearing to decide her fate, which, ultimately, leads to the fate of the show. The drama students love her to pieces, and she has done so much for them already. She helped them come out of their shells, find something they’re passionate about, and get themselves on track. The kids decide that the school board must hear of Miss Jenn’s impact, so they break into a flash mob during the meeting, singing, “Truth, Justice and Songs in Our Key.”
“I Can’t Stop Dreaming And Thinking Maybe I Could Be Someone Different, More Than A Yearbook Memory.”
Nini has loved acting and all that comes with it for quite some time. She played the lead in the play when she went to theater camp this past summer, and now, being able to play Gabriella in High School Musical is a dream come true for her. She really wants to go to a special performance school, but she is nervous and hesitant.
In, “Out of the Old,” Olivia Rodrigo sings about how Nini wants to break free from everyone else and go on to be a shining star in the spotlight like she’s always hoped. Perhaps most people have gone through a time of wanting to achieve greatness and be remembered as someone more than just another student.
“So Give It Your All Right From The Start; You Gotta Play This From The Heart.”
Things keep going wrong, and the drama teacher, Miss Jenn (played by Kate Reinders), is feeling doubtful and overwhelmed. She doesn’t know if she can help the students pull off the show, but when she faints after a scare, she begins having a silly dream sequence with High School Musical’s own Lucas Grabiel, who played Ryan in the original films. They burst into the song, “Role of a Lifetime,” where Lucas convinces Miss Jenn that she is capable of being a strong leader and guiding the children to the top.
“When We’re Underneath the Lights, My Heart’s No Longer Broken.”
Ricky and Nini were the hottest couple for about a year, until Ricky insisted they take a break, which led to a complete split. After being cast in opposite roles as Troy and Gabriella, they find themselves getting closer again, and they’re unsure if their feelings for each other are rekindling for real or if it’s just the heat of their characters falling in love in the play. “Just for a Moment,” was written by both Joshua Bassett and Olivia Rodrigo to express this, and they sing it beautifully in a heartfelt duet.
