If we’re looking at the box office results for Moana 2, the relatively late entry into the lineup of 2024 movies is making quite the mark in its early release window. However, there are some who don’t think Moana 2’s songs make the grade when compared to Lin-Manuel Miranda’s offerings from the 2016 original. Without missing a beat, though, the songwriting team known as Barlow and Bear took this criticism with stride, while delivering a hell of a rebuttal that doesn’t mince words.
How Moana 2’s Songwriters Have Defended Their Song Contributions
During an interview with Variety, songwriter Abigail Barlow addressed this matter head-on with a pretty simple rebuttal. Right at the top of the source, she pushed the concerns about the music aside with this statement:
Give it a month, all the kids will be singing it, and you’ll be tired of it.
It didn’t take long for this issue to present itself, as Moana 2’s critical reaction was one of the first spots where we learned of the mixed reception to Barlow and Bear’s songs. Abigail Barlow, as well as songwriting partner Emily Bear, certainly didn’t head into the release of Moana’s theatrically retrofitted Disney+ series without such thoughts on their minds.
In their interview with our own Sarah El-Mahmoud, the pair shared a story about Dwayne Johnson’s reaction to “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” went from uncertainty to a resounding round of approval. Meanwhile, if one were to look at some of the fan reactions on the internet, the mixed wave of criticism presents itself once again.
What People Have Been Saying About Moana 2’s Songs
We here at CinemaBlend aren’t immune to this particular line of criticism pertaining to Disney’s latest blockbuster. Our own Corey Chichizola actually wrote about how Lin Manuel-Miranda’s influence was missing in his review of Moana 2, and he makes a compelling argument.
However, if you look around on social media, there’s actually a mixed response to these tunes that’s worth taking in. Shown below are excerpts of such comments that highlighted the musical matter at hand:
- “The music was solid, but going from Lin Manuel Miranda songs in the original to non LMM songs in the sequel was very noticeable.” - @ATXsantucci
- “... I liked the songs a lot (especially Beyond!)” - @starsofthestory
- “Looking up who made the Moana 2 songs no one likes and saw exactly what I expected” - @Hey_Brian
- “The musical numbers aren’t as good and the journey isn’t as compelling but they singin the fuck outta them songs & sailing the fuck outta that boat; not mad MOANA 2 gives the kids what they want.” - @VyceVictus
- “I don’t get why people are saying the Moana 2 songs are awful? They’re not, they’re just not as good as the Moana 1 songs” - @DiamondSpiderP
If there’s anything people should take away from this discussion of Moana’s musical present, it’s probably that final comment. Not all composers write alike, and moving from Lin-Manuel Miranda to Bear and Barlow should never have been seen as some sort of exercise in artistic continuity.
With a new team comes a new set of skills, and as Abigail Barlow herself hinted, it’s going to be the kids in the audience who really define the legacy of Moana 2’s soundtrack. And in turn, the parents of the world will share that message with the rest of us as time marches on.
Moana 2 is currently sailing into what lies beyond in theaters, and if you have a chance you should take a look at our review of how Moana’s sequel fares in 3D/4DX. And if you want to return to the adventure that introduced us to the Disney heroine’s colorful world, your Disney+ subscription is the boat you should board to take such a journey.