The Little Mermaid's New Song: A Fresh Take on a Disney Classic

The live-action adaptation of The Little Mermaid will feature a new song called "For the First Time," which was created specifically for the film. This new track will be presented through Ariel's inner narration, as she expresses her emotions and observations after living on land for the first time. Director Rob Marshall recently spoke about working with composer Alan Menken to create this song, emphasizing how it adds to the overall film and is particularly beneficial for Ariel's character development.

It's astonishing to realize that Ariel only had one song in the animated film, although there were a series of reprises. Working with Alan was a great experience because he was open to exploring new ideas. As we were creating a live-action film, we had to approach it differently. We brainstormed and wondered if we could find another way to incorporate Ariel's character. The challenging aspect was that Ariel had lost her voice, but we found a way to communicate her internal thoughts through music and song. This helped us to create a montage of all the time that Ariel spent on land until she meets the prince for the first time. Overall, it was a wonderful collaboration that achieved a lot for us.

Why The New Ariel Song Works So Well

The song "For the First Time" from The Little Mermaid offers a glimpse into Ariel's psyche, even after she has given up her voice in exchange for legs. It captures her emotions and thoughts as she navigates life on land and among humans for the very first time. The lyrics of the song effectively convey the thrill of her newfound freedom as well as her discomfort in this unfamiliar world. Ariel is able to express her observations about human society while also grappling with the consequences of her decision to leave her underwater home and pursue Prince Eric.

Halle Bailey's impressive vocal performance brings to life a song that illuminates Ariel's inner conflict and its many nuances. As the protagonist of The Little Mermaid, Ariel deserves more than one solo song, and "For the First Time" delivers on that. It not only adds to her character development and the pacing of the story when she arrives on land, but it also showcases her agency and expression soon after losing her voice. The new song is a significant improvement on the 1989 film, making Ariel's journey even more compelling without changing or detracting from the original story or characters. This is precisely what Disney's live-action remakes can do well, capturing the spirit and iconic moments of the original while adding something fresh and exciting.

Source: Collider