Zac Efron is once again the talk of the internet, this time for his early singing days.
A newly surfaced clip on social media claims to reveal Efron’s original demo vocals for High School Musical’s Get’cha Head in the Game, and fans can’t stop reacting.
The short video, posted Tuesday, features the actor performing the song during the movie’s famous basketball scene.
The post reads, “20 years after the release we can finally hear his voice. With the date from June 2005 the song has some different adlibs and the instrumental was still under production.”
While Efron played basketball star Troy Bolton in the 2006 Disney Channel hit, the vocals used in the film were actually recorded by actor and singer Drew Seeley.
The demo appears to show what Efron’s voice sounded like before that switch, and the reactions online have been mixed.
“Okay this isn’t the worst but it shows how much he really improved in the later films,” one fan commented, adding that Efron “lowkey owes Drew Seeley for this starting point in his career.”
Others were more direct, with one writing, “This sounds a mess,” and another exclaiming, “Thank god for Drew Seeley cause omfg my ears!!!!!! They bleeding!!!!”
Some even pointed out that the leaked clip makes it clear why Seeley’s vocals were chosen. “No way, that’s why they gave the job to Drew Seeley,” one fan wrote.
Efron went on to record his own songs for High School Musical 2 (2007) and High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008), as well as in the hit musical film Hairspray.
Drew Seeley, who originally auditioned for the role of Troy, later told E! News that there were no hard feelings, explaining that Efron was “better suited” for the part because of his chemistry with Vanessa Hudgens.
Director Kenny Ortega also shed light on the decision, revealing to Entertainment Tonight that “the songs were written before Zac got the role.”
Ortega said that while Efron “had a lovely voice,” it didn’t fit what the songs required at the time.
“So he sang everything, and then we dubbed parts of it so that it had greater vocal strength,” Ortega explained. “But the second movie and the third movie, everything was written for him. And that’s important for people to know, that Zac Efron did sing.”
Now, nearly two decades later, fans are hearing that early version for the first time, and whether they love it or not, it’s a fascinating glimpse into how far Efron’s voice, and career, have come since High School Musical first aired.