A TikTok user wrote an entire musical for her Disney-style Korean princess
CTV
After realizing there weren't any Koreans in the pantheon of iconic Disney princesses, 22-year-old Julia Riew set out to create one herself, along with an accompanying musical.
The Harvard student, who grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, has been writing and composing for years. But with her seventh full musical to date, "Shimcheong: A Folktale," she has tapped into her Korean roots and gone viral on TikTok where the story and songs are resonating with people around the world.
"For the first time, I have felt such a strong sense of community and belonging, which I've always really longed for," said Riew in a video call. "I never imagined that something like TikTok ... could bring me to a place where I feel such a warm sense of belonging."
The first song that led fans to discover Riew on TikTok, "Dive," has garnered almost a million views, with fans performing their own renditions over an instrumental version. The uplifting lyrics encourage listeners to be fearless and not let anything hold them back.
"Now all of the fish in the sea can't stop me," Riew sings in the 41-second clip, using a filter to transform herself into a Disney-style animated character. "All of the waves in the world can't rock me. I'm on a mission and gee, just watch me go!"
