True to Your Heart

Matthew Wilder & David Zippel had written the song originally for Hanson, but the deal eventually fell through. They were subsequently asked to alter the song to give it a "Stevie Wonder feel".{{Cite web|title='Mulan': The story behind 'I'll Make a Man Out of You' and its other hit songs|url=https://ew.com/movies/2018/06/19/mulan-ill-make-a-man-out-of-you-story/|access-date=2020-09-22|website=EW.com|language=EN}} The writers previously had the opportunity to work with famous performers like dubbing artist Marni Nixon, though were "excited and astonished" to work with Wonder. Wilder recalled: "While sitting in the studio waiting for Wonder's arrival, some guy walks in and sets up a keyboard and then walks out with saying a word. After several hours passed, Wonder finally arrived. I peaked my head out into the hallway in time to see him floating down this long hallway in this floor-length dashiki. He looked like an African god." Wilder and Zippel didn't have a clear collaboration in mind when calling Wonder into the studio. Initially they had asked him to play harmonica on the track. Wonder said that he liked the song, describing it as "a song I would've written back in the '70s and I’m into it" and offered to sing on it.

Meanwhile, 98 Degrees had recently released their debut album with just one single "Invisible Man" and the album failed to chart. The band's next creative step following this was to explore the international markets of Asia and Europe and record "True to Your Heart" with Stevie Wonder for Disney's Mulan soundtrack which led them to wider recognition.{{Cite web|title=98[Degrees], rising|url=https://ew.com/article/1999/08/13/98degrees-rising/|access-date=2020-09-22|website=EW.com|language=EN}}

The song was released as the first single off the soundtrack{{Cite web|author=MTV News Staff|title=98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder Stay "True" For Disney|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1432694/98-degrees-stevie-wonder-stay-true-for-disney/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170818173344/http://www.mtv.com/news/1432694/98-degrees-stevie-wonder-stay-true-for-disney/|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 18, 2017|access-date=2020-09-22|website=MTV News|language=en}} and was nominated for the 1998 Grammy Awards in the category of Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television. The song has different lyrics in the movie than on the soundtrack.{{Cite web|title=The Music of Mulan|url=http://www.oocities.org/hollywood/5082/music.html|access-date=2020-09-22|website=www.oocities.org}} The song reached 51 on the Adult Contemporary chart in 1998.

Sandy and Jr. interpreted the song in Portuguese as "Seu Coração".{{Cite web|title=Folha de S.Paulo – CD tem apenas cinco canções – 01/07/98|url=https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/fsp/ilustrad/fq01079819.htm|access-date=2020-09-22|website=www1.folha.uol.com.br}}

Raven-Symoné recorded a cover of the song in 2004 for the soundtrack to Ella Enchanted and Disneymania 2.{{Cite web|title=Ella Enchanted CD 2004|url=https://www.broadwayworld.com/recordings/Ella-Enchanted-2004-|access-date=2020-09-22|website=www.broadwayworld.com}}{{Cite web|title=Mulan: Special Edition DVD Review|url=https://www.dvdizzy.com/mulan.html|access-date=2020-09-22|website=www.dvdizzy.com}} Both versions were released on 2004's Mulan: Special Edition.{{Citation|title=Mulan: Special Edition – IGN|date=18 October 2004 |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2004/10/18/mulan-special-edition|language=en|access-date=2020-09-22}}

• UK CD single

1. "True To Your Heart" (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:18
2. "True To Your Heart" (Instrumental) – 4:16
3. "Was It Something I Didn't Say" (performed by 98 Degrees) – 5:02

• UK & European CD maxi single

1. "True To Your Heart" (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:15
2. "True To Your Heart" (Instrumental) – 4:15
3. "True To Your Heart" (98° Vocal Version) (performed by 98 Degrees) – 4:15

• European CD single

1. "True To Your Heart" (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:15
2. "True To Your Heart" (Instrumental) – 4:15

• Australian CD single

1. "True To Your Heart" (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:15
2. "I'll Make A Man Out Of You" (performed by Donny Osmond) – 3:21

• Japanese CD single

1. "True To Your Heart" (LP Version) (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:16
2. "Because Of You" (LP Version) (performed by 98 Degrees) – 4:56
3. "Because Of You" (Radio Edit) (performed by 98 Degrees) – 3:55

• French Promo CD single

1. "True To Your Heart" (Radio Edit) (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:15

• US Promo CD single

1. "True To Your Heart" (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:16

• UK & European Promo CD single

1. "True To Your Heart" (Radio Edit) (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:15

• UK Promo CD single

1. "True To Your Heart" (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:15

• Japanese Promo CD single

1. "True To Your Heart" (LP Version) (performed by 98 Degrees, Stevie Wonder) – 4:16
2. "Because Of You" (LP Version) (performed by 98 Degrees) – 4:56
3. "Because Of You" (Radio Edit) (performed by 98 Degrees) – 3:55

MTV described it as a "celebratory tune that captures the mood of the film's conclusion" a la "Circle of Life". Soundtrack.net felt the song "seems very out of place on this soundtrack".{{Cite web|title=Mulan – by Jerry Goldsmith – Pick Of The Week|url=https://www.soundtrack.net/content/article/?id=35|access-date=2020-09-22|website=www.soundtrack.net}} NPO3FM deemed the song the "big breakthrough" of 98 Degrees.{{Cite web|title=98 Degrees|url=https://www.npo3fm.nl/muziek/artiesten/1883-98-degrees|access-date=2020-09-22|website=NPO 3FM|language=nl-nl}} DVDDizzy deemed it "catchy but out-of-left-field" and a "soundtrack anomaly", though added that the music video does a "good job at inspiring laughter". CinemaBlend felt the singers were "crooning" in the song.{{Cite web|date=2016-05-27|title=Mulan: Special Edition|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/dvds/Mulan-Special-Edition-722.html|access-date=2020-09-22|website=CINEMABLEND}} Billboard deemed it the 22nd best Disney Renaissance song, deeming it a "pretty promising combination" of artists, who "lived up to the hype with this playful, harmonica-flavored boy band jam".{{Cite magazine|date=2017-03-15|title=Every Song From the Disney Renaissance (1989–'99), Ranked: Critics' Take|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/movies/7727697/disney-renaissance-songs-ranking-beauty-and-the-beast|access-date=2020-09-22|magazine=Billboard}}

Animated Views deemed Raven-Symone's version "over-emoted".{{Cite web|title=Mulan: Special Edition – Animated Views|url=https://animatedviews.com/2004/mulan-special-edition/|access-date=2020-09-22|language=en-US}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{YouTube|X-Dl7QtNXqg|"True To Your Heart"}}

{{98 Degrees}}

{{Stevie Wonder}}

{{Disney's Mulan}}

{{Disney Renaissance}}

Category:Disney Renaissance songs

Category:Songs from Mulan (franchise)

Category:Songs with lyrics by David Zippel

Category:Songs written by Matthew Wilder

Category:Stevie Wonder songs

Category:Motown singles

Category:Walt Disney Records singles

Category:98 Degrees songs

Category:1998 songs

Category:1998 singles

Category:1990s ballads

Category:Vocal collaborations