<P> The episode's musical style varies significantly . Buffy's opening number, "Going Through the Motions", was influenced heavily by the Disney song "Part of Your World" sung by Ariel in The Little Mermaid . Whedon wanted to use a similar opening in which the heroine explains her yearning . While singing her song, Buffy fights three vampires and a demon who themselves break into a choreographed dance; Whedon wanted this to be fun but not distracting . The song ends with chord influences from Stephen Schwartz's Pippin and a visual tribute to Disney: as Buffy stakes a vampire, it turns to dust that swirls around her face . </P> <P> Whedon chose the most complicated scene, with the most dancers and choreography in the classic style of musical theater, to accompany an 18 - second song ("The Mustard") "to get it out of the way" for more personal numbers later in the episode . Stephanie Zacharek of Salon.com considers this "brilliant because it frees even people who hate musicals to settle into the story without getting hung up on the genre's conventions". The musical styles span from a jaunty 1950s sitcom arrangement of the Buffy theme in the opening credits--the only episode in the series to begin without the normal version of the theme song and full cast roll, signifying a genre shift--to Anya's hard - rock version of "Bunnies". Whedon assigned Emma Caulfield the rock - opera format because Caulfield often sang in such a way to him on the set . Spike's "Rest in Peace" is also a rock song, which Whedon wrote after completing the episode's first song, Tara's "Under Your Spell", a contemporary pop song with radio - play potential . Xander and Anya's duet--the most fun to shoot but difficult to write, according to Whedon--is inspired by Fred Astaire - Ginger Rogers comedies as evidenced by the silken pajama costumes and art deco apartment setting . Musically, the song uses influences from Ira Gershwin, a Charleston rhythm, and jazz - like chord slides . Giles' "Standing" is a ballad to Buffy that she does not hear, unlike the songs revealing truths elsewhere in the episode . Whedon shot the scene so that Giles moves in real time while Buffy works out in slow motion, to accentuate Giles' distance from her . Buffy's not hearing his song was intentional; Whedon explained, "You can sing to someone in musicals and they can never know how you feel or how much you love them, even if they're standing right in front of you". </P> <P> "Under Your Spell" received attention from Buffy studies writers because it presents a frank and unflinching expression of lesbian romance . Buffy the Vampire Slayer was the first show in U.S. television history to portray a long - term lesbian relationship among the core cast of characters . Previous televised depictions of lesbian relations were primarily limited to single "coming out" or "lesbian kiss" episodes, showing lesbian - identified characters as affectionate but not erotic . Tara and Willow demonstrate throughout the series, and specifically in "Once More, with Feeling", that they are "intensely sexual", according to Buffy essayist Justine Larbalestier . Near the end of Tara's song, she sings, "Lost in ecstasy / Spread beneath my Willow tree / You make me / Com--plete", as Tara levitates off the bed while Willow tacitly performs cunnilingus on her . Lorna Jowett called the song "the most erotic scene" of the series . Whedon admitted on the DVD commentary for the episode that the song is "pornography" and "probably the dirtiest lyric I've ever written, but also very, very beautiful". </P> <P> Buffy essayist Ian Shuttleworth writes that Amber Benson (Tara) has "the sweetest singing voice of all the lead players", referring to "Under Your Spell" as "heavenly and salacious"; author Nikki Stafford concurs, writing that Benson "has the most stunning voice, showing a surprising range". Whedon acknowledged that the "lyrical, heavenly quality" of Benson's voice led him to assign her the episode's love song . Alyson Hannigan (Willow) was unwilling to sing much and her performance is "apprehensive", according to Shuttleworth . He considers this an example of Tara's quieter strength coming out in front of Willow's showy demonstrations of powerful magic . Buffy studies scholar Rhonda Wilcox interprets Willow's diminished role representing the show's silence about Willow's descent into addiction and darkness through the rest of the season . Benson remarked that Tara's story arc is significant within the episode, starting out with ecstasy but soon recognizing the illusory circumstances surrounding her bliss and that "life can't be perfect all the time". </P>

Buffy season 6 episode 7 once more with feeling