It’s the most recognizable "I want" song in history. A teenager, surrounded by forks and broken clocks, sings about wanting more. Most people think they know the voice Ariel Little Mermaid is famous for—that crystalline, Broadway-belting perfection. But if you actually talk to the people who made it, you'll realize the voice we fell in love with was almost a mistake.
Honestly, Jodi Benson didn't even think she'd get the job. Back in 1986, she was just another Broadway actress whose show, Smile, had crashed and burned after only 48 performances. The show's lyricist, Howard Ashman, felt bad for the cast. He invited the girls to audition for a "little cartoon project" he was working on at Disney.
Jodi recorded her audition on a reel-to-reel tape. Then she went home and forgot about it. For a whole year.
The Secret Behind the Original Voice
When we think of the voice Ariel Little Mermaid collectors and fans adore, we’re hearing a performance that was coached down, not up. Jodi Benson was used to singing to the back row of a 3,000-seat theater. She had a massive, booming voice.
Howard Ashman hated that for Ariel.
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During the recording of "Part of Your World," he actually made them turn off all the studio lights. He wanted Jodi to feel like she was in a tiny, dark grotto. He told her to "sing less." He wanted the whispers, the breaths, and the cracks in her voice. He literally sat in the booth with her, sometimes even bumping the mic by accident, just to get her to act the song rather than just "sing" it.
- The "Leaked" Breath: If you listen to the original track with high-quality headphones, you can actually hear Howard Ashman breathing in the background. He was that close to her.
- The Perfectionism Struggle: Jodi has admitted it was painful to "sing badly"—to skip the vibrato and let the voice sound thin and vulnerable.
- The Secret Gig: At the time, voice acting was considered a step down for "serious" stage actors. Jodi didn't tell her friends she was doing it. She thought it would just be a VHS tape that nobody would ever watch.
Why the 2023 Voice Felt Different
Fast forward to 2023, and the voice Ariel Little Mermaid fans heard was Halle Bailey. It was a massive shift. While Jodi Benson’s voice was rooted in 1980s musical theater—bright, crisp, and conversational—Halle brought a contemporary R&B sensibility to the role.
Director Rob Marshall has said that Halle was the first person they auditioned. He claims she "set the bar so high" that nobody else could touch it. But it wasn't just about her ability to hit a high note. It was the "air" in her voice.
Critics and fans on places like Reddit have debated this change for years. Some felt Halle "over-sang" the moments that Jodi kept small. Others argued that for a modern audience, the "Part of Your World" reprise needed that powerhouse, melismatic finish to feel cinematic. Basically, Jodi’s Ariel was a girl talking to herself; Halle’s Ariel was a powerhouse of nature.
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The Actresses You Probably Didn't Know Played Her
Most people name Jodi or Halle and stop there. But the voice Ariel Little Mermaid has been passed around like a torch for over thirty years.
Take Auli’i Cravalho, for instance. You know her as Moana. But in 2019, she played Ariel in The Little Mermaid Live! on ABC. She had to sing "Part of Your World" while literally suspended in the air on wires, trying to look like she was swimming. It’s a lot harder to hit a high C when your core is being squeezed by a harness.
Then there’s Sierra Boggess. She originated the role on Broadway in 2007. Her version of the voice had to be even more athletic because she spent the entire show on Heelys—roller shoes—to simulate "swimming" on a wooden stage.
And don't forget the sequels. While Jodi Benson voiced Ariel in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea and the prequel Ariel's Beginning, there have been dozens of toys, video games, and "Disney Princess" albums where other vocalists had to mimic that specific "Benson Spark." It’s basically a requirement for Disney casting now: can you sound 16, curious, and slightly raspy?
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The Technical "Magic" of the Sound
There’s a specific "frequency" to Ariel’s voice. In the 1989 film, the sound engineers used a lot of "room tone" to make it feel intimate. In the 2023 version, the voice Ariel Little Mermaid was treated with modern Dolby Atmos technology. This meant they could make her voice move around the theater, giving the illusion that she was actually circling the audience underwater.
One weird fact? In the original movie, when Ariel loses her voice, the "soul" in the shell isn't actually Jodi Benson’s voice. It’s a synthesized, layered track designed to sound ethereal and haunting. They wanted it to feel like the idea of a voice, rather than a human throat.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Aspiring Singers
If you’re trying to capture that Ariel sound—whether for a cover or just because you're a superfan—the secret isn't in the high notes. It’s in the "acting."
- Record in the dark. Seriously. Try it. It forces you to stop performing for an audience and start "thinking" the lyrics.
- Focus on the consonants. Both Jodi and Halle are masters of "diction." Even when they're whispering, you hear every 't' and 'p'.
- The "Sigh" Technique. Ariel’s voice is characterized by a "sigh" into the note. It’s not a hard attack; it’s a breathy entrance.
The voice Ariel Little Mermaid represents more than just a character. It's a specific style of storytelling that bridged the gap between old-school Disney and the modern era. Whether you prefer the Broadway chirp of the 80s or the soulful riffs of the 2020s, the "voice" is really just about the feeling of being misunderstood.
To dive deeper into the vocal history of the Disney Renaissance, you should look into the original demo tapes of Howard Ashman. Hearing a grown man sing "Part of Your World" to show a Broadway star how it’s done is perhaps the most fascinating piece of Disney history you’ll ever find. It’s where the magic actually started.