Into the Unknown: Frozen 2’s attempt at Let it Go shows a new, grown-up Elsa (but is just as catchy)
Parents of under-10s will be all too familiar with the strains of Let It Go, the fearsome earworm from Frozen that ricocheted around the world for months after the film’s release. When a sequel to Disney’s most successful animation of all time was announced, many wondered if the song could ever be topped – and while it remains to be seen if Frozen’s younger fans will take to Into The Unknown, its ability to oscillate around one’s brain suggests it’s certainly as catchy.
After releasing a snippet of the song in a teaser trailer for Frozen 2 in September, Disney let fans warm-up for the film by posting Idina Menzel’s full recording on their YouTube channel a week before the release. Both confirm that songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and her husband Robert Lopez, who blessed us with such numbers as For The First Time in Forever and Love is an Open Door in the first film, have been wise enough to only tweak the recipe for this sequel.
If this were Disney torch song-writing bingo, Into The Unknown would have a full house: lingering, near-whispered verses build into a tremendous – and tremendously infectious – chorus comprised simply of yes, just three words (all the easier for young fans to sing along with). An insertion of magic comes with a questioning, twinkly bridge before, with even more strings and a triumphant brass accompaniment, the chorus returns.
But Anderson-Lopez and Lopez would have known that a carbon Let It Go copy wouldn’t have cut it, and there are some intriguing stylistic flourishes on Into The Unknown. Namely, the almost-eerie, minor-chord vocal (which, viewers will discover, holds major plot significance) that leads us into the song only to, by its climax, harmonise with Menzel’s (or rather, Elsa’s) vocal gymnastics.
Like Let It Go, Into the Unknown shifts from a minor to a major key, as Elsa resolves her uncertainty and decides to go – you’ve guessed it – into the unknown. As her vocals grow in strength and power, so does the backing accompaniment: the number turns from a quiet piano tinkling into a full-blown orchestral affair in the space of three minutes.
But where Into the Unknown has the edge on Let it Go – and what those supporting the #GiveElsaAGirlfriend campaign will enjoy – is in the lyrics. Let it Go played on fairly familiar philosophies: that distance from a problem can make it seem smaller; that embracing what makes you different can lead to empowerment. Into the Unknown, by contrast, is more wary and nuanced. The sentiment may be the same – essentially, of being brave – but this Elsa, it’s clear to see, has grown up. “I've had my adventure, I don't need something new,” she sings, “I'm afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you”. These are sentiments that Frozen 2’s adult viewers will be able to recognise.
Elsa seems to have acknowledged her maturity, too. There’s a charming moment in Frozen 2 when, faced with a memory of her Let It Go-self, she cringes. Letting go of something was just the beginning, we are learning – it’s what happens next that counts.
