Wizards of Waverly Place is the soundtrack album from the Disney Channel Original Series of the same name. The album was released as a physical CD, enhanced CD and digital on August 4, 2009, under Walt Disney Records. The album includes songs from and inspired by the television series and Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie.

Background

In an interview with Disney Channel's commercial-segment, Disney 365, Selena Gomez discussed her interpretations of the songs on the soundtrack saying: "Disappear is more of a romantic song. It's basically talking about how a girl likes a guy and they [she] don't want him to disappear, and then Magical is about casting a spell on a guy and this song, Magic, ties into Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie". Although recorded for the episode of the same name, "Make It Happen" does not appear on the album.

Critical reception

In response to the soundtrack, Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic recognized Wizards for its "teen revamps of boomer classics that parents can enjoy too". He also stated that the album is "agreeable" and that Selena Gomez "inevitably stands out from the pack". However, Erlewine said: "the dang-awful version of America's "You Can Do Magic" by Drew Seeley is sunk by its hyper-claustrophobic rhythms, the biggest rearrangement of a tune here and easily the worst cut."

Singles

"Magic" by Selena Gomez was released as a digital single on the iTunes Store. The song was released on July 21, 2009 as part of the Radio Disney iTunes Pass. "Magic" premiered on Radio Disney and a music video to Disney Channel on July 24. The song's music video has Gomez singing into a microphone with bright and flamboyant background, as well as including clips from Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie. "Magic" debuted at no. 61 in the Billboard Hot 100 with 42,000 downloads. Billie Eilish and her record-producer brother, Finneas, acknowledged a connection between her single "Bad Guy" and Gomez's "Everything Is Not What It Seems" in a Rolling Stone interview in December 2019.

Track listing

Charts and sales

The album debuted at #24 on the Billboard 200, selling 18,000 units in its first week. It has sold 106,000 copies in the U.S. to date.

International release

The soundtrack was released in the UK on October 5, 2009, although not stocked up in most of the UK, and in Mexico released on August 14, 2009.

Personnel