Disney Junior’s new show Fancy Nancy will debut on July 13th and, prior to the show’s arrival, comes the release of the soundtrack. Fancy Nancy is about a young girl with a vivid imagination and a love for everything elegant and, well, fancy. While I haven’t had a chance to preview the show, I’ve gathered from the soundtrack alone that Nancy has a mild obsession with France or at least finds the French to be “fantaisie.” Every song is upbeat and cheerful and makes some reference to “ooh, la, la”, “magnifique”, and or “tres chic.”
Nancy is a six-year-old with an endless supply of energy and an impressive vocabulary that clearly comes across in these songs. She’s extremely positive and uses her very vivid and well-crafted imagination to enhance her world. She also includes others on her make-believe journeys, specifically her best friend, Bree and her sister, Jo Jo. In the soundtrack’s closing song “Add a Little Fancy” (reprise of the theme song) Nancy sings, “If things are looking boring and feeling oh so bleak, just add a little fancy and you’ll make it fan-tas-tique”. The songs are bouncy and fun and use a variety of instruments including strings, drums, piano, and an accordion–providing that very distinct French sound. In “Cafe Parfait” Nancy and friends serve each other at their imaginary fancy restaurant. Bree joins Nancy in “Friendship Pas De Deux” as they sing about dancing ballet and the different skills they like to practice.
I understand that it’s made for kids but with most of the songs featuring just Nancy, at 14 entries, it’s a little much for one sitting. That being said, I’m slightly embarrassed to admit that the soundtrack has grown on me. After some research, I discovered that the actress who voices Nancy played Matilda in the original Broadway tour of Matilda. And that is why this soundtrack works. While the pacing of the songs is a lot for my grown-up ears, Mia Sinclair Jenness has such a pleasant voice and projects and enunciates so beautifully…you know what, I’m on board.
Girls and boys will love the energetic and enthusiastic songs that encourage them to use their imaginations. And learning big words like “papillon” (butterfly), “antsy”, and “j’adore” will definitely make them feel grown up and fancy. If your music library contains any Disney Junior soundtracks, you’ll want to add this to your collection too. I give the Fancy Nancy soundtrack 4 out of 5 ooh-la-la’s.
The Fancy Nancy soundtrack is available now. Fancy Nancy will debut on Disney Junior on July 13th.