Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey may take inspiration from musical theater, but it's the pure R&B numbers that rank best in the film's soundtrack, which was written by a creative team including John Legend. The Netflix musical embraces African American culture with a majority Black cast and an abundance of music rooted in Black communities. The soundtrack's strengths lie in the soul, R&B, and jazz songs reminiscent of Hamilton, The Greatest Showman and The Wiz.
Jingle Jangle has now brought a magical Christmas story to Netflix, delving into the life of brilliant inventor Jeronicus Jangle (Forest Whitaker), who has fallen on hard times after his most trusted apprentice, Gustafson (Keegan-Michael Key), stole his book of inventions. Decades after the original theft, Jeronicus and Gustfason are both back to the drawing board. Gustafson, a wildly successful toymaker, has run out of inventions to steal, while Jeronicus must come up with a world-changing invention in only a few days in order to repay his bank loan. Jeronicus, now a pawnbroker, has long since stopped believing in his ability to make anything work, but a visit from his inquisitive granddaughter Journey (Madalen Mills) could change everything.
The film has a stunning look, with unique special effects and colorful costumes, but in the end, the quality of the musical rests on its songs. The soundtrack is made up of 10 songs, including a few interludes and reprises, which include both classic showtunes and hip-hop hits. One especially magical moment in the movie comes not during a song, but in an Afrobeat dance break during a snowball fight. Similarly, the best songs in the movie are ones that draw heavily from African American music and take full advantage of the cast's singing and acting talent.
8. "Not The Only One"
Journey Jangle's first song in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey is one of the shortest melodies in the film, lasting only about 40 seconds. The song is good while it lasts, but can't really compare to full-length numbers. Mostly, it showcases Mills' acting and introduces the audience to Journey's character — a curious and creative little girl who loves science and math. The lyrics are straightforward, with one of the catchiest lines coming right in the middle when Journey sings, "Being great is good and all/but being different sure is tough." The song is sweet and the lyrics are relatable, but leave the audience wanting more.
7. "Over and Over"/"With Love"
In addition to joining his daughter Jessica Jangle (Anika Noni Rose) for a duet, Jeronicus has two interludes in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey — one in which he reflects on his past, "Over and Over," and one where he tries to reunite with his daughter, "With Love." The short songs are monologues set to music, with slant rhymes and meandering melodies. Whitaker does an excellent job of bringing emotional life to the songs, as well as hitting the high notes, but they're too loosely composed to rank very high in the list.
6. "Square Root of Possible"
Journey is undoubtedly the star of the Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, but unfortunately, her big number doesn't do her character justice. While the visual effects accompanying Mills' "Square Root of Possible" match the stunning quality of the overall film, the song itself is forgettable and is not the "This Is Me" moment it seems to aim for. The song has a great show tune sound, but the lyrics jump from metaphor to metaphor, not sticking with anyone long enough to express the heroine's greatest wish. The occasionally vague phrases don't mean much when not grounded in a concrete idea. The one thing that could rescue the song — a compelling chorus — is also missing. Mills shows off a strong voice in the number, but it's not one that stays with the audience.
5. "Borrow Indefinitely"
As Hamilton's King George proved, every great musical needs a good villain, and Don Juan Diego (Ricky Martin) shines in his role as a self-absorbed living toy in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey. Martin's menacing song, "Borrow Indefinitely," is the perfect combination of ominous and fun. Accompanied by Latin beats, Don Juan Diego attempts to convince Gustafson that taking Jeronicus' book of invention ideas isn't really stealing, but rather, "borrowing indefinitely." Martin embraces his role as the villain in the song, which stands mostly on the merit of exaggerated voice acting and brings some lighthearted comedy to the musical.
4. "This Day"
The opening number of Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey takes inspiration from Hamilton by combining hip-hop with classic musical theater. The result is a catchy and optimistic tune that feels hopeful but is more of an earworm than anything else. Performed by Justin Cornwell (young Jeronicus) and Sharon Rose (Joanne Jangle), the number does its job as an opener, introducing the audience both to the foundational sound of the musical and to the magical world of Jeronicus' toy shop, Jangle and Things. But the song doesn't reach very far outside the box, sticking to simple melodies and beefing itself up with a dance routine.
3. "Make It Work"
In a shameful underuse of Anika Noni Rose's superstar voice, the rhythmic R&B song "Make It Work" comes about three-quarters into Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, and marks Rose's one and only solo. Her wide-ranging vocals are underscored by a respectable bass performance from Whitaker, who demonstrates surprisingly good singing technique to match his enormous acting skill. The soul-esque sound and unique percussion of this number make it unforgettable, but the song lacks complex lyrics, relying primarily on a catchy hook. Although the wording of the chorus is apt, with a double meaning about both making inventions work and repairing relationships, the song could be strengthened with longer verses. Ultimately, the song lives up to its place in the movie as the emotional climax but doesn't rank number one.
2. "Magic Man G"
Keegan-Michael Key proves his showmanship skills go far beyond comedy in Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey with Gustafson's truly magical introductory number, "Magic Man G." The jazzy song is guaranteed to get toes tapping if it doesn't bring people to their feet. The number uses call and response in its first half, evoking a long-lived African-American tradition. Reminiscent of music from The Wiz, the song features Key performing for an audience of toy buyers, who respond to his enthusiasm with clapping and dancing. Key's solid voice is backed by a booming brass band, which adds depth to the number and makes it more than just a pop hit.
1. "Miles and Miles”/”Miles and Miles Reprise"
From her first entrance about 20 minutes into Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey, Ms. Johnston (Lisa Davina Phillip) steals every scene in which she appears, including the scene where she steps into the spotlight for "Miles and Miles," an energetic R&B number. Backed by Marisha Wallace's powerful voice, Phillip delivers a dynamic performance as Ms. Johnston trying to convince "Jerry" to lift himself back up after having fallen on hard times. The bluesy song shows off the full extent of Wallace's voice as she slides up and down the scale with vocal riffs. The inspirational number also evokes soul and gospel music, with Wallace hitting high and low notes to accent the main melody. The song is given a wonderful finished feel with harmonic backing vocals by a trio of tenors, while the driving beat will keep it stuck in the audience's head for days. In the end, it's an off-the-cuff song by a supporting character that becomes the film's showstopping number and truly embraces the roots of African American music.