2023’s The Little Mermaid live-action adaptation had the tall task of bringing “Part of Your World” to life and it somehow exceeded the iconic original song. In 1989, Jodi Benson belted out her rendition of the legendary track and in the decades since, it has held up as one of the best songs in any Disney movie ever. Asking someone to tackle it for a remake was asking a lot.
In surprising fashion, not only does this new adaptation of The Little Mermaid nail the song but it actually manages to outdo it. The performance by Halle Bailey was one of the most praised aspects throughout the entire movie, yet the true highlight was her beautiful singing voice. She shines when she’s given the chance to sing, even having multiple reprises of “Part of Your World” on The Little Mermaid soundtrack.
Halle Bailey Somehow Made “Part Of Your World” Even Better
Casting An Actual Singer Was Crucial To Its Success
Given the iconic status of “Part of Your World,” it was pivotal to get the song right in this live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid. Without it, the movie would feel incomplete, similar to how the 2020 Mulan left out “Make A Man Out of You,” the animated film’s most popular song. One key to getting the song just right was to cast a singer in the lead role of Ariel. Halle Bailey filled that role nicely, having initially shone as a member of Chloe x Halle, a music duo with her sister.
Bringing in Bailey meant that they had someone who could live up to what Jodi Benson did before her.
Though the previous live-action Disney remakes haven’t featured bad performances, they’ve focused more on casting actors who don’t have a singing background. That’s how it was for Emma Watson as Belle in Beauty and the Beast or Mena Mᴀssoud as Aladdin in Aladdin. However, bringing in Bailey meant that they had someone who could live up to what Jodi Benson did before her.
The vocals on this updated version of “Part of Your World” prove that casting Bailey was the right call. When she has to sing “ready to stand,” the way she holds the note on “stand” is the kind of thing that gives a listener goosebumps. The same goes for the rising crescendo of “above” in “explore that world up above.” It was the case of someone paying homage to what came before but also doing just enough to make it her own.
Live-Action Disney Remakes Have Missed The Mark On Iconic Songs
No Prior Remake Has Had Songs That Lived Up To The Original
There have been plenty of criticisms about Disney’s live-action films, with the most consistent being that they don’t live up to the original. That’s especially true with the songs as tracks like “Belle,” “A Whole New World,” and “I Just Can’t Wait to be King,” all ended up as disappointing. One of the few to work was “Gaston,” though that’s because it’s more of a comedic song than one that needs a huge voice.
If Disney is going to keep up with these remakes, the best course is to cast singers for these songs, so we can get more like “Part of Your World.”
The aforementioned Mᴀssoud, Watson, and others have performed well in these movies, but they didn’t quite have the voices to do justice to the classic songs they had to tackle. In fact, many of these fresh takes on the films do better with new and original songs than remaking the classics, like “Speechless” in Aladdin. However, even that had Naomi Scott performing it and she has a background in singing. If Disney is going to keep up with these remakes, the best course is to cast singers for these songs, so we can get more like “Part of Your World.”
