If you’ve ever watched the “The Little Mermaid,” you remember Ariel’s innocence and undeniably beautiful vocals. When casting for the new live-action remake of the “The Little Mermaid,” they felt it was only right to cast Halle Bailey – one half of the upcoming sister duo, Chloe x Halle. After the news broke, there was a mixed reaction of excitement and racism all over social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
The two were signed to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment Label back in 2015 after they caught her eye with a cover of “Pretty Hurts.” Ever since then, the girls released their debut album to critical acclaim, received a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist and Best Urban Contemporary Album, and they both are acting on Freeform’s “Grown-ish” with Yara Shahidi.
Bailey saw a wave of support from Hollywood heavyweights like Mariah Carey, Halle Berry, Zendaya and Whoopi Goldberg after critics of the casting choice began to voice their disapproval online.
To all the butthurt people out there; this is the Ariel that I grow up loving. If Disney want to cast a black actress they should just write an original story instead of calling it a live-action remake. #NotMyAriel pic.twitter.com/PzxWlOEsxo
— bitch please! (@hui_tweet) July 6, 2019
After the #NotMyAriel hashtag began to gain traction, Freeform – the network that televises “Grown-ish” released an open letter to “the Poor, Unfortunate Souls,” which you can read below.
But we’re here to show some support to our girl, Halle Bailey, with video proof her insane vocal talent. Here are just a few videos in which the younger of the Bailey sisters blows us away with her pitch-perfect pipes.
1. Halle covering Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable”
2. “Pretty Hurts” by Beyoncé
3. “Love on Top” by Beyoncé
4. The National Anthem
5. “Happy Without Me” on Jimmy Kimmel
Moises is a full-time freelance writer based in New York City. He graduated from the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY. He reports mainly on arts and culture.