Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens gave such a classic performance on “Breaking Free” from High School Musical. It’s hard to believe that the 2006 hit was almost 15 years ago now, but it still stands the test of time so well. Efron’s heavenly tenor blends so perfectly with Hudgens’ sweet voice, and the brilliant vocal arrangement just lets them both shine so brightly.
It doesn’t hurt that Efron’s star power is off the charts, and the charming Hudgens shows off plenty of chemistry with the leading man. It’s such a great scene that, for any long-time fan, it might just make you a little nostalgic for your own school days.
Fans flocked to the video to nerd out over High School Musical, with comments like “I can’t get over how great this song is. It’s beautifully written and performed, full of feelings and meaning,” and “Nostalgic. We are getting older, but this generation never gets old. This is still my jam, and I will never tire of listening to it.”
“Breaking Free” is now a certified Disney classic, and fans have continued watching it over the years, increasing the total number of views on YouTube to 46 million. This makes the duet between Efron and Hudgens the second most popular performance from High School Musical, only surpassed by “We’re All In This Together,” with 55 million views. Efron and Hudgens are also prominently featured in the latter song, singing the first verse together.
Efron’s charm may have made High School Musical a hit, but to give credit where credit is due, almost all his lines were actually sung by Canadian vocalist Drew Seeley. Efron commented on being cut from the songs in an interview with the Orlando Sentinel, saying, “In the first movie, after everything was recorded, my voice was not on them. I was not really given an explanation. It just kind of happened that way.
Unfortunately, it put me in an awkward position. It’s not something I expected to be addressed. Then High School Musical blew up.”
However, Efron did get a second shot at it in High School Musical 2, where he got to sing all of his own lines. “That was a very huge point for me,” he said. “I had to put my foot down and fight to get my voice on these tracks. I’m very fortunate that Drew has gotten proper credit and that I’ve gotten the opportunity to come back and try it again with my own voice. He’s very talented. I consider myself a regular kid that can carry a tune.”
However, fans did speculate in the comments that Efron did get to sing the opening lines of “Breaking Free,” and then Seeley’s vocals were edited in to complete the remainder of the tune. There may be something to this theory, as the opening lines sound a bit thinner and reedier, while after the intro, the vocals have a very rich and full tone to them.