Truth be told, I never really watched the cartoon version of Aladdin when I was a kid. When the new live-action movie released in 2019, I watched it and was hooked! The music is phenomenal, the scenery is authentic and the actors seemed very fit for their roles. I grew up loving Disney and all things princess/fairytale, so this instantly crossed my mind during the discussion of this chapter. In this particular song, “One Jump Ahead,” different instruments were presented such as the oud, tabla, and the Qannon. Additionally, there is a scene in the 2019 Aladdin when an oud is on-screen and Jasmine says she received one from her mother. This song was created by Alan Menken and Time Rice and was performed by Mena Massoud (who played Aladdin). The song takes place when Aladdin and Abu steal a loaf of bread and escape the guards. It is a very chaotic, vibrant song which compliments the visuals in the movie as they hastily climb on rooftops and quickly escape. This recurring melody is heard throughout the film’s score because it is a musical representation of Aladdin’s character.

According to a film review, “The use of oud, duduk, ney, and other instruments in tasteful applications throughout the score is a major plus, and the percussive layers are far more mature here as well” (Filmtracks, 2019) in contrast to the original 1992 cartoon. There is an evident blend of instruments from the Middle East with guitar, piano and other percussive instruments we typically hear in America in order to attract various audiences. The song begins with membranophones and picks up with a Middle East-inspired ensemble, setting the stage for the vocal introduction. It has a very lively, dancy feel to it similarly to the rest of this soundtrack.