Oscar- and Grammy-winning duo Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez returned to write seven original songs for the Scandinavian-set sequel. You can praise (or blame) them for the tunes being stuck in your head or sung repeatedly by the little kids in your life.
Here’s how the original songs stack up based on their emotional impact and universal themes, which give each track a practical life outside the world of “Frozen.”
Caution: Many “Frozen 2" spoilers ahead.
1. “The Next Right Thing”
OK, before you send the Northuldra and Earth giants after me, hear me out.
Princess Anna’s heartbreaking ballad about pulling yourself out of grief and depression has the most real-world applications. It’s a brief song about mental health in disguise. Kristen Bell’s vocals leap during this tear-jerker, which calls on the heroine to be her own hero in the simplest way: “You are lost, hope is gone, but you must go on and do the next right thing,” she sings.
“That’s actually a mantra that I have in my life when I’m anxiety-ridden or depressed — that’s the only thing you can do — the next right thing,” Bell said in the film’s press materials. “It’s baby steps for anyone who has experienced a hardship or is flat on the floor and feels they can’t pick themselves up.”
The song is arguably more poignant because of whom it’s coming from, a startling reminder that anyone can be overcome with sadness despite the personality they show to the outside world. Here’s the film’s spunky key optimist, completely deflated by the loss of everyone she holds dear, picking herself up to save the day. At one point, the girl who is afraid of being abandoned (in not one, but two films) says “Hello, darkness, I’m ready to succumb.” But she doesn’t.
It’s nice to see the heroine of both films not only carry on, but completely shine on her own. Queen Anna, indeed.
SOURCE : L.ATIMES
