Awkwafina Slammed for ‘Little Mermaid’ Involvement - Inside the Magic

The live-action Little Mermaid will be released next weekend, but has already seen major positive reviews from early screenings. Ahead of the film’s premiere, Disney released the soundtrack on all streaming platforms.

It’s been met with mixed reviews, with many fans upset about changing two of the songs from the animated film. However, it’s not the changed songs that have the most fans upset, it’s the inclusion of an all new song from writer Lin Manuel Miranda.

The song is written for Scuttle, Ariel’s seagull friend, who gives Ariel knowledge and advice on how to deal with the human world. Scuttle, played by Awkwafina, is given a song called “The Scuttlebutt.” True to style for Lin Manuel Miranda, this song is a fast rap and has many fans wondering what the point was.

Several comments mentioned that a rapped song has become Lin Manuel’s signature at this point, but that doesn’t mean it’s always necessary. “We don’t need his raps in every movie actually,” says @kristoffwife. “The sisters don’t sing but I have to listen to little miss blaccent rap…Lin-Manuel Miranda needs to be arrested,” claims @icydriip.

While several songs had lyrics added or changed, it also completely removed the opening songs “The Daughters of Triton,” in which Ariel’s sisters sang and introduced themselves. The cut has many people upset, especially considering the songs that were added into the film. Several comments ask if the “Scuttlebutt” song is made up, “pls say sike,” says @maryswraith.

Other posts mention that when Awkwafina is actually able to put her talent to use, she’s able to deliver a great performance, but the her version of Scuttle isn’t it. It’s an interesting choice, considering the Broadway version of The Little Mermaid already exists, and unfortunately has many people wondering what the point of changing or adding songs was. “Awkwafina and LMM joining forces can only mean terrible things for the state of the world,” claims @rainlaforest.

What do you think of the song? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments!