Lana Del Rey's voice sounds like velvet dipped in poison. Honestly, when Disney released the 2014 Maleficent teaser featuring her cover of "Once Upon a Dream," it changed how we think about movie trailers forever. It wasn't just a song. It was a complete vibe shift for the Disney brand.
Before this, "Once Upon a Dream" was the ultimate mid-century waltz. It was sugary. It was 1959. Mary Costa’s soprano vocals in the original Sleeping Beauty felt like a warm hug from a simpler time. But the once upon a dream Maleficent version? That thing is haunting. It’s slow, it’s low, and it basically tells you that the fairy tale you thought you knew is actually a nightmare.
The Tonal Shift of Once Upon a Dream Maleficent
Most people forget that the original melody isn't even Disney's. It's actually from Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty Ballet, specifically the "Grande Valse Villageoise." Disney's 1959 team just added lyrics. Jack Lawrence and Sammy Fain took a classical masterpiece and made it a pop standard for the fifties. Fast forward to 2014. Angelina Jolie personally hand-picked Lana Del Rey to record the cover. Why? Because Lana has this specific ability to sound like she's singing from the bottom of a well in a haunted mansion.
It worked.
The song stripped away the upbeat tempo. It replaced the orchestral swell with a minimal, eerie soundscape. When you hear the lyric "I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream," it no longer sounds like a girl meeting her prince. It sounds like a stalker or a vengeful spirit. In the context of the movie, it reflects Maleficent's own loss of innocence. She was the one who was betrayed. The dream turned into a curse.
Why Lana Del Rey Was the Only Choice
Disney usually goes for "safe" pop stars. Think Christina Aguilera or Demi Lovato. But for the once upon a dream Maleficent track, they needed someone who lived in the "sad girl" aesthetic. Lana Del Rey’s Born to Die era had already established her as the queen of dark Americana.
Her voice in this track stays in a very narrow, breathy range. It’s almost a whisper. This creates an intimacy that makes the listener feel uncomfortable. It’s a subversion. You take a song associated with the purest form of love and you make it sound like a funeral march. That is how you market a movie about a villain who isn't really a villain.
The Cultural Impact on Movie Marketing
You've probably noticed it now. Every single blockbuster trailer uses a "slow, creepy version" of a famous song. The Batman used Nirvana. Black Panther used Bob Marley. We can pretty much trace a direct line from the success of once upon a dream Maleficent to the current state of movie marketing.
It’s called "trailerization."
Editors take a familiar melody—something that triggers nostalgia—and they distort it. It creates cognitive dissonance. Your brain recognizes the song, which makes you feel safe, but the arrangement tells you to be afraid. This psychological trick is incredibly effective for getting "clicks" on social media. In 2014, the Maleficent trailer became a viral sensation largely because of that audio-visual synergy. It wasn't just a movie about a witch; it was a "reimagining."
The Difference Between 1959 and 2014
- 1959 Version: High energy, orchestral, optimistic, clear vocal projection.
- 2014 Version: Downtempo, electronic elements, melancholic, whispered vocals.
The 1959 version is about the future. It’s about a girl dreaming of a life she hasn't lived yet. The 2014 version is about the past. It’s about Maleficent looking back at a life that was stolen from her. It’s a song of memory, not hope.
Breaking Down the Lyrics in a New Light
"I know you, the look in your eyes is so familiar a gleam."
In the original, Aurora is singing about a boy she saw in a dream. In the 2014 film, these lyrics take on a darker, almost maternal tone. Maleficent is watching Aurora grow up from the shadows. She does know her. She knows every "gleam" in her eyes because she’s been haunting her steps for sixteen years.
The irony is thick.
The song is used to bridge the gap between the audience's childhood memories of the cartoon and this new, grittier reality. It serves as a psychological anchor. Without that song, the movie might have felt too disconnected from the source material. With it, it felt like a homecoming, albeit to a home that had been burned down.
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Why This Song Still Ranks on Playlists
Honestly, it’s a mood. If you look at Spotify data or YouTube comments from even this year, people are still using the once upon a dream Maleficent cover for "dark academia" playlists or "villain era" TikToks. It has outlived the movie’s initial theatrical run.
It’s a masterclass in branding. Disney didn't just sell a movie; they sold an aesthetic. They took a property that was over 50 years old and made it relevant to a generation that liked Lorde and The Weeknd.
Technical Brilliance in the Production
The track was produced by the duo Robopop, who also worked on Lana’s "Video Games." They kept the production sparse. You have these deep, booming drums that sound like they're echoing through a cave. There’s a slight reverb on Lana’s voice that gives it a ghostly quality.
They didn't overproduce it.
A lot of modern covers try to do too much. They add dubstep drops or massive choirs. The once upon a dream Maleficent track succeeds because it’s quiet. It forces you to lean in. It’s the sonic equivalent of a jump scare that never actually happens—just constant, sustained tension.
The Legacy of the "Disney Villain" Song
Usually, the villain gets their own song. Think "Poor Unfortunate Souls" or "Be Prepared." But Maleficent doesn't sing in the movie. The song is external. It’s the atmosphere. This marked a shift in Disney’s storytelling where the "villain" isn't a theatrical caricature but a traumatized individual.
The music reflects that internal landscape. It’s not boastful. It’s hurting.
Critics at the time were split. Some felt it was too "edgy" for Disney. Others saw it as a brilliant evolution. Regardless of where you stand, you can’t deny that the once upon a dream Maleficent version is the one people remember. When you close your eyes and think of the 2014 film, you don't necessarily think of the CGI battles or the secondary characters. You think of Angelina Jolie’s cheekbones and that haunting, dragging melody.
How to Capture This Vibe in Your Own Projects
If you're a creator or a musician looking to emulate this "dark fairy tale" feel, there are specific steps you can take. It’s not just about slowing things down.
- Deconstruct the Melody: Take a well-known, simple melody and move it to a lower key. Minor keys are your friend, but sometimes staying in a major key while slowing the tempo creates an even creepier "uncanny valley" effect.
- Focus on Texture: Use sounds that feel organic but decayed. Cellos, deep drums, and breathy vocals work better than clean synths.
- Space is Key: Don't fill every second with sound. The "Once Upon a Dream" cover uses silence effectively. The gaps between the notes are where the fear lives.
- Lyrical Context: Choose a song where the lyrics can be reinterpreted. "I know you" is a perfect example because it can be romantic or threatening depending on the delivery.
The once upon a dream Maleficent cover remains a touchstone for how to successfully reboot a franchise. It respects the original while completely dismantling it. It’s beautiful, it’s ugly, and it’s exactly what a modern fairy tale should sound like.
To really appreciate the nuance, listen to the 1959 version and the 2014 version back-to-back. Notice the breathing. In 1959, the singer sounds like she has infinite lungs. In 2014, Lana sounds like she’s running out of air. That’s the difference between a dream and a reality.
Explore the official soundtrack to hear how the motifs from the song are woven into James Newton Howard’s score. You’ll find that the melody isn't just a marketing tool; it’s the DNA of the entire film. Analyzing the sheet music for both versions reveals how small changes in rhythm—moving from a standard 3/4 waltz to a more stagnant, atmospheric 4/4 feel—completely kills the "dance" aspect of the original and replaces it with a heavy, grounded trudge. This is where the emotional weight of the Maleficent character truly resides.