
“And yet there seems to be a universality about it, and I think that’s why it has endured.” “It’s interesting because we wrote a song that was very specific to the situation,” said Zippel. The songwriter has been surprised - and occasionally moved to tears - by the impact of his creation. But we were put together randomly, and it worked.” We’ve written other shows together since then.

“We hit it off immediately and, of course, I think a huge part of why the song is so popular is because it’s beautiful and powerful and emotional. “It was the best blind date I’d ever been on,” joked Zippel, who was lured in by a cassette tape of Wilder’s “Mulan” songs before meeting him. For one, composer Alan Menken had been the sound of Disney since “The Little Mermaid,” writing the songs for “Beauty and the Beast,” “Aladdin” and “Hercules.” David Zippel FilmMagicįor “Mulan,” Disney went in a different direction, pairing Zippel, who wrote lyrics for “Hercules” and the Broadway musical “City of Angels,” with a pop veteran - “Break My Stride” singer-songwriter Matthew Wilder, who also produced No Doubt’s album “Tragic Kingdom.” Disney/Getty ImagesĮverything about the creation of “Reflection” was unlikely. The animated “Mulan” (left), Christina Aguilera and Yifei Liu in the Disney+ live action remake. And after the success of “Reflection,” she signed with RCA and released the single “Genie in a Bottle” one year later in 1999. The young Aguilera performed the hit on all the morning shows, which got her attention from the likes of Diane Warren.

She was a perfectionist even as a 17-year-old.”īroadway’s Lea Salonga sings the number in the 1998 cartoon, but it’s Aguilera’s Disney-sanctioned single that has lived on, just as Celine Dion turned “Beauty and the Beast” into an easy-listening classic. This kid sounds like she had the phrasing and understanding of lyrics of someone who had been singing for 25 years,’ ” Zippel told The Post.

“When we heard her sing, it was like, ‘Oh my God. Meanwhile, “Mulan” lyricist David Zippel remembers listening to the future star’s first demo of the moving track. Aguilera’s revamped rendition has garnered more than 6 million views since being posted Aug. Now 39, the pop star is once again taking on the tune that made her famous when she was little more than a 17-year-old former Disney Mouseketeer.
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How to watch live-action remake 'Mulan' on Disney+
