What I've Been Looking For facts for kids

"What I've Been Looking For" is a popular song from the Disney Channel Original Movie High School Musical, which came out in 2006. Andy Dodd and Adam Watts wrote and produced this song. You can find it on the official High School Musical soundtrack.

In the movie, Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel sing the fast version of the song. There is also a slower version called "What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)". This version is sung by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. Fun fact: Zac Efron's singing voice was mixed with Drew Seeley's voice for the movie.

Music critics really liked "What I've Been Looking For". They even compared it to songs you might hear in a Broadway musical! The song did well on music charts, reaching number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100. The slower reprise version also made it onto the charts. Other artists have covered the song too. For example, the Mexican band Belanova made a Spanish version called "Eres Tú".

About the Song

Andy Dodd and Adam Watts created "What I've Been Looking For". It is a teen pop song. In High School Musical, Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel play the characters Sharpay and Ryan Evans. They sing this song in the movie.

The slower "reprise" version of the song is sung by Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens. They play the characters Troy Bolton and Gabriella Montez. As mentioned, Drew Seeley's voice was also used for Troy's singing parts.

How the Song Was Used

Hudgens and Seeley performing "What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)" during a High School Musical: The Concert show

In the movie High School Musical, the character Kelsi Nielsen (played by Olesya Rulin) writes "What I've Been Looking For". Sharpay and Ryan Evans sing a fast version of the song for their audition. They want a role in the school's winter musical, Twinkle Towne.

Later, Gabriella Montez tries to audition, but she doesn't have a singing partner. Troy Bolton steps in to help her. Ms. Darbus, the drama teacher, says it's too late for them to audition. But then, Kelsi drops her music sheets. Troy and Gabriella help her pick them up. Kelsi then asks them to sing her song while she plays the piano. Ms. Darbus secretly hears them and offers them a "callback audition".

Both "What I've Been Looking For" and its reprise version were part of the High School Musical live concert tour. This tour was called High School Musical: The Concert. Both songs were also on the live album from the concert, which came out in 2007. Drew Seeley sang Troy's parts during these live shows. You can also sing "What I've Been Looking For" in the video game High School Musical: Sing It! (2007).

In 2006, the Mexican band Belanova covered the song for the Spanish version of the High School Musical soundtrack. Their version was called "Eres Tú". The Brazilian group Ludov also covered the song, calling their version "O Que Eu Procurava".

Chart Success

Tisdale and Grabeel performing the song live.

In the United States, "What I've Been Looking For" was a hit. It reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. It also got to number 34 on the Pop 100 chart. The song was even certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. This means it sold a lot of copies!

The reprise version of the song also appeared on these charts. It reached number 66 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 53 on the Pop 100. In the United Kingdom, the song reached number 155 on the UK Singles Chart.

See also

In Spanish: What I've Been Looking For para niños