Halle Bailey’s ‘The Little Mermaid’-style swimsuit selfie shows she’s not letting go of Ariel just yet

Is it getting hot in here, or is it just Halle Bailey? It’s definitely just Bailey, and her new swimwear selfie is sending us swimming back to Atlantica and dreaming of happy fish rolling on waves, and the hotter under-the-water vibes that Bailey embodied as Ariel in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid. 

Bailey shared the snaps on X (formerly known as Twitter) earlier today, and she’s showing us that her reign as a Disney Princess is something she plans to keep owning, and we couldn’t be happier about it. That is, of course, after we picked our jaws up off the floor. Bailey is stunning, and she owns it in these snaps. Bailey became Ariel like it’s something she was meant to do, and she still rocks the mermaid vibe to this day.

Her two-piece was Ariel-esque in color and fit, as it hugged her curves and reminded us that even when she got her legs and, what do you call them… oh, feet — she would still always and forever be a princess of the seas.

While channeling her inner Ariel, Bailey’s caption said, “they know you’re an angel,” and the comment section agreed. In addition to a slew of heart-eye and fire emojis, fans called Bailey an angel and pleaded with her for more content.

If you haven’t been living under the sea, you’re likely also aware that Bailey put out a new single just a few days ago, called — you guessed it, “Angel,” and the song has been stuck in our heads ever since.

With lyrics like, “Do you ever make it out of your head? Do you still swim in your thoughts? Do you still mistake your flaws for property? Something that just don’t sit right with you, but Heaven knows…” and, “Your wings can’t weigh you down, angels make a way somehow — and if we fall, we fall on clouds,” fans were immediately and quite emotionally connected to the tune.

Bailey was unfairly met with a lot of criticism and awful public opinion after her casting as Ariel, and in the years that followed. Still, she kept her head up high and channeled that negativity into an experience that helped kids worldwide see themselves as Disney Princesses. She gave people the power to feel beautiful, authentic, and genuine in just who they were, and she became an angel to fans everywhere.

So her well-timed and beautiful song means a lot to fans following her journey. While we can’t wait to see what’s next for Bailey, she’ll always be our Ariel, and we live for moments when she still channels that energy.

You can watch Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid when it swims onto Disney Plus on Sept. 6.