Music Review: Idina Mendel "Let It Go"

Idina Menzel

Let It Go

Album: Frozen sdtk

Year: 2013

             Idina Menzel, as Queen Elsa, is relieved the entire kingdom knows her secret in the fateful “Let It Go.”

             An aching piano opens the single, setting a woeful tone. She trudges through the snow alone. Since childhood, she has hid from others. She won’t let people get close – not her family or her best friend and sister, Anna. She can’t hurt Anna again. The blizzard she created has been brewing for decades. (“The snow glows white on the mountain tonight/Not a footprint to be seen/A kingdom of isolation/And it looks like I'm the queen/The wind is howling like/This swirling storm inside/Couldn't keep it in/Heaven knows I've tried.”)

In the pre-chorus, she remembers what her parents taught her: keep away from people and her hands covered at all times. She also has to act ordinary. Negative emotion brought out the worst in her powers. She learned emotion was wrong. However, during her coronation everyone found out. (“Don't let them in/Don't let them see/Be the good girl you always have to be/Conceal, don't feel/Don't let them know/Well, now they know.”)

          In the chorus, she will use her powers as she wishes. If people call her monster, that’s their opinion. She won’t pretend for them anymore. It’s a part of her they will have to get used to. (“Let it go/Let it go/Can't hold it back anymore/Let it go/Let it go/Turn away and slam the door/I don't care/What they're going to say/Let the storm rage on/The cold never bothered me anyway.”)

Away from her kingdom, the pressure is gone. For once, it doesn’t matter that she has powers. She can’t hurt anyone by herself. (“It's funny how some distance/Makes everything seem small/And the fears that once controlled me/Can't get to me at all.”)

        In the pre-chorus, she has wondered the strength of her powers. Could she build a palace for herself? She can learn more about her abilities without anyone peering over her shoulder. (“It's time to see/What I can do/To test the limits/And break through/No right, no wrong/No rules for me/I'm free!”)

           In the second chorus, she has become in tune with her skills and feels connected to the earth. No one will ever see how she misses her sister or her parents. She doesn’t want to return a place that will shun her. (“Let it go/Let it go/I'm one with the wind and sky/Let it go/Let it go/You'll never see me cry/Here I stand/And here I'll stay/Let the storm rage on.”)

            In the bridge, she is enjoying her powers for the first time ever. Queen wasn’t ever the role for her. She was meant to rule herself. Her sister will be happy with her new husband. Her parents passed away a long time ago. There isn’t a reason to return. (“My power flurries through the air into the ground/My snow is spiraling in frozen fractals all around/And one thought crystallizes like an icy blast/I'm never going back, the past is in the past.”)

            In the third and final chorus, she says she can finally be herself. She will no longer be broken. People will see her for who she is. (“Let it go/Let it go/And I'll rise like the break of dawn/Let it go/Let it go/That perfect girl is gone/Here I stand/In the light of day/Let the storm rage on/The cold never bothered me anyway.”)

           Menzel’s flawless vocals swell and rise, revealing the real magic behind the powers. Defiant and bitter, she won’t let anyone near her ever again. As far as she’s concerned, someone else can lead the country. Even without seeing the film, listeners can get a good sense of the character. It also doesn't spoil the movie. However, some context is needed

       The  sublime  “Let It Go” brings a piece of Broadway to the radio.