2018 marked 90 incredible years of Disney, and what better way to celebrate than to invite a myriad of the greatest Hollywood stars to perform skits and songs from across the franchise’s most memorable films.
But when “All About That Bass” hitmaker Meghan Trainor hit the stage, she didn’t go it alone but tapped into the family-friendly magic of Disney by duetting with her father, pro pianist Gary Trainor, on the Toy Story soundtrack hit, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me.”
Music Man readers can watch the heartwarming father-daughter performance play out in the viral video above—it’s already amassed more than 1.3 million views to date!
Meghan begins, “I couldn’t perform this next song without bringing my best friend, and that is my dad, Gary Trainor” (cue some “awws” from the audience as Gary shoots his iconic finger guns at his daughter).
As the duo dive into their upbeat jam, it quickly becomes clear that Meghan is the perfect match for this song, her jazzy vocal tones hinting at Randy Newman’s 1995 original while bringing the Toy Story hit into a brand new era for the next generation of Disney kids.
As Gary grooves with the live backing band on a banana yellow piano, a flock of butterflies takes over the screen behind the musicians, laying an extra dash of whimsy over this performance.
But then Meghan Trainor surprises her audience all over again by inviting the West Los Angeles Children’s Choir to the stage to sing along with her! Together, they spark a moment of pure delight, nostalgia, and wonder. However, a touch of controversy lingers behind this outstanding performance, as fans in the YouTube comments section speculate as to why Meghan was chosen to sing the Toy Story hit, instead of its original singer, Randy Newman.
As one viewer wrote, “I love Meghan but no offense, I feel like it’s much better if Randy sang for Mickey’s 90th birthday. That would give more nostalgic and emotional feelings just like the first time we heard it. That’s just my opinion though. Meghan gave justice to the song and it really is a good cover.”
Meghan was far from the only guest star to highlight Mickey’s 90th Spectacular. ABC’s two-hour TV special also included appearances from Neil Patrick Harris, Justin Timberlake, Alec Baldwin, Idina Menzel, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Ryan Seacrest, Ciara, Britney Spears, and Boyz II Men, amongst many more guest stars.
But all of these A-Listers were practically outshone by Mickey Mouse himself, who at one point stole the show with an epic “Friend Like Me” drum solo! Don’t miss that moment unfold in the clip above…
Meghan Trainor’s heartwarming duet with her father captures the family-friendly magic of Disney’s 90th and explains why the clip has racked up over 1.3 million views. To watch the performance and explore more highlights from the celebration, check the useful links to find out more below this paragraph.