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Reflection (song)

For other songs of the same name, see Reflection (disambiguation).

"Reflection" is a song written and produced by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel for the soundtrack of Disney's 1998 animated film Mulan. In the film, the song is performed by Tony Award winner, Filipina singer and actress Lea Salonga as Fa Mulan. An accompanying music video for "Reflection" was included as a bonus to the Disney Gold Classic Collection DVD release of the film in February 2000. Reflection has received highly positive reviews, with critics highlighting its emotional writing and Salonga's vocals.

"Reflection"
Song by Lea Salonga
from the album Mulan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack
ReleasedJune 2, 1998
Recorded1997
Length2:27
LabelWalt Disney
Composer(s)Matthew Wilder
Lyricist(s)David Zippel
Producer(s)Matthew Wilder

A single version of the song was recorded by American singer Christina Aguilera and became her debut single. She was 17 at the time it was released. The single's commercial success funded Aguilera's debut album from RCA, in addition to gaining her credibility amongst established writers and producers. Releases of the single were limited, which resulted in the track charting only on the Billboard Adult Contemporary chart. An accompanying music video for the song was included on the DVD release of Mulan. Aguilera has performed the track on four televised performances, including at the CBS This Morning show, which saw her gain the attention of songwriter Diane Warren. Later, the remix by Eric Kupper was released. In 2020, Aguilera re-recorded the song for the live adaptation of Mulan.

Use in Mulan

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In the film Mulan, the song is recorded by Filipina singer and actress Lea Salonga as the title character Mulan. "Reflection", which lasts for 2:27[1] was written and produced by Matthew Wilder and David Zippel, in the key of A major. Salonga's vocal range spans from the low-note of G♯3 to the high-note of D5 in a moderately slow tempo of 119 beats per minute.[2] The film version truncates the song from the original full version, which runs 3:40 and consists of one more verse and chorus.[3]

The song is performed after Mulan returns home following a humiliating and failed attempt to impress her matchmaker. The lyrical content expresses the way Mulan feels about wanting to show the world who she really is instead of pretending to be who she is not, but is afraid to disappoint her family by doing so. This scene takes place at Mulan's home in its surrounding gardens and ends in her family temple, where she removes her makeup to reveal her true appearance.

In 2015, Salonga revealed that she was asked to re-record the song back in 1996 in its shortened form as the producers saw that the first version is not moving the story along.[4]

Certifications

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Certifications for "Reflection"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[5] Silver 200,000‡
United States (RIAA)[6] Platinum 1,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Christina Aguilera versions

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1998 version

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"Reflection"
 
Single by Christina Aguilera
from the album Mulan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack & Christina Aguilera
B-side"Honor To Us All"
ReleasedJune 15, 1998
RecordedFebruary 1998
Genre
Length3:33
Label
Composer(s)Matthew Wilder
Lyricist(s)David Zippel
Producer(s)Matthew Wilder
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"All I Wanna Do"
(1997) 		"Reflection"
(1998) 		"Genie in a Bottle"
(1999)
Audio video
"Reflection (Pop Version)" on YouTube
 
"Reflection"
A sample of "Reflection", featuring Aguilera singing the last chorus over a pop and R&B background.
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Background and recording

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In December 1997, Disney was looking for a vocalist to sing the song "Reflection" for their movie-in-the-works, Mulan. The RCA label suggested Aguilera.[7][8] Within forty-eight hours of the initial call from the company, Disney officials congratulated Aguilera and told her she "got the deal".[7] It took about seven days to record the song.[7] Remembering how the accompaniment for the ballad was recorded, Aguilera told Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "It's enough to bring tears to your eyes, hearing a 90-piece orchestra playing your song. It was amazing."[7] It was conducted by the Academy Award-winning composer Jerry Goldsmith.[9] "Reflection" was Aguilera's second official studio track ever recorded, after the single "All I Wanna Do", a duet with Japanese singer-songwriter Keizo Nakanishi.[7][10][11]

After she was asked to hit E5, the highest note required for "Reflection", she thought that the song could be the gateway into an album deal. Aguilera spent hours recording a cover of Whitney Houston's "Run to You", which included the note she was asked to hit.[8] After successfully hitting the note, which she called "the note that changed my life", she was given the opportunity to record the song and subsequently signed a record deal with RCA Records.[12][13]

Serving as her debut solo single, Aguilera's version of "Reflection" was released to adult contemporary radio on June 15, 1998.[14] The song was released as a CD single in Japan on September 18, 1998.[15] Due to the success around the recording of "Reflection", RCA wished for Aguilera to record and release an album by September 1998 to maintain the "hype" surrounding her at that time.[12] The label laid the foundation for the album immediately and started presenting Aguilera with tracks for her debut album, which was later pushed to a January 1999 release.[12] Her self-titled debut album was eventually released on August 24, 1999, and "Reflection" was included on the album's track list.[16] It was later included on the compilation Disneymania (2002) and in remixed form on Disneymania 4 (2004).[17][18]

In a 2024 interview for Spotify, Aguilera opined that "Reflection" has "stood the test of time", and added: "[...] People love that song so much because it's about not being seen and that's been a part of my career."[19][20]

Reception

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Beth Johnson of Entertainment Weekly noted Aguilera has a "who-am-I musings" persona in the song,[21] while Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic commented that "Matthew Wilder and David Zippel's full-fledged songs [on Mulan] are flat and unmemorable."[22] By contrast, in retrospect, Billboard's Chris Malone complimented the song as a "classic ballad".[23] Billboard later placed "Reflection" at number twenty-three on its list of the 100 Greatest Disneyverse Songs of All Time, commenting: "Largely thanks to Christina Aguilera’s breakthrough rendition of the hit, 'Reflection' has become an anthem for young people — especially women — who are working towards being unapologetically themselves."[24] Attitude ranked "Reflection" at number twelve on its list of Aguilera's seventeen best songs, calling it "finely crafted",[25] and AXS placed it at number eight on a similar, top ten list.[26] "Reflection" was nominated for Outstanding Performance of a Song for Feature Film at the 1999 ALMA Awards.[27]

"Reflection" peaked at number 19 on the Adult Contemporary chart.[28][29] After the success of the track, Aguilera's record label RCA decided to fund her debut album (costing over one million dollars), and eventually funded more than they had predicted initially.[30]

Live performances

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Aguilera performed the song on television four times, first on the CBS This Morning, and then on the Donny & Marie show; neither of these performances were directed at her demographic of teen viewers.[28] Whilst watching the show on This Morning, Aguilera gained the attention of songwriter Diane Warren, who was astonished by such a young performer being as "polished" as she was. Warren later stated that she had seen the potential in Aguilera.[30] The singer also performed "Reflection" on MuchMusic's Intimate and Interactive on May 17, 2000.[31] An ABC special in 2000, featuring a performance of the song, was recorded and released in a DVD titled My Reflection.[32] The song was later included in the setlist for Aguilera's Vegas residency Christina Aguilera: The Xperience.

International versions

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Aguilera's version of the song was re-dubbed into a number of languages to be featured in their respective foreign soundtracks released in 1998. In 2000, Aguilera herself recorded her Spanish-language version of "Reflection", titled “Mi Reflejo” (“My Reflection”) which was adapted by Rudy Pérez for her second studio album of the same name.[33] As both Spanish soundtracks had been released two years earlier, each featuring their end-credits version, Aguilera's version was not featured in either of them.[34][35] For the Hispanic-American market, the song was titled “Reflejo” and performed in Spanish-language by Mexican singer Lucero.[36] In her Korean version of the song, titled "내안의 나를" ("Naeane naleul"), Korean American singer Lena Park went up to an A5.[37] Hong Kong-American singer and actress Coco Lee performed a Mandarin version of the song titled "自己" ("Zìjǐ"), after she was called to voice the character of Mulan in the Mandarin dubbing distributed in Taiwan.[38][39][40]

Track listing

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  • Australian CD single
  1. "Reflection" (performed by Christina Aguilera) – 3:34
  2. "Honor To Us All" (performed by Beth Fowler, Lea Salonga, Marnie Nixon) – 3:03
  • Japan CD Mini single
  1. "Reflection" (performed by Christina Aguilera) – 3:34
  2. "Reflection" (performed by Lea Salonga) – 2:27
  • Taiwan CD Mini single Promo
  1. "Reflection" (performed by Christina Aguilera) – 3:34
  2. "True To Your Heart" (performed by 98 Degrees & Stevie Wonder) – 4:17

Charts

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Weekly chart performance for "Reflection"
Chart (1998–2014) Peak
position
South Korea International (Gaon)[41] 86
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[29] 19

Release history

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Release history and formats for "Reflection"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref.
United States June 15, 1998 Adult contemporary
[14]
Japan September 18, 1998 CD Pony Canyon [15]

2020 version

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"Reflection (2020)"
Christina Aguilera, a woman with long blonde hair and wearing a large blue dress, is kneeling in the middle of a black void in front of a pool of water. She is touching the water, which shows a reflection of her on the lower half of the image. Large red letters that read 'MULAN' is to Aguilera's right on the upper-left corner of the image. A small yellow logo that reads 'Disney' also appears above the red 'MULAN'. 
Single by Christina Aguilera
from the album Mulan
ReleasedAugust 28, 2020
Length3:38
LabelWalt Disney
Composer(s)Matthew Wilder
Lyricist(s)David Zippel
Producer(s)Harry Gregson-Williams
Christina Aguilera singles chronology
"Loyal Brave True"
(2020) 		"Reflection (2020)"
(2020) 		"Pa Mis Muchachas"
(2021)
Music video
"Reflection" (2020) on YouTube
 
Aguilera performing "Reflection" during the D23 Expo in 2019, where she was honored as a Disney Legend

Although the live action remake was announced not to be a musical, on February 27, 2020, Aguilera announced that she had recorded a new version of the song for the upcoming movie, which was going to be featured in the movie soundtrack.[42] Film composer Harry Gregson-Williams provided the orchestra for Aguilera's re-recorded version, and film director Niki Caro directed the music video.[43]

Reception

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In December 2020, PopSugar UK's Kelsie Gibson named the release of "Reflection" as one of the top 15 nostalgic moments of the year.[44] It was nominated for the Best Adapted Song at the 2021 Online Film & Television Association Awards.[45]

International versions

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Later that year, Coco Lee also announced that she was going to re-record the Mandarin end-credits version of the song, as she had already done in 1998.[46][40] On March 8, 2020, Coco's Mandarin version was also covered by actress Liu Yifei for the soundtrack of the live-action,[47] while a brand-new Japanese and Korean versions were recorded by singers Minami Kizuki and Lee Su-hyun respectively.[48][49] On September 4, 2020, a Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu versions were released on the Indian Vevo channel, with Indian singer Nithayashree Venkataramanan performing the song both in Tamil and Telugu, even though no such versions of the animated movie were ever released.[50][51][52] On November 20, 2020, another English version of the song was recorded by Indonesian singers Yura Yunita, Sivia Azizah [id], Agatha Pricilla [id], and Nadin Amizah, with the music video released on the DisneyMusicAsiaVEVO channel. The song was released to accompany the Indonesian-dubbed version of the movie on Disney+ Hotstar.[53][54]

"Reflection" (2020 end credits version) worldwide
Language Performer Title Translation
English Christina Aguilera "Reflection"
Hindi Sunayana Sarkar "परछाई" ("Parchhaayi") "Reflection"
Japanese 城南海 (Minami Kizuki) "リフレクション" ("Rifurekushon")
Korean 이수현 (Lee Su-hyun) "숨겨진 내 모습" ("Sumgyeojin nae moseub") "The hidden reflection of me"
Mandarin Chinese 李玟 (Coco Lee) "自己" ("Zìjǐ") "Myself"
刘亦菲 (Liu Yifei)
Tamil Nithayashree Venkataramanan "என் பிம்பம்" ("Yen bhimbham") "My reflection"
Telugu "నాలో నేనే" ("Nālō nēnē") "Self within myself"

Charts

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Chart performance for "Reflection" (2020 version)
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Scotland (Official Charts Company)[55] 42
Singapore (RIAS)[56] 21
UK Download Chart (OCC)[57] 35
US Digital Song Sales (Billboard)[58] 20

Certifications

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Certifications for "Reflection" (2020 version)
Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[59] Gold 500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Other versions

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The group Mannheim Steamroller covered the song on their 1999 album, Mannheim Steamroller Meets the Mouse. Michael Crawford covered this song in The Disney Album. His rendition replaces the word "girl" with "man". Singer and American Idol winner Jordin Sparks performed the song on the Dedication Week of the sixth season of the show, with the performance she moved forward to the next round.[60] Jackie Evancho also covered the song on her fourth studio album, Songs from the Silver Screen.[61] In La Voz... Argentina (the Argentinian version of The Voice), the Spanish version of the song was covered by Sofia Rangone.[62] During the Chinese competition show Singer 2018, British Singer Jessie J performed a rearranged version of the song, during episode 11, gaining her fifth first place. On 7 May 2023, Nicole Scherzinger performed the song at the Coronation Concert, held in celebration of the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla the day before,[63] accompanied by Chinese pianist Lang Lang.[64]

Notes

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  1. ^ Thomas Erlewine, Stephen. "Mulan: Original Soundtrack". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  2. ^ "Digital Sheet Music – Lea Salonga Reflection (from 'Mulan')". Walt Disney Publishing Company. April 2, 2007. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  3. ^ Sison, Rafi (September 6, 2015). "Reflection (full version)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  4. ^ Reflection, by Lea Salonga @ Council Rock HS South Master Class, March 29, 2015, retrieved February 14, 2023
  5. ^ "British single certifications – Lea Salonga – Reflection". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  6. ^ "American single certifications – Lea Salonga – Reflection". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e Sodergren, Rebecca (July 30, 1998). "The Right Note". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Block Communications. Retrieved August 31, 2024.
  8. ^ a b Dominguez 2003, p. 43
  9. ^ "Mulan – Film Soundtrack: CastAlbums.org". CastAlbums. Archived from the original on May 17, 2024. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  10. ^ Hoffmann, Frank, ed. (2004). Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound (PDF). Taylor & Francis. p. 16. ISBN 9781135949495.
  11. ^ Silva, Maria (January 22, 2000). "Christina Aguilera: ¿Qué hay dentro de la botella?" (in Spanish). Meridiano. p. B2. I did a single with a Japanese singer (Keizo Nakanishi) when I was 16
  12. ^ a b c Dominguez 2003, p. 44
  13. ^ Dominguez 2003, p. 38
  14. ^ a b "Disney's Mulan: An Original Walt Disney Records Soundtrack". Billboard. Vol. 110, no. 19. Prometheus Global Media. May 9, 1998. p. 20. Retrieved August 28, 2013.
  15. ^ a b "リフレクション" [Reflection] (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on March 5, 2015.
  16. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Christina Aguilera – Christina Aguilera: Overview". AllMusic. All Media Network. Archived from the original on July 28, 2020. Retrieved August 20, 2013.
  17. ^ Disneymania – Disney | Album | AllMusic, retrieved September 27, 2024
  18. ^ Disneymania 4 – Disney | Album | AllMusic, retrieved September 27, 2024
  19. ^ "Watch Sabrina Carpenter sing 'What a Girl Wants' with Christina Aguilera". WRMF. Hubbard Broadcasting. September 24, 2024. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  20. ^ "Sabrina Carpenter Duets on 'What a Girl Wants' as Christina Aguilera's Debut Album Turns 25". TooFab. EHM Productions, Inc. September 23, 2024. Archived from the original on September 28, 2024. Retrieved September 28, 2024.
  21. ^ Johnson, Beth (August 20, 1999). "Christina Aguilera". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  22. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (June 2, 1998). "Mulan Soundtrack Review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  23. ^ Malone, Chris (August 24, 2019). "Christina Aguilera's Debut Album Turns 20: All the Tracks Ranked". Billboard. Billboard Media, LLC. Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2023.
  24. ^ Havens, Lyndsey (May 25, 2023). "The 100 Greatest Disneyverse Songs of All Time". Billboard. Billboard Media, LLC. Archived from the original on May 29, 2023. Retrieved May 29, 2023.
  25. ^ Tabberer, Jamie (August 2, 2022). "Christina Aguilera's 17 best songs ranked – from Dirrty to Beautiful". Attitude. Retrieved August 22, 2023.
  26. ^ Afshar, Sarah (March 29, 2015). "Top 10 best Christina Aguilera songs". AXS. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2023.
  27. ^ "1999 NCLR ALMA Awards: Nominees" (PDF). ALMA Awards. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 5, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
  28. ^ a b Dominguez 2003, p. 45
  29. ^ a b Whitburn, Joel (2007). Top Adult Songs 1961-2006. Record Research, Inc. p. 5. ISBN 978-0-89820-169-7.
  30. ^ a b Dominguez 2003, p. 46
  31. ^ "Christina Aguilera Live". Intimate and Interactive. May 17, 2000. Event occurs at 60. MuchMusic.
  32. ^ "Amazon.com: Christina Aguilera – My Reflection: Christina Aguilera, Dr. John, Brian McKnight, Bow Wow, Lawrence Jordan (II), Paul Hunter: Movies & TV". Amazon. June 5, 2001. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  33. ^ Erlewine, Stepehn. "Reflection: Overview". Allmusic. Rovi. Retrieved August 1, 2008.
  34. ^ Various artists, Mulan, retrieved March 16, 2020
  35. ^ Mulan - 1998 Latin American Spanish Soundtrack, retrieved March 16, 2020
  36. ^ "¿Te gusta la música de "Mulan"? Lucero sufrió mucho para grabarla, pero obtuvo esta recompensa: Video". Heraldo de México (in Spanish). February 25, 2021. Retrieved November 19, 2021.
  37. ^ "NAVER VIBE(바이브)". vibe.naver.com (in Korean). Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  38. ^ 李玟的《自己》 (in Chinese (Taiwan)), retrieved December 8, 2020
  39. ^ 花木蘭 (DVD) (in Chinese). Taiwan: Disney. 1998.
  40. ^ a b "YESASIA: Mulan Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (OST) (Taiwan Bonus Track Version) CD - Movie Soundtrack, Coco Lee, Universal Music Taiwan - Western / World Music - Free Shipping". www.yesasia.com. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  41. ^ "Gaon Singles Chart (International)" (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. Retrieved April 20, 2016.
  42. ^ "Original 'Reflection' singer Christina Aguilera has recorded new material for live-action 'Mulan'". EW.com. Retrieved August 27, 2020.
  43. ^ Romano, Nick (August 28, 2020). "Christina Aguilera finally drops 'Reflection' video for Mulan". EW.com. Retrieved August 28, 2020.
  44. ^ Gibson, Kelsie (December 11, 2020). "15 Nostalgic Moments That Took Us to Any Year but 2020". PopSugar UK. Group Nine Media. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  45. ^ "25th Annual Film Awards (2020) – Online Film & Television Association". Online Film & Television Association Awards. Archived from the original on March 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  46. ^ 迪士尼影業 (August 20, 2020). "《花木蘭》經典主題曲〈自己〉配唱花絮". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  47. ^ 顾馨. "Chinese version of 'Reflection' released for upcoming 'Mulan' - Chinadaily.com.cn". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  48. ^ "「ムーラン」日本版主題歌「リフレクション」 by 城南海さん（60秒）". YouTube. Retrieved May 14, 2020.[dead YouTube link]
  49. ^ 디즈니 (August 23, 2020). "[뮬란] 숨겨진 내 모습(Reflection) 티저 MV". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  50. ^ DisneyMusicIndiaVEVO (September 4, 2020). "Sunayana Sarkar - Parchhaayi (From "Mulan"/Audio Only)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  51. ^ DisneyMusicIndiaVEVO (September 4, 2020). "Nithayashree Venkataramanan - Naalone nene (From "Mulan"/Audio Only)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  52. ^ DisneyMusicIndiaVEVO (September 4, 2020). "Nithayashree Venkataramanan - Yen Bhimbham (From "Mulan"/Audio Only)". YouTube. Archived from the original on December 21, 2021.
  53. ^ Reflection (From "Mulan"/Official Video), November 19, 2020, archived from the original on December 21, 2021, retrieved November 25, 2021
  54. ^ Mawarni, Siwi Tri. "4 Indonesian female singers sing the Disney's live action 'Mulan' soundtrack | Seasia.co". Good News from Southeast Asia. Retrieved November 25, 2021.
  55. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100: 04 September 2020 – 10 September 2020". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
  56. ^ "RIAS International Top Charts Week 37". Recording Industry Association (Singapore). Archived from the original on September 15, 2020.
  57. ^ "Christina Aguilera Songs and Albums – Full Official Charts History". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on October 28, 2024. Retrieved October 28, 2024.
  58. ^ "DIGITAL SONG SALES – The week of September 12, 2020". Billboard. Archived from the original on September 9, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  59. ^ "American single certifications – Christina Aguilera – Reflection". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved January 19, 2023.
  60. ^ "Top 20". American Idol (television show). Jordin Sparks. 2007.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  61. ^ "Songs from the Silver Screen". Target Corporation. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  62. ^ "Termino Una etapa en 'La Voz Argentina'". Diario Show (in Spanish). August 12, 2012. Archived from the original on November 26, 2012.
  63. ^ Petridis, Alexis (May 7, 2023). "Coronation Concert review – a cobbled-together bunch of B-listers". The Guardian. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  64. ^ Hall, Sophia Alexandra (May 7, 2023). "Lang Lang and Nicole Scherzinger perform 'Reflection' from Disney's Mulan at Windsor Castle". Classic fM. Retrieved May 8, 2023.

References

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