This next May 26 What many have described as “Disney’s best live-action” will hit theaters. Those who have already been able to see ‘The Little Mermaid’ have applauded the adaptation and the Halle Bailey’s role as Ariel.
The singer, who suffered racist comments when her role was announced, she convinced critics in a role that was not easy at all: replacing Jodi Benson, the original voice of the young princess in the original 1989 film.
Like all animated classics, ‘The Little Mermaid’ is full of songs that have been recorded in the minds of both children and adults, and that in just a week they will be reinterpreted again in movie theaters around the world.
‘Part of your world’
One of the most mythical songs from the tape, in which Ariel sings after another argument with her father. the aquatic princess yearns to become human and being able to learn everything that happens outside the ocean, wishing to escape from that environment in which she feels confined.
Alan Menken, in charge of the film’s soundtrack, he worked with the lyricist Howard Ashmann to compose all the songs on the tape. ‘Part of your world’ is very influenced by musical theatre. At first, the film’s directors they wanted a romantic song, but Ashman believed that a song of longing for the human world would fit better. Seeing his success, she was right.
halle bailey already performed the song, whose original title is ‘Part of Your World’, a few days ago on the television show ‘American Idol’, proving that she has more than fulfilled the role of Ariel. Who gave voice to the princess in Castilian was Graciela Molia, although he took care of the songs Maria Caneda.
‘Under the sea’
Probably the best known song from the movie. Sebastian, voiced by Samuel E. Wright in the 1989 film, tries to convince Ariel to stay in the underwater world and throw away your thoughts about life on the surface with this legendary song, in which the crab sings about the wonders of living in the sea and the problems humans have in their world.
The song has many influences from the calypso style, which originated in Trinidad and Tobago in the mid-nineteenth century, as well as the reggae style typical Jamaican. ‘Under the sea’ was made with the Oscar for best original song as well as the Grammy for best song written for a visual medium in 1991.
‘kiss her’
Sebastián, after organizing the appointment in the swamp, encourages Prince Eric to kiss Ariel, that she has fallen completely in love with him. It is one of two songs that have been slightly modified for the 2023 version due to machismo.
As in ‘Under the Sea’, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman took the calypso music as inspiration for this song, which also got a Oscar nomination for best original song.
In the Spanish dubbing of the original film, it was John Perucho who gave voice to the crab in charge of watching over the daughters of King Triton, although in the songs the voice that is heard is that of the actor Vincent Borland.
‘Poor unfortunate souls’
The other song that has seen its lyrics modified is this classic sung by Úrsula, whose voice in this ‘live-action’ is that of Melissa McCarthy. The Sea Witch uses this classic to persuade Ariel to give him her voice, while in exchange the villain offers the princess to become human.
Menken and Ashman returned to take influences from musical theatre to compose this song, although they were also inspired by the burlesque style, very common in cabarets. The voice of the antagonist of the tape is that of Pat Carroll, to which Menken had to convince by sending him a demo with his own voice.
On May 19, a week before its theatrical release, soundtrack released of the 2023 version on digital platforms. For the ‘live-action’, the person in charge of singing the mythical song of Úrsula is eva diagowho has participated in several musicals.
‘Les poissons’
The late Rene Auberjonois gave voice to cook louie in the 1989 version. The chef at Eric’s castle sang this song while Sebastian, her archenemy, was trapped in her kitchen.
This song will not be present in the 2023 version, as Menken himself explained. In addition to ‘Fish’, as it is known in Spanish, viewers who go to see ‘The Little Mermaid’ will not hear either ‘The daughters of Triton’, one of the first songs on the tape.
Javier Bardem is in charge of interpreting the king of the oceans in this new Disney remake, in which they will also be present Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, and Melissa McCarthy. In barely a week, the songs from the mythical Disney film they will be heard again in movie theaters 34 years later.
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