Now that “Let It Go” from the movie “Frozen,” has taken home the Oscar for best original song, let’s hope the temperatures will start to thaw. Until they do though, we can remember one of the biggest songs from the newest blockbuster Disney movie.
The original song from the movie, sung by Idina Menzel, was also performed at the Oscars during the show. John Travolta caused a stir on social media when he introduced her as “Adele Dazeem.” (This even led to a Twitter account with that name.) He also made a joke, calling Menzel “wickedly” talented. (‘Cause she starred in “Wicked”… get it?)
Here is Menzel’s performance of “Let It Go” in the movie:
From the very start, you can easily recognize the song with its piano melody. While Menzel sang for the movie, Demi Lovato is also well-known for her version on the soundtrack. Menzel expresses the song’s deep feelings with the steady piano and her strong, gentle voice. Lovato adds a dramatic flair with drums and her bold style in the music video.
What the song “Let It Go” also allowed for was a spark of creative performer’s posting their own renditions of the song. Singers posting their covers and mashups of the song amassed close to if not well over a million views on each singer’s video on YouTube. Here are some of the videos that went viral from their original performances of “Let It Go.”
Comedy
Christina Bianco, comedian, provides a hilarious rendition to “Let It Go,” acting out the song exaggerating the way other famous performers sing. Her impersonations include acting out the vocal stylings of Idina Menzel, Demi Lovato, Celine Dion and Julie Andrews to name a few. She seamlessly transitions between her impersonations as someone in the audience shouts out her next vocalist. The video has over two million views.
Male Vocal Cover
Caleb Hyles displays a haunting yet dramatic piece in his rendition of “Let It Go.” His musical performance provides a forceful and a very different emotion from the original. He, nonetheless, still evokes feeling, just different from that of the original. The video has over 3 million views.
Let It Go/Let Her Go mashup
This creative performance by YouTube sensation and musician Sam Tsui combines Disney’s “Let It Go” and “Let Her Go” by Passenger. Tsui alternates lines from each song to culminate into one evocative piece. The mashup creates a whole new message between the two songs, but the lines are cleverly intertwined and work well together. Tsui delivers the emotional song while the piano is the only accompanying musical piece. The video has over 4 million views.
Classical
This classical rendition by ThePianoGuys includes pianist Jon Schmidt and cellist Steven Sharp Nelson. Incorporating Vivaldi themes, the moving performance occurs in a snowy landscape. Schmidt’s quick-paced playing of the piano and Nelson’s passionate playing of the cello, the two make a wonderfully put together classical piece of “Let It Go.” Since it uses only audio, the listener can really be transformed right into the music. The video has over seven million views.
25 Languages
This performance of “Let It Go” allows the audience to experience the song in a variety of languages. It includes 25 languages, including Portuguese, Japanese, Norwegian, Serbian, and Polish—simply to name a few. The singing all takes place in the original sequence from the movie but transforms from each different language in a way that allows for a multi-language experience. The song was pulled off uniquely and in a powerful way and leaves a lasting impression. The video has over 12 million views.
Africanized Tribal Cover
Alex Boyé and the One Voice Children’s Choir put on a positively enchanting performance mixing together tribal themes with the classic tones of “Let It Go.” The One Voice Children’s Choir, which ranges in age from 5 to 18 years old, sings alongside Boyé in their rendition that honestly sounds like a cross between “Frozen” and “The Lion King.” The tribal undertones provide a very unique aspect to the act that mesmerizes you through both the singing and the icy wonderland. Even some “Frozen” character costumes made an appearance. The video has over 21 million views.
What is your favorite rendition of “Let It Go”?