‘Frozen 2’: Idina Menzel May Hesitate to Sing ‘Into the Unknown’ Live
Frozen 2 may not grace all audiences until November 22; however, that hasn’t stopped fans from uncovering Elsa’s new “Let it Go.” In the sequel to the beloved 2013 Disney animated tale, Elsa (Idina Menzel) gets a new powerhouse number to follow the catchy tune parents still hear ringing in their ears. In Frozen 2, Idina Menzel graces fans with yet another song that requires the Broadway singer to call upon her far-reaching belt: “Into the Unknown.”
“Into the Unknown” features yet another E-Flat, and Idina Menzel went ahead and added her own riff to the end of the number, as reported by USA Today. The song is quite vocally demanding and requires the songstress to hit and hold the difficult notes she’s been forced to deliver since Rent and Wicked.
In a recent interview on the Frozen 2 red carpet, Idina Menzel explained that the songwriters incorporated an E-Flat — like the one she must hit in “Let it Go” — and she will be paying for this decision for “the rest of [her] life and every other day that [she] can’t sing it,” as it’s a note that she has publically failed to achieve in the past. And, when you’re performing live, fans expect to see (or should we say hear?) you soar.
Idina Menzel may just hesitate to sing this song live, as many fans noted that her voice was damaged beyond repair in Broadway’s Wicked. The musical that helped bring Idina Menzel into the limelight has also been credited for damaging her voice.
Even with proper technical training, it’s hard to perform “Defying Gravity” and “No Good” eight shows a week and walk away unscathed. In an online discussion concerning Idina Menzel’s voice, fans noted that modern technology helps her on the soundtrack, but her voice is no longer what it used to be live.
Fans weigh in on Idina Menzel’s voice post-’Wicked:’ Did the show damage her voice beyond repair?
Fans took to Reddit to explain that, if you listen to Idina Menzel live throughout the years, the singer hesitates to go for the same “blow you out of the water” approach when she’s live. And, if she does, she sometimes misses the mark. Many fans blamed Wicked, stating:
See the big problem is all those years as Elphaba she really didn’t seem to take care of her voice the way she should have. She has really had an impact on the musical world but now a days I feel like it’s more than the name than the actually talent she has musically that keep people engaged with her. This was seriously apparent to me watching the 15th anniversary Wicked performance she did.. she’s a great legend but her voice just isn’t what it used to be.
Reddit User
I love Idina but I’ll freely admit she destroyed her voice pretty hard towards the end of Wicked’s run and by now her voice really has definitely aged. Her technique really caught up to her – but she’s still good when stuff is redone to account for her loss of range.
Reddit User
Many agree that Idina Menzel is a force to be reckoned with and an extremely talented singer. However, her voice has deteriorated with time; thus, when she sings live, she can’t always promise to match the perfection in the album. Below, you can hear Idina Menzel sing “Defying Gravity” with several years in between the performances.
When it comes down to it, Idina Menzel will either perform “Into the Unknown” differently when she sings it live, or she may hesitate to sing it all together. Fans should give her credit if she just goes for it as is, for the song is extremely difficult and her voice has had to face some demanding music for many, many years.
