The Music of Frozen

Another Frozen post. I may or may not be currently in love with this movie -- specifically its music. I may or may not have downloaded the soundtrack in the car on the way home. I may or may not have "Let It Go" on repeat.

But tonight we were discussing whether Kristen Bell actually did her own singing. I was adamant that she did: I had vague memories of seeing her perform a musical number at an awards show -- she sang "Fame" at the Emmys (Low Quality Version HERE) -- and it would be weird for them to cast three singers and bring in someone else to do Anna's music. (Like how they brought in Donny Osmond to do Captain Shang's singing in Mulan. Wha?)

So I took to the Interwebz to look it up and decided to rank my top 5 favorite songs from the film. Because...why not?

1. "Let It Go" -- perf. by Idina Menzel

I saw this article on Buzzfeed -- "Watch the Best Part of Frozen Right Now" -- a day or two before I saw the film. I didn't watch the video -- I wanted to remain "unspoiled" -- but I saw all I needed to see to agree with the declaration. They called Idina Menzel's song "chills-inducing" and "an instant classic." Well, duh. Because, Idina Menzel. (I still believe she was waaay underutilized.)

But then I saw the movie, and it blew my mind. I read an article in which the songwriters describe how the song was written to reflect Idina's amazing vocal ability: "the low, vulnerable, fragile side of her low end, and then the power that’s inherent in her belt range." The comparisons to Wicked, I think, are also inevitable. The character of Elphaba is remarkably similar to that of Elsa -- with the noticeable difference that Disney never let Elsa reach true villainess status. But "Let It Go," in both tone and meaning, resembles "Defying Gravity." And I mean that as a compliment.

2. "Frozen Heart" -- perf. by Cast

Perhaps an odd one to rank second, but here's why. One reviewer of the movie wrote that, "As tuneful as it is charming, "Frozen" is the best Disney animated creation since the studio was reborn via the musical vibes of "The Little Mermaid."" It's the reference to The Little Mermaid that really struck me. (Even though, according to director Jennifer Lee, the song is a tribute to Dumbo's "Roustabouts" song.) The first thing I thought when the movie began was, "Oh, wow. This song really reminds me of "Fathoms Below" from TLM!"

Both have that kind of sweeping, epic feel. Both foreshadow the events to come. Both introduce us to the male romantic lead and his lovable animal companion -- Eric and Max or Kristoff and Sven (albeit in cute wee bairn form).

It's also interesting that, in true Disney fashion, we get happy, happy laborers happily doing their job. I imagine that "ice worker" is probably up there with "diamond miner" on the list of crappy jobs, yet both the dwarves and the ice workers seem to sing merrily while they plod away. (But then the ice workers go away, so the implications of labor discussions are rendered kind of moot.)

3. "For The First Time In Forever" -- perf. by Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell

I read online that the songwriters looked to the Disney Renaissance films of the 1990s for musical inspiration -- particularly The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin. And, as I was thinking about it today, this song in particular reminds me of Aladdin. A big part of Aladdin was the dual perspectives -- that of Aladdin and that of Jasmine -- and how they viewed different situations similarly. We get the flip-side here: two characters viewing the same situation from vastly different perspectives. (It's also very Popular, in a way -- although the give-and-take is very Broadway in general.)

4. "Fixer Upper" -- perf. by The Trolls

The Trolls were an interesting addition to the film. Much like the ice workers, they're kind of there when they need to be and then forgotten or disregarded. I know the film ran long as it is, but I would've liked to see more the trolls -- or, at least, more continuity with the storyline. Only The King and Kristoff really know about them, and Elsa I suppose, and they seemed rather random. I'm not asking for a full explanation of their mythology -- I get that they're magical and just "there" -- but rather more integration into the story. They are Kristoff's family after all. And, in a song that didn't make it into the film but which is on the Deluxe Soundtrack, there's reference to the "troll's prophecy" so it must have been intended at one point.

That being said, their song was jazzy and upbeat and fun. And, of course, foreshadows the importance of true love being more than just romantic.

5. "Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People" -- perf. by Jonathan Groff

I love this song for all the reasons I already discussed about Sven and Kristoff. Plus, it's Jonathan Groff (another talent waaay underutilized). 

Runner Up: "In Summer" perf. by Josh Gad. Olaf was a hilarious sidekick and this song is just delightful. But I'm a crazy pet parent (at times...) so "Reindeer(s)" wins out.