The soundtrack features a mix of old and new songs for the new musical
Though “The Little Mermaid” swims into theaters on May 26, fans have a chance to check out the movie score ahead of time.
The film’s star, Halle Bailey, reprised original song “Part of Your World,” which holds nostalgic ties to those who grew up watching the classic film. She also recorded a new song for her character as Ariel, “For the First Time.”
Director Rob Marshall told Deadline this week why they added an extra song for Ariel in the new version.
“Ariel had one song, and we had to hear more from her, even though she loses her voice to become a human,” he said. “We came up with this idea: what is she feeling when she first comes on land? And so John DeLuca and myself and David Magee came up with this idea for a song called ‘For the First Time,’ which allowed for a full montage of her experiences on land. We found a song for Scuttlebutt, written for Awkwafina, who’s really funny and also a wonderful rap artist too.”
Also featured on the album are new songs, with lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda, including a Hamilton-style rap.
Bailey recently spoke with Good Morning America about getting the original Ariel’s blessing and representation in Disney.
“It was a dream to meet Jodi Benson because, honestly, she has been the soundtrack of a lot of our childhoods and our lives, and the work she did as the original Ariel was just so special,” Bailey gushed.
In the same interview, she also share how proud she is to represent for black girls. Videos of children reacting to the trailer went viral on social media something the actress said has made her emotional.
“Honestly, seeing beautiful videos like this every day makes me cry. I literally have been sobbing every day seeing the reaction of these beautiful little girls and boys,” she said. “I’m just in a constant state of awe and so grateful that they are able to see themselves in a character like Ariel.”