Disney just teamed up with your favorite bands for one nostalgic pop-punk-fueled album.
On September 6, Disney released their highly anticipated collaboration album with notable pop-punk acts, entitled A Whole New Sound. It features a total of twelve tracks from eleven Disney favorites. Namely, the album sees the participation of New Found Glory, Mayday Parade, Simple Plan, Magnolia Park, Yellowcard, We The Kings, Plain White T’s, Meet Me @ The Altar, Boys Like Girls, Tokio Hotel, LØLØ, and Bowling For Soup.
“A Whole New Sound is a love letter to the pop-punk fans which blends the energetic spirit of the genre with the timeless nostalgia of Disney classics,” stated The Walt Disney Company Brand Marketing director Tim Pennoyer upon the album’s release.
Alongside the album’s release, an accompanying music video for Yellowcard’s rendition of “A Whole New World” from Aladdin also premiered. “There is nothing in my life that keeps me in tune with my inner kid more than my love of Disney,” stated frontman Ryan Key. “So, it is my pleasure to tell that kid that he and his best buds are in a band that has a song on an official Disney release!” He also commented on the participation of Against The Current’s Chrissy Constanza on the track. “From the moment this opportunity came up, we had ‘A Whole New World’ in mind with the idea to feature our friend Chrissy Costanza. Her voice is so amazing and she definitely did Jasmine proud!”
The Walt Disney Company first announced the album last July 11, alongside the release of its first single “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” from The Lion King, performed by Simple Plan. “We wanted to pay homage to Sir Elton John’s original version while also adding our own style to it and making it sound fun and energetic,” stated the band on their interpretation of the track. “We’re really stoked by how it turned out and we hope everyone will enjoy it.” It was then followed by the release of Magnolia Park’s rendtion of “I2I” from A Goofy Movie last July 26.
The album’s tracklist and release was then announced on August 15, alongside releasing its third single “Part Of Your World” From The Little Mermaid, performed by New Found Glory. “In approaching this song, I sat with the lyrics and melodies for a while. I realized that to make people feel what Ariel’s feeling, we needed to match the energy of the music with the rebellious thoughts of the song, along with her hope for adventure,” shared guitarist and chief songwriter Chad Gilbert. He notes how when Ariel sings about “wanting to dance, the music is upbeat and fun, but when she expresses her longing for freedom, the rhythm drops so you really feel the pull of the heart.” “Part Of Your World” was then followed by the release of “Go The Distance” From Hercules, covered by We The Kings and released last August 28.
Listen to Disney’s A Whole New Sound below: