Frozen: How Show Yourself Overtakes Let It Go
Ever since 2013, "Let It Go" has been inextricably linked from Frozen. Every commercial for merchandise had the song playing in the background, I listened to numerous performances of the song from my 5 year old neighbor (using one of these bad boys), and it quickly became Disney's most streamed song, outpacing #2 (Moana's How Far I'll Go) by almost 100 million streams as of March 2019. The hype is justified: it is a powerful song about self-acceptance and freeing yourself from societal bounds. Social groups of all kinds have found an anthem in the song, and Idina Menzel's performance is very hard to hate. However, I believe Frozen II managed to outshine "Let It Go" with "Show Yourself" through giving Elsa a stronger, more meaningful step forward in who she wants to be.
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| The power of Elsa's flagship performances has been debated since the release of Frozen II, but which is truly the better song? |
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| "Let It Go" is clearly an outlier among Disney songs, streaming more than anything before (Quartz) |
"Let It Go" gave us Elsa's first step into becoming who she is meant to be. She escapes the world around her and the bounds she felt trapped in, shown as she finally takes her second glove off, lets her braid down, and sings, "And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all, it's time to see what I can do, to test the limits and break through. . ." (Frozen). "Let It Go" gave us Elsa finally accepting her identity. Although, that is only the first step in an important road for so many marginalized groups that find comfort in her story.
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| Elsa taking her second glove off was one of her first steps to self-pride, as "Let It Go" is to her journey of self-discovery |
"Show Yourself" takes Elsa's growth to another level, showing her newfound confidence and self-love, to the point where she is enthusiastic about sharing it. In the lyrics, "I have always been a fortress, cold secrets deep inside, you have secrets too, but you don't have to hide," (Buck) it is clear that Elsa recognizes her journey of self-empowerment and how important it is. It is nice to see Elsa so full of confidence as she is debatably the most powerful, independent female character we've gotten from Disney. In a direct sense, we see Elsa realizing her full potential with her hair down, a step past the braid we saw released in "Let It Go". "Show Yourself" shows a more satisfied and complete Elsa, while in "Let It Go" we were only getting that initial glimpse of Elsa's joy and pride. "Show Yourself" gives us Elsa taking advantage of all the storyline that was set up in the first film.
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| "Show Yourself" presents a happier, more fulfilled Elsa, having embraced her identity |
Escaping the "comfort" zone (though I suppose a comfort zone of being unwillingly restricted your life isn't too comforting) is a powerful step, but only if that progress is taken advantage of with full realization of one's potential. And that is what "Show Yourself" gives us, the extension to Elsa's journey that "Let It Go" (and the first movie as a whole) largely missed. Elsa's journey is such an incredible reflection for so many viewers, young and old, and "Show Yourself" picks up exactly where it is needed. With the two songs side by side, "Let It Go" just opens up the floor for the monumental piece that is Show Yourself. I don't think "Let It Go" will ever be replaced as the iconic Frozen (and Disney in general) anthem, though from a plot and viewer standpoint, I think "Show Yourself" has a bit more value.
Buck, Chris, and Jennifer Lee. Frozen. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2013.
Buck, Chris, and Jennifer Lee. Frozen II. Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, 2019.
I agree with you! I think that "Show Yourself" takes Elsa's self acceptance even further than "Let It Go" does as even after "Let It Go" Elsa is strongly controlled by fear, both of hurting others and of her powers in general. However in "Show Yourself" she is quite literally stepping into her power. Why do you think that even if "Show Yourself" is the better song, it doesn't even come close to the popularity of "Let It Go?"
ReplyDeleteThat's an excellent point - I think Let It Go is so iconic with the Frozen brand since it was part of the first film that it could not really be overshadowed. It also became part of the new age Disney brand, overcoming any other songs of the modern Disney era. I think it would be hard for any song to match Let It Go, despite being better in meaning to the story. The other component is just how powerful of a song Let It Go is. While I do argue that the meaning of Show Yourself carries more value, the passion in Let It Go is unmatched - it's just the song you want to scream while driving in your car at 100 mph! I just don't feel the same about Show Yourself. Maybe we will get some power ballads in Disney's future.
DeleteThis is a really insightful post, Jack -- and one which really effectively draws on outside sources to support your point! I found that chart of streaming info really cool & visually fascinating. Like, we all *know* that "Let It Go" was a breakout hit, but when you see the data like that...and especially compared to other iconic Disney hits...really cool.
ReplyDeleteWhat are your personal thoughts on the soundtrack? Are these your favorite songs? From the film? In the Disney musical catalog? If not, which song(s) top the chart for you?
I was also surprised by the chart - Let It Go truly soars beyond anything else Disney has produced. While I think Show Yourself carries more weight in terms of the storyline, I prefer Let It Go as a song. It's just so iconic and powerful that it's fun to listen too! Similarly, I prefer Into the Unknown over Show Yourself - the power and tone of it the song especially. I think the breakdown of the song that we watched in class from the composers (with the wavering voice while singing "unknown") really showed off that piece. Despite those rankings, I think these Frozen and Frozen II songs are at the top of Disney's modern music. The only ones I'd put up with them are "How Far I'll Go" from Moana (in a similar vein to the Frozen songs) and "Remember Me" from Coco (which I appreciate in a different way, less about the raw strength of the music and more about the beautify and meaning of it).
DeleteJack,
ReplyDeleteI agree that "Let it Go" and "Show Yourself" effectively work in tandem. That "Let it Go" was the first step in Elsa's coming-of-age, and "Show Yourself" is the continuation of that story. Arguably, I think that "Let it Go" by itself is a little dangerous, as it suggests that isolation is the response to one's problem. This message is obviously superseded by the powerful message that being true to one's self is more important, but I think it is still noteworthy. In the original Frozen, Elsa does return, but she still hasn't quite founder herself all the way. As you mentioned, "Show Yourself" finishes the other half, suggesting that one's problems aren't just fixed by isolation alone. I would add that this message is solidified by Elsa returning to the North kingdom, away from her family. She's only able to do this because she's come to a better understanding of herself.