Notes

“A Whole New World" is a song from Disney's 1992 animated feature film Aladdin, with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. Alan Menken, the composer has received many prestigious for his musical talents. Some of his most well known scores include musicals/films/shows like Little Shop of Horrors, Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc. Rice also wrote lyrics for The Lion King as well as Beauty and the Beast. 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. A single version of this song was released that same year and was performed by American recording artists Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle. This pop ballad song serves as both the film's love and theme's film. The song garnered an Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 65th Academy Awards. "A Whole New World" also won the Grammy Award for Song of the Year at the 36th Annual Grammy Awards, the first and so far only Disney song to win in the category. In 2014, Adam Jacobs and Courtney Reed performed the song as Aladdin and Jasmine in the film's Broadway adaptation. Meanwhile, the single version of this song peaked at number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart 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 1992. The song is the first and so far only song from a Disney animated film to top the US Billboard Hot 100. The single version was later included on Belle's studio album Passion (1993) and on Bryson's studio album Through the Fire (1994).
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. This song by two bright young voices, neatly intertwined all along, under the ringing and shimmering sounds, among which the basis is made by violin instruments. In loved with each otherㅡthis impression they leave about themselves and their feelings are clean and are not marred by cloudy things on their horizon. Lyric “I can show you the world" means Aladdin is saying that if he gets a chance he can show her the world and give Jasmine the world. “I can open your eyes" means that Aladdin can get Jasmine to see things the way they really are as opposed to what Jasmine thinks they are. Literary devices used in this song are imagery and similes. The imagery of the world that Aladdin is sharing with Jasmine is described as being remarkable and an “indescribable feeling”. The images that come to mind for me are the shiny objects like the stars and the glimmering buildings in the night. Aladdin and Jasmine share a close bond between them that dignifies their love for one another. This song signifies their love and the strong relationship they have. The true feelings of the couple singing make the reader feel they were destined to be together. Aladdin knows that Jasmine has never been on a magic carpet ride because she has always been living in the palace. Jasmine had to experience this with Aladdin; this made their love even stronger. The simile in this song describes Aladdin like a shooting star: “I’m like a shooting star/ I’ve come so far”. The significance of the conclusion of the song shows that there are no boundaries or limitations stopping them from flying on the magic carpet: “No one to tell us no/ Or where to go/ Or say we’re only dreaming”. Aladdin and Jasmine are the perfect couple together.