"It opened up a whole new world": Phil Collins reflects on 'Tarzan' and Disney's global reach

Phil Collins’ work on the Tarzan soundtrack remains a defining moment in his career and in Disney’s musical legacy.

In a recent throwback video shared on his official TikTok, the music icon reflected on the challenge of performing the film’s songs in multiple languages. He recalled:

"Someone says, ‘Excuse me, we go to 35 countries. So I’m afraid you’re going to... are you going to try to sing in Spanish or Swahili?'"

How Tarzan and Disney helped Phil Collins reach a global audience

Before this project, Phil Collins admitted he had never sung in another language. This experience, he said, “opened up a whole new world” for him.

"So that’s another plus, that's another new thing I’ve learned while doing this project.”

The clip features Collins singing “Strangers Like Me” in French and Spanish. In total, he recorded the songs in five languages: English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish.

Collins composed the soundtrack for Disney’s 1999 Tarzan, a project that earned him a Grammy for Best Soundtrack Album. It also secured an Oscar and a Golden Globe for the heartfelt track “You’ll Be in My Heart” — a song now finding new life through NIKI’s viral rendition.

In 2016, Phil Collins’ daughter Lily shared with Harry Connick Jr. that “You’ll Be in My Heart” was originally written as a lullaby for her.

“We grew up watching Disney shows and movies together, so that was his way of kind of being able to do it for his kids.”

The Emily in Paris star added:

“It was so special.”

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“Not hungry for it anymore”: Phil Collins reflects on slowing down

Phil Collins’ throwback post on TikTok comes months after he spoke out on his health status.

In his interview with Mojo magazine for a Genesis cover story last February, the music legend talked about his condition’s impact on his career. Despite feeling a lingering urge to create new music, he confessed that his health struggles have diminished his motivation.

“I keep thinking I should go downstairs to the studio and see what happens. But I'm not hungry for it anymore. The thing is, I've been sick, I mean very sick…”

READ: How did Phil Collins injure his spine? Incident explored amid musician's health struggles

Earlier this year, Drumeo released a documentary on Phil Collins, filmed in 2022.

In the movie, he appeared more vital than expected but revealed the emotional toll of no longer being able to play drums.

“If I can't do what I did as well as I did it, I'd rather relax and not do anything. If I wake up one day and I can hold a pair of drumsticks, then I'll have a crack at it. But I just feel like I've used up my air miles.”

Collins also reflected on the shock of this new reality:

“It's still kind of sinking in a bit. I've spent all my life playing drums. To suddenly not be able to do that is a shock.”