Into the Unknown
by Idina Menzel (featuring Aurora)

Album: Frozen 2 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2019)
Charted: 19 46
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Into the Unknown" is built around a duet between Idina Menzel's Queen Elsa and a siren call voiced by the Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora.

    The big ballad number is set three years after Elsa's coronation, when she hears a strange sound coming from the north. At first, Elsa tries to ignore the voice, but once she recognizes it is calling her, she feels compelled to follow the sound. The rest of the movie tells the story of Elsa's journey "into the unknown."
  • Aurora's siren's call, a distinctive sequence of four notes, is woven by Frozen 2 composer Christophe Beck throughout the film's score. The call is derived from the Dies Irae, a Latin hymn best known for being used by Roman Catholics Mass for the dead. Dies Irae (meaning "Day of Anger" or "Day of Wrath") speaks of the Day of Judgment in fearsome terms; it then appeals to Jesus for mercy.

    Aurora delivers her haunting vocal in a manner inspired by Scandinavian kulning, which is a shepherdess's call from Scandinavia for their livestock to come home.
  • A pop-rock cover was recorded by Panic! at the Disco. Their version was released as the soundtrack's lead single on November 4, 2019.
  • A video was released for Panic! at the Disco's version. The clip cuts between shots from Frozen 2 and footage of frontman Brendon Urie crooning the tune in an empty theater.
  • Aurora recorded her vocals in an old English church in London. "The room was beautiful, round, and it carried my voice to infinity and beyond without any extra reverb," she recalled to Billboard.
  • Aurora told OfficialCharts.com she got the gig after some Disney people called her and asked if she could sing like Mother Earth. She said yes. They then asked Aurora if she knew how to sing with "ancientness flowing through my veins." She again replied in the affirmative, so they asked her to come to London and record her vocals at a church there.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

Ed Roland of Collective Soul

Ed Roland of Collective SoulSongwriter Interviews

The stories behind "Shine," "December," "The World I Know" and other Collective Soul hits.

Joe Ely

Joe ElySongwriter Interviews

The renown Texas songwriter has been at it for 40 years, with tales to tell about The Flatlanders and The Clash - that's Joe's Tex-Mex on "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

Timothy B. Schmit of the Eagles

Timothy B. Schmit of the EaglesSongwriter Interviews

Did this Eagle come up with the term "Parrothead"? And what is it like playing "Hotel California" for the gazillionth time?

Reverend Horton Heat

Reverend Horton HeatSongwriter Interviews

The Reverend rants on psychobilly and the egghead academics he bashes in one of his more popular songs.