Lin-Manuel Miranda defends Moana 2 songwriters against criticism over divisive soundtrack

Exclusive: Miranda tells ‘The Independent’ he was impressed by ‘how far’ star Auliʻi Cravalho’s voice has come

Lin-Manuel Miranda has said he is “thrilled” by the success of Moana 2 after he was replaced as songwriter for the sequel by duo Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear.

The Disney animation has proved one of the biggest box office successes of the year, making $221m over Thanksgiving weekend to set a new record.

The critical response has been more mixed, with several reviews highlighting that it remains apparent the film started life as an episodic Disney+ series.

Some critics have also argued that the songs by Barlow and Bear, who made their name with 2021’s The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, fail to meet the standards set by Miranda in the original film. Variety’s Owen Gleiberman wrote: “The songs in Moana 2, by Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, are perky and appealing, with that electrified island drum bounce, but most of them sound like the imitation-Lin-Manual knockoffs they are.”

Speaking to The Independent, Miranda, 44, recalled meeting the two songwriters when the project was still planned as a Disney+ show, saying: “I had lots of meetings with them, and I gave them advice, and I sent them Sondheim books.”

He also encouraged them to work with Samoan composer and Moana soundtrack collaborator Opetaia Foa’i, telling them: “Soak up everything Opetaia has to tell you, because everything that comes out of him represents Pasifika culture so beautifully.”

Lin-Manuel Miranda speaking to The Independent at the press junket for ‘Mufasa: The Lion King’ at San Diego Safari Park (The Independent)

Miranda went on to praise star Auliʻi Cravalho, now 24, who was originally cast to provide the voice of Moana a decade ago.

“The real joy for me has been Auliʻi’s voice,” said the Hamilton creator. “She was 14 years-old when we hired her. I mean, she was not much older than Blue Ivy [Carter, who stars in Miranda’s next film Mufasa: The Lion King]. The stuff they've given her to sing, that song ‘Beyond’, that's a hard song, and she sings it so thrillingly.”

Referencing “How Far I’ll Go,” his Oscar-nominated song from the original Moana, Miranda added: “I see it from the lens of, like, how far she's come. Not ‘how far I’ll go’, how far she’s come! So I'm just thrilled for their success.”

Miranda was speaking at the press junket for Mufasa: The Lion King, Disney’s next musical release for which he has written seven original songs.

“At this point, with the musical and with Beyoncé’s incredible album [The Gift] that she released in 2019, The Lion King is almost a genre of music,” Miranda explained about what attracted him to the film. “It's rooted in African rhythm and harmonies, but I felt like there was a lot of space to play and break new ground.”