"I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" is a song written by composer

Alan Menken Alan Irwin Menken (born July 22, 1949) is an American composer, best known for his scores and songs for films produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios. His scores and songs for '' The Little Mermaid'' (1989), '' Beauty and the Beast'' (1991), ' ...

and lyricist

David Zippel David Joel Zippel (born May 17, 1954) is an American musical theatre lyricist, director, and producer. Early life and education Zippel was born and raised in Easton, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania. Falling in lo ...

for

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 ...

's animated film ''

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the ...

'' (1997). Included on the film's

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrac ...

, the song is performed by American actress and singer Susan Egan in her role as

Meg Meg is a feminine given name, often a short form of Megatron, Megan, Megumi (Japanese), etc. It may refer to: People * Meg (singer), a Japanese singer *Meg Cabot (born 1967), American author of romantic and paranormal fiction * Meg Burton Cahill ...

' love interest, while singers Cheryl Freeman, Lillias White,

Vaneese Thomas Vaneese Yseult Thomas (born August 24, 1952) is an American R&B, jazz and soul blues singer, best known for her 1987 US ''Billboard'' R&B chart hit single, "Let's Talk It Over". In addition, in more recent times, she has supplied backing vocal ...

, LaChanze and

Roz Ryan Roz Ryan (born Rosalyn Bowen; July 7, 1951) is an American actress, singer, and comedian who has worked for productions in film, television, and Broadway theatre for over 40 years. Ryan's first role on Broadway was in '' Ain't Misbehavin, a Fa ...

provide

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring several female singers who generally harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female pop music singing groups, many of wh ...

-style

backup vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are used ...

as the

Muses In ancient Greek religion and mythology, the Muses ( grc, Μοῦσαι, Moûsai, el, Μούσες, Múses) are the inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the ...

. "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" is a mid-tempo

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a genre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica ...

and

pop Pop or POP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Pop music, a musical genre Artists * POP, a Japanese idol group now known as Gang Parade * Pop!, a UK pop group * Pop! featuring Angie Hart, an Australian band Albums * ''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 ...

reminiscent of 1950s music that incorporates

Motown Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''moto ...

and R&B influences. Similar in style to songs recorded by American girl groups

the Ronettes The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. ...

and

the Supremes The Supremes were an American girl group and a premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s. Founded as the Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, the Supremes were the most commercially successful of Motown's acts and the most successf ...

, its lyrics are about denying having

romantic feelings Romance or romantic love is a feeling of love for, or a strong attraction towards another person, and the courtship behaviors undertaken by an individual to express those overall feelings and resultant emotions. The ''Wiley Blackwell Encycl ...

for someone and

parody A parody, also known as a spoof, a satire, a send-up, a take-off, a lampoon, a play on (something), or a caricature, is a creative work designed to imitate, comment on, and/or mock its subject by means of satiric or ironic imitation. Often its sub ...

those of traditional

love song A love song is a song about romantic love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. A comprehensive list of even the best known performers and composers of love songs would be a large order ...

s. In its accompanying musical sequence, Meg refuses to admit she is falling in love with Hercules, while the Muses insist that she embrace her romantic feelings for him instead. "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" was written to replace "I Can't Believe My Heart", a slower, more emotional ballad Menken had originally intended for Meg; the latter song was discarded because Meg's animator Ken Duncan felt it did not complement her strong personality. Menken based "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" on songs he wrote for his musical ''

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * ''The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 film directed by Roger Corman ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film ** ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (film), a 1986 film adaptati ...

'' (1982). "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" has been positively received by both film and

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on w ...

, who enjoyed its girl group-inspired arrangement, as well as Egan's sultry delivery and the song's refreshing difference from traditional Disney ballads; some critics even dubbed it the film's best song. While not one of Disney's most popular songs, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" has developed a reputation as one of the studio's most underappreciated. American singer

Belinda Carlisle Belinda Jo Carlisle ( ; born August 17, 1958) is an American singer. She gained fame as the lead vocalist of the Go-Go's, the most successful all-female rock band of all time, and went on to have a prolific career as a solo artist. Raised in ...

recorded a

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre with an emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than rock music. Originating in the late 1950s as an alternative to normal rock and roll, ear ...

version of "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" for the film's soundtrack. American girl group

the Cheetah Girls The Cheetah Girls may refer to: * The Cheetah Girls (franchise), a series of young adult novels by Deborah Gregory and the spin-offs made from the novels, including a film series ** ''The Cheetah Girls'' (film), a 2003 Disney Channel Original Movie ...

covered the song in 2005.

Background and context

"I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" was written by composer

and lyricist

. Menken originally composed a "soaring"

entitled "I Can't Believe My Heart" for

to sing in the film, which he had intended to serve as a solo conveying the heroine falling in love with

. However, Meg's supervising animator Ken Duncan disagreed with Menken's song because he believed the character was "too tough" and "hardened by life" to perform such a soft ballad. The writers agreed that Meg "wasn’t a ballad kind of girl." Therefore, Menken was prompted to write "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)", the style of which he based on the

songs he had written for his stage musical ''

'' (1982), with which "I Can't Believe My Heart" was ultimately replaced. Although she enjoyed the first song, actress and singer Susan Egan, who voices Meg, agreed that the slower "I Can't Believe My Heart" was "too straightforward and literal", whereas "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" expresses a similar meaning, albeit "the way Meg would—without admitting any of it." Alan Menken 2013 (cropped)

Egan joked that although "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" was "fun" to perform, she felt much more "

white White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

" than usual recording alongside the five black singers cast as the

, who provide the song's

back up vocals A backing vocalist is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists. A backing vocalist may also sing alone as a lead-in to the main vocalist's entry or to sing a counter-melody. Backing vocalists are us ...

. Familiar with singers Cheryl Freeman, Lillias White, Vaneese Y. Thomas, LaChanze and

's Broadway work, Egan felt intimidated by their powerful voices and riffing abilities. Egan recalled, "Alan would say, 'Okay Lillias (White), just do a riff over there and LaChanze, you do a little something over here and Susan, just at the end, get from this note to this note and just do a riff.' I raise my hand and I'm like, 'Umm, can you plunk it out on the piano?' He looks at me like, 'Are you kidding?'" While it took Egan half an hour to solidify only one of her riffs, the other singers recorded multiple takes of theirs within that same time; Egan was greatly humbled by the experience, having never riffed in her previous singing roles. On the film's soundtrack, only Egan and Freeman are credited as vocalists on the track. Menken also produced the song.

Danny Troob Daniel Troob (born February 28, 1949, in Forest Hills, New York) is an American arranger and orchestrator best known for his contributions to the Disney blockbusters of the 1990s & 2000s. He won Drama Desk awards for '' Big River'' (1985) and Rodge ...

arranged the song while Michael Kosarin conducted the orchestration. Audiences learn that Meg has been in love before, only for her boyfriend to leave her for another woman after selling her soul to

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

to save his life. Like most Disney heroines, Meg sings about falling in love with the film's hero, a revelation Meg is too proud to admit. "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" expresses Meg's conflicting feelings about Hercules, who she insists she does not love, only for her claims to constantly be refuted by the Muses. Recognized as Meg's

signature song A signature (; from la, signare, "to sign") is a handwritten (and often stylized) depiction of someone's name, nickname, or even a simple "X" or other mark that a person writes on documents as a proof of identity and intent. The writer of a ...

, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" uncovers the "misunderstood nature" of the character. Falling in love too quickly was a negative experience for Meg that has left her hesitant and in denial. Despite her best efforts, the character realizes she has in fact begun to develop feelings for Hercules much to her chagrin, which she refuses to admit at first. The song allows Meg to work through such denial, by "alternating between fantasizing about how delightful it would be to be loved by Herc, and stomping her foot in anger at the very thought." Resembling an "admonishing" exchange between Meg and the Muses, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" is Meg's attempt to avoid the clichéd storylines of her predecessors. Finally, after strolling through a Greek courtyard while performing the song accompanied by the Muses who insist she is in denial, the character's resistance eventually proves futile and she ultimately relents, the Muses having "taunt dher into honesty". "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" is also the only song in which the Muses duet with one of the film's main characters. Excerpts from "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" are also used in some of the film's score, one of the few songs to do this. Filmtracks.com described "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" as the film's "standard 'female song of longing'." According to Taylor Weatherby of ''Billboard'', the character "finally comes to a conclusion to which many a girl (or guy) can relate". Tracy Dye of ''Bustle'' described the scene: "Joined by The Muses, Meg attempts to vehemently deny her amour for Hercules". Writing for film critic Eric D. Snider's website, Kimber Kay joked that Meg "tries her best to give a

top 40 In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "cont ...

rendition of her solo song, but it gets stolen by the magnificent Muses." Additionally, the musical number predicts that one of Hercules' most difficult challenges will be trying to change Meg's opinion of him. Writing for ''

The Daily Dot ''The Daily Dot'' is a digital media company covering the culture of the Internet and the World Wide Web. Founded by Nicholas White in 2011, ''The Daily Dot'' is headquartered in Austin, Texas. The site, conceived as the Internet's "hometo ...

'', Aja Romano cited the song as Meg's "I Want" song. In addition to her conflicted feelings about Hercules, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" also demonstrates Meg's independence.

Music and lyrics

At a duration of two minutes and twenty seconds, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" was written in the key of

C major C major (or the key of C) is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and ...

at a tempo of 100

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 ...

. Performed "freely" in the style of a mellow, 1950s

song, the

power 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. ...

features Egan's sultry vocals. Adhering to the R&B motif Menken uses throughout the soundtrack, the

ballad incorporates elements of

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

and

. Featuring "cooing shooby-doos and sha-la-las" from the Muses, who contribute "

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

-tinged" back up vocals and riffs to the track, Jeffrey Gantz of the ''

Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States of America by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the ''Portland Phoenix'' and ...

'' compared Egan's vocals to girl group

The Ronettes The Ronettes were an American girl group from Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. The group consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector), her older sister Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. ...

. Describing "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" as "a traditional Disney eroine'slament,"

Vulture.com ''New York'' is an American biweekly magazine concerned with life, culture, politics, and style generally, and with a particular emphasis on New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to ''The New Yorker' ...

's Lindsey Weber compared its "unique

edge" to the work of

. Musically, Irving Tan of

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic is an American music community website offering music criticism and music news alongside features commonly associated with wiki-style websites. The format of the website is unusual in that it includes both professional and amateur ...

described the

teen pop Teen pop is a subgenre of pop music that is created, marketed and oriented towards preteens and teenagers.Lamb, Bill"Teen Pop" About.com. Retrieved January 28, 2007. Teen pop incorporates different subgenres of pop music, as well as elements o ...

-influenced track as "the closest the Herculean villa ever comes to approximating a

Broadway show 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 ...

", while Ella Ceron of ''

Thought Catalog ''Thought Catalog'' is a website founded in 2010 by American entrepreneur and media strategist Chris Lavergne.Newton, MattheThought Catalog And The New Age Of Confessional Media''Forbes.'' June 7, 2015 Owned by The Thought & Expression Compa ...

'' called it "a pop song made on Olympus." Allison Shoemaker of ''Consequence of Sound'' likened the Muses to a

Greek chorus A Greek chorus, or simply chorus ( grc-gre, χορός, chorós), in the context of ancient Greek tragedy, comedy, satyr plays, and modern works inspired by them, is a homogeneous, non-individualised group of performers, who comment with a collect ...

. Identifying the track as a " self-aware ballad", author Thomas S. Hischak observed that the song maintains the soundtrack's comedic tone in his book ''100 Greatest American and British Animated Films''. Combined, Egan and the Muses' vocals span two octaves, from G₃ to C₅. Chelsea Fagan of ''

'' described Egan's voice as "sarcastic" and "smoky", while ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'''s Taylor Weatherby called it "soulfully belt d. Although the Muses are voiced by five singers, the song is only performed in three-part harmony. Lyrically, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love) is a

about denial, specifically one's reluctance to fall in love or succumb to romantic

cliché A cliché ( or ) is an element of an artistic work, saying, or idea that has become overused to the point of losing its original meaning or effect, even to the point of being weird or irritating, especially when at some earlier time it was consi ...

s. Meg voices how cliché and insufficient love can feel. Parodying classic love songs, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" differs from typical Disney love songs by offering "a unique spin" on the singer's situation. Rob Burch of ''The Hollywood News'' dubbed "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" an " anti-love song". Described as an "emotional barnstormer", the song begins with Egan singing the lyrics "If there's a prize for rotten judgment I guess I've already won that", which is followed by "Been there, done that". ''Thought Catalog'''s Chelsea Fagan believes the first verse "sums up in four lines everything that we’ve ever tried to convey while on our third drink out at the bar with the girls", joking, "I believe this song would come shortly after dancing in a circle with all women, but just before the tearful texting of your ex". Meg also sings the line "My head is screaming ‘get a grip, girl!’ unless you're dying to cry your heart out." Comparing the background vocals to

The Blossoms The Blossoms are an American girl group that originated from California. During their height of success in the 1960s, the group's lineup most famously consisted of Darlene Love, Fanita James, and Jean King. Although the group had a recording ...

, ''Musicological Identities: Essays in Honor of Susan McClary'' author Jacqueline Warwick observed that the backup singers constantly contradict the lead singer in a

call and response Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of ...

format, proving crucial to the theme as the lead vocalist is denying exactly what the background singers and listeners believe. The Muses suggest that Meg “Face it like a grown-up/When you gonna own up that you got got got it bad”, which Gantz described "admonishing". The song's last line is: "At least out loud, I won’t say I’m in love." Kate Knibbs of '' The Ringer'' summarized the track as "a love song from someone who doesn’t want to be in love, who knows enough to assume things aren’t going to work out." Fagan believes the song expresses "the hesitancy savvy women everywhere feel when trying to stop themselves from falling head over heels". Calling the song a "self-aware ballad", ''The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television'' author Thomas S. Hischak observed that its lyrics are "filled with sly

anachronism An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common ty ...

s". Meanwhile, in his book ''The Disney Song Encyclopedia'', Hischak referred to "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" as a "contradictory love song ... in which Meg denies her true feelings yet admits that she is quite taken with the brawny and naive hero Hercules". According to D23, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" is a love song "For those who don’t want to admit their hearts’ desires," as the protagonist refuses to admit her true feelings for her love interest until the very last lyric.

Reception

"I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" has been acclaimed by both

film A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmospher ...

and

. Aja Romano of ''

'' hailed the song as a ''Hercules'' highlight that "satisfies us every time". Writing for

Indiewire IndieWire (sometimes stylized as indieWIRE or Indiewire) is a film industry and review website that was established in 1996. The site's focus was predominantly independent film, although its coverage has grown to "to include all aspects of Holl ...

, Greg Ehbar cited "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" as his favorite track, describing it as one of the film's "truly great tunes". Irving Tan of

was particularly complementary, calling the song "the ultimate pantheon of

Grecian The Greeks or Hellenes (; el, Έλληνες, ''Éllines'' ) are an ethnic group and nation indigenous to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea regions, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Italy, Turkey, Egypt, and, to a lesser exten ...

achievement". Tan felt the Muses "prov that their pillow talk skills are right up there with the best of them", concluding, "The track also works well as an alternative to modern pop's teenage heartbreak music" and advising listeners to "ditch

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress and singer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including seven Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards, four Teen Choice Awards and two Young Artist Awards. She began her acti ...

and play this instead". Tracy Dye of ''Bustle'' hailed the track as "one of Disney's most addictive pieces of ear-candy," appreciating that "it veers from the typical love-laced ballads we're used to". Rob Burch of ''The Hollywood News'' described "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" as a "refreshing change of pace". ''Nylon'''s Taylor Bryant called the song "both impeccable and very much in line with the company's ethos". Jerrica Tisdale of

CinemaBlend Future plc is an international multimedia company established in the United Kingdom in 1985. The company has over 220 brands that span magazines, newsletters, websites, and events in fields such as video games, technology, films, music, photogr ...

crowned "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" the best song from ''Hercules'', describing it as "memorable, because it’s a love song disguised as an anti-love song"''.'' ''

Screen Rant ''Screen Rant'' is an entertainment website that offers news in the fields of television, films, video games, and film theories. ''Screen Rant'' was launched by Vic Holtreman in 2003, and originally had its primary office in Ogden, Utah. ''Scr ...

'' ranked "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" ''Hercules''' second best song, with author Matthew Wilkinson praising it for complimenting Meg's independence and Egan's vocals. Conversely, Filmtracks.com accused the song of wasting Egan's vocal talents. Beamly ranked the song fifth on the website's list of "Best Ever Disney Songs", with author Sophie Hall nicknaming Meg "The

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

of the cartoon world".

BuzzFeed BuzzFeed, Inc. is an American Internet media, news and entertainment company with a focus on digital media. Based in New York City, BuzzFeed was founded in 2006 by Jonah Peretti and John S. Johnson III to focus on tracking viral content. Ke ...

ranked "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" 14th in its "Definitive Ranking Of The 102 Best Animated Disney Songs". BuzzFeed also ranked the song Disney's ninth greatest love song, while D23 named it 10th in a similar ranking. ''Billboard'' named the song the 21st best song of the

Disney Renaissance The Disney Renaissance was the period from 1989 to 1999 during which Walt Disney Feature Animation returned to producing critically and commercially successful animated films that were mostly musical adaptations of well-known stories, much ...

. ''

Consequence of Sound ''Consequence'' (previously ''Consequence of Sound'') is an independently owned New York-based online magazine featuring news, editorials, and reviews of music, movies, and television. In addition, the website also features the Festival Outlook ...

'' ranked the ballad the 61st best Disney song of all time, with contributor Allison Shoemaker describing the track as "a terrific Motown ballad and a great piece of musical character development". Ranking it Disney's 36th best song, '' The Ringer'' welcomed "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" as "a refreshing change of pace for Disney" that in turn makes Meg "a relatable queen." Ticketmaster contributor Caitlin Devlin declared "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" "one of Disney’s best songs of all time". "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" has garnered a reputation as one of Disney's most underrated songs, with 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 ...

'' including it on their list of Disney's best underrated songs. While ranking the track the 16th best song of the Disney Renaissance,

Syfy Wire Syfy (formerly Sci-Fi Channel, later shortened to Sci Fi; stylized as SYFY) is an American basic cable channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. Lau ...

's Caitlin Busch called Meg "an underrated heroine with an underrated love song", which she described as "funny, poignant, and a perfect transition song." The author identified "Face it like a grown-up/When you gonna own up that you got got got it bad" as its best lyric. ''

The Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Iliad'', th ...

'' ranked the track Disney's most underrated song, out of 13.

Moviepilot Moviepilot (stylized Movie Pilot) was a fan-centric online magazine covering the film industry. Its content was written predominantly by an in-house team of staff writers, with additional articles from contributors known as Creators. History Mov ...

included the song in a similar article, with author Jeremiah Paul describing it as a "hidden gem" which "should have been another classic", while praising Egan's performance. Jerrica Tisdale of CinemaBlend described the song's lack of popularity as "nearly criminal". Calling it one of Disney's 12 most underrated classics, ''Billboard'''s Aly Semigran wrote that the song deserves to be a "karaoke mainstay". In an interview with ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' (stylized as ''FADER'') is a magazine based in New York City that was launched in 1999 by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. It was the first print publication to be released on iTunes. It is o ...

'', members of American rapper

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in Chicago, Bennett released his debut mixtape ''10 Day'' in 2012. He ...

's band The Social Experiment ranked "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" one of the favorite Disney songs from their childhood, calling it "an amazing song".'

TodayTix TodayTix is a digital ticketing platform for theatrical and cultural events. Founded by two Broadway producers, TodayTix's free mobile apps for iOS and Android provide access to theater shows in New York City, London's West End, Toronto, the S ...

named the song "everyone’s favorite Disney feminist anthem".

Personnel

* Lead vocals by Susan Egan as Megara * Background vocals by Cheryl Freeman, Lillias White,

, LaChanze and

as the Muses * Instrumentation by the Disney Orchestra

Live performances and cover versions

Egan has performed "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" live on several occasions. At the 2017

D23 Expo D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is the official fan club for The Walt Disney Company. Founded in 2009, the organization is known mainly for its biennial exposition event, the D23 Expo. The name ''D23'' refers to ''D'' for ''Disney'' and ''23'' ...

to conclude the event's "Zero to Hero: The Making of ''Hercules''" panel, the original animated sequence was played in the background while Egan sang, accompanied by backup vocalists. The performance was met with a

standing ovation A standing ovation is a form of applause where members of a seated audience stand up while applauding after extraordinary performances of particularly high acclaim. In Ancient Rome returning military commanders (such as Marcus Licinius Crassus a ...

from the audience. Egan has also sang the song during the Broadway Princess Party concert series in 2019 and 2020. During an October 2019 performance, Egan performed a duet arrangement with actress

Krysta Rodriguez Krysta Anne Rodriguez (born July 23, 1984) is an American actress and singer. She is best known for her roles as Ana Vargas in the NBC series '' Smash'', Summer Henderson in the NBC series '' Trial & Error'', Maxine Griffin in the ABC series '' ...

, who originated the role of Meg in a stage adaptation of ''

'' (2019) and sang the song in the show. In April 2020, Egan performed "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" as part of Disney’s #DisneySingAlong social media campaign. The video was recorded in her own home due to quarantining measures as a result of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, while Broadway actors

Courtney Reed Courtney Rhodes Reed (born August 10, 1984) is an American actress, best known for originating the role of Princess Jasmine in Disney's '' Aladdin on Broadway.'' Early life Reed was born and raised in Elgin, Illinois to a Caucasian American f ...

, Laura Osnes, Adam J. Levy and Benjamin Rauhala provided background vocals as The Muses. To promote the film, American singer

recorded a

cover of "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" in 1997, which was included on the film's soundtrack. Produced by

Gary Wallis Gary Wallis is a British drummer, percussionist, drum programmer, producer and musical director. He has worked with a wide range of artists and bands, including Nik Kershaw, Pink Floyd, 10cc, Il Divo, Westlife, Girls Aloud, Atomic Kitten, Pau ...

and Toby Chapman, Carlisle's version was released as a single exclusively in France and Germany, on May 26, 1997. The single garnered critical acclaim. American girl group

The Cheetah Girls The Cheetah Girls may refer to: * The Cheetah Girls (franchise), a series of young adult novels by Deborah Gregory and the spin-offs made from the novels, including a film series ** ''The Cheetah Girls'' (film), a 2003 Disney Channel Original Movie ...

covered the song for the 2005

compilation album A compilation album comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one or several performers. If by one artist, then generally the tracks were not originally intended for rel ...

Disneymania 3 ''Disneymania 3'' is the third installment in the Disneymania album series presenting songs from Disney films, performed by various musical artists. The album was released on February 15, 2005 and was certified Gold soon after. It peaked at #30 on ...

'' marking the group's first song as a trio. Their version exchanges harmonizing for handclaps while emphasizing the pop aspects of the song over R&B. The cover was released as a single. Writing for

idobi idobi Radio is one of the USA’s top modern rock Internet radio stations focusing on new pop punk and alternative music. The station broadcasts over the Internet via its website, app, iTunes and SHOUTcast. Established in 1999, idobi features i ...

, Sam Devotta felt The Cheetah Girls' version "lacks the power nd frustrationof the original", preferring Egan's interpretation. An abridged version of "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" appears on stage in the jukebox musical '' Disney's on the Record'', performed by Andrew Samonsky, with Meredith Inglesby,

Andy Karl Andy Karl (born August 28, 1974 as Andrew Karl Cesewski) is an American actor and singer, best known for performing in musical theatre. He appeared on Broadway in the original productions of the musical version of ''Groundhog Day'' (for which he ...

, Tyler Maynard and Keewa Nurullah providing backup vocals. Singer and music teacher

Evynne Hollens Evynne Hollens ( Smith) is a female vocalist who lives and works in her native Eugene, Oregon. She was one of the co-founders of the University of Oregon’s female a cappella group, Divisi, with which she sang for five years. Her name is the fir ...

released a cover of "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" as a single in 2017. In April 2020, singer

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

performed a cover of the song on the

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special ''Disney Family Singalong''. Grande's rendition received acclaim from critics and fans. ''

'' named Grande's performance as one of the 10 best moments from the special, stating that Grande "got in full make up and costume, paying homage to Meg by wearing all purple, for the tender and vocally stunning video that she completed with a flower as her only prop. But with a voice like hers, what more do you need?" Bill Keveney of ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' stated that Grande had "the most professional-looking performance". Monica Sisavat of ''Popsugar'' praised Grande's rendition calling it a "gorgeous rendition of ''Herculess "I Won't Say I'm in Love" from her home."

Certifications

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:I Won't Say (I'm In Love) 1990s ballads 1997 singles Disney Renaissance songs 1997 songs Ariana Grande songs Belinda Carlisle songs The Cheetah Girls songs Disney songs Hercules (franchise) Doo-wop songs Love themes Pop ballads Rhythm and blues ballads Songs with lyrics by David Zippel Songs with music by Alan Menken Walt Disney Records singles Song recordings produced by Alan Menken