Let It Go

"Elsa is finding her identity; she's growing into who she is and she's finally accepting her own strength and magical powers. Instead of hiding it, like she's done all her life, she's letting it go and embracing it."

- Demi Lovato

"Let It Go" is a song from Disney's 2013 animated feature film Frozen, with music and lyrics composed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. The song was performed in the film by American actress and singer Idina Menzel as Queen Elsa. The song appears after an ostracized Elsa flees the kingdom of Arendelle soon after her ice powers are discovered by the public. Realizing that she no longer needs to hide her powerful abilities anymore, Elsa declares herself free from the stress and fears that she has been faced with since childhood. The lyrics "Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know," were a phrase Elsa's father told her when she was given her gloves for safety as a child, but Elsa soon puts the phrase behind her by saying, "Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know, well now they know!" and finally "letting go" of her icy powers as she reaches the chorus; "Let it go!"

Lyrics
Idina Menzel's Version= 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 tried

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!

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

It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all!

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!

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 stay! Let the storm rage on

My power flurries through the air into the ground My soul 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!

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 Let it go, let it go Can't hold it back anymore Let it go, let it go Turn my back and slam the door
 * -|Demi Lovato's Version=

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 tried

Don't let them in, don't let them see Be the good girl you always had to be Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know Well, now they know

Let it go, let it go Can't hold it back anymore Let it go, let it go Turn my back and slam the door And here I stand, and here I'll stay Let it go, let it go The cold never bothered me anyway

It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small And the fears that once controlled me can't get to me at all

Up here in the cold thin air I finally can breathe I know I left a life behind but I'm too relieved to grieve

Let it go, let it go Can't hold it back anymore Let it go, let it go Turn my back and slam the door And here I stand, and here I'll stay Let it go, let it go The cold never bothered me anyway

Standing frozen in the life I've chosen You won't find me, the past is all behind me Buried in the snow

Let it go, let it go Can't hold it back anymore Let it go, let it go Turn my back and slam the door And here I stand, and here I'll stay Let it go, let it go The cold never bothered me anyway, oh

Let it go Yeah, yeah Na, na Here I'll stay Let it go, let it go Ooh Let it go

Composition
"Let It Go", was the first song that Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez wrote for the film. The duo took inspiration from other Disney films such as The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast and contemporary artists including Lady Gaga and Adele. Although unintentional, the song's composition was pivotal in the film's characterization of Elsa. Originally written as a villain, co-directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee gradually rewrote Elsa as one of the film's protagonists. As a result, the villain role ended up going to Hans.

Anderson-Lopez and Lopez specifically wrote the song for Idina Menzel, referring to her as "one of the most glorious voices of Broadway and an icon in musical theater". Menzel's vocal range was taken under consideration during the music's composition.

Demi Lovato's Version
The decision to release a single for "Let It Go", was made after the song was written and was presented to Disney. Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez selected American singer and former Disney Channel star Demi Lovato, who is part of Disney's Hollywood Records roster, to cover the song on the soundtrack album. Anderson-Lopez admitted that Lovato was chosen because of the singer's own personal struggles; "She had a past that she's pretty open about that is similar to Elsa's journey of letting a dark past and fear behind and moving forward with your power." Lovato indeed identified herself with the song's context, stating "It's so relatable. Elsa is finding her identity; she's growing into who she is and she's finally accepting her own strength and magical powers. Instead of hiding it, like she is done all her life, she's letting it go and embracing it."

Lovato's cover version was released as a single by Walt Disney Records, on October 21, 2013. This version is used for the end credits.

Critical reception
"Let It Go" received universal acclaim from film critics, music critics, and audiences, with some comparing it favorably to "Defying Gravity" from the musical Wicked (also performed by Menzel). The Rochester City Newspaper called it the best song of the film's soundtrack, writing; "Performed with belty gusto by Idina Menzel, it's got every element needed to be a lasting favorite...Menzel should be credited for providing as much power and passion to this performance as she did in her most famous role." Entertainment Weekly 's Marc Snetiker described the song as "an incredible anthem of liberation". The song earned a nomination for Best Original Song, but lost to 's "Ordinary Love" from . The song won the at the, where it was performed by Menzel.

Trivia

 * The song won the Academy Award for Best Original Song, being the first one from a Walt Disney Animation Studios-produced film in 14 years to win this award.
 * The previous song was "You'll Be in My Heart" from Tarzan.
 * The shot where Elsa first releases her hair down creating the braid was nearly impossible to do. The animators had to phase Elsa's braid through her left arm to keep the animation model from breaking. One can hardly see it because the camera angle hides the "trick" in the half-a-second moment it happens, and the viewers' attention is drawn to other places.
 * Idina Menzel, the voice of Elsa, played Elphaba in the original Broadway cast of Wicked while Willemijn Verkaik, the Dutch and German singer of "Let It Go", played the role in the German, Dutch and British production. Also, the singing voice of Elsa in Korea, Hye Na Park plays the role of Elphaba in The Korean production.
 * A line from "Let It Go" was originally written, "Couldn't keep it in, God knows I tried", but was ultimately changed to "Heaven knows I tried." In an interview, the songwriters stated that the switch was done not because they were not allowed to acknowledge religion (a Church and Christian iconography are clearly present in the film), but because they were afraid that some people would see it as taking the Lord's name in vain, which is a sin in the Abrahamic traditions.
 * As mentioned above several times, since Elsa was originally going to be a villain, "Let It Go" was originally intended to be a villain song. If one listens very closely, one can hear subtle clues in the song's lyrics that potentially hint at Elsa heel-turning (such as "No right or wrong/no rules for me!/I'm free!"), and was originally going to be sung in a mocking tone which becomes more demented as the song progresses to enforce this. However, the song defeats the purpose of making Elsa a villain since she never committed any evil beforehand. This resulted in Hans being re-written as the main villain.
 * At the beginning of the song when Elsa is upset, snow starts falling, symbolizing her lack of control over her powers, but after she realizes she is free and becomes happier than she has ever been in years, the snow stops falling, showing greater control.
 * Demi Lovato's version of "Let It Go" was included as a bonus song for the pre-order of the video game Fantasia: Music Evolved, before later being available as downloadable content for the game, and is available in the Now That's What I Call Music! UK video game Now That's What I Call Sing.
 * "Let It Go" is the second Disney song used in the musical TV series Glee; it was preceded by "Bella Notte" from Lady and the Tramp.
 * Idina Menzel (Elsa's voice actress) had a recurring role in the show, while Demi Lovato made special guest appearances in the show's fifth season.
 * Like most of the other songs from Frozen, "Let It Go" has been subjected to numerous parodies on YouTube and the Internet in general, including a Power Rangers parody sung by Alpha 5 when he has become evil.
 * "Let It Go" is the first end credits Disney song that was performed by a Disney Channel star.
 * When Elsa sings "A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen," she pronounces 'isolation' as 'ice-olation'.
 * "Let It Go" was referenced in Zootopia by Chief Bogo. When chastising Judy Hopps on her incident with Duke Weaselton, he told her life is not a cartoon musical where magically dreams come true and she needs to let it go. Earlier in the film, the song was parodied as "Let It Goat" on Judy's music player.
 * In one of The Lion King musicals, when Scar has Zazu imprisoned and wants him to sing a song with a little bounce in it, Zazu sings "Let It Go" instead of "It's a Small World", to which Scar stills replies with "No! No, anything but that!"
 * "Let It Go" samples "Start All Over" by former Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus.
 * Whether intentional or not, visual sequences of the number, as well as certain lyrics within the song, bear many close similarities with those depicted in the 19th-century philosophical novel Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for All and None. The book is about becoming "the overman", described to be the final stage of enlightenment, in which an individual can truly embrace the gifts within. In terms of visuals, a portion of the book focuses on Zoroaster, the main character, ascending a mountain as he contemplates "letting go" of society's general norms and morals, shedding away the classical ideas of "right and wrong". At the end, he reaches the peak of the mountain just as the sun begins to rise, looking over Creation.