Songs 1-6: The Little Mermaid

*Spoilers*

The new Little Mermaid very much remains an iconic Alan Menken score, with Howard Ashman’s indelible lyrics on the classic songs. But it’s also a Lin-Manuel Miranda score, as Miranda teamed up with Menken for the movie’s new songs and a few slight changes to the old songs. I know for sure that Miranda wrote the new lyrics, since Menken is specifically a composer, but I believe he had a hand in the new melodies as well—the new songs are credited as being by rather of both, rather than specifying that Menken wrote the music and Miranda the lyrics. At any rate, in typical me fashion, let’s break down this new work from Miranda, looking at each of the songs he had a part in.

“Wild Uncharted Waters” – Okay, I love “Her Voice” from the stage adaptation, but this is an even better song for Eric! (Alan Menken, the man that you are….) The urgent melody rises and falls like waves, beautifully complemented by Miranda’s lyrics as Eric is haunted by the memories of the girl who saved him from the shipwreck. Even though he only heard her voice, he is 100% captivated. I love the desperation in this song, hopeful and unyielding but a little bit lost too—Jonah Hauer-King performs that wonderfully. And I like that, even as Eric vows to look for Ariel, he also entreats her to come find him.

Best lyric: “Time may change the shoreline, / But time will not change me.”

“Poor Unfortunate Souls” – Before I get into Miranda’s contribution to this version of the song, I want to mention that I enjoy Melissa McCarthy’s performance here. She doesn’t quite go full vamp, mixing the theatricality with a more subdued menace. When it comes to Miranda, he didn’t have too much to do here. The “the men up there don’t like a lot of blather” stanza is gone altogether, and as for updated lyrics, only one line is actually changed. We no longer have, “Take a gulp and take a breath / And go ahead and sign the scroll,” because Ariel doesn’t actually sign a literal contract (makes sense—underwater and all that.) Instead, she shows her agreement by providing the final ingredient to Ursula’s spell.

Best (only) lyric: “Pluck a scale from off your tale, / A drop of blood inside the bowl.”

“For the First Time” – This song is so well done. It’s 100% a “proper” song, melodious as it rises and falls in all the best places. But it also communicates so much story. This is a song that takes Ariel on a journey through a lot of different emotions. All sung in her inner monologue as she explores the human world with her new legs, her excitement and curiosity are utterly adorable. Then a few less than wonderful things are mixed in with Ariel’s delight as she realizes that maybe the human world isn’t everything she dreamed of. Then soaring elation as Eric approaches, cut down in an instant when she realizes that, without her voice, he can’t recognize her as the girl who saved him from the shipwreck. The lyrics float through the song, carefully winding through all these twists and turns as Ariel experiences everything all at once. Halle Bailey does a fantastic job with both the song and the acting.

Best lyric: “Realize the price that you paid with your voice / As he turns from you. / Those sacrifices you made were a choice / That you can’t undo.”

“Kiss the Girl” – Another classic song that Miranda contributed a few new lyrics to. First, though, Daveed Diggs is a great Sebastian, and he does a really nice job with this number. I enjoy the use of non-diegetic nature sounds to provide the initial accompaniment, and adding in Flounder and Scuttle works here. As for Miranda, he again only really changes one bit in the song. In the original, Sebastian tells Eric that kissing Ariel is the “one way to ask her” if she’s into him, adding, “It don’t take a word, / Not a single word.” The new version swaps these lines out for ones that gently affirm consent.

Best (only) lyric: “Possible she want you too. / Use your words, boy, and ask her. / If the time is right and the time is tonight, / Go on and kiss the girl.”

“The Scuttlebutt” – While I can feel Miranda’s fingerprints in all the new songs, this is the one that most undeniably reflects his involvement, and unfortunately, it’s the most maligned. Just a goofy number for Awkwafina’s Scuttle to burst in and share the “scuttlebutt” around the palace, the rumors that Eric is getting ready to propose. Very rhyme- and personality-driven, with some rap. It doesn’t really fit with the flow of the rest of the film, and it doesn’t entirely work for me, but I’m sure it’s fun for kids. And far be it for me to complain about a Disney movie catering too much to kids!

Best lyric: “Well, ever since, / The what’s-his-name, / The guy with the hair and the shirt—“ “The prince?” “Yeah, the prince! Has been droppin’ hints.”

“Part of Your World (Reprise II)” – I love this new reprise, sung when Ariel’s hopes are dashed by the realization that Eric wants to marry someone else. She took an enormous swing in making a deal with Ursula to come to the surface, and now, it looks like everything is falling apart. Even though the song is super short, the heartbreak in Halle Bailey’s voice is so real, and every line of Miranda’s lyrics sears with emotion.

Best lyric: “What did I give to live where you are? / Where do I go with nowhere to turn to?”

Songs 9-11: Vivo

*Spoilers.*

And we’re onto our final grouping of songs for Vivo! Even though I’d say this score wouldn’t unseat any of the others in the Lin-Manuel Miranda rankings, it still has plenty of catchy rhythm, clever lyrics, and the patented LMM trick of getting you to tear up simply because the melody hits you so hard. Another fine score from one of my favorite composer/lyricists!

“Running Out of Time” – The climactic song of the movie. It’s crunch time—Vivo and Gabi are on the last leg of their journey, but with obstacles arising every which way, they might not make it in time to get the song to Marta. The frenzied tempo and overlapping melodies add to this sense of urgency. I really like the electronic “M-I-A-M-I— / Running out of time” motif, the brief callback to “Keep the Beat” is a nice touch, and the song pairs beautifully with the candy-colored neon lights of Miami.

Best lyric: “When I thought we were done for, / My new friend gave us an encore.”

“Inside Your Heart” – It can be tricky when a musical builds up to a culminating diegetic song—it’s no secret that “One Song Glory” is way better than “Your Eyes.” In the case of Vivo and “Inside Your Heart,” I think it goes all right. It’s far from my favorite song in the film, but it resonates due to the feeling behind it. The song Andrés wrote for Marta before she left Cuba but was too afraid to share with her—it’s a big moment for Marta to finally receive the song and perform it. I love the 2-D animation on the dream sequence as Vivo watches, imagining both Andrés and Marta young again and dancing together.

Best lyric: “And this fear that keeps me by the door / Shouldn't interfere with you wanting more. / I am here, just on another shore, / Always in your corner watching you soar.”

“Grand Finale” – An updated reprise of “One of Kind,” this time with Vivo, Gabi, and friends in Miami. Vivo’s rap sequence is terrific, and I like how pretty much everyone gets their moment in the finale. It’s a homey, celebratory way to bring things to a close.

Best lyric: “Y'all don't understand my singing. / I'm running rings around / This riveting rhythm and swinging. / Somebody gimme the rhythm and gimme a minute / And gimme a limit so I can exceed it – / A brand-new song's just what we needed.”

Songs 5-8: Vivo

*Spoilers.*

The middle section of songs from Vivo is a little mixed, just because half of them are so short that it’s hard to consider them “songs” in their own right. However, we also have a fantastic anthem and an adorable love song performed by a goofy pair of sappy spoonbills. What’s not to like about that?

“Keep the Beat” – Probably my favorite song in the film. I like how it’s written in such a way that it can follow the progression of the story—Vivo starts out frightened and uncertain, but he ends up feeling confident and adventurous as he and Gabi start to connect. Without really changing the lyrics, it works in both scenarios. The chorus is beautiful, with those soaring vocals and the way the pace sort of dances, and I really like Gabi breaking in with a motif from “My Own Drum” during the second chorus.

Best lyric: “All I can do when the road bends / Is lean into the curve. / And all I can do when the tank's run dry / Is see what's in reserve.”

“Love’s Gonna Pick You Up” – Super cute, Dancarino and Valentina’s spoonbill love ditty, swooning at each other through the sky while Vivo is freaking out riding on Dancarino’s back. Brian Tyree Henry’s singing is fab, and I love the enthusiastic schmoopiness of the main melody juxtaposed with Vivo’s panic.

Best lyric: “That one set of footprints / Was love dragging you around.”

“Tough Crowd” – Super, super quick little ditty, a fast-paced rap as Vivo tries to outsmart a hungry python. It shares some motifs from “One of a Kind,” but it really cranks up the tempo and the driving force of the rhythm, which fits in well with the scene.

Best lyric: “It's tough to play when you're a prey facing a predator. / No time to pray, find a way to slay your competitor.”

“One More Song (Reprise)” – Another short one, literally just one stanza. It hits well emotionally, an apt reprise within the story. I’m glad it’s included on the soundtrack, though—I like when musicals just dip their toe back into a song we’ve already heard. The familiar melody does all the heavy lifting, and we don’t need a drawn-out performance in order for the stanza/verse/whatever to do exactly what it needs to do.

Best lyric: “You spent your life making music. / I thought the song would never end. / Now it's so quiet – / All I wanna do is play again with you, my friend.”

Songs 1-4: Vivo

*Spoilers.*

I reviewed Vivo a while back, but now it’s time for a rundown of each of the songs in this Lin-Manuel Miranda score. We’re covering the music from the first section of the film today.

“One of a Kind” – This is the lively “let me introduce myself” opening number. Vivo bears more than a passing resemblance to Usnavi, enthusiastically rapping about his friendship/partnership with Andrés and the music they make on their corner of the plaza. It’s fast without being frantic, and I like the interludes of Vivo and Andrés singing together. Even if there are much better songs later in the film, this one kicks off the movie effectively.

Best lyric: “We are a part of a time-honored tradition / Of timing and precision. / Your finest two musicians are top-notch / As we hopscotch the competition.”

“Mambo Cabana” – Here, Andrés insists to a worried Vivo that they’re going to the Mambo Cabana in Miami, where Andrés will bring Marta the song he wrote for her years ago. This song has a really nice groove, and I like Andrés’ refrain of, “It’s not too late.” I also like how much heavier and steadier the beat gets during Vivo’s interlude, contrasted with Andrés’ lighter, more playful rhythm. And from a filmmaking standpoint, the animation beautifully complements the music, with guitar strings and piano keys lighting up the screen with their own magic.

Best lyric: “There is a place / Many miles away, / Where the rhythm digs in deep / And won't let go, that's how you know / You've reached the Mambo Cabana.”

“One More Song” – First of all, I want to say that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s singing has definitely improved since his Hamilton days. He was never a bad singer, but it was lower down on the list of his many talents. Here, as Vivo laments Andrés’ untimely death and wishes for “one more song” from his old friend, Miranda’s voice sounds great. This is a beautiful number. I love the way the chorus flows and how the bridge rises with Vivo’s realization that he can go to Miami on his own and deliver Andrés’ song to Marta.

Best lyric: “Time to be strong for / The journey ahead, sing through the doubt. / Sing through the dread, with a scream and a shout. / Break through the fear like the sun through the clouds, / Like you're still here, no crying allowed.”

“My Own Drum” – What a fun number. In this exuberant dance-beat song, complete with an autotuned bridge, Gabi is gloriously herself. She tells Vivo all about how she makes no apologies for who she is, preferring her own company over changing herself to fit in. The beat and Gabi’s enthusiasm are both infectious, and it’s easy to get swept up in her over-the-top anthem of self-love.

Best lyric: “Extra, extra! Read all about it. / I'm extra, extra, / The kid that the other kids / Can't get next to. / I got my own seat on the bus. / I've always been a me, not an us.”