After a teaser and the highly-anticipated full-length trailer for Halle Bailey’s debut as Ariel in the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid was finally released, Disney fans have been waiting to hear the newest princess’ rendition of the classics from the 1989 animated film.
Now, Bailey’s version of the film’s signature song, “Part of Your World,” has been released.
Bailey reveals 'Part of Your World' is available for streaming
A month before the release of the new film, Bailey took to Instagram to let her 4.5 million followers know they can now stream her recording of “Part of Your World.” She captioned a photo of the single artwork: “omg y’all you can now listen now to the full “Part of Your World,” performed by me – from Disney’s The Little Mermaid on spotify (link in bio) – only one month left until the movie!
“Part of Your World” was originally performed by Jodi Benson for the animated film and its accompanying soundtrack. The film won the Academy Award for best original score and best original song for “Under the Sea,” which was also included on both the film and soundtrack.
The ‘grown-ish’ alum has ignroed criticism over her casting
Despite the outpouring of support Bailey has as being added to the list of Disney princesses, not everyone was supportive. The five-time Grammy-nominated singer faced a ton of backlash for not “looking like” the animated character. Much of the criticism was seemingly rooted in racism, but she handled it all with grace at least publicly.
While attending the 2023 Disney Dreamers Academy as the official ambassador, she told a room full of graduates, supporters, and executives what she did to block out the noise.
“For the first time in my life, there was negativity targeted deliberately toward me because I looked different than the original character,” she said. “And there were days when I thought, no one wants me to win, but here’s how I coped, and it is something for you to think about– ‘Who are you?’ I asked myself. Who are you? You need to ask yourself. Whether someone is supportive or not, do you know who you are? Did I accept this role for all good things? Do I see it as a blessing? Did Rob Marshall, the film’s director, make the right decision in casting me and making a historic casting for an iconic role? And all the answers were yes, and those yeses started drowning out all the nos that are trying to shake it.”
She added: “And in the end, the loudest voice in your head should be yours, and those of the people who love you, and who love and respect you, simple but effective,” she said. “Who am I? My name is Halle Bailey, and I am a winner and a dreamer.”
