What's the updated Kiss the Girl lyrics? The Little Mermaid backlash explored as original Ariel voice actor supports change

With the world buzzing with excitement for The Little Mermaid, there are some interesting things that have taken place in this Disney live-action remake, which aims to retell Ariel's (played by Halle Bailey in this film) story with more conviction and relevance. While the tale of the singing mermaid remains mostly unchanged, there was a sudden backlash when some of the original lyrics from the animated version were changed.

This is especially relevant for Kiss the Girl, perhaps the most popular song from the original The Little Mermaid. The lyrics of this song originally read:

"Yes, you want her. Look at her, you know you do. Possible she wants you, too. There is one way to ask her. It don’t take a word. Not a single word. Go on and kiss the girl."

According to the makers, this was not the perfect representation of consent, especially when the film is primarily aimed at younger audiences. The updated lyrics for Kiss the Girl by composer Alan Menken reads:

"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."

Apart from Kiss the Girl, other lyric changes in The Little Mermaid include Melissa McCarthy's version of Poor Unfortunate Souls, which features lines like "It’s she who holds her tongue who gets a man."

Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel in the 1989 animated film version also recently spoke out in support of this decision to change the lyrics.

However, it was pretty sad that many fans did not take kindly to the change and resorted to bitter words on social media platforms. While there is no stated reason why fans were unwilling to accept the new lyrics, it is possible that it was due to the nostalgia that most felt for the original song.

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"We’ve got to be aware of our growth as humans"- Jodi Benson on the lyrics change in The Little Mermaid

It's quite clear from the social media reactions that most fans were either not prepared or were not willing to accept the new lyrics to such beloved songs. Many Twitter users criticized the altered lyrics while referencing the premise of the original film. According to them, the changes are simply superfluous. But it is often a question of 'need' more than 'want.'

Despite the fact that the changes drew much criticism, other people liked the decision.

With changing times, the view on certain depictions in cinema, TV, or novels, has changed significantly. This has very little to do with the nostalgia associated with The Little Mermaid and much more to do with the growth that humans have experienced over the years, separating right from wrong.

That is precisely what Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel, said in a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly. She said:

"We're talking about starting our [voiceover] sessions in '86 [for the original film]. It's 2023, so we have to grow, we have to learn, we have to be aware of our surroundings."

She added:

"We’ve got to be aware of our growth as humans and what’s important now and what maybe isn’t as important...Things change. We’ve got to roll with that… But you’ve got to have growth. It’s very important to stay relevant with where we are, what’s going on around us. We need to be aware. So the adjustments and the fine-tuning that they needed to do, it was a must, but it was done in a beautiful way, and I’m very, very thrilled with it."

Of course, there was a fair share of critics online who did not like this change and voiced their concerns. But this was something necessary, especially in changing times like this.

The Little Mermaid is set to have its global premiere on May 26, 2023. The film has already received positive feedback from the viewers who attended the early screenings.

Apart from cast members Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, and Melissa McCarthy in lead roles, The Little Mermaid additionally stars Daveed Diggs, Awkwafina, Jacob Tremblay, Noma Dumezweni, and Javier Bardem.