Moana 2 made $1 billion but lost Lin-Manuel Miranda. Here’s why the sequel’s music couldn’t match the original’s magic.
Moana sequel music is the first thing you notice when the opening credits roll—because something is missing. That “something” is Lin-Manuel Miranda, the Pulitzer Prize-winning songwriter who gave the 2016 original “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome,” two of the most earworm-y Disney songs since The Little Mermaid. For the 2024 sequel, Disney handed songwriting duties to Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the duo behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, and while they tried their best, the results feel like a cover band playing your favorite album.
The numbers tell a complicated story. Moana 2 made over $1 billion worldwide, becoming Disney’s third 2024 release to cross that threshold alongside Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine. It shattered the Thanksgiving five-day opening record with $225.2 million, demolishing Frozen II’s previous $125 million benchmark. Audiences clearly showed up. But the critical reception was mixed, and the music was the primary complaint.
Why Moana Sequel Music Fell Short of the Original
Moana sequel music suffers from the comparison it can’t escape. Miranda’s songs for the first film had a specific Polynesian-influenced sound that felt authentic and fresh. “How Far I’ll Go” became an anthem for an entire generation of kids who saw themselves in Moana’s determination. “You’re Welcome” gave Dwayne Johnson a legitimate showstopper that he still performs at press junkets. The sequel’s songs, while competent, lack that cultural specificity and emotional punch. They’re generic Disney ballads in a franchise that previously transcended the formula.
The production history explains part of the problem. Moana 2 was originally developed as a Disney+ television series before being retooled into a feature film. This shift likely compressed the songwriting timeline and forced Barlow and Bear to work within existing narrative constraints rather than building songs from the ground up. Miranda, who was deeply involved in the first film’s development from the earliest stages, had the luxury of time and creative freedom that his successors didn’t.
Auli’i Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson return as Moana and Maui, and their vocal performances remain strong. But even they can’t elevate material that feels rushed. The sequel’s plot—Moana receives a call from her wayfinding ancestors and journeys to dangerous waters with a crew of unlikely seafarers—gives plenty of opportunities for musical moments that never quite land. Where the first film had “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors),” a powerful duet between Cravalho and Rachel House that brought grown adults to tears, the sequel has… songs that are fine. Just fine.
The box office success proves that Disney’s brand power can overcome creative shortcomings. Moana 2 became the highest-grossing Walt Disney Animation Studios release ever in France, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, and across Latin America. Kids don’t care about songwriter pedigree—they care about characters they love going on new adventures. But for adults who still get chills from the first film’s soundtrack, the sequel’s music is a reminder that talent isn’t interchangeable.
Disney is already developing a live-action Moana remake for 2026, and Miranda is reportedly involved in that project. Maybe the live-action version will recapture the musical magic that the animated sequel couldn’t. Until then, we’ll always have the original’s soundtrack, which remains one of Disney’s best.
Stream Moana sequel music and compare it to the original’s soundtrack on Disney+. Decide for yourself if the magic is still there.
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