“Surface Pressure” from Disney’s Encanto is about the hidden anxiety of being the person everyone relies on. Luisa Madrigal possesses superhuman strength, so her family and community naturally give her the heaviest work. She carries buildings, animals and impossible physical burdens without complaint. Beneath that confident image, however, she is terrified that one mistake will…
“When Will My Life Begin?” from Tangled is about the difference between filling your time and having control over your life. Rapunzel’s days are packed with chores, hobbies and creative projects. She reads, paints, cooks, cleans, plays music and invents new ways to entertain herself. From the outside, she appears cheerful and productive. But none…
“Under the Sea” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid is about Sebastian trying to convince Ariel that the safety, music and community of the ocean are better than the uncertain human world above it. Sebastian turns his warning into an enormous underwater celebration. Fish become musicians, sea creatures join the performance and the ocean appears to…
“Part of Your World” from Disney’s The Little Mermaid is about wanting to escape a life that feels limiting and enter a world where you believe you truly belong. Ariel has collected human objects, studied life above the ocean and imagined what it would be like to walk on land. Although she is fascinated by…
“A Whole New World” from Disney’s Aladdin is about two people discovering freedom, possibility and romantic love while leaving the limits of their ordinary lives behind. Aladdin invites Princess Jasmine onto the magic carpet and shows her the world beyond the palace walls. For Jasmine, the journey represents freedom from rules and expectations that have…