Disneymovies have a bunch of nostalgic songs, ranging from angsty to catchy. A lot of them were from heroes, and some of them were from villains. But the best ballads are often sung by the Disney Princesses, and you probably have memories of your younger self singing these iconic songs.
There was always a Disney Princess who sang a song that felt all too relatable, even if you’ve never seen yourself becoming a princess. There are many Disney Princess ballads out there, and the best ones have great and memorable messaging, and they’re bound to get you singing regardless of your musical abilities.
10Once Upon A Dream - The Sleeping Beauty
Aurora is a dreamy princess, and she’s your quintessential Disney Princess who sings about love while dancing in the woods. You might not love howher love story with the princeunfolded, but you probably had dreams of singing a cute ballad and unexpectedly harmonizing with your significant other. Disney has a lot of love songs, but this one captures how dreamy love can be.
It’s a song you look back to when you feel like a single, hopeless romantic who just wants to meet somebody who can sweep you off your feet. If you’ve not found anybody to sing this with, you can always put your head up in the clouds like Aurora and sing this song in the shower.
9A Whole New World - Aladdin
If you could hop on a magic carpet that lets you hover and whoosh above your kingdom, you would be a delighted Disney Princess. The moment Aladdin and Jasmine shared while soaring above Agrabah is memorialized through “A Whole New World”. Before your illusions were shattered by adulthood and physics, you had dreams of flying in the skies while only holding onto cloth.
Then you grew up and realized that if Aladdin and Jasmine rode a carpet in real life, they’d probably end up ablaze or hitting birds along the way. But if you’re willing to close your eyes and listen to this classic ballad, the harmonies in this song and the flawless duet between Jasmine and Aladdin will get you dreaming of flying carpets with the love of your life again.
8I See The Light - Tangled
Flynn and Rapunzel’s duet in Tangled will make you wish somebody looked at you lovingly the way Flynn does with Rapunzel. But romantic sentiments aside, I See The Light is a song that plays after Rapunzel realizes that there’s a bigger world outside the tower thatMother Gothel kept her in.
Flynn also acknowledges his feelings towards Rapunzel in this song. Both characters changed, and their growth and shift in perspective were portrayed perfectly in this song. I See The Light is a climactic culmination of Flynn and Rapunzel’s adventure, and it’s also a great song that changes meaning depending on whose perspective you’re viewing it from.
7Colors Of The Wind - Pocahontas
Pocahontas has its fair share of criticism. It goes without saying that the story of the real-life Pocahontas and John Smith isn’t as rosy as Disney made it out to be. But if you ignore the historical inaccuracy of the story, you can’t deny that Colors of the Wind is a great song that reminds you of how precious nature is. If you listen to the song right now, you might even be compelled to stop reading this article and touch grass.
This song was pivotal in convincing John Smith that there’s so much more to life than colonizing lands and profiting off of nature. It’s a song that aged well, and for a Disney film, it contains great commentary on racism and capitalism.
6Almost There - The Princess And The Frog
Tiana is a relatable Disney Princess. She wasn’t born a princess, and she didn’t grow up ina big castle. She’s self-made, and she became a princess by making her dreams come true with Naveen. A testament to her grind to riches was her song, Almost There. She sang about how hard work will make her dreams come true since Fairytales don’t exist.
She was proven wrong, and she was turned into a frog with Naveen. Fairytales do come true with a bit of cursing involved, but in the end, it’s her hard work and perseverance that got her to establish her own restaurant. Almost There is also a bop that stands out from the rest, since it’s a bit of funk and a bit of ballad mixed into one.
5For The First Time In Forever - Frozen
The contrast between Elsa and Anna couldn’t be described any better than in this duet. For The First Time in Forever was the perfect exposition for Elsa and Anna, and it highlighted the difference in personality the siblings had. Anna was outgoing and eager for human interaction, and Elsa was closed off because of her uncontrollable powers.
This is a relatable song for anybody who’s been stuck at home for too long, even if you don’t own 8,000 salad plates. In terms of musical value, this song is a great intro to both the Disney princesses in the movie and the problems they’re grappling with at the onset.
4How Far I’ll Go - Moana
How Far I’ll Go is the Disney Princess version ofHercules' Go The Distance. It’s about a girl stepping out of what she knows and embarking on a heroic journey to save her home island. Moana also grapples with her identity and feels lost, and the song expresses the struggle she has with wanting to venture farther and staying put as she was told.
Moana’s love for home makes it hard for her to leave, and this song perfectly expresses her internal conflict while you take a tour of her island.
3Part Of Your World - The Little Mermaid
Ariel was criticized for wanting to leave the sea and lose her voice for a man, which undermines her character severely. Part of Your World proves that she’s just a little mermaid who has dreams of exploring a world that’s beyond her reach. Her desire to have legs wasn’t derived from wanting to be with Prince Eric, rather, she wanted to know what it feels like to be a human being.
Her collection of objects from the surface, which she includes in this song, proves that she’s always had an interest in life on land. Part of Your World doesn’t only give you a glimpse into Ariel’s personality, but it’s also a fun song to belt even if you don’t have Halle Bailey’s talent.
2A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes - Cinderella
Cinderella has been receiving the short end of the stick with her stepmother and stepsisters. She was mistreated by her sisters and was turned into a servant by her stepmother. But she had a dream to go to a ball, and to wear a beautiful dress—and this was shortly crushed by her stepsisters until Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother appeared.
This ballad becomes an emotional backdrop for Cinderella’s transformation. Even if you’ve not listened to this song for years, it’s a good reminder that things get better no matter how hard life gets. A dream worth pursuing will always be worth believing in.
1Reflection - Mulan
You probably felt all of Mulan’s struggles when she belted Reflection. She knows she’s not the ideal daughter or the woman society expects her to be after her failure with the Matchmaker. Her father was called to war, and she felt helpless since she couldn’t take his place the way a son could. But after this ballad, she made the decisive choice to go to war for him instead.
Lyrics aside, this emotionally charged ballad is a song you’d want to play whenever you feel misunderstood. If there’s a part of you that you feel like you have to hide, or there’ssomething you can’t come out with—you’ll probably feel so much better after singing this song.
