The year is young, but the hottest album of 2014 has to be the Frozen Original Motion Picture Soundtrack. Going back to December, both the film and the album have been selling like hotcakes, and the success of both are largely thanks to the acclaimed soundtrack. At the fore of the score is "Let It Go," a powerhouse ballad delivered by Elsa, the Snow Queen voiced by Broadway star/actress Idina Menzel (best known for Wicked and hits such as "Defying Gravity").
Labels such as Disney know when they have a hit on their hands, even before it reaches the public. So prior releasing the soundtrack, they made sure to feature a second version of "Let It Go," to double the pleasure of album buyers and to increase downloads. Demi Lovato handles the vocals on "Let It Go" v2, adding her possibly more "pop-friendly" vocals to a backing beat comprised of drum march percussion and acoustic chords that-call us crazy-are reminiscent of the Smashing Pumpkins' "1979."
Things like Disney musical numbers were made for the viral era...unfortunately hits such as The Lion King and Beauty and The Beast came too early for the internet to get ahold of in real time. The Frozen soundtrack will feel the internet's influence however. The first, and at risk of jumping to conclusions, possibly best video on YouTube right now is Korean pop star Ailee performing "Let It Go" live. She belts a soulful version of the track, backed by great harmonies.
Ailee's English is great, thanks to her New Jersey heritage, but another video exists for K-Pop purists. Hyorin, another solo performer, tackled the song for the film's Korean release. She keeps the "Let It Go" line, but sings the rest in her native Korean. It's just as impressive as its American counterparts.
