We May Resent Disney Remakes, But They Give Us the Best Music
When I look at current movie showings or even upcoming releases, it’s hard for me not to feel pessimistic. Everything lately seems to be a reboot, a remake, or a sequel in an already well-established franchise, leaving indie and original films to flounder at the box office unless it garners buzz, think pieces, and word-of-mouth reach online. And since 2015 with the release of the Cinderella remake, Disney seems to have found a decent audience and millions in revenue from remaking and updating their beloved cartoons from the 90s and backward, especially their princess line. There’s much to say, and indeed, much has been said already, about the obvious cash grabs these remakes are, how poorly animation often translates into real life, and yet how they modernize old stories for new audiences and what they can do for representation when casting actors from marginalized actors in traditionally white roles. But what hasn’t been praised, or even been talked about enough, is the music. Both re-recorded and original, I’ve found that the new tracks from these beloved movies keep me coming back and stop them from becoming irrelevant by audiences and the wider industry.
Not many moviegoers have realized it but this has been true since the 2015 version of Cinderella when Lily James re-recorded “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” for the movie soundtrack. While it didn’t make an appearance in the movie itself, since the film (note: not musical) only had one real song performed by Helena Bonham Carter, it nonetheless made an impact on me. Not only did I not know James could sing until releasing that song, but it was incredible how much she embodied the beautiful, delicate, princess-perfect voice and clear, haunting vocals, not to mention the gorgeous backing score. It’s no wonder that this continues to be my favorite film remake, both on its own and the impact it undeniably made on the film industry today.
Both prior to this and immediately after, there were other singles that made their mark on the culture including Lana del Rey’s “Once Upon a Dream” from Maleficient, Christina Aguilera’s “Loyal Brave and True” from Mulan, and Avril Lavigne’s “Alice” from Alice in Wonderland from a tie-in concept album–all notably from popular artists who did not appear in the films themselves, none of which were musicals, thus not requiring their lead actors to be able to sing.
Everything changed, however, with The Lion King. This was a huge turning point for remake music thanks to the queen herself, Beyoncé. The film itself may have been lackluster and too close to a National Geographic documentary for comfort but no one put in the effort to promote a story like Queen B. Released the same day as the film, her soundtrack album The Gift was a step forward in artists creating completely original music to match the themes and tone of the remake. Even in the casting, there was a clear dedication to diversity and hiring Black actors to tell an African story. Likewise, The Gift featured a wide array of talent from across the Black diaspora in America and Africa, was produced by African producers, and was accompanied by the musical film Black is King. “Brown Skin Girl,” easily the most popular single from the album, went hugely viral online, opening the floodgates for African music, especially from Nigeria, to take center stage in the international music scene. Just take a listen to any song, its triumph in capturing the beauty of R&B, Afrobeats, hip-hop, and pop, and it’s obvious how the impact went beyond the film and into the culture that has yet to be outdone by any Disney remake since.
That is, until The Little Mermaid. As of this writing, the film has yet to be officially released but Halle Bailey’s rendition of the classic “Part of Your World,” both on the official soundtrack and a live performance at Disneyland, has already become an online phenomenon, catapulting her to even bigger stardom status. Just like with Lily James, it’s obvious how well Bailey embodies the tone, delivery, and vocal performance of a classic Disney princess, and why she fits the role of Ariel so perfectly. Undoubtedly, it will carry into her film performance as well and I’m so excited to see her join the line-up of successful Disney films, bringing a new kind of representation of Black girls and women to this classic story.
It’s no accident, of course, that while there have been many amazing original and re-recorded songs since 2010, the two remakes with the biggest impacts on the culture owe their success to Black female artists. This industry doesn’t always favor Black creativity but it’s clear how integral it is to representation, creativity, and new storytelling. Looking ahead, there are plenty of remakes I’m looking forward to including Snow White starring Rachel Zegler (who is thankfully also a singer), solely for all the music they’re likely to bring to the table. Undeniably, there is a lot to criticize about this era of filmmaking and its effect on original artistic integrity; but one thing is for sure, the music is a bonus none of us saw coming.