Morissette Amon and Darren Espanto Take Us On A Magical Wish Bus Ride with “A Whole New World” Wishclusive

On May 22, Asia’s Phoenix Morissette and D’ Total Performer Darren Espanto teamed up to give a magical spin to “A Whole New World,” the theme song of the much loved animated film turned live-action movie, Aladdin. The pair performed aboard the Wish Bus for an extra special edition of The Roadshow, powered by Walt Disney Studios.

Albeit the gloomy weather, fans rushed to and jam-packed SM By the Bay in Pasay City to grab the chance to witness the epic musical collaboration of the young OPM royalties. Fans also had the chance to ask the artists some fun questions while they were aboard the Wish Bus, which was in full Aladdin mode, decked out in blue.

During their comeback Roadshow gig, they spoke with DJ Alice regarding the early days of their Wish Bus guestings, their first pair-up for their fiery “Chandelier” performance during the WMA’s pilot year, and how the winners of the Wish Awards have grown up career-wise.

Full circle moment

As self-confessed Disney kids, the versatile artists admitted that they felt surreal when they first heard that they were handpicked by the entertainment-producing company to perform the PH version of the song.

“It’s both a privilege and an honor. I am very happy and I was really nervous to do it. It’s every Disney kid’s dream come true and we’re lucky [that] we were the ones chosen to do this project. To follow Ms. Leah Salonga’s version, it’s really something special for us,” 18-year-old Darren gushed.

According to Morissette, they were also able to explore a whole new side to their musicality through this Disney stint.

“We’ve discovered a lot of techniques within ourselves, especially on the theatrical side. It wasn’t the usual placement for me, not the usual birit. The song asks for more of a feminine, Disney princessy, intimate voice. I have a theatre background, but it wasn’t to this level. So, I familiarized, internalized, and really learned what I was getting myself into,” she enthused.

In true Aladdin fashion, when asked what their three genie wishes would be, they both shared that they would want to tick off items from their personal goals’ lists, keep their drives burning, and to stay in the music lane for more years to come.

“It’s kinda hard wishing for yourself because we make wishes in general, but we should also work hard to be able to achieve those wishes. We’re very blessed that we get to do what we love and to call it a profession. I wish it goes on for more years for the two of us,” Asia’s Phoenix stressed that nothing prospers without hard work and dedication.

Filipino artistry on center stage

The music stars also see this project as a double-edged sword -- both for their careers and for the brilliance of Filipino artistry. By breathing new life to the classic track, they get to represent the myriad of singing gems in the country.

Aside from their latest musical piece together, Morissette and Darren both have Wishclusives videos under their belts which garnered have millions of views from different parts of the globe. Since its early years, Wish 107.5 has been recognized as a game-changing platform, giving artists the chance to showcase their world-class talents on the digital domain, and giving them the ability to share it to the rest of the world.

On the day of their live radio guesting, the event hashtag #AladdinPHonWish was a trending topic on Twitter Philippines, peaking at the fourth spot. Meanwhile, their eargasmic Wishclusive collaboration of “A Whole New World,” which premiered last May 24 on Wish 107.5’s YouTube channel, swiftly topped YouTube PH’s trending list just a little over a day since it was debuted.

As of writing time, the video has already reached 3 million views.

The childhood classic Aladdin was released in 1992 as an animated fantasy film that featured enchanting musical tracks and the adventures of a princess weary of her sheltered life and a street urchin-turned-prince named Aladdin. This year, these well-loved characters returned to the big screen -- including the lovable genie, his lamp, and of course, the magic carpet —  for a live-action box office remake.

Stream Morissette Amon and Darren Espanto’s rendition of Aladdin’s theme song “A Whole New World” via Spotify and iTunes. Aladdin is now showing in cinemas nationwide.

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