"Kiss the Girl" | |
---|---|
Song by Samuel E. Wright | |
from the album Disney's The Little Mermaid: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | |
Released | 1989 |
Recorded | 1988–1989 |
Genre | Calypso, pop |
Length | 2:43 |
Label | Walt Disney Records |
Composer(s) | Alan Menken |
Lyricist(s) | Howard Ashman |
Producer(s) |
|
"Kiss the Girl" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for Walt Disney Pictures' animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). Originally recorded by American actor Samuel Wright in his film role as Sebastian, "Kiss the Girl" is a romantic calypso love song; the song's lyrics encourages Prince Eric to kiss Ariel before it's too late.
"Kiss the Girl" had a mostly positive reception. The song was nominated for both an Academy and Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, but lost both to "Under the Sea", another song from The Little Mermaid soundtrack.
The song takes place during Ariel's second day as human. Ariel and Eric are in a boat and Sebastian tries to set a romantic mood in order to inspire Eric to kiss Ariel.
The lyrics of the song are written in 6 stanzas of 7 verses each, each stanza closing with the refrain sung as a slight variation of expressing the expectation of what happens when "You kiss the girl". The variations of the single verse refrain start with "You wanna kiss the girl", going through slight variations in each stanza until the closing stanza which sings the refrain as "You gotta kiss the girl". The song closes with an outro which repeats each version of the refrain one after the other. [1] The song's lyrics express the expectations of a boyfriend about to bestow a first kiss to his romantic interest. [2] For the 2023 live-action film, some of the lyrics were updated in response to viewers who have gotten "sensitive about the idea that [Prince Eric] would, in any way, force himself on [Ariel]." [3]
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom (BPI) [4] | Silver | 200,000‡ |
United States (RIAA) [5] | 2× Platinum | 2,000,000‡ |
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. |
In 1991, Soul II Soul released a version for the compilation Simply Mad About the Mouse: A Musical Celebration of Imagination . Their version also appeared in part one of the Family Matters episode "We're Going to Disney World" during the montage with Stefan Urquelle (played by Jaleel White) and Laura Winslow (played by Kellie Shanygne Williams) in Disney World.
Country music band Little Texas recorded a version on the 1996 album The Best of Country Sing the Best of Disney . This rendition peaked at number 52 on the Hot Country Songs charts.
Christian Punk band Stellar Kart covered "Kiss the Girl" on their 2012 complimentary A Whole New World EP .
"Kiss the Girl" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Peter Andre | ||||
Released | July 13, 1998 | |||
Recorded | 1997 | |||
Genre | Pop, calypso | |||
Length | 2:52 | |||
Label | Mushroom Records | |||
Composer(s) | Alan Menken | |||
Lyricist(s) | Howard Ashman | |||
Producer(s) | Peter Andre | |||
Peter Andre singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Licensed audio | ||||
"Kiss the Girl" on YouTube | ||||
Licensed audio | ||||
"Kiss the Girl" on YouTube |
When The Little Mermaid was re-released in cinemas,Peter André recorded a version of the song,which reached #9 on the UK Singles Chart.
The video shows Andre performing the song in a recording studio. Scenes from the film are intercut with the video or shown on a backdrop behind Andre and the backing singers. There are slight references to water and the undersea world in the video. As Andre performs a beautiful girl comes in carrying water. Andre sees her and is immediately taken with her. He helps her clean up the water as she spills it and follows her into the next room where they gaze at each other through a fishtank. Andre tries to kiss the girl but she backs away. He follows her again as she goes outside and they kiss.
"Kiss the Girl" | |
---|---|
Promotional single by Ashley Tisdale | |
from the album Disney's The Little Mermaid:An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack (Special Edition) and Disneymania 5 | |
Released | September 4,2006 ( Radio Disney ) |
Recorded | 2006 |
Genre | Pop rock |
Length | 3:23 |
Label | Warner Bros. Records |
Composer(s) | Alan Menken |
Lyricist(s) | Howard Ashman |
Licensed audio | |
"Kiss the Girl" on YouTube | |
Licensed audio | |
"Kiss the Girl" on YouTube |
In 2006,when The Little Mermaid was re-released on DVD as a 2-Disc Platinum Edition,another rendition of the song was recorded by Ashley Tisdale. It was included on the Special Edition re-release of the film's soundtrack. [6] It was later included on DisneyMania 5. [7]
The music video,released on September 6,2006,consists of a girl at a school dance. As she hangs out with her friends,she notices a boy repeatedly glancing at her. The boy's friend encourages him to talk to Tisdale,but every time he gets close,she goes somewhere else. The video ends with Tisdale asking him to dance,and then at the end she kisses him on the cheek. Tooth Tunes included the song in one of their products. [8] The music video is included as a bonus feature on the 2006 Platinum Edition release of the film. [9]
In the first week of April 2007,Tisdale's version of "Kiss the Girl" debuted on the Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles at #16. One week later,the song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at #81.
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
---|---|
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 [10] | 81 |
U.S. Billboard Pop 100 [10] | 74 |
U.S. Billboard Hot Digital Songs [10] | 68 |
UK Singles Chart | 86 |
Brian Wilson included a cover on his 2011 album In the Key of Disney .
Suburban Legends covered the song on their Disney covers EP,Dreams Aren't Real,But These Songs Are,Vol. 1,in 2013. The band regularly performs the song on tour and at Disneyland's Tomorrowland Terrace.
The 2012 album Disney - Koe no Oujisama Vol.2,which features various Japanese voice actors covering Disney songs,contains a version of this song covered by Hiro Shimono.
"Kiss the Girl" | |
---|---|
Song by Dove Cameron,Sofia Carson,Cameron Boyce,Booboo Stewart,China Anne McClain and Thomas Doherty | |
from the album Descendants 2 | |
Recorded | 2016 |
Genre | Electropop,R&B |
Length | 2:44 |
Label | Walt Disney |
Composer(s) | Alan Menken |
Lyricist(s) | Howard Ashman |
The main cast of Descendants 2 covered the song in the film's soundtrack. The song also is featured during the film's credits.
The members of Vocal Point including the three vocalists;Zack Dalley,Carson Trautman,&Nathan Moser,covered the song for the 2022 album Magic:Disney Through Time.
The Little Mermaid is a 1989 American animated musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation in association with Silver Screen Partners IV and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is loosely based on the 1837 Danish fairy tale "The Little Mermaid" by Hans Christian Andersen. The film was written and directed by John Musker and Ron Clements and produced by Musker and Howard Ashman,who also wrote the film's songs with Alan Menken,who also composed the film's score. Featuring the voices of RenéAuberjonois,Christopher Daniel Barnes,Jodi Benson,Pat Carroll,Paddi Edwards,Buddy Hackett,Jason Marin,Kenneth Mars,Ben Wright,and Samuel E. Wright,The Little Mermaid tells the story of a teenage mermaid princess named Ariel,who dreams of becoming human and falls in love with a human prince named Eric,which leads her to make a magic deal with the sea witch,Ursula,to become human and be with him.
The Little Mermaid is an American animated musical television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation based on the 1989 animated feature film of the same name. It features the adventures of Ariel as a mermaid prior to the events of the film. This series is the third Disney television series to be spun off from a major animated film. Some of the voice actors of the film reprise their roles in the series,among them Jodi Benson as Ariel,Samuel E. Wright as Sebastian,Kenneth Mars as King Triton,and Pat Carroll as Ursula. Other voice actors include Edan Gross as Flounder,and Jeff Bennett as Prince Eric.
The Little Mermaid II:Return to the Sea is a 2000 animated direct-to-video musical fantasy adventure film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation,and the second installment in The Little Mermaid trilogy. Directed by Jim Kammerud and Brian Smith,the story of the film takes place 12 years after the original,and focuses on Ariel and Eric's daughter Melody,a human princess who longs to swim in the ocean despite her parents' law that the sea is forbidden to her.
Alan Irwin Menken is an American composer and conductor,best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and Skydance Animation. Menken's music for The Little Mermaid (1989),Beauty and the Beast (1991),Aladdin (1992),and Pocahontas (1995) has each won him two Academy Awards. He also composed the scores and songs for Little Shop of Horrors (1986),Newsies (1992),The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996),Hercules (1997),Home on the Range (2004),Enchanted (2007),Tangled (2010),and Disenchanted (2022),among others. His accolades include winning eight Academy Awards —becoming the second most prolific Oscar winner in the music categories after Alfred Newman,a Tony Award,eleven Grammy Awards,seven Golden Globe Awards,and a Daytime Emmy Award. Menken is one of twenty-one people to have won an Emmy,a Grammy,an Oscar and a Tony.
Ariel is a fictional character in Walt Disney Pictures' animated film The Little Mermaid (1989). Ariel is voiced by Jodi Benson in all official animated appearances. Ariel is the youngest daughter of King Triton and Queen Athena of an underwater kingdom called Atlantica. She is often rebellious,and in the first film,she longs to be a part of the human world. She marries Prince Eric,whom she rescued from a shipwreck,and together they have a daughter,Melody. She is the fourth Disney Princess and also the first Disney Princess to be developed during the Disney Renaissance.
"Under the Sea" is a song from Disney's 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid,composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman. It is influenced by the calypso style of the Caribbean which originated in Trinidad and Tobago,as well as reggae,which originated in Jamaica. The song was performed in the film by Samuel E. Wright. The track won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1989,the first for a Disney film since "Chim Chim Cher-ee" from Mary Poppins in 1964. Additionally,the song won the Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media in 1991.
"Poor Unfortunate Souls" is a song from the Walt Disney Pictures animated film The Little Mermaid. Written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken and performed by Pat Carroll,"Poor Unfortunate Souls" is sung to Ariel by Ursula the Sea Witch. In a style that combines Broadway theatre with Burlesque,Ursula uses the song to seduce Ariel into trading her voice for the chance to temporarily become human.
The Little Mermaid is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical,based on the Disney film of the same name and the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find true love. Its book is by Doug Wright,music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman,with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. Its underwater setting and story about aquatic characters requires unusual technical designs and strategies to create gliding movements for the actors.
"Part of Your World" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for Disney's animated feature film The Little Mermaid (1989). Performed by American actress and singer Jodi Benson in the titular role as Ariel,a mermaid princess,"Part of Your World" is a power ballad in which the main character expresses her strong desire to become human;its lyrics use placeholder names in lieu of several human-related terms that would be unfamiliar to a mermaid. The film's theme song is later reprised by Ariel after she rescues Eric,a human prince with whom she has fallen in love,from drowning.
The Little Mermaid:Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid. It contains the songs from the film written by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman,as well as the film's score composed by Alan Menken. The score was orchestrated by Thomas Pasatieri. The album has achieved multi-platinum sales and won the Grammy Award for Best Recording for Children. The album includes recordings of the music that won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or for Television,the Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song and the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score.
Ultimate Disney Princess is a three-disc compilation album set consisting of a wide range of popular Disney songs,mainly those sung by or related to the Disney Princesses.
The Little Mermaid:Ariel's Beginning is a 2008 animated direct-to-video musical fantasy comedy-drama adventure film produced by Disneytoon Studios,with the animation production being done by Toon City Animation,Inc. and DisneyToon Studios Australia This film is the prequel to Disney's 1989 animated feature film The Little Mermaid,the third installment in The Little Mermaid trilogy,and the last direct-to-video sequel after John Lasseter took over as chairman for the Disney Animation Division. It is also the first in the chronology of the story running through the series and it is based on the fairy tale The Little Mermaid by Hans Christian Andersen and The Little Mermaid animated television series which ran for three seasons.
"Les Poissons" is a song from the 1989 film The Little Mermaid,which is sung in the film and in The Little Mermaid Broadway show by the French character Chef Louis. Chef Louis is voiced by RenéAuberjonois in the film,and by John Treacy Egan in the Broadway show. The song was composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman,and features Jacques Offenbach's "Can-Can".
The Little Mermaid:Ariel's Undersea Adventure is a ride attraction based on the 1989 Disney animated film The Little Mermaid,located in Paradise Gardens Park at Disney California Adventure and in Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom Park,where it is titled Under the Sea:Journey of the Little Mermaid. The ride opened on June 3,2011 at Disney California Adventure,and on December 6,2012 at Magic Kingdom.
The Little Mermaid is an American media franchise created by The Walt Disney Company and it is based on The Little Mermaid created and written by Danish poet Hans Christian Andersen. The success of the 1989 animated film of the same name led to a direct-to-video sequel,a prequel film,a spin-off television series,a musical,several video games,theme park attractions,and other merchandise. A live action remake of the film was released in 2023. The Little Mermaid paved the way for what would become the Disney Renaissance,with the original film becoming the first film of that era.
The Little Mermaid Jr. is a stage musical produced by Disney Theatrical,based on the animated 1989 Disney film of the same name and the classic story of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen about a mermaid who dreams of the world above the sea and gives up her voice to find love. Its book is by Doug Wright,music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Howard Ashman,with additional lyrics by Glenn Slater. The Little Mermaid Jr. first became available to license by the company Music Theater International and Disney Theatrical Productions.
The Wonderful World of Disney Presents The Little Mermaid Live!,or simply The Little Mermaid Live! is a 2019 musical television special created for ABC,based on Disney's 1989 animated feature film The Little Mermaid. It is produced by Done and Dusted and directed by Hamish Hamilton,who also executive produced alongside Katy Mullan,David Jammy,Raj Kapoor,Ian Stewart,and Richard Kraft,with the original voice of Ariel,Jodi Benson,introducing the special.
The Little Mermaid is a 2023 American musical romantic fantasy film directed by Rob Marshall from a screenplay by David Magee. Co-produced by Walt Disney Pictures,DeLuca Marshall,and Marc Platt Productions,it is a live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid,which itself is loosely based on Hans Christian Andersen's 1837 fairy tale. The film stars Halle Bailey as the title character,with Jonah Hauer-King,Daveed Diggs,Awkwafina,Jacob Tremblay,Noma Dumezweni,Art Malik,Javier Bardem,and Melissa McCarthy in supporting roles. The plot follows the mermaid princess Ariel,who is fascinated with the human world;after saving Prince Eric from a shipwreck,she makes a deal with the sea witch Ursula to walk on land.
The Little Mermaid is the soundtrack album to the 2023 live-action adaptation of Disney's 1989 animated film of the same name. The soundtrack features songs from the original film,three new songs written by the original film's composer Alan Menken,Howard Ashman and Lin-Manuel Miranda,and a score composed by Menken. The soundtrack was released digitally on May 19,2023 and on physical CD and vinyl on May 26,2023,by Walt Disney Records. A deluxe edition of the album was released on the same date,featuring the complete original score.