Watch Halle Bailey Totally Belt Out The Little Mermaid's Part Of Your World Live At Disneyland
"American Idol" is no stranger to a theme week, but the singing competition show struck a bit of collaborative gold by timing their Disney week with the upcoming release of the live-action "The Little Mermaid," which was the perfect opportunity to showcase Ariel herself, Halle Bailey, singing "Part of Your World."
With the exception of moronic racists who desperately need to have their keyboards taken away until they learn how to act with some common decency, Bailey's casting has been the main motivating factor for folks to turn up to see the new film, as the trailer had many fearing "The Little Mermaid" was going to follow the way of the "live-action" adaptation of "The Lion King." Regardless of how the final product turns out, there's one thing to be sure: Halle Bailey is Ariel.
The performance shows Bailey performing in front of the castle with underwater projections dazzling behind her. The train of her dress was also styled in a way to simulate water, and it's hard not to be caught up in the Disney Magic of it all. The second she started to sing, I felt myself immediately possessed by the same childlike wonder that adored Ariel decades prior.
Bailey took to Twitter to note that this was the first time performing the number live since filming. "Thank you 'American Idol' for giving me the chance to do so on stage at Disneyland," she wrote. "Singing vocals in freezing cold weather at 3 a.m. while [the] park is closed is no joke but we did it!" If you weren't on board with her as our new Ariel, this show-stopping performance will certainly do the trick.
Watch Halle Bailey singing at Disneyland here
"The Little Mermaid" is the latest live-action reimaging of a Disney animated classic, and directed by Academy Award-nominated director, Rob Marshall ("Chicago," "Into the Woods," "Mary Poppins Returns"). Following the same story as the beloved 1989 film that kicked off the Disney Renaissance, "The Little Mermaid" follows a curious young mermaid named Ariel who longs for a world beyond her father, King Triton's, kingdom under the sea. After a chance encounter with the human Prince Eric fills Ariel with feelings of love and a stronger desire than ever to live a life on dry land, she makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy) to magically become a human, but incidentally puts her father's kingdom in jeopardy in the process.
Ariel was originally voiced by the incomparable Jodi Benson, who has been singing the high praises of Halle Bailey's performance for months. "Halle, you were absolutely amazing!" Benson wrote in an Instagram post. "I'm so proud of you and your beautiful performance as Ariel." Not that Bailey needs anyone's permission or approval to play Ariel, but it's a touching sign that the woman who originated the character as we know her today is arguably her successor's biggest cheerleader.
But after watching this live performance, it's safe to say that Ariel is the role Bailey was born to play. Her voice captures the youthful spiritedness that is vital to a curious character like Ariel but with the vocal prowess of a performer well beyond her years. I can't imagine anyone better taking up Benson's mermaid mantle.
"The Little Mermaid" swims into theaters on May 26, 2023, but you can pick up the soundtrack on May 19, 2023.