The Story Behind the ‘Wish’ Song: “Wel-come to Rosas”
Disney’s Wish may not have been the box office hit that the company was hoping for, but it is an important entry into the Disney canon and, in many ways, a culmination of 100 years of storytelling.
The film tells the story of Asha, a young heroine who lives in the kingdom of Rosas. The enchanted kingdom is built on the hopes and wishes of its people and is ruled by the villainous King Magnifico.
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When Asha senses darkness around King Magnifico, she makes a fervent plea to the stars. Her wish is answered when a celestial body named Star comes crashing to earth. Together, the duo go on an adventure to make all Rosas’s wishes come true.
“Wel-come to Rosas”
Like “Belle” in Beauty and the Beast and “Family Madrigal” from Encanto, Wish begins with a “welcome song.”
Audiences are introduced to both Asha and the kingdom of Rosas through the opening number, “Wel-come to Rosas.” When writing the number, Wish songwriter Julia Michaels wanted to compose something that was “quintessentially Disney.”
Image: Disney
“I wrote this one the fastest because I was so excited,” says Michaels. “I wanted to sonically incorporate the world in which it lives, this Iberian, Greek, North African world.”
Anna DeBose, who voices Asha in the film, described the song as “a Sondheiman pattern.”
Photo: Disney
“I was clear I needed a lot of oxygen to get through it,” DeBose notes. “There was a Hispanic undercurrent, and I was very cognizant that I wanted to sing this for ‘Wish,’ and while it feels Hispanic in nature, this is not necessarily an ode to ‘Encanto.’”
Creating Asha’s Alter-Ego
“Wel-come to Rosas” introduces audiences to the film’s setting and lays the groundwork for King Magnifico, the film’s villain. In the song, audiences learn about how the ruler collects the kingdom’s wishes and seemingly grants them.
Photo: Disney
DeBose wanted to bring her own interpretation into the booth when recording the song. So, she “created Asha’s alter-ego.”
“We named her Janet, the tour guide. I was in the [recording] booth, and Janet gave me all the energy I needed to deliver Asha’s view of Rosas,” says DeBose.
Photo: Disney
Ultimately, Michaels and DeBose delivered a peppy number that does an excellent job of quickly laying out the film’s groundwork.
If you want to hear the final result, listen to “Wel-come to Rosas” now!
