Descendants 2 [Original TV Movie Soundtrack]

A sequel to the 2015 Disney Channel movie musical about the offspring of (in)famous Disney heroes and villains, 2017's Descendants 2 returned leads including Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Sofia Carson, and Booboo Stewart. They are well-represented on the movie's soundtrack, which features six original songs plus five reworked Disney tunes that include songs from the animated spin-off series Descendants: Wicked World plus The Little Mermaid''s "Kiss the Girl" and "Poor Unfortunate Souls." The latter features a solo China McClain as Uma, daughter of Ursula. Among over a dozen songwriters represented on the original songs are Sam Hollander (Weezer, One Direction), Mitch Allan (SR-71, Demi Lovato), Nikki Leonti (Nikki & Rich), and Antonina Armato and Tim James of Rock Mafia. Blending elements of EDM, rock, and hip-hop with a Disney pop sensibility, its overall tone is that of a darker, brasher dance-pop. Notably absent are any parent-generation voices, such as Kristin Chenoweth, who appeared on the Descendants soundtrack. ~ Marcy Donelson