"I See the Light" is a song written by composer
Alan Menken and lyricist
Glenn Slater for
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...
' 50th animated feature film ''
Tangled
''Tangled'' is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale ''Rapunzel'' in the collection of ...
'' (2010). A duet originally recorded by American recording artist and actress
Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her de ...
and American actor
Zachary Levi
Zachary Levi Pugh ( ; born September 29, 1980) is an American actor. He received critical acclaim for starring as Chuck Bartowski in the series '' Chuck'', and as the title character in '' Shazam!'' and its 2023 sequel, as a part of the DC Ex ...
in their respective film roles as main characters
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" ( , ) is a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Brothers Grimm's story developed from the French literary fairy tale of '' Persinet ...
and
Flynn Rider
Eugene Fitzherbert (born Horace, later renamed Eugene and then known by his alias Flynn Rider) is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 50th animated feature film ''Tangled'' (2010), its short 2012 film '' Tangle ...
, the
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
-inspired
pop ballad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads derive from the medieval French ''chanson balladée'' or ''ballade'', which were originally "dance songs". Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and ...
serves as both the film's
love
Love encompasses a range of strong and positive emotional and mental states, from the most sublime virtue or good habit, the deepest interpersonal affection, to the simplest pleasure. An example of this range of meanings is that the love o ...
and
theme song
Theme music is a musical composition that is often written specifically for radio programming, television shows, video games, or films and is usually played during the title sequence, opening credits, closing credits, and in some instances at ...
. Lyrically, "I See the Light" describes the developing romantic relationship between Rapunzel and Flynn, and is featured as the seventh track on the film's
soundtrack album.
''Tangled ''was originally conceived by
Disney
The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...
animator
Glen Keane
Glen Keane (born April 13, 1954) is an American animator, author and illustrator. He was a character animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios for feature films including ''The Little Mermaid'', ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''Aladdin'', ''Pocahonta ...
. Subsequently,
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...
hired veteran Disney composer Alan Menken and lyricist Glenn Slater to write the film's songs. Initially, Menken and Slater had written a more
anthemic version of "I See the Light" before finally re-working it into a gentler, simpler and more folk-oriented song. Menken would later reveal that, out of ''Tangled''
's 5 songs and
musical numbers
In music, number refers to an individual song, dance, or instrumental piece which is part of a larger work of musical theatre, opera, or oratorio. It can also refer either to an individual song in a published collection or an individual song or d ...
,
he is most proud of "I See the Light".
"I See the Light" received polarized reviews from film and music critics, who were largely ambivalent towards the song's content, questioning its originality. However, the "lantern sequence", during which "I See the Light" is performed by Rapunzel and Flynn, received high critical acclaim, with journalists and commentators praising its visuals and use of 3-D. Critically, both the song and the scene have been compared to similar romantic musical sequences from preceding Disney animated films, including "
Kiss the Girl
"Kiss the Girl" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken Walt Disney Pictures' 28th animated feature film ''The Little Mermaid'' (1989). Originally recorded by American actor Samuel Wright in his film role as Sebasti ...
" from ''
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...
'' (1989) and "
A Whole New World
"A Whole New World" is the signature song from Disney's 1992 animated feature film ''Aladdin'', with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in their respective roles as the ...
" from ''
Aladdin'' (1992), both of which are love songs also composed by Menken.
In spite of its mixed reviews, "I See the Light" has garnered numerous awards and accolades. The song was nominated for the
Academy
An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosop ...
and
Golden Globe awards for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
in 2011, losing both, the former to "
We Belong Together
"We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her 10th studio album, ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' (2005). The song was released on March 15, 2005, through Island Records, as the second single from the album. ...
" from ''
Toy Story 3
''Toy Story 3'' is a 2010 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the third installment in the ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to '' Toy Story 2'' (1999). It wa ...
'' (2010) and the latter to "
You Haven't Seen the Last of Me
"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" is a song performed by American singer-actress Cher, taken from the soundtrack '' Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' of the accompanying film '' Burlesque'' (2010). After a long time of hiatus in he ...
" from ''
Burlesque'' (2010). Subsequently, "I See the Light" won both the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Song and the
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
for
Best Song Written for Visual Media
The Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media (including its previous names) is the Grammy Awards awarded to songs written for films, television, video games or other visual media.
Recipients
* Each year is linked t ...
. Since its release, the song has been recorded and
covered
Cover or covers may refer to:
Packaging
* Another name for a lid
* Cover (philately), generic term for envelope or package
* Album cover, the front of the packaging
* Book cover or magazine cover
** Book design
** Back cover copy, part of co ...
by various musical artists, including musical theatre performers
David Harris and
Lucy Durack
Lucy Durack (born 17 November 1982) is an Australian actress, singer and television personality who played Glinda in the Australian production of '' Wicked'', and Elle Woods in the Australian production of '' Legally Blonde: The Musical''. She s ...
, and classical singer
Jackie Evancho
Jacqueline Marie Evancho ( ; born April 9, 2000) is an American classical crossover singer who gained wide recognition at an early age. Since 2009, she has issued a platinum-selling EP and nine albums, including three ''Billboard'' 200 top 10 ...
.
Background
The concept of an animated film based on the
Brothers Grimm
The Brothers Grimm ( or ), Jacob (1785–1863) and Wilhelm (1786–1859), were a brother duo of German academics, philologists, cultural researchers, lexicographers, and authors who together collected and published folklore. They are among the ...
fairy tale "
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" ( , ) is a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Brothers Grimm's story developed from the French literary fairy tale of '' Persinet ...
" originated from Disney animator
Glen Keane
Glen Keane (born April 13, 1954) is an American animator, author and illustrator. He was a character animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios for feature films including ''The Little Mermaid'', ''Beauty and the Beast'', ''Aladdin'', ''Pocahonta ...
in 1996. Veteran Disney composer
Alan Menken had just recently completed scoring
Walt Disney Pictures
Walt Disney Pictures is an American film production company and subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios, which is owned by The Walt Disney Company. The studio is the flagship producer of live-action feature films within the Walt Disney Studios unit ...
' ''
Enchanted'' (2007) when he received a telephone call from
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fro ...
in 2008, who invited him to compose the music for the studio's then-upcoming animated film ''
Tangled
''Tangled'' is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale ''Rapunzel'' in the collection of ...
''.
Upon accepting, Menken invited frequent collaborator
Glenn Slater, with whom he had previously worked on Disney's ''
Home on the Range
"Home on the Range" is a classic cowboy song, sometimes called the "unofficial anthem" of the American West. Dr. Brewster M. Higley (also spelled Highley) of Smith County, Kansas, wrote the lyrics as the poem "My Western Home" in 1872 or 1873 ...
'' (2004) and the
Broadway musical
Broadway theatre,Although ''theater'' is generally the spelling for this common noun in the United States (see American and British English spelling differences), 130 of the 144 extant and extinct Broadway venues use (used) the spelling ''Th ...
adaptation of ''
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...
'' (1989), to serve alongside him as his co-writing lyricist once again.
Aware that ''
Tangled
''Tangled'' is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale ''Rapunzel'' in the collection of ...
'' would not be "a
raditionalmusical like ''
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
'' or
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...
'']", on both of which Menken worked as a composer, Menken described the film as a "hybrid" because it is "far from [a] classic break into song musical." For ''Tangled'', Menken challenged himself to come up with a different, unique sound that would differ significantly from the musical styles of his previous Broadway
musical-influenced film projects and compositions. Inspired by the ongoing motif of
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" ( , ) is a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Brothers Grimm's story developed from the French literary fairy tale of '' Persinet ...
's "long hair and the freedom she wanted",
Menken decided to draw particular influence from the musical genre of 1960s
folk rock
Folk rock is a hybrid music genre that combines the elements of folk and rock music, which arose in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. In the U.S., folk rock emerged from the folk music revival. Performers s ...
, citing the musicianship and artistry of Canadian singer-songwriter
Joni Mitchell as a major source of musical inspiration.
Writing and recording
When it came to writing the film's songs and
musical numbers
In music, number refers to an individual song, dance, or instrumental piece which is part of a larger work of musical theatre, opera, or oratorio. It can also refer either to an individual song in a published collection or an individual song or d ...
, Menken and Slater "looked for what is going to be an appropriate song moment for the main characters."
In the specific case of "I See the Light", Menken elaborated, "The lantern song ... flows pretty much out of the sense of completion and
apunzelfinally sees the lanterns and has this moment. It's more of a
montage
Montage may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Filmmaking and films
* Montage (filmmaking), a technique in film editing
* ''Montage'' (2013 film), a South Korean film
Music
* Montage (music), or sound collage
* ''Montage'' (Block B EP), 201 ...
number."
Menken and Slater had originally intended for "I See the Light" to sound more "
anthem-like".
The songwriters eventually changed their minds, deciding to re-write "I See the Light" into a gentler, more
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
-oriented song.
Menken spoke of the
creative writing
Creative writing is any writing that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, or technical forms of literature, typically identified by an emphasis on narrative craft, character development, and the use of literary ...
process, "we began throwing melodies up, doing songs and riffs and harmonies, and we waited for something to stick". Additionally, Menken later admitted that, out of ''Tangled''
's five songs and musical numbers,
he is most proud of "I See the Light"
because it "is a great moment in the film and I am very happy with the beauty and simplicity of the song."
Similarly, co-director
Byron Howard also took an immediate liking towards the song. Hailing "I See the Light" as his favorite of the film's songs, Howard elaborated, "The moment
o-director_o-director_Nathan_Greno_and_I">Nathan_Greno.html"_;"title="o-director_Nathan_Greno">o-director_Nathan_Greno_and_Iheard_Alan_Menken's_Demo_recording.html" "title="Nathan_Greno_and_I.html" ;"title="Nathan_Greno.html" ;"title="o-director Nathan Greno">o-director Nathan Greno and I">Nathan_Greno.html" ;"title="o-director Nathan Greno">o-director Nathan Greno and Iheard Alan Menken's Demo recording">demo
Demo, usually short for demonstration, may refer to:
Music and film
*Demo (music), a song typically recorded for reference rather than release
* ''Demo'' (Behind Crimson Eyes), a 2004 recording by the band Behind Crimson Eyes
* ''Demo'' (Deafhea ...
we knew that one would be a classic."
A romantic duet performed during the narrative portion of the film by its 2 main characters, Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" ( , ) is a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Brothers Grimm's story developed from the French literary fairy tale of '' Persinet ...
and Flynn Rider
Eugene Fitzherbert (born Horace, later renamed Eugene and then known by his alias Flynn Rider) is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 50th animated feature film ''Tangled'' (2010), its short 2012 film '' Tangle ...
, "I See the Light" was recorded by American recording artist and actress Mandy Moore
Amanda Leigh Moore (born April 10, 1984) is an American singer, songwriter and actress. She rose to fame with her debut single, "Candy (Mandy Moore song), Candy", which peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Her de ...
as the voice of Rapunzel and American actor Zachary Levi as the voice of Flynn Rider
Eugene Fitzherbert (born Horace, later renamed Eugene and then known by his alias Flynn Rider) is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 50th animated feature film ''Tangled'' (2010), its short 2012 film '' Tangle ...
. While filming ''Tangled'', Moore and Levi met to work with each other only twice, one of which was to record the vocals for "I See the Light". According to Levi, he and Moore first rehearsed the song live accompanied by the film's 80-piece orchestra before eventually being divided into separate Isolation booth (audio), isolation booths to record their respective lyrics, verses and harmonies individually.
Context and scene
Occurring towards the end of ''Tangled'', "I See the Light" takes place during the film's second act soon after Rapunzel and Flynn Rider have finally completed their grueling journey from Mother Gothel's tower to Corona, arriving in the kingdom just in time to experience its annual lantern-lighting ceremony, which Rapunzel has spent 18 years – her entire life – observing at a distance from the confinement of Gothel's tower.
There the couple embarks on a boat ride
to watch the ceremony as "the night sky
silluminated with a sea of lanterns."
During the pivotal
scene, described by critics as the film's "
emotional peak"
because "Rapunzel's dream of watching the floating lanterns seems to be reali
d",
the musical number both "highlights the ... flight of the lanterns"
while essentially triggering Rapunzel and Flynn's "budding romance",
who are gradually beginning to fall in love.
According to Marianne Paluso of the ''
Catholic News Agency
The Catholic News Agency (CNA) is a private institution of EWTN that provides news related to the Catholic Church to the global anglophone audience. Founded in 2004 as the English section of the worldwide ACI Group, it is headquartered in Denve ...
'', Rapunzel, during the scene, "finally sees for herself the wondrous floating lanterns she's yearned to see her entire life".
Meanwhile, the audience is shown the way in which "love ... has blossomed between" the film's 2 main characters.
Commonly referred to by critics as one of ''Tangled's'' "show-stopping moments", Rapunzel and Flynn perform the romantic duet while "play
ngoff each other" as they continue to fall in love.
As a result of the song's setting, romantic context and lyrical content, several comparisons have been drawn between both the song and its corresponding scene and various romantic musical sequences from a number of preceding Disney animated feature films, the most frequently referenced of which are "
Kiss the Girl
"Kiss the Girl" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken Walt Disney Pictures' 28th animated feature film ''The Little Mermaid'' (1989). Originally recorded by American actor Samuel Wright in his film role as Sebasti ...
" from ''
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...
'' (1989)
and "
A Whole New World
"A Whole New World" is the signature song from Disney's 1992 animated feature film ''Aladdin'', with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in their respective roles as the ...
" from ''
Aladdin'' (1992), both romantic ballads also composed by Menken.
One particular reviewer, Steven D. Greydanus of ''Decent Films Guide'', drew comparisons between the scene and the musical "
Nutcracker Suite
''The Nutcracker'' ( rus, Щелкунчик, Shchelkunchik, links=no ) is an 1892 two-act ballet (""; russian: балет-феерия, link=no, ), originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaiko ...
" sequence from Disney's animated feature film ''
Fantasia'' (1940), describing it as "a moment of visual transcendence."
Throughout the filmmaking process, ''Tangled''
's co-directors
Byron Howard and Nathan Greno continued to hold the scene in particularly high regard, constantly boasting to the production team that "I See the Light" "will be the most spectacular animated sequence you've ever seen." According to Greno, the use of 45,000
floating lanterns during the scene was directly inspired by traditional Indonesian ceremonies during which people "set up rice paper lanterns and send them into the sky."
Composition
A "dreamy"
love song that embodies a "classic romantic feel", "I See the Light" is a "peppy and cheerful" romantic
pop ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cu ...
accompanied by a "soaring"
melody that spans a length of three minutes and forty-four seconds. Stylistically combining both
classical and
contemporary music with
folk
Folk or Folks may refer to:
Sociology
*Nation
*People
* Folklore
** Folk art
** Folk dance
** Folk hero
** Folk music
*** Folk metal
*** Folk punk
*** Folk rock
** Folk religion
* Folk taxonomy
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Folk Plus or Fo ...
influences,
the lyrics of the "endearing" romantic duet center around main characters Rapunzel and Flynn while describing their developing romantic relationship, which is finally beginning to allow the couple to "
eelife in a whole new way"
as they "begin to connect romantically,"
ultimately falling in love.
According to the song's official
sheet music, published by
Walt Disney Music Publishing
Disney Music Group (DMG) is the music recording arm of Disney Platform Distribution, a division of The Walt Disney Company. It is located at the studio's headquarters in Burbank, California. The division's subsidiaries consist of two owned record ...
. "I See the Light" is a mid-tempo
pop ballad
A sentimental ballad is an emotional style of music that often deals with romantic and intimate relationships, and to a lesser extent, loneliness, death, war, drug abuse, politics and religion, usually in a poignant but solemn manner.J. M. Cu ...
, written in the key of
C major (later changing to
E♭ major
E-flat major (or the key of E-flat) is a major scale based on E, consisting of the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has three flats. Its relative minor is C minor, and its parallel minor is E minor, (or enharmonically D ...
) at a tempo of 104
beats per minute
Beat, beats or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area
** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols
** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men
* Battery ...
. Combined, Moore and Levi's
vocal range
Vocal range is the range of pitches that a human voice can phonate. A common application is within the context of singing, where it is used as a defining characteristic for classifying singing voices into voice types. It is also a topic of st ...
s span over 2
octaves, with Levi singing the low note of
B♭2 and Moore singing the high note of
E♭5. In addition to vocals, the song's instrumentation also encompasses
harp,
acoustic guitar and
orchestra
An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families.
There are typically four main sections of instruments:
* bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, c ...
.
Reception
Critical reception
Song
Musically, "I See the Light" has received polarized reviews from critics, many of whom were generally underwhelmed by the film's songs.
Catherine Jones of the ''
Liverpool Echo
The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St Paul's Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Sunday, and is Liver ...
''reviewed "I See the Light" positively, hailing the song as a "rousing love ballad". While Jessica Dawson of ''
Common Sense Media
Common Sense Media (CSM) is an organization that reviews and provides ratings for media and technology with the goal of providing information on their suitability for children. '' described "I See the Light" as a "sweet duet" between Rapunzel and Flynn.
''Common Sense Media''
's Sandie Angulo Chen called it a "great" love song. Lindsey Ward of ''
Canoe.ca
Canoe.com is an English-language Canadian portal site and website network, and is a subsidiary of Postmedia Network. The phrase Canadian Online Explorer appears in the header; the name is also evidently a play on words on canoe (or ''canoë'' i ...
'' praised both Moore and Levi's vocal performance, commenting, "their work on the film's signature love ballad ... is bound to melt some hearts."
Meanwhile, several critics have reacted much less favorably towards "I See the Light". Scott Chitwood of ''
ComingSoon.net
Mandatory (formerly CraveOnline Media) is a lifestyle website based in Los Angeles with sales offices in New York City, Chicago and San Francisco. The site is owned by media company Evolve Media, LLC. Mandatory focuses its contents into the male- ...
'' described the song as nothing more than "pretty good".
Tim McCall of ''
The Star-Ledger
''The Star-Ledger'' is the largest circulated newspaper in the U.S. state of New Jersey and is based in Newark. It is a sister paper to '' The Jersey Journal'' of Jersey City, ''The Times'' of Trenton and the '' Staten Island Advance'', all of ...
''reviewed "I See the Light" very negatively, describing it as both "predictable" and "the sort of thing you'd plug your ears through". McCall went on to pan Slater's lyrics, describing them as a "dull ... 20-car pileup of cliche." ''
Time
Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, ...
''
's
Richard Corliss
Richard Nelson Corliss (March 6, 1944 – April 23, 2015) was an American film critic and magazine editor for ''Time''. He focused on movies, with occasional articles on other subjects.
He was the former editor-in-chief of '' Film Commen ...
described "I See the Light" as a "generically tuneful love ballad". In another review, Corliss similarly commented, "'I See the Light' ... isn't the most inventive of Menken melodies".
Questioning the song's originality, Cindy White of ''
IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
'' described "I See the Light" as "unmemorable". ''
Filmtracks.com
Filmtracks.com is a modern film score review website created and maintained by its sole reviewer, Christian Clemmensen. Since the launch of Filmtracks in 1996, the website has reviewed nearly two-thousand soundtracks dating as far back as 1954, t ...
'' wrote a mixed review, describing Levi's vocal performance as "conservatively appropriate" while criticizing Moore for "lacking in depth of inflection."
Lantern sequence
Contrastingly, the climactic musical sequence during which "I See the Light" is performed by Rapunzel and Flynn, commonly referred to as the "lantern sequence", has fared significantly better than the song itself, garnering widespread acclaim from film critics. Keith Uhlich of ''
Time Out'' described the scene as "especially wonderful",
while ''
Digital Spy''s
Simon Reynolds similarly hailed it as one of the film's most "striking moments". Although Georgie Hobbs of ''
Little White Lies ''wrote that, lyrically, "I See the Light" is "nothing special", she went on to praise the scene, describing it as a "treat ... that will clinch it for romantics and 3-D tech-heads alike."
''
Radio Times'' Alan Jones labeled the sequence one of the film's "most beautifully uplifting moments". Similarly, Christian Blauvelt of ''
Slant Magazine'' highlighted the scene as one of ''Tangled''
's "few moments of otherworldly beauty".
A. O. Scott of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid d ...
''wrote, "A scene of paper lanterns descending through mist onto water is especially breathtaking, partly because it departs from the usual 3-D insistence on deep focus and sharply-defined images, creating an experience that is almost tactile in its dreamy softness."
The ''
New York Post
The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com.
It was established ...
''
's
Lou Lumenick
Louis J. Lumenick (born September 11, 1949) is an American film critic. He was the chief film critic and film editor for the ''New York Post'' where he reviewed films from 1999 until his retirement in 2016. He is currently researching the histor ...
, whose response to the film's use of
3-D was generally mixed, described "I See the Light" as "the year's best use of 3-D". Likewise, Dan Kois of ''
Westword
''Westword'' is a free digital and print media publication based in Denver, Colorado. ''Westword'' publishes daily online coverage of local news, restaurants, music and arts, as well as longform narrative journalism. A weekly print issue cir ...
''commented, "while ''Tangled''
's 3-D is mostly unobtrusive, the lights swooping over the audience might be the most crowd-pleasing 3-dimensional filigree I've seen yet." ''
Rediff.com
Rediff.com (stylized as ''rediff.com'') is an Indian news, information, entertainment and shopping web portal. It was founded in 1996. It is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Bangalore, New Delhi and New York City.
, it had more than 300 e ...
s Sukanya Verma praised both the scene and the song, writing, "it's the luminous imagery of
I See the Light" merging the reach of technology with Menken's sublime melody that produces a spectacular celluloid moment." Tasha Robinson of ''
The A. V. Club ''opined, "even a falling-in-love sequence cribbed in part from ''The Little Mermaid'' is overwhelmingly magical."
Colin Covert of the ''
Star Tribune'' wrote, "A romantic boat-ride beneath a constellation of floating lanterns is one of the more breathtaking episodes of gratuitous beauty". ''
MSN Movies
MSN (meaning Microsoft Network) is a web portal and related collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft and launched on August 24, 1995, alongside the release of Windows 95.
The Microsof ...
''
' Glenn Kenny hailed the scene as one of "the most dazzling pieces of moving artwork executed in any animated movie, Disney or otherwise, ever."
Accolades
The
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
decided to modify the nomination rules pertaining to the
Academy Award for Best Original Song after Menken's ''Enchanted ''garnered 3 separate nominations for the award in 2008, decreasing the nomination limit from 3 to only 2 from any individual film.
After the release of ''Tangled'', Menken revealed that the studio will only be submitting 1 song from the film to the
Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS, often pronounced ; also known as simply the Academy or the Motion Picture Academy) is a professional honorary organization with the stated goal of advancing the arts and sciences of motio ...
for consideration for the
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
award at the
83rd Academy Awards in 2011 "to avoid songs canceling each other out if nominated."
Menken decided upon "I See the Light" because he considers it "the heart-and-center of the film" and "seems to be the one that can break out."
Additionally, several critics expected the song to win Best Original Song,
including ''Time''
's Richard Corliss.
As widely anticipated, "I See the Light" was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 83rd Academy Awards in 2011,
becoming Menken's nineteenth Academy Award nomination. Menken said of the accomplishment, "I don't take it for granted at all". However, the song ultimately lost to
Randy Newman's "
We Belong Together
"We Belong Together" is a song by American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey from her 10th studio album, ''The Emancipation of Mimi'' (2005). The song was released on March 15, 2005, through Island Records, as the second single from the album. ...
" from ''
Toy Story 3
''Toy Story 3'' is a 2010 American computer-animated comedy-drama film produced by Pixar Animation Studios for Walt Disney Pictures. It is the third installment in the ''Toy Story'' series and the sequel to '' Toy Story 2'' (1999). It wa ...
'' (2010), another animated feature film released by Walt Disney Pictures, produced by
Pixar Animation Studios
Pixar Animation Studios (commonly known as Pixar () and stylized as P I X A R) is an American computer animation studio known for its critically and commercially successful computer animated feature films. It is based in Emeryville, Californ ...
. Previously, "I See the Light" had garnered a
Golden Globe nomination for
Best Original Song
This is a list of categories of awards commonly awarded through organizations that bestow film awards, including those presented by various film, festivals, and people's awards.
Best Actor/Best Actress
*See Best Actor#Film awards, Best Actress#F ...
at the
68th Golden Globe Awards
The 68th Golden Globe Awards were broadcast live from the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 16, 2011, by NBC. The host was Ricky Gervais. The nominations were announced on December 14, 2010, by Josh Duhamel, Katie Holmes ...
in 2011, which it lost to "
You Haven't Seen the Last of Me
"You Haven't Seen the Last of Me" is a song performed by American singer-actress Cher, taken from the soundtrack '' Burlesque: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'' of the accompanying film '' Burlesque'' (2010). After a long time of hiatus in he ...
" from ''
Burlesque'' (2010), written by
Diane Warren and performed by
Cher. Lastly, "I See the Light" was nominated for Best Song at the 16th Broadcast Film Critics Association Awards in 2011, losing to "
If I Rise" from ''
127 Hours
''127 Hours'' is a 2010 biographical psychological survival drama film co-written, produced and directed by Danny Boyle. The film stars James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn and Clémence Poésy. In the film, canyoneer Aron Ralston mus ...
'' (2010).
"I See the Light" went on to win the Las Vegas Film Critics Society Award for Best Song in 2010, and the
Best Song Written for Visual Media Award at the
54th Grammy Awards in 2012.
''
Babble.com
''Babble'' was an online magazine and blog network targeting young, educated, urban parents. Their site operated a large network of parent blogs, employing many bloggers on the subjects of parenting and child-raising.
In early 2019, it was announ ...
'' ranked "I See the Light" as one of the "Greatest ... Disney Movie Moments".
Performances and cover versions
In celebration of the song's Best Original Song nomination, Moore and Levi performed "I See the Light" live at the
83rd Academy Awards in February 2011, accompanied by Menken himself on piano.
For the performance, Moore asked that she be provided with a "show-stopping" dress, specifically requesting that it not resemble a Disney costume. To comply, fashion designer
Monique Lhuillier
Monique Lhuillier (born September 15, 1971) is a Filipino-French fashion designer and creative director known for her bridal, ready-to-wear and lifestyle brand. She launched her eponymous brand in 1996 and has since established fashion houses i ...
"incorporated elements of 3 dresses Moore loved" into the final dress, resulting in a full-skirted
cobalt blue gown. Moore revealed that she was feeling confident about the performance "until about 2 minutes before the show".
Moore also said of the performance, "It was the most intimidating audience I performed for ... I made a point not to look at anyone … because I was nervous."
Australian actor and singer
David Harris included his rendition of "I See the Light" on his second studio album ''At This Stage'' (2011), recording the song as a duet with Australian actress
Lucy Durack
Lucy Durack (born 17 November 1982) is an Australian actress, singer and television personality who played Glinda in the Australian production of '' Wicked'', and Elle Woods in the Australian production of '' Legally Blonde: The Musical''. She s ...
. ''Theatre People''
's Simon Parris'' ''wrote of Harris' version, "the gorgeous duet .. will have listeners rushing out to watch their ''Tangled'' blu-ray again." American classical singer
Jackie Evancho
Jacqueline Marie Evancho ( ; born April 9, 2000) is an American classical crossover singer who gained wide recognition at an early age. Since 2009, she has issued a platinum-selling EP and nine albums, including three ''Billboard'' 200 top 10 ...
recorded "I See the Light" for her fourth studio album ''
Songs from the Silver Screen
''Songs from the Silver Screen'' is the fourth full-length album released by American singer Jackie Evancho. It was released on October 2, 2012; at the time of release, Evancho was 12 years old. The album is composed of 12 songs used in popular f ...
'' (2012) as a duet with American singer Jacob Evancho, her elder brother. ''
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational technology company focusing on e-commerce, cloud computing, online advertising, digital streaming, and artificial intelligence. It has been referred to as "one of the most influential econo ...
'' described Evancho's rendition as a "very special duet."
Certifications
References
{{authority control
2010s ballads
2010 songs
Grammy Award for Best Song Written for Visual Media
Love themes
Male–female vocal duets
Mandy Moore songs
Pop ballads
Songs from Tangled
Songs with lyrics by Glenn Slater
Songs with music by Alan Menken
Walt Disney Records singles
Song recordings produced by Alan Menken