"Zootopia" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Zootopia (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" – Album Guide to Tracks and Key Scenes

Review

What does a buddy-cop fable about bias, hustle, and hope sound like? Zootopia answers with a warm, rhythmic score by Michael Giacchino and a pop anthem that doubles as the movie’s thesis. “Try Everything” isn’t just catchy — it’s Judy Hopps’s worldview in three minutes, stitched into the film at two crucial moments and echoed by Giacchino’s motifs.

Giacchino sets instruments from across the world inside a classic orchestral frame — hand percussion, gamelan colors, woodwinds that scamper like a bunny, brass that swagger like a fox. The music tracks identity: bright, bounding lines for Judy’s optimism; sly, syncopated figures for Nick; hush and pulse as the conspiracy tightens. Meanwhile the few on-screen songs (a van-bumping rap, radio dial gags, a pop-star finale) are placed with precision — brief, characterful, funny. The result: a family film that plays its heart straight and its humor with musical side-eye.

Genres & themes, in phases: orchestral adventure — curiosity, courage; world-percussion textures — bustle and place; pop anthem — resilience; hip-hop snippets & radio jokes — texture, comedy, character.

How It Was Made

Michael Giacchino composed the score — his first feature for Walt Disney Animation Studios — recorded in November 2015 with an 80-piece orchestra at the Eastwood Scoring Stage. Executive music producer Chris Montan and music supervisor Tom MacDougall guided a palette that sprinkles “world music” colors across a classic adventure backbone. Walt Disney Records released the album March 4, 2016 (digital) and March 25, 2016 (CD). Shakira contributed and performed the original song “Try Everything,” written by Sia with Stargate; in-story, her pop star character Gazelle performs it during the end credits concert.

Editorially, the song placements are surgical: “Try Everything” on Judy’s train ride and again at the curtain call; a bespoke rap blasting from Finnick’s van speakers; a run of blink-and-you’ll-miss-them radio cuts as Judy scrolls through stations — each cue a joke or a character nudge rather than a playlist dump.

Tracks & Scenes

“Try Everything” (Shakira)

Where it plays:

Heard in Judy’s earbuds as she rides the train from Bunnyburrow to Zootopia, montage-style, taking in the skyline and species-specific boroughs (early act). Returns diegetically when Gazelle performs it during the end-credits plaza concert with her tiger dancers.

Why it matters:

The movie’s creed — fail, learn, keep going. It frames Judy’s leap and seals the city’s healing.

“Parlez-Vous Rap” (Daveed Diggs; produced by BloodPop)

Where it plays:

Blares from Finnick’s van after he and Nick finish the jumbo-pop hustle (≈0:23). Diegetic — Finnick cranks it as he drives off, still in his “giant toddler” disguise.

Why it matters:

Instant vibe read: Finnick’s taste is louder than his height. A bespoke needle-drop that became a fan-favorite earworm.

Judy’s radio scroll: “Everybody Hurts” (R.E.M.) → “All By Myself” (Eric Carmen) → “Can’t Do Nuthin’ Right” (Madisen Ward)

Where it plays:

On patrol, Judy flips through stations (≈0:25–0:26). Snippets of melodrama — then a droll indie cut — before she snaps the radio off and leans into the case. Diegetic gag.

Why it matters:

Comedy by contrast: the “sad-song” cliché smashed into Judy’s relentless pep.

“Give Me a Try” (Andrea Datzman)

Where it plays:

Source-style lounge cue in the Tundratown ice-cream parlor as Judy watches Nick and Finnick charm their way to a jumbo pop.

Why it matters:

Sets a cozy, syrupy mood that undercuts the con unfolding two feet away.

Library cues: “One More Time” (Barrie Gledden & Peter Shand)

Where it plays:

Brief background source needle in a mid-film transition (library music used for ambience).

Why it matters:

Texture — the kind of unobtrusive, licensed bed that sells a bustling metropolis.

Score highlights (Michael Giacchino)

Where it plays:

“Hopps Goes (After) the Weasel” sprints through the farmers’ market chase; “Jumbo Pop Hustle” lays playful pizzicato under Nick’s con; “Mr. Big” tips a mafioso wink in Tundratown; “Case of the Manchas” ratchets dread in the Rainforest District; “The Nick of Time” and “Some of My Best Friends Are Predators” carry the investigation’s emotional turns.

Why it matters:

A city’s worth of colors, all in service of Judy and Nick’s arc — curiosity → trust → courage.

Trailer song: “Fireball (feat. John Ryan)” (Pitbull)

Where it appears:

Used prominently in marketing/trailer cuts — a bassy, party-forward contrast to the film’s more orchestral center.

Why it matters:

Sets an external, hype-y tone for promos while the movie itself keeps the pop minimal.

Notes & Trivia

• Giacchino recorded the score over four days with an 80-piece orchestra; world-percussion instruments add bustle and “city of animals” flavor.
• “Try Everything” was written by Sia and Stargate for Shakira’s in-film persona Gazelle; released as a single Jan 26, 2016.
• Music supervisor Tom MacDougall kept needle-drops sparse and purposeful — most musical storytelling comes from the score.
• Regional title note: the film and soundtrack are also known as Zootropolis (UK/IE/IT/ES) and Zoomania (DE); the album contents are the same.
• A picture-disc vinyl, Music From Zootopia, followed in 2017.

Reception & Quotes

Critics praised the film’s heart and craft; music coverage spotlighted the Giacchino score’s warmth and Shakira’s earworm as a cultural carryover.

“A heartfelt message for kids — with layered subtext for adults.” — ScreenRant

“The soundtrack’s pop anchor, ‘Try Everything,’ became a cross-platform hit.” — Billboard/Chart notes

Interesting Facts

• Pop as creed: The lyric “I won’t give up, no I won’t give in” mirrors Judy’s arc beat for beat.
• Bespoke van jam: “Parlez-Vous Rap” was created for the film and voiced by Daveed Diggs — no full commercial release.
• Radio comedy: The dial-through gag relies on micro-snippets of well-known tear-jerkers — then cuts to silence for the punchline.
• Score DNA: The Tundratown mafia pastiche nods without quoting The Godfather — all wink, no lawsuit.
• Vinyl flourish: Disney issued a double-LP picture disc the year after release for collectors.

Technical Info

• Type: Feature film soundtrack — original score + select licensed/source cues
• Title: Zootopia (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2016
• Composer: Michael Giacchino
• Song: “Try Everything” performed by Shakira; written by Sia and Stargate
• Music supervision: Tom MacDougall; Executive music producer: Chris Montan
• Label/album: Walt Disney Records — Digital (Mar 4, 2016); CD (Mar 25, 2016)
• Selected notable placements: Shakira — “Try Everything” (train montage; end-credits concert); Daveed Diggs — “Parlez-Vous Rap” (Finnick’s van); R.E.M. — “Everybody Hurts,” Eric Carmen — “All By Myself,” Madisen Ward — “Can’t Do Nuthin’ Right” (Judy’s radio gag); Andrea Datzman — “Give Me a Try” (parlor source); Barrie Gledden & Peter Shand — “One More Time” (library source); Pitbull — “Fireball” (trailer).
• Trailer ID (YouTube): jWM0ct-OLsM

Questions & Answers

Who composed the score?

Michael Giacchino, recorded with an 80-piece orchestra and added world-percussion colors.

Who wrote and performed “Try Everything”?

Performed by Shakira; written by Sia with Stargate. It plays on Judy’s train ride and during the end-credits concert.

What’s the loud song in Finnick’s van?

“Parlez-Vous Rap,” voiced by Daveed Diggs and produced by BloodPop, created specifically for the film.

Are the radio songs on the commercial album?

No — those brief source snippets (“Everybody Hurts,” “All By Myself,” etc.) are clearances in the film only.

Is there a separate “songs” album?

No — the official release is Giacchino’s score with “Try Everything.” The other cues are either source snippets or library tracks.

Key Contributors

Sources: Walt Disney Records/Spotify & Apple Music album pages; Wikipedia (film & soundtrack); IMDb (Soundtracks & Full Credits); Disney Digital Studio notes; WhatSong/Soundtrakd/MovieOST listings (scene placements & trailer cue); Official trailers.

November, 22nd 2025