Awesome Music / Moana

We know the way!

As can be expected from a Disney princess movie, Moana is chock-full of brilliant music, both thanks to its incredibly talented cast and its amazing crew of songwriters and musicians, including composer Mark Mancina, Opetaia Foa'i, leader of the Polynesian band Te Vaka and Hamilton's Lin-Manuel Miranda. Moana even marks the Disney Animated Canon's first musical since The Princess and the Frog to have the songwriters proudly credited in the trailers.

---

• Opetaia Foa'i completely blows the audience aue with his song "We Know The Way", which is heavily inspired by Polynesian music. "Aue aue..." Also, most of the other versions of "We Know The Way" sung in other languages sound absolutely brilliant.
• Right out the gate, the movie comes out with the touching and upbeat "Where You Are".
• "How Far I'll Go" is sung by Moana about her internal conflict between becoming a chief to her people and exploring the ocean. Auli'i Cravalho gives an absolutely stunning performance in this number.
  • The credits version sung by Alessia Cara isn't bad either. The pair performed the song as a duet at the 2017 Radio Disney Music Awards. This version would be covered in turn by Diamond White and Kurt Hugo Schneider, and it sounds just as epic if not more so.
  • It also gets versions in other languages, such as Thai, Vietnamese, and Bahasa Indonesia. The version sung by Filipina Janella Salvador sounds like a classic Disney Renaissance "I Want" Song.
  • It got even better with Miranda's specially written introduction for its performance at the Oscars.
  • The chip-tune version of the song made for Disney Crossy Road. It's a condensed version of the song, sure, but what's there still sounds great.
  • Jarrod Alonge and his band, the "Sunrise Skater Kids", rearranged this into a high-energy rock song with amazing vocals and mixing.
• "Shiny", Tamatoa's highly anticipated Villain Song, is a David Bowie/Tim Curry-esque glam rock ballad performed by Jemaine Clement (of Flight of the Concords fame) playing a giant Ax-Crazy crab monster. And yes, it is just as awesome as it sounds. He somehow manages to dial the flamboyance up on the te reo Māori version. The reo Māori version gets a bit of meta Awesome — musical director Rob Ruha said in an interview (around 7:20) that Jemaine Clement helped translate part of the song to ensure thematic accuracy. That's some two-fold awesomeness: for one thing, not many dubs get that kind of adaptational advantage; and for another, it shows how seriously Jemaine took the role of David Bowie's silly, posthumous crabsona.
• "You're Welcome", Maui's egotistical "I Am Great!" Song, is so catchy and upbeat, you just can't help but sing along! Who knew The Rock could sing? Jordan Fisher's rendition of the song, also played during the credits, is just as awesome and catchy. The rap segment is even performed by Lin-Manuel himself!
• Some of the cut songs included on the soundtrack are also amazing; "Unstoppable" is a very Hamilton-esque song about Maui's exploits and how the ancestors of Moana's people thrived with him helping them, and "More" and its reprise are early versions of Moana's "I Want" Song about how she longs to travel beyond her island (which eventually became "How Far I'll Go"). Some parts of the final film still have an instrumental of "Unstoppable".
• It's not just limited to the traditional Broadway-esque songs, the more Polynesian themed songs and the instrumental score is also very enjoyable; it reminds one of Tarzan at times. An apt comparison, considering that Mark Mancina composed the score to both films and Lin-Manuel Miranda has joked that his singing on the songs is really a Phil Collins impression.
  • "Sails to Te Fiti" as a whole is an incredible underscore to an incredible fight scene, but the first minute of it is especially phenomenal as it plays under and enhances Moana's new declaration that she herself will restore The Heart, while she fixes her boat and expertly navigates her way back to Te Ka.
  • Tulou Tagaloa with Olivia Foa'i and the Opetaia Foa'i is a perfect introduction to the film featuring Polynesian vocals and harmonies to set the stage for the story.
  • An Innocent Warrior. Another Polynesian song with Vai Mahina taking the lead as little Moana meets and bonds the ocean for the first time. It perfectly encapsulates the developing friendship between the two buddies.
  • Village Crazy Lady, despite its title, is rather soothing for a track which perfectly describes Grandma Tala's personality and spiritual bond with nature and the sea in music.
  • The Ocean Chose You starts off with tense and tragic music as Moana learns of what happened to her people before segueing into a grand Polynesian song as Grandma Tala and the Ocean reassure her.
  • If I Were The Ocean is a soothing piece where Moana and Maui prepare to face Te Ka by the track's determined end. Even the music manages to make a smooth transition between soothing and tense, like the calm before the storm.
  • Shiny Heart is a short piece loaded with a flute riff and harp harmonies where Moana tries to find Te Fiti and discovers a shocking truth about her instead.
  • Te Fiti Restored is set to soothing and majestic Polynesian vocals and music. as Te Fiti is restored and undos the damage she caused as Te Ka.
  • Hand of a God is another short piece but it's able to pack in a grand line with the orchestra and a Polynesian xylophonic jingle.
  • Voyager Tagaloa is an awe-inspiring track featuring Opertaia Foa'i's vocals mingling with orchestral accompaniment as Te Fiti rewards Maui and Moana.
  • Toe Feiloa'i is a grand piece where the orchestra celebrates the end of Maui and Moana's successful journey in a triumphant fanfare.
  • Return to Voyaging packs in stunning Polynesian vocals and grand harmonies and music as Moana's society returns to its adventuring roots with Moana and her family leading the way.
• The I Am Moana and Know Who You Are duo. They easily come as the moments of catharsis for Moana and are the most emotional and tearful moments of the movie. The female chorus in the latter song is spine-chillingly gorgeous.
  Moana: Who am I? [Starts singing]
  I am the girl who loves my island, and the girl who loves the sea. It calls me. ["We Know The Way" starts softly]
  I am the daughter of the village chief. We are descended from voyagers, who found their way across the world. They call me!
  [Backing gets louder as Moana gains confidence]
  I delivered us to where we are. I have journeyed farther!
  I am everything I've learned and more, still it calls me!
  And the call isn't out there at all, it's inside me!
  It's like the tide; always falling and rising.
  I will carry you here in my heart, you'll remind me...
  That come what may, I know the way, I am Moana!