The Disney Family Singalong was aired April 16, 2020 on ABC. After the rave reviews it received and the wild popularity the special picked up, it was shared to all ABC platforms and other notable streaming platforms, like Hulu and Disney+. The special featured Disney stars like Alan Menken, the 'High School Musical' cast, and Demi Lovato; among non-Disney stars like Ariana Grande, Thomas Rhett, and Michael Bublé. Complete with an old school Disney intro, a vocal warm-up, with none other than Kristin Chenoweth, a dance number with the Hough siblings, and the host, Ryan Seacrest, this special is a spark of greatness by Disney. A simple concept really brought some joy and Disney magic to the world in a desperate time of need, while also giving the parents stuck at home with little ones a way to distract their kids for about an hour. Although there is about 20 amazing, show stopping renditions of Disney classics and too many amazing artists to count, some performances stood out from the rest. Without further ado, here are the top five performances ranked from the ABC Disney Singalong special:
5. 'Friend Like Me' covered by James Monroe Iglehart the Broadway Cast of Aladdin
Not only is James Monroe Iglehart a great singer and performer, even just from an office chair, but him and his crew make a great harmony. This rendition includes a lot of tongue twisters, voice changes, character, and some acapella aspects. After hearing this cast's cover of the original 'Friend Like Me', I kind of wanna jump on a plane to New York and see them perform it live and in costume on Broadway as soon as I can. The fact that a performance like this was done from a handful of living rooms is all the more impressive and shows the serious level of talent these Broadway stars possess. All of these aspects in conjunction with Iglehart's full and fun performing voice gives this cover the number five spot on this list.
4. 'Under the Sea' covered by Jordan Fisher
Something about Jordan Fisher always makes me smile. In his lively and bright rendition of 'The Little Mermaid' classic 'Under the Sea', he involves incredible singing and some friends to add choreography that brings the song to life. I really liked that he involved some kids and people without notoriety (to my knowledge anyway), using his fame to showcase impressive talent and dancing skill to the world. All of this combined with his Broadway style belt out of the last note, this performance secured a spot in the top five at number four.
3. 'How Far I'll Go' covered by Auli'i Cravalho
This was an underdog performance that seriously blew me away. Auli'i Cravalho is the woman behind the voice of the original Moana character and she uses her passion for the part and the song as it plays a role in today's unforeseen circumstances. Although there was no flashy costume, dancing, or any surprise guests in her video, the simplicity of her, next to the scene from the movie, mixed with her incredible voice definitely made this performance a strong contender. Honestly, Cravalho's voice alone could put her on this list.
2. 'We're All In This Together' covered by the High School Musical Cast and Kenny Ortega
As the show's finale, this was an obvious addition to the list. What started with Zac Efron introducing Kenny Ortega and the original cast of 'High School Musical' turned into a huge flash mob of singing and dancing by those listed above in addition to the new cast of 'High School Musical: The Musical The Series' (streaming on Disney+) and some more notable actors from other movies Kenny Ortega has directed. I think my favorite part of this rendition was the original movie choreography that was being done full out by quite a few of the actors featured in the cover, some of which weren't even in the original DCOM. I also like how this performance includes so many popular faces without overshadowing the main characters. This one is definitely worth a watch.
1. 'I Won't Say I'm In Love' covered by Ariana Grande
This one by far blew me away and is well deserving of the top spot. Not only do Ariana's pipes and vocal range amaze me more every single time I hear her sing, but she puts on a show from her very own home by playing the part of Megara and all five muses in her rendition of 'I Won't Say I'm In Love'. Not only does she include the color coordinated costumes, but she even includes some of the simpler parts of the choreography and similar props from the 1997 animated film's original scene. Personally, 'I Won't Say I'm In Love' was already my favorite Disney movie song and I think Ariana not only did it justice, but may have taken the top spot as my favorite version of the song (although, the Cheetah Girls also do an epic remake of the original song too.) Thank you, Alan Menken, for inspiring Ariana to remake this song, and with it she takes the number one spot on this list.
