New Disney album provides students with nostalgic, relaxing study beats

Disney has catered “A Whole New World” of tunes to lo-fi lovers.

“Lofi Minnie: Focus” features 10 of Disney’s classic hits reimagined including “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “How Far I’ll Go.” Implementing elements of nostalgia while maintaining the meditative state typical to the lo-fi genre, alumnus and manager of the Mickey and Friends franchise Jenise Fretz said the March 18 album encourages escapism. By harkening back to movies that most adults saw as children, she said “Lofi Minnie: Focus” is the intersection between comfort and familiarity.

“I’ve always been a huge Disney fan from childhood and the brand really has a lot of nostalgia for me, personally,” Fretz said. “When I think about some of these classic Disney hits reimagined in lo-fi space, it connects it with my childhood which was a less stressful, carefree time.”

Through the nostalgic tunes, Fretz said “Lofi Minnie: Focus” sought to keep Mickey and Minnie alive in the hearts of adults by invoking sentimentality in otherwise stressful environments, such as college or the workplace. While the album is geared toward all demographics, she said the lo-fi genre intends to appeal to Gen-Z and Millennial audiences – it induces a sense of familiarity, making the album light-hearted and anxiety-relieving.

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Collaborators and lo-fi artists of the album similarly tapped into the fond memories of their childhood during the creative process, Fretz said. The artists fostered an intuitive connection with the songs produced, she said, as they were inspired by their favorite childhood tunes and movies. “Lofi Minnie: Focus” leverages a distinctive range of sound through numerous instruments, such as the piano, and showcases a broad spectrum of music, though it is predominantly influenced by roots of hip-hop and jazz, Fretz said.

“One of the artists we worked with, (is) named Jazzinuf who reimagines ‘You’ve Got a Friend in Me’ from ‘Toy Story,'” Fretz said. “He actually had a great take on why Disney songs pair so well with (the) lo-fi genre. He (said), ‘I always thought Disney and lo-fi are like pancakes and maple syrup.'”

While collaborators had the ability to choose which songs to produce, they were provided a list of songs to spin on generated through the Mickey and Friends Franchise Team, said senior manager Tim Pennoyer. He and his team tried to ensure that they chose songs that paid homage to the lo-fi genre, he said, dialing on foundational themes of relaxation and ease of mind.

“‘Hakuna Matata,’ for example, it means no worries,” Pennoyer said. “The overall premise of lo-fi is being able to chill out and enjoy the vibe so we felt like a song like ‘Hakuna Matata,’ where there’s no worries, is a perfect fit for an album (where) we’re trying to convey that exact message.”

Collaborating artist Hippo Dreams is a professional harpist who was brought onto the “Into the Unknown” track. With the track’s complimenting cello tune, Pennoyer said the song is capable of inducing chills down his spine.

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To complement the music, the album is also paired with an illustration and looping animation on YouTube of Minnie doing work in her room. Associate of the Mickey and Minnie franchise Sasha Kirshon said the art manifests a more expansive narrative of Minnie. As seen in Disney content throughout the years, Minnie plays the piano and knows how to be a conductor, and therefore exhibits varying instrumental and artistic inclinations, Kirshon said.

“She can be your study buddy, she can be your creative buddy,” Kirshon said. “It’s nice to be able to see her as a touchpoint that people can listen to for hours on end.”

Additionally, Kirshon said the varying flairs and soundtracks of lo-fi, including jazz and piano, are provided to match peoples’ varying lifestyles. With a tempo of 70 to 90 beats per minute, comparable to that of a heart rate, she said the album elevates tasks through cathartic tunes equipped for painting, cooking or vibing.

“For me, every time I hear (the album), I start singing right there, even though it’s instrumental,” Kirshon said. “What’s nice about it is you still get the melody really clearly so it almost can feel like you’re doing karaoke … I find myself humming for the rest of the day.”