A Whole New World
| Name | A Whole New World |
| Artist | Brad Kane and Lea Salonga |
| Album | Aladdin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| Released | 1992-10-31 |
| Recorded | 1991 |
| Genre | Show tune |
| Length | (soundtrack version) |
| Label | Walt Disney |
| Composer | Alan Menken |
| Lyricist | Tim Rice |
"A Whole New World" is the signature song from Disney's 1992 animated feature film Aladdin, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in their respective roles as the singing voices of the main characters Aladdin and Jasmine, the ballad serves as both the film's love and theme song. Lyrically, "A Whole New World" describes Aladdin showing the confined princess a life of freedom and the pair's acknowledgment of their love for each other while riding on a magic carpet.
The song garnered an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 65th Academy Awards, a Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song at the 50th Golden Globe Awards, and a Grammy Award for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television at the 36th Grammy Awards, as well as a Grammy Award for Song of the Year, the only Disney song to do so. In the same year, the pop version sung by Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle was also nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals, winning the latter.
Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott performed the song in the live-action version of Aladdin (2019). Zayn Malik and Zhavia Ward did their version of the song for the end credits.
Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle pop duet version
| Name | A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme) |
| Cover |  |
| Type | single |
| Artist | Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle |
| Album | Aladdin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack Passion Through the Fire |
| B Side | "After the Kiss" (instrumental) |
| Released | 1992-11-05 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | * (single version) * (soundtrack version) |
| Label | Walt Disney ⋅ Columbia |
| Composer | Alan Menken |
| Lyricist | Tim Rice |
| Producer | Walter Afanasieff |
| Chronology | Peabo Bryson |
| Prev Title | You Are My Home |
| Prev Year | 1992 |
| Next Title | By the Time This Night Is Over |
| Next Year | 1993 |
| Misc |
A single version of the song was released that same year and was performed by American recording artists Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle. This version is played over the film's end credits and is referred on the soundtrack as "Aladdins Theme". The version peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart for a week, ending on March 6, 1993, replacing Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You", which had spent a then-record 14 weeks at the top of the chart. It went gold and sold 600,000 copies domestically. The track peaked at number 12 in the UK Singles Chart in 1993.
The song is the first song from a Disney animated film to top the US Billboard Hot 100. It was the only Disney song to achieve this feat until "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from Encanto reached the summit in 2022. The single version was later included on Belle's studio album Passion (1993) and on Bryson's studio album Through the Fire (1994).
Critical reception
Alan Jones from Music Week gave the song a full score of five out of five, writing, "The theme from Aladdin is a huge appealing big ballad duet. A melodic tour de force with wide ranging appeal, it is wisely tipped as the Christmas number one."
Charts
Weekly charts
| Chart (1993–1994) | Peak position | |
|---|---|---|
| Australia | 10 | song=A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)}} |
| Flanders | 14 | song=A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)}} |
| Canada Retail Singles (The Record) | 2 | |
| Canadatopsingles | 6 | access-date=April 15, 2019}} |
| Canadaadultcontemporary | 1 | access-date=April 15, 2019}} |
| Europe (Eurochart Hot 100) | 24 | |
| Europe (European Hit Radio) | 26 | |
| Germany | 70 | access-date=April 15, 2019}} |
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | 2 | |
| Ireland2 | 11 | song=A Whole New World}} |
| Dutch40 | 18 | access-date=April 15, 2019}} |
| Dutch100 | 14 | song=A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)}} |
| New Zealand | 8 | song=A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme)}} |
| UK | 12 | refname="uk"}} |
| UK Airplay (Music Week) | 8 | |
| Billboardhot100 | 1 | artist=Peabo Bryson}} |
| Billboardadultcontemporary | 1 | artist=Peabo Bryson}} |
| Billboardrandbhiphop | 21 | artist=Peabo Bryson}} |
| Billboardpopsongs | 1 | access-date=April 15, 2019}} |
| Billboardrhythmic | 18 | access-date=April 15, 2019}} |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 2 |
Year-end charts
| Chart (1993) | Position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 50 |
| Canada Top Singles (RPM) | 56 |
| Canada Adult Contemporary (RPM) | 6 |
| New Zealand (RIANZ) | 37 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 18 |
| US Adult Contemporary (Billboard) | 6 |
| US Hot R&B Singles (Billboard) | 98 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 27 |
| Chart (1994) | Position |
|---|---|
| Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) | 34 |
| UK Singles (OCC) | 182 |
Certifications
Kane and Salonga version
Bryson and Belle version
Massoud and Scott version
Zayn and Zhavia version
Cover versions
Jose Mari Chan version
| Name | A Whole New World |
| Type | single |
| Artist | Jose Mari Chan |
| Album | Aladdin: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack |
| B Side | A Whole New World |
| Released | 1992 |
| Genre | *Pop *R&B *soul |
| Length | 3:56 |
| Label | *Walt Disney *Bell Films |
| Composer | Alan Menken |
| Lyricist | Tim Rice |
| Producer | Rey Magtoto |
| Chronology | Lea Salonga |
In the Philippines, a version of the song performed by Jose Mari Chan, a Filipino recording artist, was released as a single through Bell Films (a subsidiary of Universal Records) in 1993, coinciding with the Philippine theatrical release of Aladdin on April 30, 1993.
Then-SM Rookies member Jaehyun, who later debuted as a member of boy group NCT and former member Seo Herin performed the song in Disney Channel Korea show Mickey Mouse Club in December 2015.
Other cover versions
- In 1993, French singers Karine Costa and Daniel Lévi released a French-language version of the song titled "Ce rêve bleu" («"This Blue Dream"»). This version peaked at number three on the French SNEP Singles Chart in January 1994, ending the year as the country's 21st-most-successful single.
- In 2018, Riff Raff and Jonathan Hay created a hip-hop cover of the song for the album The Hoodlum Ball.
- Zayn's vocals were also used for two English-Spanish versions of the song, "Un Mundo Ideal". The Spanish parts were sung for the Latin American market by American singer Becky G and for the Spanish market by Spanish singer Aitana.
- In 2020, Ben Platt and Idina Menzel performed it as part of the TV special The Disney Family Singalong: Volume II.
- In 2024, alt-rock band Yellowcard covered the song for a Disney compilation album titled A Whole New Sound, duetting with Chrissy Costanza from Against the Current.
See also
- List of Hot 100 number-one singles of 1993 (U.S.)
- List of number-one adult contemporary singles of 1993 (U.S.)
- List of Mainstream Top 40 number-one hits of 1993 (U.S.)
References
- Stockman, Tom, WAMG Interview: Brad Kane – The Singing Voice of Disney's ALADDIN, We Are Movie Geeks, Lanier Media, 26 June 2023, 13 October 2015
- Best Original Song - The 65th Academy Awards (1993), October 4, 2014, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, February 15, 2018, live, February 2, 2018
- The 65th Academy Awards (1993) Nominees and Winners, May 1, 2022, oscars.org, October 4, 2014
- SEARCH – Aladdin, dead, July 13, 2010, May 1, 2022, Hollywood Foreign Press Association
- Pareles, Jon, March 2, 1994, Top Grammy to Houston; 5 for 'Aladdin', The New York Times, live, May 1, 2022, June 2, 2009
- 36th Grammy Awards - 1994, May 1, 2022, Rock On The Net
- January 6, 1994, Nominees for 36th annual Grammy Awards, May 1, 2022, UPI
- 'Aladdin' Soundtrack Details - Film Music Reporter, Filmmusicreproter.com, 8 May 2023
- Tom, Breihan, The Number Ones: Regina Belle & Peabo Bryson's "A Whole New World (Aladdin's Theme), Stereogum, January 31, 2022, August 2, 2024, Afanasieff, changes , Whole New World", into standard-issue early-’90s adult-contempo pop.
- Trust, Gary, January 31, 2022, 'Encanto' Song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" Hits No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100, The Hollywood Reporter, February 1, 2022
- David, Roberts, 2006, British Hit Singles & Albums, 19th, Guinness World Records Limited, London
- The Hot 100 chart listing for the week of March 06, 1993, Billboard, , Inc, April 23, 2010
- United States, Belle, Regina & Peabo Bryson, A Whole New World
- Best-Selling Records of 1993, Billboard, BPI Communications, January 15, 1994, May 4, 2015, 0006-2510, 106, 3
- Passion - Regina Belle, Allmusic, November 6, 2014
- Through the Fire - Peabo Bryson, Allmusic, November 6, 2014
- Alan, Jones, Market Preview: Mainstream - Singles, Music Week, December 11, 1993, April 5, 2021
- Hits of the World: Canada, Billboard, March 13, 1993, May 21, 2025
- Eurochart Hot 100 Singles, Music & Media, 11, 7, February 12, 1994, May 6, 2020
- EHR Top 40, Music & Media, 11, 5, January 29, 1994, January 8, 2026
- Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (3.–9. febr. '94), Dagblaðið Vísir, is, February 3, 1994, October 1, 2019
- The Airplay Chart, Music Week, January 29, 1994, May 4, 2024
- Top 100 Pop Singles, Cash Box, LVI, 24, February 20, 1993, April 20, 2024
- ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 50 Singles 1993, ARIA, April 15, 2019
- The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993, RPM, Library and Archives Canada, April 15, 2019
- The RPM Top 100 A\C Tracks of 1993, RPM, Library and Archives Canada, April 15, 2019
- End of Year Charts 1993, Recorded Music NZ, May 6, 2020
- Billboard Top 100 – 1993, Billboardtop100of.com, April 15, 2019
- The Year in Music 1993, Billboard, 105, 52, December 25, 1993, August 19, 2021, June 27, 2021, live
- Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs – Year-End 1993, Billboard, November 5, 2021, August 3, 2015, live
- Awards: Top 50 Pop Singles, Cash Box, LVII, 19, December 31, 1993, June 4, 2025
- Árslistinn 1994, Dagblaðið Vísir, is, January 2, 1995, May 30, 2020
- 1994 – Singles, Hit Music, January 7, 1995
- Grand Opening Today!, April 30, 1993, Manila Standard, March 31, 2020, Kamahalan Publishing Corp., The Best Reviewed Film of the Year!
- Karine Costa et Daniel Levi – Ce rêve bleu, lescharts.com, fr, March 17, 2024
- Tops de L'année , , Top Singles 1994, SNEP, fr, March 17, 2024
- Guerra, Joey, January 24, 2018, Premiere: Listen to Houston rapper Riff Raff on a remake of Aladdin tune 'A Whole New World', Chron, March 23, 2018
- May 17, 2019, Zayn and Becky G Give 'Aladdin' Theme Latin Makeover on 'Un Mundo Ideal': Listen, Billboard, June 16, 2022
- ZAYN, Becky G - Un mundo ideal (Versión Créditos) (De "Aladdín"/Official Video), May 31, 2019, November 18, 2021, live, June 11, 2019
- ALADDÍN (2019) , , Making of "Un Mundo Ideal" con Aitana, May 21, 2019, June 11, 2019
- Idina Menzel and Ben Platt Remind Us of the Outside with 'A Whole New World', May 11, 2020
External links
Category:1992 singles
Category:1992 songs
Category:1990s ballads
Category:Ben Platt songs
Category:Best Original Song Golden Globe–winning songs
Category:Best Original Song Academy Award–winning songs
Category:Billboard Hot 100 number-one singles
Category:Columbia Records singles
Category:Contemporary R&B ballads
Category:Disney Renaissance songs
Category:Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media
Category:Grammy Award for Song of the Year
Category:Idina Menzel songs
Category:Jose Mari Chan songs
Category:Katie Price songs
Category:Lea Salonga songs
Category:Love themes
Category:Male–female vocal duets
Category:Mena Massoud songs
Category:Morissette (singer) songs
Category:Peabo Bryson songs
Category:Peter Andre songs
Category:Pop ballads
Category:Regina Belle songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Alan Menken
Category:Song recordings produced by Walter Afanasieff
Category:Songs from Aladdin (franchise)
Category:Songs with lyrics by Tim Rice
Category:Songs with music by Alan Menken
Category:Soul ballads
Category:Walt Disney Records singles
Category:Zayn Malik songs
Category:Zhavia Ward songs
Category:Becky G songs