The following contains spoilers for Moana 2, now playing in theatersMoana 2 and the film that proceeded it boast some impressive songs, the strongest of which rank among the best musical contributions to the Disney canon in the 21st century. Both films feature authentic South Pacific culture mixed with modern musical standards. While the songs were penned by musical writers like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foaʻi both played important roles in the scores for both movies. The result is a medley of catchy and inspiring songs that feel wholly unique while fitting the themes and archetypes of the best musicals.
Moana has one of Disney’s best modern soundtracks, with songs like “How Far I’ll Go” and “You’re Welcome” become massive hits when the first film was released. While the songs in Moana 2 can’t quite match the heights of the first one, there are some solid contributions to the Disney musical canon hidden throughout the sequel. The result is an impressive collection of songs that range from silly to inspiring, with a little bit of unsettling horror slipped in there thanks to a memorable villain performance. Here are the best ten songs from Moana and Moana 2, ranked.
10 “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?”
Sung By Dwayne Johnson
One of the catchier songs of Moana 2 and an unabashed pump-up track, “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” is a good showcase for the melding of musicial styles that can be found across both Moana films. Coming at a low point for Moana as she struggles with her self-confidence in the mission to bring down Nalo, “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” is a jock jam in every sense of the word. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, especially coupled with goofy visuals of Maui trying to hype up Moana and inspire her to keep fighting.
When Dwayne Johnson was still primarily known for his wrestling persona as the Rock, he performed many songs in the ring.
It’s a fun and light-hearted track that is elevated by Johnson’s performance. While the track doesn’t boast as solid of a vocal performance from Dwayne Johnson as “You’re Welcome,” the smaller earnest moments where he empathizes with her underscore the sweet core of their relationship. It’s a fun track, and while it may lack the full weight of other songs in either film, remains an entertaining addition to the film.
9 “Beyond”
Sung By Auliʻi Cravalho
The big “I Want” song that defines Moana 2‘s story, “Beyond” is a spiritual follow-up to “How Far I’ll Go,” reflecting a young woman who’s already accomplished plenty in her young life. Tasked with saving the ocean and her people from a grim fate, Moana’s song reflects a more somber and self-reflective version of the archetypal song. In that sense, it’s also a peer of other Disney sequel songs like “Into the Unknown” from Frozen II.
The more somber tone reflects a more mature and self-aware Moana…
While it can’t quite match the heights of that song, “Beyond” is a fine addition to the Disney canon of “I Want” songs. The more somber tone reflects a more mature and self-aware Moana, who accomplished her initial mission and now understands the potential cost of her adventure. It’s an interesting way to approach the track, and an impressive performance by Auliʻi Cravalho.
8 “Know Who You Are”
Sung By Auliʻi Cravalho
A quiet but vital song in the original Moana, “Know Who You Are” highlights the importance that the matching visuals can be on elevating a song. “Know Who You Are” is a short but powerful song, with Moana delivering while calmly approaching the massive and monstrous looking Te Kā. It’s an emotionally rich moment, working as well as it does thanks to Cravalho’s performance and the amazing visuals. It’s a short song, but one that the entire film has been building too without the audience even realizing it.
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This gives it additional weight when Moana walks between the parted ocean with a sense of calm, contrasted beautifully against the visual of a fiery Te Kā rushing towards her like a wild animal. That visual energy improves the song. “Know Who You Are” is the culmination of Moana’s entire arc wrapped up in a moving piece of musical and animated synergy.
7 “Shiny”
Sung By Jemaine Clement
Sung by the film’s memorable minor villain Tamatoa, “Shiny” is the closest thing Moana has to a villain song. It’s also a deeply memorable one, thanks to some big animations and a genuinely great performance. Jemaine Clement delivers the song with a certain glam-rock appeal, purposefully reflecting the musical style of David Bowie. This gives the song a unique musical tone in the canon of Disney villain songs, a bright and entertaining tone that doesn’t detract from the menace presented by the character.
Tamatoa’s ability to shift from silly to scary in an instant is a big appeal of the character overall, and it comes across best with “Shiny.” One of the founding members of Flight of the Conchords, Clement has plenty of experience with comedy songs in the past, and that comes across in the delivery of “Shiny.” However, Clement has to be commended for his ability to also play the song for scares when it needs them.
6 “Where You Are”
Sung by Christopher Jackson, Rachel House, Nicole Scherzinger, Auliʻi Cravalho and Louise Bush
A common trope of musicals, especially animated Disney musicals, is the “Setting Introduction Song.” This sets the stage for the story and characters, establishing their status quo before upending it. Disney has some of the best ones in the entire genre, and “Where You Are” is a worthy addition to that legacy. One of the opening beats to Moana, “Where You Are” introduces audiences to the island of Motunui and the happy lives of the people who live there.
It’s a catchy and sweet introduction to Moana’s world, and a solid stage-setter for the film that follows.
It also highlights Moana’s naturally adventurous spirit, contrasts it with her father’s more content lifestyle, and sets up the influence her Grandmother will have on her. “Where You Are” charts the early years of Moana’s life and underscores the growth she goes through, painting a fleshed out picture of her life and explaining what she has to gain by ignoring her call to adventure. It’s a catchy and sweet introduction to Moana’s world, and a solid stage-setter for the film that follows.
5 “Get Lost”
Sung By Awhimai Fraser
The best song in Moana 2, “Get Lost” is a fantastic and unexpected song from Matangi. Initially presented as one of Moana 2‘s more dangerous villains, Matangi delivers to the song during her encounter with Moana. The song ends up being a far more inspiring track than it initally apprears, telling Moana to “get lost” and lose her way, finding new paths for herself in her adventure.
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Contrasted against the more traditional musical songs found across Moana 2, the horns and guitars in “Get Lost” give it a natural jazzy energy that sets it apart from most of the songs in either film. Awhimai Fraser absolutely nails the song too, delivering a performance that shifts emotions without losing track of the song’s tempo. The “Get Lost” sequence is one of the highlights of Moana 2 across the board, and stands out as the single best musical entry in the sequel.
4 “You’re Welcome”
Sung By Dwayne Johnson
As part of audiences’ full introduction to Maui (outside a brief appearance in the film’s prologue), “You’re Welcome” is an ideal comedic showcase for the character. Brought to life through great animation that flips back and forth from character-driven to cartoonishly bright, “You’re Welcome” is bolstered by a fully committed performance from Dwayne Johnson. The song does a lot to expand the lore of Moana and showcase more about Maui, ranging from his boastful bravado to hinting at his more underhanded elements.
It’s a song that’s effortlessly funny and charming, while also being impossibly catchy. Considering Johnson’s relative inexperience in outright musicals before Moana, it’s all the more impressive that he delivers a fun and memorable performance in the song. “You’re Welcome” is a terrific song, and one of the best comedic character songs in the franchise’s history.
3 “We Know The Way”
Sung By Opetaia Foa’i and Lin-Manuel Miranda
“We Know The Way” is one of the most impressive songs in Moana, and serves as an ideal expansion of Moana’s world beyond her home island. After discovering that her ancestors were Wayfinders who explored the ocean, Moana (and the audience) are shown these explorers at the height of their ambition and skill. What follows is a quietly inspiring song that blends multiple languages to feel authentic to the Polynesian roots of the film while retaining a universal call to adventure.
“We Know The Way” is a shockingly effective song, and quietly comes to serve as a throughline connecting both films.
It’s a tricky balance, and one that Opetaia Foa’i and Lin-Manuel Miranda absolutely nail. It’s an effectively stirring number that encapsulates the desire to explore, working perfectly within the context of the story and as its own little short story. “We Know The Way” is a shockingly effective song, and quietly comes to serve as a throughline connecting both films.
2 “How Far I’ll Go”
Sung By Auliʻi Cravalho
“How Far I’ll Go” is the most acclaimed song in Moana, earning an Academy Award nomination for the film when it was released. It’s also one of the most effective “I Want” songs in Disney Animation history. “How Far I’ll Go” is Moana’s self-reflection, highlighting her self-doubt but underscoring her natural confidence and desire for adventure. Coupled with some strong visuals and a truly impressive performance by Cravalho, “How Far I’ll Go” cements the audience’s connection with Moana and engrosses the viewer in her adventure.
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There’s an innocent element to her desire to explore the oceans that makes her instantly likable. There’s a natural yearning that can be seen in the very best “I Want” songs like “Part Of Your World” from The Little Mermaid. “How Far I’ll Go” is a worthy addition to that legacy of musicals, and one of the best tracks in either film.
1 “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)”
Sung late in Moana and serving as the rebuttal to the film’s “all is lost” moment after Moana loses faith in herself, “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)” is the ideal musical moment. As Moana is comforted by her Grandmother and witnesses the arrival of her ancestors, it’s arguably the emotional anchor all of Moana was building to. The song builds on the strong worldbuilding of “We Know The Way” and the emotional earnestness of “How Far I’ll Go,” without being completely derided from either.
[“I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)” is] an emotional, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring beat that sees Moana embrace her potential, all building to one of the film’s most visually stirring shots as she dives into the ocean to reclaim the heart of Te Fiti and her destiny.
It’s the culmination of the lead character’s emotional growth, and perfectly builds up the audience going into the final stretch of the film. It’s an emotional, heartbreaking, and ultimately inspiring beat that sees Moana embrace her potential, all building to one of the film’s most visually stirring shots as she dives into the ocean to reclaim the heart of Te Fiti and her destiny. “I Am Moana (Song of the Ancestors)” is the best song in either Moana movie, and easily one of the best songs from Disney Animation in the 21st century.
6/10
Moana 2
Moana 2 is the sequel to the 2016 animated film Moana. Directed by David G. Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller, the film continues the journey of Moana as she embarks on new adventures, exploring the vast Pacific Ocean while encountering new characters and challenges along the way.
- Director
- David G. Derrick Jr. , Jason Hand , Dana Ledoux Miller
- Release Date
- November 27, 2024
- Studio(s)
- Walt Disney Pictures , Walt Disney Animation Studios
- Writers
- Dana Ledoux Miller , Jared Bush , Jason Hand , Ron Clements , John Musker
- Cast
- Auli’i Cravalho , Dwayne Johnson , Alan Tudyk , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Nicole Scherzinger , Hualālai Chung , David Fane , Rose Matafeo , Awhimai Fraser , Gerald Ramsey , Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda
8/10
Moana
Moana is a 2016 animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Set in Ancient Polynesia, the story follows the journey of a young Chieftain’s daughter named Moana as she seeks the demigod Maui to lift a curse affecting her island, exploring themes of adventure and self-discovery.
- Director
- John Musker
- Release Date
- October 13, 2016
- Writers
- Jared Bush
- Cast
- Dwayne Johnson , Auli’i Cravalho , Rachel House , Temuera Morrison , Jemaine Clement , Nicole Scherzinger , Alan Tudyk , Louise Bush , Oscar Kightley , Troy Polamalu , Puanani Cravalho , Lin-Manuel Miranda , Christopher Jackson