Save us, Lin-Manual Miranda! People have a lot to say about the Moana 2 soundtrack, including missing LMM. The musical maestro wrote and performed original songs for the first film. The soundtrack was a hit and has been beloved by fans for years. Fast forward to Nov. 22, when the Moana 2 soundtrack was released. Let’s just say fans did not have the same reaction to the sequel’s soundtrack. People were worried when it was announced that LMM would not return for Moana 2, and maybe for good reason.
Barlow & Bear’s Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the minds behind The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical that went viral on TikTok, composed the music for the Moana sequel. Fun fact: Bear was also a pianist for Beyonce’s Renaissance World Tour. In an interview with Deadline, Barlow & Bear talked about following in Miranda’s footsteps. “We were tasked to write music for a growing Moana, a Moana that’s going on a journey unlike anything she’s ever faced,” Barlow said. “Paying homage to the world that we know and love, also allowing the sonic world to expand and for the character voices to evolve as they have in real life,” Bear said, talking about the experience of making the tracks.
The reaction to these new songs has not been the best. To be fair, watching the musical may help bring some of the songs to life. But for now, many people who have just heard the songs aren’t feeling them.
I like Beyond and Get Lost but outside of those two Moana 2’s soundtrack is pretty lackluster.
— Jordan M. (@MovieMan995) November 23, 2024
I listened to the Moana 2 soundtrack and the music is kinda bad. Lin Manuel Miranda is definitely the secret sauce and they should have drove a truck full of money to him to get him back. pic.twitter.com/MQiBs0c8ji
— Shamar⭐️💫 (@shamarhunter99) November 22, 2024
#Moana2 doesn’t reach the same heights as its predecessor, mostly due to the obvious absence of Lin Manuel Miranda and the addition of dull side characters that add nothing. However, the original spirit and chemistry of Moana and Maui remains making for an enjoyable ride. pic.twitter.com/koZB7BGHJ2
— Freddie Deighton (@TheREALFreddieD) November 25, 2024
Originally, Moana 2 was going to be a TV show on Disney+. Disney later scratched that project and made it a movie. Miranda is a busy man, so at that point, he was already working on other projects. It’s already weird enough that Disney decided to put out a sequel before a live-action adaption of the original film. Releasing Moana 2 on the same day as Wicked was…a choice. At least one musical soundtrack didn’t let us down.
They really dropped the ball on not getting Miranda to return to work on Moana 2. He’s a master lyricist who is able to bring something to every project he works on that just can’t be replicated. If you didn’t love the Moana 2 soundtrack, don’t worry. Miranda will be back for the live-action Moana movie. He’s even joining the team as a producer. We’ll just have to wait until July 10, 2026, when the live-action Moana movie comes out, to hear more from Miranda’s music in the Moana cinematic universe.