Ahead of Moana 2’s proper debut, its ending credit theme, Beyond, is available now on services like Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music. The track was written by Grammy-winning songwriters Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, better known as Barlow & Bear.
To produce the music and make it as authentic as possible, the duo spoke with people hailing from Oceania and the Polynesian Islands to get a feel for the soundtrack.
“During the process of writing this, we spoke to a lot of people who come from Oceania and the Polynesian Islands, and what rings true to all of them is their deep connection to their heritage and how they honor their ancestors. No matter how daunting this journey is to Moana, she can’t refuse it. It scares her but also exhilarates her because it’s a call from the ancestors. And the idea that the ocean connects us all is a very big part of Pacific Island culture and wayfinding culture.”
If you wanna nab yourself a piece of physical media, the vinyl soundtrack is available for pre-order right now in all its 16-song glory.
- “Tulou Tagaloa (Sei e Va’ai Mai)” Performed by Olivia Foa‘i, Te Vaka
- “We’re Back” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho, Cast
- “Tuputupu (The Feast)” Performed by Te Vaka
- “Beyond” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho
- “My Wish For You (Innocent Warrior)” Performed by Olivia Foa‘i, Sulata Foa‘i -Amiatu, Matatia Foa‘i, Matthew Ineleo, Opetaia Foa‘i
- “Finding the Way” Performed by Olivia Foa‘i, Te Vaka
- “What Could Be Better Than This?” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho, Hualālai Chung, Rose Matafeo, David Fane
- “Get Lost” Performed by Awhimai Fraser
- “Can I Get A Chee Hoo?” Performed by Dwayne Johnson
- “Mana Vavau” Performed by Dwayne Johnson, Opetaia Foa‘i, Rachel House
- “Beyond (Reprise)” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho
- “Nuku O Kaiga” Performed by Te Vaka
- “Finding The Way (Reprise)” Performed by Te Vaka
- “We Know The Way (Te Fenua te Malie)” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho, Olivia Foa‘i, Opetaia Foa‘i, Te Vaka
- “Beyond (End Credit Version)” Performed by Auli‘i Cravalho
- “We’re Back (Te Vaka Version)” Performed by Olivia Foa‘i, Te Vaka
If you weren’t totally convinced with Barlow & Bear as the lead behind the film’s music, Opetaia Foa‘i and Mark Mancina return to produce music for the flick.
Disney likely has a massive expectation for the sequel film’s streams, after all, the original sits at 20 billion worldwide streams, in no small part because of its trio of solid earworm songs. Of course, we’re talking about You’re Welcome, How Far I’ll Go, and the psuedo-villain song, Shiny.
Moana 2 takes place three years following the events of the original. Moana gets a call from her wayfinding ancestors and, in turn, reunites with Maui, still voiced by Dwayne Johnson.
Beyond the deutro-protagonists, the film features Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Hualālai Chung, David Fane, Rose Matafeo, Awhimai Fraser, Gerald Ramsey, and Khaleesi Lambert-Tsuda. Behind the scenes, David Derrick Jr., Jason Hand, and Dana Ledoux Miller take up director roles. Christina Chen and Yvett Merino are producing the film, the former of which played a part in Disney’s previous hit, Encanto.
Original Moana writer Jared Bush returns to the writing seat alongside Miller while also being an executive producer alongside Jennifer Lee and Johnson.
The soundtrack heads to services on November 22 while fans will have to wait a couple more days before its proper debut on November 27.