We then almost jarringly get "Some Things Never Change," and I say jarringly because it's so different from "All Is Found" in just about every way. It's light, fun, and upbeat, featuring piano and what sounds like banjo, and it's an ensemble song that sounds a lot like a Broadway number, whereas "All Is Found" sounds like a lullaby. In the movie, the song starts because Olaf (voiced by Jonathan Groff) expresses concern to Anna (voiced by Kristen Bell) that too many things are changing around him, so the song is about how seasons may change and time may pass but how their family's feelings for each other won't change. It's one of the catchiest songs on the soundtrack without a doubt, and something that I didn't notice until after seeing the movie twice is that there is a very poignant piece of foreshadowing in the lyrics when Anna sings, "Like an old stone wall that'll never fall, some things are always true." (Those who have seen the movie should know exactly what I mean.) There is also a small part of the melody that reminds me of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" from the first Frozen movie. There is a part in the song's chorus, such as when Anna sings that "some things are always true," that reminds me a lot of a part of "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" such as when young Anna sings that "I wish you would tell me why." The third song on the soundtrack and in the movie is "Into the Unknown." In some ways (perhaps because it seems to be the song that got the most promotion), I think of this as the "Let It Go" of Frozen II, even though there are really two Elsa solos in Frozen II (the second of which I will discuss in a bit). I love the verses of "Into the Unknown" because Elsa (voiced, of course, by the ridiculously talented ̶A̶d̶e̶l̶e̶ ̶D̶a̶z̶e̶e̶m̶ Idina Menzel) is sort of half talking and half singing, and you're really being let inside of her innermost thoughts through the lyrics (which is something that the Lopezes seem to know how to do very well since the first Frozen movie did the same thing especially with "For the First Time in Forever"). The song is accompanied by piano, strings, and the haunting siren call heard throughout the movie (which is sung by Norwegian singer AURORA). This is another earworm. If this chorus doesn't get stuck in your head, then there is something very wrong with you.
"When Am I Older" is Olaf's solo song, and it is sort of the "In Summer" of Frozen II in a lot of ways. It has a similar musical style, sounding a lot like an old Broadway show-tune from the 1950s, and it is also similarly ironic as it showcases Olaf's youthful naivety. In "In Summer," Olaf sings of all of the activities - such as sunbathing - in which he can't wait to partake in the summertime, unaware that, as a snowman, doing such things will lead to him melting. In "When I Am Older," he sings of looking forward to getting older and maturing so that everything will make sense and be simpler, once again unaware that that isn't really how it works. Getting older means gaining wisdom, yes, but it also means trading innocence for that wisdom, so things don't get simpler; they usually become more complicated. Frozen II then gives us a very short reprise (only twenty-six seconds in length) of "Reindeer(s) Are Better than People" from the first Frozen movie, but I honestly think of it as an introduction to "Lost in the Woods," which is without a doubt one of my favorite songs from the movie. Something that I have always appreciated about Frozen (and I think that it's showcased even more in Frozen II) is the Lopezes' ability to mesh so many different styles of music together into one movie and make that work. "All Is Found" sounds like a lullaby; "Some Things Never Change" sounds like a Broadway ensemble in the style of Rent; "When I Am Older" sounds like a show-tune from the '50s. "Lost in the Woods" sounds like an '80s rock ballad (complete with wailing electric guitars), reminding me a great deal of Chicago's hit song "You're the Inspiration." In the movie, Kristoff (voiced by Jonathan Groff) sings it alone in the woods after Anna leaves him so that she can go after Elsa. Feeling forlorn because of failed attempts to propose to Anna, he wonders if she is drifting away from him, and the lyrics and the melody honestly choke me up because of how authentic and raw that the emotion is. I read that Josh Gad regards it as the funniest song that has ever been in a Disney movie, but I don't see it as funny at all. Is it a bit melodramatic? Is Kristoff perhaps overreacting? Perhaps, but that doesn't mean that his emotions aren't real, and it's also refreshing to see a guy pining after a girl in a Disney movie because it's quite often the other way around.
"Show Yourself" is the second aforementioned solo belted out by Elsa, and this one definitely grew on me. I wasn't crazy for it at first because there is a slow buildup (although that slow buildup is accompanied by a beautiful piano melody), but it's 100% worth it once that buildup reaches its climax, bringing Evan Rachel Wood back into the fold with a reprise of "All Is Found," and "Show Yourself" is now possibly my favorite Frozen II song. I don't want to say too much, if anything, about what is happening in the movie as Elsa sings this song or what specific lyrics honestly bring me to tears because I don't want to spoil the movie for those who haven't yet seen it, but what I will say is that we hear this song during a very emotional and impactful moment for Elsa; I would even go as far as to say that this is the climax of the movie. I wish that I could say more, but I don't think that it's fair for a review of the movie's soundtrack to spoil major plot points of the movie, which is also why I unfortunately can't say much about the next and final song, "The Next Right Thing" (sung by Anna). This song is sung during a very poignant (and heartbreaking) scene, a scene that shows us just how strong Anna really is. This is another one in which we are essentially hearing the character's deepest thoughts, and like "Show Yourself," there is a slow buildup. The chorus is, however, very beautiful, and I am reminded a great deal of the first half of the song "Caves" by Jack's Mannequin. (That's kind of random, I know, but that's what I am reminded of.) The next three songs on the standard version of the soundtrack are popular artists covering songs from the movie. Panic! at the Disco takes on "Into the Unknown" in a much peppier and upbeat style, and I definitely prefer Menzel's version, no questions asked. I don't hate Panic!'s version by any means, but it is just a little too... much compared to the movie version. Secondly, Kacey Musgraves covers "All Is Found," giving it more of an indie folk touch. Finally, Weezer handles "Lost in the Woods" without changing it too much, and it's hard for me to choose which version that I prefer because Rivers Cuomo does such a great job of making the song his own while also channeling Jonathan Groff, and both versions retain the same emotion.
The deluxe version of the soundtrack features outtakes, instrumentals, and the score. The outtake begins with a version of Evan Rachel Wood singing "All Is Found" with her vocals re-recorded and the instrumentation changed a bit, giving the song a rawer and more stripped back sound. "Home" is a song that Anna was supposed to sing near the beginning of the movie. It's a beautiful song accompanied by whistling, violin, and what sounds like banjo. I wish that it hadn't been cut, but at least the song was released. "I Seek the Truth" is a duet between Elsa (voiced here by Kristen Anderson-Lopez) and Anna (voiced here by Patti Murin, who is reprising her role from the Frozen Broadway musical). The song is accompanied entirely by piano, but I get the feeling that it would have been grander in sound had it made it past this early stage. (The fact that it isn't Menzel and Bell singing the parts tells me that it's a very early demo.) The song is about Elsa wanting to find the truth about the origin of her powers, while Anna fears Elsa shutting her out again. "Unmeltable Me" is an Olaf song sung by Josh Gad, accompanied by what sounds like harpsichord. I can see why it was cut because it's Olaf singing about how he no longer has to worry about melting, so it would have done nothing to further the story, but it does sort of answer a question that I had when Olaf sings that "perhaps, you may recall I once needed my own flurry." At the very end of the first Frozen movie, Elsa creates a small flurry over Olaf's head so that he wouldn't melt even in warm weather, and to the best of my memory (although I could be wrong as it has been a while since I have watched them), neither Frozen Fever nor Olaf's Frozen Adventure explain why he no longer seems to need it. Anna, near the beginning of Frozen II, asks Olaf if he is enjoying his new permafrost, but again, I don't recall his ever having been given it. I guess that it somehow happened off-screen. "Get This Right" is a fun and playful duet between Groff and Bell (Kristoff and Anna), and I am honestly glad that it was swapped with "Lost in the Woods" because "Lost in the Woods" conveys similar emotions in a much more impactful way. The Frozen II soundtrack is just so wonderful, and I love how so much of it is driven by piano and, as I said, conveys the emotions of the movie so brilliantly. Bravo to the Lopezes once again!
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