Sexist Disney Song From ‘Mulan’ Becomes Certified Gold 25 Years Later

The Mulan (1998) soundtrack is adored by millions of Disney fans, even 25 years later. And it’s hard to blame them. The soundtrack gave us “Reflection” by Christina Aguilera, a song that gets fans singing as they stare deeply into a mirror and question their own choices in life. The soundtrack also has an underrated 98 Degrees and Stevie Wonder collaboration that most fans forget about. However, some songs on the album have often been criticized for their theming. Many refer to the songs as sexist or degrading towards women. After all, one of the best songs on the soundtrack accuses daughters of being weaker than sons. You know the one.

Today, Disney Music announced that “A Girl Worth Fighting For” has become certified GOLD by the Recording Industry Association of America over 25 years after the film’s release. Certified Gold refers to the number of units sold, which means “Girl Worth Fighting For” has been purchased a total of 500,000 times. It may have taken a while as the song isn’t the most popular on the soundtrack, perhaps coming in fourth after the two versions of “Reflection” and “I’ll Make a Man Out of You.”

News that shines like the stars: "A Girl Worth Fighting For" from Mulan has been certified GOLD by @RIAA! 📀🎶

Listen now on the @DisneyHits playlist: https://t.co/0qcgyCNnjk pic.twitter.com/yQntaFDplu

— Disney Music (@DisneyMusic) April 15, 2023

In the film “A Girl Worth Fighting For” is performed by a group of soldiers marching into battle as they yearn for the women they have left back home. While it seems like it would be a love song, the soldiers mainly just act like inappropriate horn dogs.

When describing the perfect match, Mulan suggests the ideal partner as “a girl who’s got a brain, who always speaks her mind. To which the rest of the soldiers shout, “nah!”. Although it’s meant to be a joke, the song mainly focuses on the physical attraction of women and whether or not they have abilities in the kitchen.

To make matters worse, during the song, the soldiers pass by a group of women working in the fields, and Mushu, Eddie Murphy’s dragon character, lets out a cat-call-like whistle. At the same time, the men are singing, “You can guess what we have missed most since going off to war.” Feel free to guess what they are referring to.

Nevertheless, the song is iconic, along with the entire album. The songs were written by David Zippel, who also wrote the Hercules (1997) soundtrack bangers. The songs may not work in the modern era, which is probably why they were removed entirely from the live-action version, but with the song hitting Gold this year, there are still fans out there who enjoy it. And once again, it’s hard to blame them.

What’s your favorite song from the Mulan (1998) soundtrack? Let us know in the comments.