So Close (Enchanted song)
"So Close" is a song written by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for the musical fantasy film Enchanted (2007), recorded by American singer Jon McLaughlin.
In the film, the song is performed by McLaughlin as himself, a band vocalist, musically accompanying main characters Giselle and Robert as they dance together at a costume ball.
McLaughlin's live performance during the telecast was met with critical acclaim, and is credited with introducing the singer to a wider audience while bolstering sales of his own material.
[6] Menken proceeded to use Buchanan's track to orchestrate the song while developing an instrumental "middle section" during which the characters would dance.
[8] Instrumentalists on the track include bassist Neil Stubenhaus, drummer John Robinson and guitarist Michael Landau, while Buchanan himself contributed both piano and synthesizer.
[12][13] Schwartz explained that the score grows increasingly modern as Giselle develops into "a contemporary young woman", likening "So Close" to the 1990s era of Disney musicals, such as Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas.
[4] The decision to have the song performed by an "outer voice" as opposed to a main character was derived from the reality of this particular moment in the film, and the songwriters agreed that it would be more appropriate to "have somebody sing it right in that ball.
[16] Despite already having experience as a solo dancer, Adams found the process unusual as she was required to "break down some of my own barriers" in order to learn how to dance with a partner for the first time.
[17] Identifying Giselle as one of Disney's first princesses "to save the prince", May also wanted her gown to demonstrate the character's "feminine strength".
[18] The dress Giselle ultimately wears is meant to signify her "transformation into a contemporary New Yorker", as opposed to a more opulent outfit.
[22] For "The King and Queen's Waltz", the conductor invites all gentlemen to ask a lady with whom they did not attend the ball dance,[3] requiring the attendees to switch partners.
[23] Edward immediately invites Nancy to dance and, after a moment of hesitation, Robert asks Giselle to do the same, allowing the two to "finalize [their] bond" with each other.
[24] According to Jordan Iacobucci of Screen Rant, the ballad "tells the entire story of Enchanted in the span of three minutes", with Giselle and Robert realizing how close they were to finding their happy ending with each other, before it was ultimately taken away.
[7] Laird described Menken's composition as "a flowing tune with a wide range that takes [McLaughlin's] tenor to a d-flat", which he performs in falsetto.
[29] The Houston Chronicle's Amy Biancolli criticized its slow tempo, writing that "musical nitpickers ... might wish that [the] climactic ballroom 'waltz' had actually been in three-four time.
[35] Jared Johnson, writing for The Sojourn, conversely described the track as "a beautiful love ballad",[36] and Anvita Singh of The Indian Express called it a blast.
[8] In 2020, Ross Tanenbaum of Screen Rant ranked "So Close" Disney's fourth most underrated song, describing it as a charming ballad with "good lyrics, an enchanting melody, and a soothing vocal performance.
[45][46][47] The performance was introduced by Dempsey,[48] and dancers dressed as the film's main characters recreated the ballroom scene on stage.
[50][51] Considered to be his breakthrough as a recording artist,[52] the performance is credited with establishing McLaughlin as "an overnight sensation" and introducing his music to a wider audience.
[59] Singer John Barrowman and actress Jodie Prenger covered the song as a duet for the former's 2010 eponymous studio album.
Barrowman had met Prenger when she auditioned for the British talent competition I'd Do Anything in 2008, and asked her to record "So Close" with him in September 2009, to which she immediately agreed.
