Ba da ba dum bum bum da bum bum bum... (that's Under the Sea, by the way)
The Little Mermaid is officially in theaters! For all that love the original, I hope you got a chance to go see it this weekend. With a Disney remake comes re-imaginings of iconic songs as well as some new numbers that (hopefully) add up to a great soundtrack. When I hit The Little Mermaid on my Disney rewatch (which I am behind on), I will rank the original's songs, but since this just came out, I am ranking the remake songs. Let's dive in (pun intended).
9. Fathoms Below
The opening song in the original is used strangely in the remake. Not only is it not the film's opener, but it feels awkward and clunky as though it was forced in as a nod to the original. They decided to include this song but they got rid of Les Poissones? C'mon, guys. Let's make better decisions. This song is so forgettable in the original, so why throw it in here? I don't know.
8. Wild Uncharted Waters
One of a few new songs in the remake, Wild Uncharted Waters is bad. It serves as Eric's Part of Your World, but it doesn't work for a few reasons: first off, it isn't catchy. It doesn't have good lyrics, which is shocking, because it's written by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Secondly, Jonah Hauer-King (the actor) keeps making weird faces while singing, and it is really, really distracting. I did not like this song at all.
7. For the First Time
This song felt like it existed for one reason and one reason only: to give Halle Bailey another solo. It's such an odd entry, because it comes at a point where Ariel has lost her voice, so we just hear Halle Bailey voicing over Ariel's thoughts as she proceeds throughout the village and gets her first experiences as a human. It's not actually a horrible song, but it isn't very memorable and comes at a weird time.
6. The Scuttlebutt
Scuttle and Sebastian are two of the highlights of the film, and their duet is hilarious. Miranda gives us his only good new addition to this movie with a strange rap between Sebastian and Scuttle that adds some much needed levity at a time when the film has gotten weirdly heavy. It was really funny, really catchy, and easily the best new song in the movie.
5. Part of Your World (Reprise)
Halle Bailey's second rendition of the most iconic song from The Little Mermaid is just as amazing as the first. The only difference is that this one is much shorter. And that knocks it back a good bit. Reprises are, by definition, inferior versions of their original songs, so the reprise of Part of Your World isn't as good. It's still better than any of the new songs. They still have the iconic rock splash. But there are four great songs above here, so I can't put this one much higher.
4. Under the Sea
The live-action Under the Sea is still catchy and fun, but it doesn't hit as hard as the original. Due to every sea creature being CGI, it looks a bit fuzzy and awkward. Daveed Diggs does a great job with the vocals and Halle Bailey's fun dancing with all of these sea creatures will put a smile on your face. It's still an iconic song and still well done, but the animated original is one of the best Disney songs of all time, and this rendition does not live up to that.
3. Kiss the Girl
On the opposite side of things, Kiss the Girl is actually improved in this movie. One of the best things about this remake is the fleshing out of Ariel and Eric's relationship, so you are more invested in them when this song rolls around. They add some great Scuttle-Sebastian comedy in here that had me laughing out loud alongside some actually good visuals that elevated this scene for me. I didn't think a Disney remake could improve upon an iconic song, but this movie proved me wrong.
2. Poor Unfortunate Souls
Everything about Poor Unfortunate Souls is fun, and Melissa McCarthy just spices it up the tiniest bit. She nails the overly expressive, drawling aspect of Ursula while adding her own comedic touch, and she throws all of that into this number. It's definitely hurt by the awkwardness of the underwater CGI. The visuals can be distracting, but this is still a great re-imaging of a classic Disney villain song.
1. Part of Your World
Part of Your World is the best song in this movie for one reason: Halle Bailey. Jodi Benson was a great singer in the original, but Halle Bailey just takes the song to a different level. Her voice is incredible. I don't have words to describe it. I've never fully loved Part of Your World, but Halle Bailey's version made me re-think my opinion of it. It's the most iconic song in the original, and Bailey's version is going to be iconic in it's own right.
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