Passing the Musical Torch
When Disney announced that Moana 2 was in the works, one of the biggest questions was about the music. Lin-Manuel Miranda, whose work on the first film was a major factor in its success, was not returning. Instead, Disney made a bold choice, handing the reins
to Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear. The duo became the youngest and first all-female songwriting team to write for a Walt Disney Animation Studios feature. Known for their viral sensation The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, which started on TikTok and won them a Grammy, Barlow and Bear represented a new generation of musical talent. Their assignment was one of the toughest in modern pop culture: write a follow-up to a soundtrack that had already become legendary.
The Anatomy of a Disney Anthem
What makes a Disney song a true singalong classic? It’s a specific kind of magic. Think of “Let It Go” from Frozen or “How Far I’ll Go.” These aren’t just songs; they are emotional declarations. They are what’s known as “I Want” songs, where the protagonist belts out their deepest desires and frustrations. They typically feature a soaring, instantly memorable chorus, a relatable theme of yearning for something more, and a melody that practically begs you to sing along. The lyrics are specific enough to the character's journey but universal enough for listeners to project their own dreams onto them. This was the formula that Miranda, alongside Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, perfected in the first Moana. For the sequel to have its own theater-shaking moment, Barlow and Bear had to deliver a song that fit this powerful mold.
Enter 'Beyond,' the Heir Apparent
The song positioned as the spiritual successor to “How Far I’ll Go” was “Beyond.” Performed once again by the incredible Auliʻi Cravalho, it serves as Moana’s new anthem. The song finds a slightly older, more experienced Moana once again feeling the pull of the horizon after receiving a call from her ancestors. The lyrics reflect her new journey, grappling with leaving her home and people behind for an even greater, more dangerous quest. Musically, it contains all the necessary ingredients: a stirring melody, a powerful vocal performance, and themes of destiny and adventure. It was designed to be the sequel’s emotional core and its main contribution to the canon of Disney princess power ballads, the song that kids and adults alike would be singing on the car ride home.
The Singalong Verdict
So, did “Beyond” and other new songs like the opening number “We’re Back” recapture the lightning in a bottle? The answer is complicated. While the film was a box office success, the soundtrack received a more mixed reception from critics. Some found the new songs to be less memorable than their predecessors, even calling them imitation-Lin-Manuel Miranda tracks. However, the music still found its audience, and Disney quickly released a sing-along version of the film for Disney+, indicating the songs were certainly intended to be embraced in that way. While “Beyond” may not have achieved the ubiquitous, culture-saturating status of “How Far I’ll Go,” it served its story well and gave fans a new anthem to connect with. It proved that while topping a modern classic is a near-impossible task, there's always room for new voices to expand the world.
