Moana 2 is a welcome sequel to Disney’s 2016 blockbuster and expands the world of Motunui both literally and musically. Although Lin-Manuel Miranda did not return to write songs, songwriters Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina joined dynamic songwriting duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear to write the sequel’s future hits. Barlow and Bear first came to prominence thanks to their unofficial work Bridgerton musical, which went viral on Tiktok before winning them a Grammy, but Moana 2 presents a whole new set of exciting challenges.
Moana 2 introduces several new characters, many of which are introduced in the opening number “We’re Back,” which serves as a great way to update viewers on the years between the films. Just as Moana is called by her ancestors to set out in search of the hidden island of Montufetu, Auli’i Cravalho showcases her vocal talent and Moana’s growth in “Beyond.” There are several other numbers that stand out, and the overarching theme that ties them together is the importance of connection and community – a fitting message as the heroine seeks to reconnect her people to their ancestral neighbors.
TelaRant interviewed Barlow & Bear about the lessons they learned while working Moana 2. The pair discussed the significance of “We’re Back” as the opening song, how Dwayne Johnson brought “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” and why Disney’s collaborative creative process surprised them.
Moana 2 brings new characters and musical moments to the Disney canon
“Everything is so perfect in your mind, and we’re about to take you on a slightly scary journey.”
Screen Rant: What inspired the opening song “We’re Back” that you performed in your first meeting with the filmmakers?
Emily Bear: I’ll just add that it’s scary playing the first song for the whole team, but I think we really wanted to establish that we were back in the world of Motunui and Moana that we know and love. To show how the island grew and prospered and introduced some new characters.
Abigail Barlow: Like she said, it brings you back to the world. We are introduced to some new characters that we will get to know very well, and this prepares us for the fact that Moana has fallen in love with the life of her dreams. She has everything she ever wanted. She has the land and the sea, and soon after you discover that she has a younger sister. Everything is so perfect in her mind, and we’re about to take her on a slightly scary journey.
Screen Rant: Who is your new favorite character in Moana 2?
Emily Bear: It would have to be Moni or Kele. Moni’s obsession with Maui is one of my favorite things about the film. It’s so hilarious.
Abigail Barlow: I love Matangi. I love a villain, you know what I mean?
Screen Rant: I love that you incorporated traditional Polynesian musical elements into the film. Can you talk about how that came about in songwriting?
Emily Bear: We had our guiding stars, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, who were vital in crafting the sound of the first film. Instrumentation was obviously very important. Everything Opetaia and Te Vaka added just brought our music to life.
But also, from day one, I asked the Disney music team [for music]. They have a huge library of drums, skins, records and vocal samples from the first film just sitting there. And I was like, ‘Hey, can I have some of this?’ They sent us a huge Dropbox folder full of stuff that we used as inspiration to start writing songs.
Abigail Barlow: We also got a big Moana Bible on our first day of work and had a lot of conversations with the Oceania Cultural Trust. We also spoke to real-life trailblazers, and they inspired entire songs with some of the things they said.
“It made me fall in love with the collaboration process.”
Screen Rant: Moana goes on this journey in the sequel and learns a lot about herself in the sequel. Can you talk about what you learned about yourself during the process of creating the song in Moana 2?
Abigail Barlow: I never thought I would be able to do anything other than a catchy pop song. Working on this project taught me how to be a good collaborator. He taught me how to tell stories through music and made me grow as a composer. It also taught me how to collaborate with a huge village of people trying to make the impossible possible.
Emily Bear: Yes, I think working on a project like this is very rewarding. It made me fall in love with the process of collaboration – not just with one person, but with many people, because you feel like you are part of something much bigger than yourself.
I feel like this is a huge cultural anchor of the Pacific. it is never a “me” mentality; It’s always an “us” mentality, and I really felt that in this film. For the first time we became a family. It’s really wonderful.
Screen Rant: Speaking of which, can you elaborate on the creative process of how you developed some of these songs working with Disney and each other?
Abigail Barlow: Yes, yes. We would spend a few days a week at the animation offices, and they would walk us through the script and tell us where to go. [they felt] the songs were. And then we would leave.
Our songwriting process is like a game of table tennis. One of us will come to the table, or we’ll both come to the table with ideas, and then it’ll be like ping-pong, ping-pong back and forth. You go through a million different rounds of notes, and the story goes through a million different lives before it becomes the movie you see on the screen.
Emily Bear: Sometimes we can talk about the idea for a song and where it should be, and in practice it sounds really good. But when we start writing, we realize that this isn’t what it needs to be and that it doesn’t actually work when you put pen to paper. So it’s an ongoing conversation and it never stops to this day!
Barlow and Bear only praise Moana 2 stars Auli’I Cravalho and Dwayne Johnson
“We are obsessed with her; She’s a star and she’s SINGING.”
Screen Rant: You guys beautifully captured Moana’s journey through music in the sequel. Can you talk about working with Auli’i as a collaborator?
Abigail Barlow: She’s a dream. She’s so good, my God. She has an incredible instrument and has grown a lot since the first film. Rediscovering Moana’s new, improved and mature sound has been a great joy.
Emily Bear: And also [I loved] hearing her talk about her island and her connection to her people, and how “Beyond” impacted her the first time she heard that song and how connected she felt to it. I mean, that’s all you can ask for. But she’s crazy. We are obsessed with her; She’s a star and she’s singing.
Screen Rant: I love Dwayne and his music in this movie. Can you talk about working with him?
Emily Bear: I mean, he’s as cool as everyone says he is.
Abigail Barlow: He’s a stand-up guy. He is also a very hard worker and came to the table very prepared. And he’s also so funny. He’s a joke.
Emily Bear: Abigail’s demo for “Can I Get a Chee Hooo?” it was good. It was amazing; we love her. But here’s the thing: DJ is Maui, and he is the character. It lives inside him, so when he started singing in the studio, we were like, “Oh, yeah. That’s the money.” I just wish you could hear the outtakes because the outtakes are the best part!
Screen Rant: The directors are fantastic and have praised your work on this film. Can you talk about working with them?
Emily Bear: They’re so smart. They love their work and are passionate about what they do, and that is the most inspiring thing [thing]as a young writer, to be a part of.
Abigail Barlow: We would have these brain trust meetings, or Story Trust, where all of Disney animation would get together after a screening and talk about the film. They would take it apart, put it back together and ask a million questions. And our directors are very good at what they do. They know these characters so well and were an incredible North Star to guide us through this process.
Emily Bear: Dana and David have a huge connection to their heritage, and Jason and Jared are Disney royalty. They just know this process inside and out and they are all wonderful.
I haven’t met a rude person at Disney since I worked there. There’s something in the air. There’s pixie dust.
Read more about Moana 2
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ epic animated musical “Moana 2” reunites Moana (voice of Auli’i Cravalho) and Maui (voice of Dwayne Johnson) three years later for an expansive new voyage alongside a crew of unlikely sailors. After receiving an unexpected phone call from her ancestors, Moana must travel to the distant seas of Oceania and dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she has ever faced.
Check out our others Moana 2 interviews here:
Source: Rant Plus Screen