In Disney's 1991 animated Beauty and the Beast, the opening village song is titled “Belle.”
The musical number introduces Belle as an independent young woman who enjoys reading and feels out of place in her small French-inspired community. It also establishes Gaston’s interest in her and the villagers’ view that she is unusual.
“Belle” is an ensemble number rather than a solo: Belle sings parts of it, while townspeople, the bookseller, Gaston and LeFou contribute contrasting lines. Alan Menken composed the music and Howard Ashman wrote the lyrics.
The song is sometimes confused with “Something There,” which occurs much later as Belle and the Beast begin to develop feelings. “Belle” is the film’s first major musical sequence and functions as character introduction, setting description and plot setup at once.