Hi guys, and Happy Valentine's Day! *sighs* the day of love, loved and despised for singletons like me! Sorry, being single sucks at the moment & have never been in a relationship so, moving on! So, why eleven if I could've done ten? It's Valentine's Day! Of course almost every love song in an animated film is good, that's why the Oscars love them! I was going to do twenty, there was that many, but I decided on eleven because I didn't want the post to be boring and tedious! Keep in mind this list is my own opinion, and if you prefer different songs or you think that they're ordered up wrong, that's cool! Everyone's entitled to their own opinion and I'm not stopping anyone to change it! Anyway, let's take a look at the list and I hope you enjoy it!
11) Accidentally In Love from Shrek 2! This has got to easily be my favourite song in the movie! Sung by the pop rock band The Counting Crows, it's placed during a montage of Shrek and Fiona's honeymoon, placing emphasis on how they weren't supposed to fall in love in the first movie, but are still together. The visuals also complement the song, featuring some funny gags and puns including a cameo from Ariel, and a Sound of Music reference only for them to be chased by a mob, but also making it sweet and romantic at the same time. The song ended up being nominated for an Oscar in 2004, but lost to Al otro lado del rio from The Motorcycle Diaries. A little known fact is this wasn't originally gonna be in the movie. It was used at the last minute because the original song used for the montage wouldn't fit in time with the animation, but the animated sequences were locked which meant they couldn't be changed. After lead singer Adam Duritz saw the sequence with no music, he was inspired to write it, which helped since he had a girlfriend at the time. I just can't help but love the catchy tune and sweet lyrics, it's a guilty pleasure of mine and if I can be honest, I much prefer the version used in the movie (the one in the video) rather than studio version in the soundtrack.
10) I See The Light from Tangled! I know I've said in the past that I'm not a huge fan of the songs from Tangled, but I See The Light is probably the only exception besides Mother Knows Best. Paying tribute to past Disney love songs and composed by Alan Menken, it has a bit more of a contemporary feel to it rather than being like a Broadway song. The visuals are just gorgeous, with all the lanterns illuminating the night sky with Rapunzel and Eugene in a small boat realizing their love for one another while Rapunzel has finally achieved her lifelong dream of seeing them, kind of like Kiss The Girl from The Little Mermaid. Wouldn't that just be the ultimate date?! Disney pop singer and actress Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi, who you might know as the title character in the TV show Chuck, provide the voices for Rapunzel and Eugene, and they surprisingly manage to complement each other very well. The song also manages the tug on your heartstrings, which is probably it's biggest charm next to the breath-taking and sophisticated visuals.
9) I Won't Say (I'm In Love) from Hercules! This song could be considered the anomaly on this list since it's not about two characters expressing their love for each other, but rather someone denying their love because of past experiences. This is the case for Megara, as she's secretly seducing Hercules in order to help her master Hades find a weakness so he can defeat him, although she's really starting to fall for him. Hercules was my favourite Disney film as a kid, mostly for the character Meg and the music, despite it being rather odd that they're using gospel music in a movie set in Greece and I Won't Say I'm In Love is my favourite song in it. Broadway actress Susan Egan does a great job singing while still showing Meg's snarky side! I Won't Say I'm In Love...pretty much the perfect song about being in the friendzone!
8) Far Longer Than Forever from The Swan Princess! Like I mentioned in my review, I can't help but love this song! It's about the protagonists, Derek and Odette expressing their eternal love for each other despite being far away . The visuals and editing, including the back to back camera rotation and transitioning from scene to scene kind of remind me of a music video from the 90s promoting a movie like Disney did. The music itself is rather minimal, but it doesn't really matter and it is a very sweet song with the singers carrying it out perfectly. Broadway singers Howard McGillin and Liz Callaway do a great job as Derek and Odette's singing voices, and in a way, I don't understand why this song has been put into obscurity because it's actually a really good song! Far Longer Than Forever, the perfect love song for a monogamous marriage!
7) That's All I've Got To Say from The Last Unicorn! The Last Unicorn was one of my favourite movies growing up, and I just find this a sweet song about how clumsy courtship can be. It shows Prince Lir finding it hard to express his love for Lady Amalthea, a young woman who was a unicorn, but. I think the thing which surprises everyone is how good Jeff Bridge's singing voice is, considering he was more famous for his acting at the time rather than singing. It could be argued that it's trying to bring back the love song in an animated film trope because of Disney being in their dark ages, but I digress. I actually like how psychological the song is as Almalthea is conflicted with continuing her quest to find the rest of the unicorns, or to remain human and be with the prince. The animation is just beautiful with Amalthea and Liir trying to express their love for each other, with all the transitions and editing being like a music video. Overall, an underrated song from a very underrated film...that's all I've got to say!
6) Kiss The Girl from The Little Mermaid! Although I have massive gripes with Ariel and Eric as a romantic couple, this song just can't help but make me root for them as Sebastian uses his charms to get Eric to kiss Ariel so she can achieve her dream of being a human forever. I love the Jamaican vibe with the calypso music starting from slow and intimate, to being a full blown number as Ariel and Eric begin to realize their growing love while Sebastian and other colourful fish and birds serenade them in a small boat in a lagoon. I just can't help but love it, and personally, I think it's better than Under The Sea! Kiss The Girl, the perfect song for a first date!
5) You'll Be in My Heart from Tarzan! OK, I know this may be a bit of an odd choice, but I decided the list should include at least one song about the love between a parent and child, instead of just between romantic couples! The song is about the love a parent has for a child, which in the case of the movie, is the gorilla Kala and baby Tarzan, who she decides to raise after his parents are killed by the leopard Sabor. Composed and sung by singer Phil Collins, it has a contemporary pop feel to it like the other songs in the movie. Collins allegedly wrote the song for his then young daughter, actress Lilly Collins (the one from Mirror Mirror & Mortal Instruments), and I can understand why with the calming lyrics, almost like a lullaby. I can understand why this won the Oscar in 1999 for Best Original Song and I consider it to be underrated compared to other songs from the soundtrack!
4) If I Never Knew You from Pocahontas. OK, technically I'm cheating since this was a deleted song, but it was included in the 10 anniversary DVD and a version by Jon Secada and Shanice is used in the end credits, so in a way it counts. The song in the movie takes place after John Smith takes the blame for Kocoum's murder and is sentenced to death by Chief Powhatan, Pocahontas' father. Pocahontas goes to his tent to apologize for everything, but Smith uses the song as a thank you to Pocahontas and expresses his love for her and how he'd rather die than never know her. The song is beautiful, with the melody and lyrics by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz really helping set the scene, with the minimal visuals helping with the intimate atmosphere. I know Mel Gibson is a controversial actor, but I rather enjoyed his singing in this, with him and Broadway singer Judy Kuhn really complementing each other, and the way Gibson sings to Pocahontas really makes the song feel very comforting. The reason why it was cut out in the original run was because kids at the test screenings found it boring, as well as Menken feeling it slowed down the film. Pocahontas isn't really one of my favourite Disney films, but this song and the music in general are probably the strongest things about it. Overall I consider this an underrated Disney song and should be given more credit!
3) Can You Feel The Love Tonight from The Lion King! Probably my favourite song in the movie! The movie's version of the song shows childhood friends Simba and Nala reuniting and realizing their love for one another, while Timon and Pumbaa relay the events and are worried they've lost their friend. I love the tribal feel to it, with the visuals being fun and adorable at the same time with Simba and Nala playing around culminating in them. And honestly, that's all I've got to say about the movie's version. I love Elton John's version, it's a classic! I personally find it much better and he's pretty much the entire reason why I love this song, but I'm not saying the movie's version is bad! Nonetheless, it's still a sweet and romantic song written by the best in the music industry!
2) A Whole New World from Aladdin! Just listening to the first bars of this song immediately make you think of Disney! It shows the most iconic scene in the movie with Aladdin and princess Jasmine on a magic carpet rides, well, showing her a whole new world from her palace. The visuals are just gorgeous, and are so iconic that other movies like Let Me be Your Wings from Thumbelina and more recently How To Train Your Dragon have been accused of ripping it off! Singer Brad Kane and Broadway actress and singer Lea Salonga (well known for being in musicals like Miss Saigon & Les Miserables & would eventually be Mulan's singing voice) provide the singing voices for Aladdin and Jasmine, and they complement each other perfectly. I surprisingly like the funny moments during the scene as Aladdin and Jasmine fly around the world like the Sphinx's nose falling & the bird's WTF reaction to seeing them flying. Peabo Bryson's & Regina Belle's version is also great, but I much prefer Kane & Salonga's version, and I can understand why this won the Oscar for Best Original Song.While it is a very iconic and romantic song, it was a toss up between this and my number one choice for the top! Still, this is good enough to be very close to the top, and I feel like I'm flying whenever I listen to it!
Before number 1, I'll reveal my honourable mention!
So Close from Enchanted! I know the movie is part animated and part live action, but I can't help but love this song nonetheless! It takes place at the ball in New York while Robert and Giselle dance the King and Queen's Waltz, realizing their love for one another despite being engaged to other people. Yes, the rhythm doesn't fit that of an actual waltz, but I still enjoy it nonetheless and is probably the most contemporary song in the film next to Ever Ever After. The visuals are gorgeous, it's as if it was intended to be animated, but made in live action! Probably the most obvious reason why it isn't on the list is that it's in a live action sequence, not an animated one! Despite that, I love this song and it makes me feel like dancing whenever I hear it!
And my number 1 Best Love Song from an Animated Film is...
1) Beauty and the Beast from, well, Beauty and the Beast! Come on, after my Beauty and the Beast review, you knew this would be on top! Composed by Alan Menken & written by lyricist Howard Ashman, it's during the iconic dance sequence with Belle and the Beast falling in love, and it's fricking adorable! Sorry, I love to girl out when watching it, I can't help it! Sung by Broadway legend Angela Lansbury, she just nails it perfectly as Mrs Potts, and I love how it's not sung by the main couple, but rather someone relaying the events as to how much their love has grown. The visuals are just gorgeous, the ballroom is amazing to look at with the sweeping camera angles from the ceiling with the cherubs watching and the shot from the chandelier panning down to Belle and the Beast dancing. As for the Peabo Bryson and Celine Dion version, I do enjoy it during the end credits, particularly in Bryson's part, but I personally love Lansbury's much more! I find it sad listening to this as it was Ashman's final project he worked on, and this is probably the best he's ever done next to Part of Your World from The Little Mermaid! Nevertheless, it's my favourite song from the movie and I still love it now & will continue to do so in the future! Beauty and the Beast, my personal favourite love song from an animated film ever!
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