| "Where the Dream Takes You" | |
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| Promotional single by Mya | |
| from the album Atlantis: The Lost Empire | |
| Released | June 5, 2001 |
| Recorded | 2001 |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 4:00 |
| Label | |
| Songwriter(s) | |
| Producer(s) |
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"Where the Dream Takes You" is a song by American singer Mya. It was written by songwriter Diane Warren and composer James Newton Howard to promote Walt Disney Pictures' animated film Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). Produced by Jay Selvester, Robbie Buchanan and Ron Fair, the song was released as the only promotional single from the film's soundtrack on June 5, 2001.
Directors Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale agreed that Atlantis: The Lost Empire, their third animated Disney project, would not be a musical. However, the studio's marketing department insisted that at least one song be featured during the film's end credits in order to adhere to tradition. Disney hired Mya to record a pop song for the Atlantis soundtrack because of the studio and singer's shared business relationship with A&M/Interscope Records. A "tender" pop ballad, "Where the Dream Takes You" is an inspirational song about following one's heart and self-discovery, which alludes to the film's central plot about a young adventurer's search for the lost city of Atlantis. Both Warren and Howard collaborated on the song's melody, which borrows from Howard's own orchestral score, while Warren wrote the lyrics.
"Where the Dream Takes You" is the only song from Atlantis: The Lost Empire that features both music and lyrics. Upon its release 10 days ahead of the film, the ballad was criticized for sounding generic and uninspired. Some critics also questioned Disney's decision to have Mya to record the song, believing the single would have benefited from a more experienced vocalist. However, the song was nominated for Best Original Song Written Directly for a Film at the World Soundtrack Awards.