Madonna’s ‘Frozen’ Is So Much Better Than ‘Let It Go’
If you think of the word “frozen” today, a certain Disney movie and the song “Let It Go” come to mind. If you thought of that word in 1998, Madonna’s ballad “Frozen” would have come to mind. While “Let It Go” is a fun show tune for little kids, “Frozen” is the superior song for many reasons. The Queen of Pop explained what she thought of “Frozen” in retrospect.
The difference between ‘Let It Go’ and Madonna’s ‘Frozen’
“Let It Go” has a fun Broadway melody reminiscent of “Defying Gravity” from Wicked. Its message is great for little kids who want to rebel against their parents by staying up past their bedtime. However, it’s not the sort of rebel song that works for anyone over the age of seven. It’s a little too tame and, well, Disneyesque for that. Walt Disney probably would have loved it but the Sex Pistols and Green Day aren’t going to cover it anytime soon.
“Frozen,” on the other hand, is one of the most mature pop songs ever to hit the Billboard Hot 100. It’s a song about the complex emotions with no easy resolution. “Let It Go” could have been written by an especially talented 10-year-old who loves theater. “Frozen” is the sort of song that could only have been written by someone who has loved and lost. “Let It Go” works in the context of Queen Elsa’s story, but it’s not a classic like “Frozen.”
Madonna wrote her song with a major musician
Part of what makes “Frozen” work is that it’s much more emotionally powerful than most dance songs. During a 2022 interview with Variety, the Queen of Pop explained why dancing matters so much to her. “I use it in all of my work,” Madonna said. “So much of my music is about dancing. That’s my connection to club music. It’s been important to me all my life.”
The Material Girl shared some memories about how the song came together. “I just remember how all the songs I write with Pat Leonard begin with me sitting next to him playing the piano,” she said. “I realized that ‘Frozen’ is a brilliant song. I don’t want to sound arrogant, but it’s timeless.” For context, Leonard co-wrote many Madonna singles, including “Like a Prayer,” “Live to Tell,” and “La Isla Bonita.”
‘Frozen’ is from 1 of the best albums ever
Madonna discussed the context that surrounded “Frozen.” “It comes from my Ray of Light record, which I’m really proud of,” Madonna continues. “It was a turning point in my life. I made that record when I had just given birth to my daughter, my first child. Life looked so different to me and I’ll never be the same. It was a watershed moment.”
Ray of Light was Madonna’s foray into techno music. She delved more into that genre than most other pop stars. Today, Ray of Light is widely considered one of the greatest albums of all time. In 2022, Rolling Stone ranked it No. 222 on their list of the best albums ever. It’s one of the few albums from the 1990s that isn’t a rap or rock album that people still remember.
“Frozen” shows why we aren’t calling Queen Elsa the Queen of Pop.
