Halle Bailey, aptly known as Halle, has released her solo debut single, “Angel,” via Parkwood Entertainment/Columbia Records.
On the stunning piano ballad, produced by TheRon “Neff-U” Feemster, Halle sings about resilience and perseverance in the face of challenging times. “Angels make a way somehow / And if we fall, we fall on clouds,” she divinely sings.
“Angel” arrives three months after Halle’s breakout role as Ariel in Disney’s motion picture The Little Mermaid. When her casting was announced, some criticized the portrayal of a fictional underwater character as Black, and there were remarks about her hair color not being red enough. Despite the negativity, many were thrilled to see Halle embrace the role and how she would represent young Black girls around the world.
Regarding “Angel,” Halle shares, “This song for me is so very special and near and dear to my heart. With everything I’ve gone through the past 3-4 years, suddenly finding myself in this bubble of all these eyes and new opinions, it was easy for me to feel doubt in myself and who I was.”
She continues, “This song for me was my climb out of those feelings, a mantra and promise to myself that the work I’m doing here on earth matters and that I matter. I wanted to be able to embrace and be proud of myself and who I am naturally through and through. I hope other brown and Black girls and everyone in general feel embraced, respected, and inspired hearing the words of this song.”
To accompany her song release, Halle has shared a mesmerizing video directed by Wendy Morgan (Alicia Keys, Janelle Monae). The video can be viewed below.
As noted above, “Angel” is Halle’s proper solo debut single outside of Chloe x Halle. She previously recorded “Part of Your World” for The Little Mermaid soundtrack. Halle’s version, released April 26, has more than 33 million streams on Spotify.
Speaking of movies, Halle will star in the upcoming remake of The Color Purple, which hits theaters on Christmas Day (Dec. 25).
Check out Halle’s new single “Angel” below.