Despite her own musical history, The Little Mermaid‘s Ariel actor Halle Bailey was nervous about singing in the new movie. The prolific Mary Poppins Returns and Chicago filmmaker Rob Marshall is helming the upcoming live-action film for Disney, based on John Musker and Ron Clements’ 1989 animated fairytale movie of the same name that kicked off the Renaissance era for the House of Mouse. Bailey, of the Grammy-nominated musical duo Chloe x Halle, is leading Marshall’s The Little Mermaid as Ariel, with Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem, Melissa McCarthy, Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay, and Awkwafina appearing in key roles.
The Little Mermaid is set to feature all the classic songs from the original animated movie, in addition to four new songs that lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda has co-written with Alan Menken, who is returning as the composer for both the score and the songs. While a lot is not known about the music in the film, it has been reported that Diggs’ Sebastian might rap in The Little Mermaid, while Bailey would lend her voice for the score and several songs that take place both underwater, and on land. Bailey had earlier elaborated how surreal and sentimental it was to sing in The Little Mermaid, and now she is sharing some of the challenges she faced as she tackled her musical duties.
In an interview with Essence, The Little Mermaid‘s Ariel, Halle Bailey, recalled feeling nervous about singing for the new Disney movie. Since she’s so used to doing her music with her sister Chloe, the star spoke about being uncertain to sing in such a big studio tentpole all by herself. Read what Bailey said below.
I was so nervous to do something on my own. I was like, I don’t know if I can do it without [Chloe]. I’m so used to her being there and giving me that final push.
It makes sense for Bailey to have her inhibitions about singing in The Little Mermaid, as a large part of her music career is credited to her duets with her sister, and while the star is undoubtedly a talented musician, Chloe x Halle has been an integral part of her identity as a singer. Since Bailey has collaborated with Chloe for most of her discography, her nerves could stem from her lack of solo performances, making it understandable singing for the movie would be a daunting task for her. Additionally, the job at hand was also intimidating as The Little Mermaid is greatly revered for its iconic music, which garnered Academy Awards and Golden Globe wins for Best Original Song and Score.
While The Little Mermaid‘s Ariel actor was nervous about singing for the new movie, it already seems that she has managed to ace her job. Marshall previously praised Bailey’s cover of the “Part of Your World” song, recalling her performance to be so moving that it brought him to tears, while also feeling he has seen Bailey manifest Ariel’s fiery emotional passion, indicating his confidence in the young star, in contrast to racist backlash she has faced. Despite her initial nerves, Bailey seems determined to bring Ariel to life in The Little Mermaid just as fans know her when it hits theaters on May 26, 2023.
