"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 and conductor. Over his career he has received List of awards and nominations received by Alan Menken, numerous accolades including winning eight Academy Awards, a Tony Awards, Tony ...

and lyricist

David Zippel David Joel Zippel (born May 17, 1954) is an American musical theatre and film lyricist, composer, songwriter, director, and producer. Early life and education Zippel was born on May 17, 1954, in Easton, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region ...

for

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

'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 Gr ...

'' (1997). Released on May 27, 1997 as part of the film's

soundtrack A soundtrack is a recorded audio signal accompanying and synchronised to the images of a book, drama, motion picture, radio program, television show, television program, or video game; colloquially, a commercially released soundtrack album of m ...

, the song was recorded by American actress and singer Susan Egan in her role as Meg,

' love interest, while singers Cheryl Freeman, Lillias White, Vaneese Thomas, LaChanze, and Roz Ryan provided

background 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 u ...

as the

Muses In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, the Muses (, ) were the Artistic inspiration, inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They were considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric p ...

. The songwriters wrote "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" to replace "I Can't Believe My Heart", a slower

ballad A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of the popular poetry and song of Great Britain and Ireland from the Late Middle Ages until the 19th century. They were widely used across Eur ...

that had been deemed too lucky for Meg's personality. Menken based "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" on songs he had written for the stage musical ''

Little Shop of Horrors Little Shop of Horrors may refer to: * '' The Little Shop of Horrors'', a 1960 American film * ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (musical), a 1982 musical based on the 1960 film * ''Little Shop of Horrors'' (1986 film), a 1986 American film based on th ...

'' (1982). A stylistic departure from Disney ballads of the time period, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" is a mid-tempo

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre 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, ...

, R&B, and pop song reminiscent of 1960s music that incorporates elements of

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

and

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christianity, Christian message ("the gospel"), but in the second century Anno domino, AD the term (, from which the English word originated as a calque) came to be used also for the books in which the message w ...

, similar to the works of girl groups such as the Ronettes and

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

. Its lyrics are about denying having

feelings According to the '' APA Dictionary of Psychology'', a feeling is "a self-contained phenomenal experience"; feelings are "subjective, evaluative, and independent of the sensations, thoughts, or images evoking them". The term ''feeling'' is closel ...

for someone in an effort to avoid romantic clichés. In the ''Hercules'' musical sequence, Meg refuses to admit she is falling in love with the

title character The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piëce. The title o ...

, while the Muses insist that she embrace her feelings for him instead. "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" has been positively reviewed 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 ...

, many of whom deemed it the film's best song and praised its composition. Despite being ranked among some of Disney's best songs by some media publications, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" has also developed a reputation as one of the studio's most underappreciated. Among notable covers, American singer

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

recorded a

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

version for the film's soundtrack, and American girl group the Cheetah Girls covered the song in 2005.

Writing and recording

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

's animated film ''

'' (1997) by composer

and lyricist

. Menken originally wrote a "soaring" ballad entitled "I Can't Believe My Heart" for Meg,

' love interest, which he had intended to show her realizing she is falling in love with the

. However, creatives such as Meg's supervising animator, Ken Duncan, felt the character was "too tough" and "hardened by life" to perform such a delicate, emotional ballad. Menken wrote "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" to replace "I Can't Believe My Heart", and based it on some of the

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...

songs he had written for the stage musical ''

'' (1982). Although Meg's voice actress, Susan Egan, liked the original song, she agreed that "I Can't Believe My Heart" was "too straightforward and literal" for her character, whereas "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" expresses a similar sentiment, albeit "the way Meg would—without admitting any of it". Zippel described the final version as "a love song with a sense of humor" that embodies "the classic love song of ‘I’m not in love’ and we know she really is". Although Egan had fun recording "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)", she joked that she felt much " whiter" than usual recording with the five Black singers cast as the

(Cheryl Freeman, Lillias White, Vaneese Y. Thomas, LaChanze, and Roz Ryan), who provided the song's backup vocals. Already familiar with their work on Broadway, Egan felt intimidated by their powerful voices and riffing abilities. She recalled that while they were very comfortable improvising and ad-libbing per Menken's instruction, Egan would need to ask Menken to demonstrate her riffs on the piano note-by-note in order to replicate them, much to his disbelief. While it took Egan half an hour to solidify as few as one of her riffs, the other singers recorded multiple takes of their own within the same amount of time. Egan was greatly humbled by the experience, having never riffed in her previous singing roles. However, she said White in particular remained encouraging, reassuring her that "everybody has soul somewhere; we just need to find yours". Menken also produced the track. Danny Troob arranged the song while Michael Kosarin conducted the orchestration. The song was released on May 27, 1997 as part of the film's

Use in ''Hercules''

In ''Hercules'', Meg is a

double agent In the field of counterintelligence, a double agent is an employee of a secret intelligence service for one country, whose primary purpose is to spy on a target organization of another country, but who is now spying on their own country's organi ...

who works for

Hades Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...

despite beginning to fall in love with his adversary, Hercules, against her better judgement. Audiences learn that Meg has been in love before, only for her boyfriend at the time to leave her to pursue another woman after she had sold her soul to Hades to save his life. Because falling in love quickly had been a negative experience for Meg, she is hesitant and in denial about her own feelings. Like most Disney heroines, she sings about falling in love with her film's hero, a revelation she is too proud to admit. Therefore, she tries to convince herself that she is not in love, although her attempts remain unconvincing. "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. Considered to be Meg's

signature song A signature (; from , "to sign") is a 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. Signatures are often, but not always, handwritten or styliz ...

, it explores the "misunderstood nature" of the character. Upon realizing she has in fact begun to develop feelings for Hercules, much to her chagrin, the song allows Meg to work through her 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 as she berates herself for poor decision-making. The song takes place after Meg's date with Hercules in which she initially attempted to discover his weakness at the insistence of Hades, and is described by Alexandra Locke of ''

Comic Book Resources ''CBR'', formerly ''Comic Book Resources'', is a news website primarily covering comic book news, comic book reviews, and comic book–related topics involving movies, television, anime, and video games. It is owned by Valnet, parent of publicat ...

'' as "an ode to her desire to protect herself against vulnerable feelings". After strolling through a Greek courtyard while performing the song with the Muses, the character's resistance finally 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. During one scene, the Muses transform themselves into stone busts, which Amory Rose of ''

Business Insider ''Business Insider'' (stylized in all caps: BUSINESS INSIDER; known from 2021 to 2023 as INSIDER) is a New York City–based multinational financial and business news website founded in 2007. Since 2015, a majority stake in ''Business Inside ...

'' believes is a possible reference to

The Haunted Mansion The Haunted Mansion is a dark ride, dark-ride attraction located at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and Tokyo Disneyland. The haunted house attraction features a ride-through tour in Omnimover vehicles called “Doom Buggies”, and a walk-through s ...

attraction at

Disneyland Disneyland is a amusement park, theme park at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. It was the first theme park opened by the Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney, ...

. 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", and Zahraa Schroeder of Smile 90.4FM described it as "Meg’s brain fighting her heart". 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. It was founded by Nicholas White in 2011, and is headquartered in Austin, Texas. The site, conceived as the Internet's "hometown newsp ...

'', Aja Romano cited the song as Meg's "I Want" song, whereas ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...

'''s Patrick Ryan labeled it as the film's 11 o'clock number. In addition to her conflicted feelings about Hercules, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" also demonstrates Meg's independence.

Music and lyrics

Lasting two minutes and twenty seconds in duration, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" is performed "freely" in the key of

C major C major 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 its parallel min ...

at a tempo of 100

beats per minute Beat, beats, or beating may refer to: Common uses * Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact * Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact * Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...

. A mellow 1960s

song, Egan delivers 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. Balla ...

in a sultry manner. The mid-tempo pop ballad incorporates elements of R&B,

, and

, genres that deviate from the theatrical romantic ballads typically featured in Disney musicals. The song is also slower and more understated than most of the film's soundtrack. Musically, Irving Tan of

Sputnikmusic Sputnikmusic (abbreviated as Sputnik) is a music website that publishes music reviews and news entries. The site hosts both professional and amateur content, covering metal, punk, indie, rock, hip-hop, pop and other styles. Its reviews are us ...

described the track as "the closest the Herculean villa ever comes to approximating a Broadway show", while Ella Ceron of '' Thought Catalog'' called it "a pop song made on Olympus". It features "cooing shooby-doos and sha-la-las" from the Muses, who contribute gospel-influenced backup vocals and riffs. ''Vulture'''s Lindsey Weber described it as "a traditional Disney eroine'slament" with a "unique

edge". Allison Shoemaker of '' Consequence'' likened the Muses to a

Greek chorus A Greek chorus () in the context of ancient Greek tragedy, comedy, satyr plays, is a homogeneous group of performers, who comment with a collective voice on the action of the scene they appear in, or provide necessary insight into action which ...

. Combined, the lead and background vocals span two octaves, from G₃ to C₅. Egan's voice has been described as sarcastic, smoky, and soulful. Although the Muses are voiced by five singers, the song is only performed in three-part harmony. "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" has been compared to the works of girl groups The Ronettes,

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

, and The Blossoms. Lyrically, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love) is a " torchy"

love song A love song is a song about love, falling in love, heartbreak after a breakup, and the feelings that these experiences bring. Love songs can be found in a variety of different music genres. They can come in various formats, from sad and emotion ...

about denial, specifically its performer's reluctance to fall in love or surrender to romantic clichés. Meg voices how clichéd and insufficient love can feel, while mocking traditional love song tropes. "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" differs from standard Disney love songs by offering "a unique spin" on the heroine's dilemma. 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 "If there's a prize for rotten judgment I guess I've already won that", soon 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". Lyrics such as "No man is worth the aggravation / that’s ancient history, been there done that” and “I thought my heart had learned its lesson / It feels so good when you start out / My head is screaming get a grip girl / Unless you’re dying to cry your heart out” express Meg's initial distaste for romance, only for the Muses to encourage her to admit that she is falling in love. ''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 denial theme. 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". Identifying the track as a "

self-aware In philosophy, self-awareness is the awareness and reflection of one's own personality or individuality, including traits, feelings, and behaviors. It is not to be confused with consciousness in the sense of qualia. While consciousness is b ...

ballad...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 type ...

s", author Thomas S. Hischak observed it maintains the soundtrack's comedic tone in his book ''100 Greatest American and British Animated Films''. Meg Pelliccio of ''

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'' believes the Muses ending the song with "Sha-la-la-la-la-la" could possibly be a reference to " Kiss the Girl" from ''

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" (), sometimes translated in English as "The Little Sea Maid", is a fairy tale written by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. Originally published in 1837 as part of a collection of fairy tales for children, the story foll ...

'' (1989), which share both composers and directors, and involve supporting characters attempting to convince a main character of their feelings through song. 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 it expresses "the hesitancy savvy women everywhere feel when trying to stop themselves from falling head over heels". Hischak deemed "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" 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". Additionally, some critics have observed feminist messages in the song's lyrics.

Reception

"I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" has received positive reviews from film and music critics. ''

Rolling Stone Australia ''Rolling Stone Australia'' is the Australian edition of the United States' ''Rolling Stone'' magazine devoted to music, politics, and popular culture, published monthly. The Australian version of ''Rolling Stone'' was initially published in 197 ...

'''s Barry Levitt called it excellent, and Aja Romano of ''

'' described it as a ''Hercules'' highlight that "satisfies us every time". Writing for ''IndieWire'', Greg Ehbar named "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" his favorite song from the film, describing it as "truly great tune". Irving Tan of ''Sputnikmusic'' said the Muses' " pillow talk skills are right up there with the best of them". Tan concluded, "The track also works well as an alternative to modern pop's teenage heartbreak music", recommending that younger fans listen to it over artists such as

Hilary Duff Hilary Erhard Duff (born September 28, 1987) is an American actress, singer, author and businesswoman. She is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Hilary Duff, various accolades, including a World Music Awards, World Mus ...

. ''

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'''s Sean Wilson reviewed it as "a witty, smart number ... Blessed with an extremely catchy melody and some clever lyrics". 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". Similarly, Rob Burch of ''The Hollywood News'' called "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" a "refreshing change of pace". ''Nylon'''s Taylor Bryant called it an impeccable song that remains "very much in line with the company's

ethos ''Ethos'' is a Greek word meaning 'character' that is used to describe the guiding beliefs or ideals that characterize a community, nation, or ideology; and the balance between caution and passion. The Greeks also used this word to refer to the ...

". Meanwhile, Jerrica Tisdale of ''

CinemaBlend Future plc is a British publishing company. It was started in 1985 by Chris Anderson. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. History 1985–2012 The company was founded by Chris Anderson as ...

'' crowned the ballad the best song from ''Hercules''. ''

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'''s Micaela Pérez Vitale agreed that it is the film's best song, complimenting "its high-energy and fun rhythm". Both

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contributor Caitlin Devlin and Matt Singer of '' ScreenCrush'' consider "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" to be among Disney's greatest songs. ''

'' ranked "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" ''Hercules''' second best song, with author Matthew Wilkinson praising Meg's independence and Egan's performance. Conversely, Filmtracks.com accused the song of wasting Egan's talent.

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 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 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, 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 and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

, 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 (2011 musical), Aladdin on Broadway.'' Early life Reed was born and raised in Elgin, Illinois to ...

, 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 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 covered the song for the 2005

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

'' Disneymania 3'' 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, 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, Tyler Maynard and Keewa Nurullah providing backup vocals. Singer and music teacher Evynne Hollens 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. Regarded as a pop icon and an influential figure in popular music, Grande is known for her four-octave vocal range, which extends into the whistle re ...

performed a cover of the song on the ABC special ''Disney Family Singalong''. Grande's rendition received acclaim from critics and fans. ''

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 advertis ...

'' 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 ''

'' 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."

Impact and legacy

"I Won't Say I'm in Love" has been included on various Disney song rankings by several media publications. According to ''

Good Housekeeping ''Good Housekeeping'' is an American lifestyle media brand that covers a wide range of topics from home decor and renovation, health, beauty and food, to entertainment, pets and gifts. The Good Housekeeping Institute which opened its "Experiment ...

'', "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" is the 12th best Disney song of all-time. In 2024, ''

Time Time is the continuous progression of existence that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, and into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequ ...

'' named "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" the 18th best Disney song, and ''

Cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...

'' ranked it 39th. Dalin Rowell of ''

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'' called it "one of the greatest songs in Disney history", and ''Billboard'' named it the 45th greatest song from the "Disneyverse", out of 100. Beamly ranked it 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. Referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Power Ballads", Dion's powerful, technically skilled vocals and commercially successful works have had ...

of the cartoon world".

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and D23 ranked the song Disney's ninth and 10th greatest love song, respectively, while ''Comic Book Resources'' ranked it sixth. ''USA Today'' ranked it the ninth-best "classic" Disney song, which author Patrick Ryan said "strike just the right balance of side-eye and sweetness". In an article describing the song as "one of the greatest g-rated love songs of the last century", '' Time Out'' ranked "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" the seventh-best Disney song. ''Billboard'' named it the 21st best song of the

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. '' Consequence'' ranked it the 61st best Disney song of all-time, and UDiscoverMusic ranked it 34th. While 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". Meanwhile, umusic NZ ranked it the eighth-best Disney Princess song. ''

'' ranked it Menken's 10th best original composition, describing the song as a "cultural reset". In 2022, ''

The Scotsman ''The Scotsman'' is a Scottish compact (newspaper), compact newspaper and daily news website headquartered in Edinburgh. First established as a radical political paper in 1817, it began daily publication in 1855 and remained a broadsheet until ...

'' reported that "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" was the 22nd most streamed Disney song on

Spotify Spotify (; ) is a List of companies of Sweden, Swedish Music streaming service, audio streaming and media service provider founded on 23 April 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon. , it is one of the largest providers of music streaming services ...

, having amassed nearly 207 million streams. Contrarily, "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" has earned a reputation as one of Disney's most underrated songs. While ranking the track the 16th best song of the Disney Renaissance, Syfy Wire's Caitlin Busch called Meg "an underrated heroine with an underrated love song", which she described as "funny, poignant, and a perfect transition". Moviepilot included the song in a similar listicle, with author Jeremiah Paul describing it as a "hidden gem" and praising Egan's performance. Jerrica Tisdale of ''CinemaBlend'' described the song's underappreciation as "nearly criminal". Calling it one of Disney's 12 most underrated classic songs, ''Billboard'''s Aly Semigran said the song deserves to be a "karaoke mainstay". In an interview with music magazine ''

The Fader ''The Fader'' is a magazine established in 1999 as an outlet for Cornerstone Agency, a marketing and public relations firm established by Rob Stone and Jon Cohen. The magazine covers music, style and culture. History and work It is owned by T ...

'', members of American rapper

Chance the Rapper Chancelor Johnathan Bennett (born April 16, 1993), known professionally as Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, he released his debut mixtape '' 10 Day'' (2012) during one of his high school suspension ...

's band The Social Experiment identified "I Won't Say (I'm in Love)" one of the favorite Disney songs from their childhood.'''' TodayTix named the song "everyone’s favorite Disney feminist anthem".

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from

Apple Music Apple Music is an audio and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Users can select music to stream to their device on-demand, or listen to existing playlists. The service also includes the sister internet radio stations Apple Musi ...

: * Susan Egan – lead vocals * Cheryl Freeman, Lillias White, Vaneese Thomas, LaChanze, and Roz Ryan – background vocals * Michael Kosarin – vocal conductor, vocal arranger * John Miller, Bobbi Page, Fonzi Thonrton – performer *

– composer * David Zippel – lyrics * Danny Troob – orchestrator, arranger * Brian Besterman, Michael Starobin – orchestrator

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