"What I've Been Looking For" is a song featured in the movie High School Musical and on the movie soundtrack, sung as a duet firstly by Sharpay (Ashley Tisdale) and Ryan (Lucas Grabeel), followed by a reprise by Troy (Zac Efron, voiced by Drew Seeley) and Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens).
The song is also featured on the first season of the Disney+ spin-off series High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, sung by Nini Salazar-Roberts (Olivia Rodrigo) and E.J. Caswell (Matt Cornett).
Background[]
High School Musical
The song is used as the audition material for East High's Winter Musical, Twinkle Towne. Written by Kelsi Nielsen (Olesya Rulin), she intended it to be a slow-tempo ballad, but Sharpay and Ryan change it to a fast-tempo, Broadway-like number.
Troy and Gabriella secretly spy on the auditions, and only after Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed) declares the auditions are over does Gabriella muster up the courage to announce she would like to audition as well. Troy joins her, but Ms. Darbus does not give them a chance and seemingly leaves. Kelsi falls over, dropping all the music sheet, and as Troy goes to help her up he notices the sheet for the song. Troy and Gabriella sing the duet the way it was supposed to sound, and Ms. Darbus appears to announce they get a callback.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series
The song is featured in the first episode of the first season of the show, "Blocking", performed by Nini, who was cast to play Gabriella, and E.J., who stepped up as Troy's understudy. Right before a blocking rehearsal, the pair have an argument where Nini confronts E.J. about stealing her phone and he expresses his belief that she still has feelings for Ricky Bowen (Joshua Bassett). This results in a strained rendition of the song. Miss Jenn (Kate Reinders) disapproves of the cast not taking rehearsals seriously and implores for the students to resolve their personal issues.
Lyrics[]
Ryan:
It's hard to believe that I couldn't see
Both:
You were always there beside me
Thought I was alone, with no one to hold
But you were always right beside me
Sharpay:
This feeling's like no other
Both:
I want you to know
I've never had someone that knows me like you do
The way you do
I've never had someone as good for me as you
No one like you
So lonely before, I finally found
What I've been lookin' for
Sharpay:
So good to be seen, so good to be heard
Both:
Don't have to say a word
Ryan:
For so long I was lost, so good to be found
I'm lovin'
Both:
havin' you around
Ryan:
This feeling's like no other
Both:
I want you to know
I've never had someone that knows me like you do
The way you do
I've never had someone as good for me as you
No one like you
So lonely before, I finally found
What I've been lookin' for
Do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do
Woah-oh-oh-oh
Do-do-do-do
Do-do-do-do-do-do
Woah-oh-oh-oh
Troy:
It's hard to believe
That I couldn't see
You were always there beside me
Gabriella:
Thought I was alone
With no one to hold
Both:
But you were always right beside me
This feeling's like no other
I want you to know
That I've never had someone
That knows me like you do
The way you do
And I've never had someone
As good for me as you
No one like you
So lonely before
I finally found
What I've been looking for
Gabriella:
Ooh ooh...
E.J.:
It's hard to believe
That I couldn't see
You were always there beside me
Nini:
Thought I was alone
With no one to hold
But you were always there beside me
Both:
This feeling's like no other
I want you to know
I've never had someone
That knows me like you do
The way you do
I've never had someone
As good for me as you
No one like you
So lonely before
I finally found
What I've been looking for
Do-do-do
Nini:
Doot-do-do-do-doot-do
Oh-woah-oh-oh-ohoh
Doot-do-do-do
Doot-do-do-do-doot-do
Oh-woah-oh-oh-ohoh
Appearances[]
- High School Musical (2006)
- High School Musical: The Concert (2007)
- High School Musical: The Ice Tour (2007)
- High School Musical: Sing It! (2006) - Cover Version
- High School Musical: The Musical: The Series (2019)
Peak Chart Positions[]
| Title | Year | US | US Pop |
UK | Certifications | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "What I've Been Looking For" (Performed by Tisdale & Grabeel) |
2006 | 35 | 34 | 155 | RIAA: Gold | High School Musical |
| "What I've Been Looking For (Reprise)" (Performed by Seeley & Hudgens) |
2006 | 67 | 54 | - | - | High School Musical |
International Versions[]
| Title | Language | Singers |
|---|---|---|
| "Мы в темные дни грустили одни" (My v temnye dni grustiili odni) |
Russian | Sergey Lazarev & Kseniya Larina |
| "Eres Tú" | Spanish (Mexico) | Belanova |
| "O Que Eu Procurava" | Portuguese (Brazil) | Ludov |
| "O Que Eu Procurava" | Portuguese (Brazil) | Fellipe Guadanucci & Paula Barbosa (High School Musical: A Seleção) |
| "Is Dil Ne Kahi Jo Baatein Nayi" | Hindi | Neuman Pinto & Shweta Pandit |
| "Is Dil Ne Kahi Jo Baatein Nayi (Reprise)" | Hindi | Naresh Kamath & Sunidhi Chauhan |
Trivia[]
- In the series, despite the song being announced as the "Troy and Gabriella duet", the version Nini and E.J. sing sounds closer to Sharpay and Ryan's version.
- American actor, singer and dancer Alyson Stoner covered the song for the compilation album Disneymania 7.
- In 2017, Ashley Tisdale invited Lucas Grabeel to sing this song together on her YouTube channel, as part of her "Music Sessions" segment.
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