Disney looks to have struck gold yet again with its live-action remakes, thanks to The Little Mermaid delivering yet another victory. As Ariel’s first weekend under the sea has landed an impressive opening weekend number for Rob Marshall's remake, star Halle Bailey has a lot to reflect on through her time making the picture. Part of those memories come from the day she filmed “Part of Your World,” which she admits was a "hard day" and a "crumbling" experience in a new behind-the-scenes video.
Through a post shared on her personal Instagram, Bailey released several clips and snapshots from the filming of the fairytale production. Some are fun images, like co-star Jonah Hauer-King getting friendly with a cutout of Ariel. Others are some enlightening looks behind the scenes, like the clip that started off this collage of memories with the actor recounting the process of capturing this legendary tune. It's that clip that is worth pausing on.
“Part of Your World” is definitely worthy of the description that Halle Bailey gave it in the video shown above. It’s the epitome of the “I Want” songs that the Disney musical canon is known for, with a reputation only bolstered by the fact that it came from the legendary team of Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman.
It took two days to film all of the stanzas in the song, and those days were not easy, according to the actress. Bailey encapsulated all of the emotionality the song required but it took a toll. She noted of the experience:
I am crumbling emotionally, because it’s such a desperate plea, and I’m sensitive. The song is hard to sing, the song is hard to do in general. I’m trying to show every emotion in my face, and move the right way I’m supposed to.
Like any professional, Halle understood the task at hand, while also admitting the nerves she felt on set. It’d honestly be crazy if she hadn’t felt like this at least once when making the summer movie hit, as it’s not like this is an obscure or older title that’s not available to those with a Disney+ subscription. Not to mention, The Little Mermaid’s musical centerpiece is as iconic as the film itself.
In our own Little Mermaid song rankings, as well as the ranking of iconic Disney princess songs, "Part of Your World" is a top-tier champion challenged by so few. This sort of pressure is something that any Disney actor would probably feel when tackling a modern reinterpretation of a popular musical moment.
Admittedly, if there were going to be one singular moment that Halle Bailey felt this way on set, "Part of Your World" was probably always going to be it. Thankfully, as with most Disney fairy tales, this story has a happy ending that will ring out for some time to come.
This familiar tune is probably still ringing in people’s ears, retaking karaoke bars, and parroted by so many youngsters and deep cut fans who made The Little Mermaid’s first place box office a reality. Just as Jodi Benson had in the past, Halle Bailey is now taking her place among the pantheon of Disney princesses, with a powerful performance that’ll make for so many magical memories.
Sometimes a bit of a crumble is all it takes to build something so strong. Just don't be surprised if you fall apart a bit while watching this scene in The Little Mermaid, which is currently showing in theaters. Be sure to have the appropriate amount of tissues on hand.
