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"The Next Right Thing" is a song from the 2019 animated Disney film Frozen 2. It is performed by American actress and singer Kristen Bell in her vocal role as Princess Anna, and the music and lyrics are written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. The song portrays Anna's journey through depression. The song has received praise from critics for its message and meaning and peaked on the Kid Digital Songs chart at number 7.

Synopsis

At the darkest moment of the film, Anna is faced with uncertainty about what to do next after apparently losing both her beloved sister Elsa as well as Olaf, a snowman created by Elsa's magic. In her song "The Next Right Thing," she expresses her feelings of depression. As the song progresses, she reaches the realization that when faced with uncertainty, one must simply focus on doing "The Next Right Thing."

Production

Bell told director Jennifer Lee she wanted to see Anna "face her codependency head-on" and "a song about what she's going to do when she doesn't know what to do". Anderson-Lopez and Lopez drew inspiration from personal tragedy in the lives of two people that worked on Frozen and Frozen II; co-director Chris Buck lost a son, and Andrew Page, a central figure in the music production of both films, lost a daughter. Buck's son died around the time when Buck needed to begin the interviews and press tours to promote Frozen; the Lopezes witnessed how Buck insisted on going through that highly public process and the subsequent awards season even though he was dealing with such a terrible personal tragedy at the same time. Anderson-Lopez stated when writing the lyrics, she "really just thought about them, and wrote it for them." Bell said she drew inspiration from her own mental health.

A lot of people feel that feeling: What do I do when I don't know what to do? My personal mantra is you just do the next right thing. It also stems from when I am experiencing anxiety and depression. What do I do when I don't want to get out of bed in the morning? You just do the next right thing, and that's stepping out of bed. The next right thing is brushing your teeth. The next right thing is eating your breakfast. The next right thing is looking at your calendar and going to work. This idea of having an intrinsic motivation versus extrinsic motivation is something that as a parent I know is incredibly important to show kids and to help them cope. I really wanted Anna to be representative of that.

International versions

As it happened in Moana with a Tahitian, Māori and Hawaiian version, the Sami version was an exceptional dubbing made specifically for the movie, given the inspiration it took from Sami culture.

Reception

Multiple critics have praised "The Next Right Thing" for its meaning and message. MEAWW argues the song provides "one of the movie's most inspiring messages about dealing with pressure". The Los Angeles Times deemed it the best song of Frozen II. Hypable stated that the song was the "most valuable thing Frozen 2 has to offer". Jonathan Groff, who voices Kristoff in the film, said hearing the song "brought to tears".

Charts

Certifications

References

1. "'The Next Right Thing' is Frozen 2's most valuable legacy". Hypable. December 30, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2022.
2. Snetiker, Marc (November 24, 2019). "Kristen Bell on Anna's devastating moment in Frozen 2". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved November 24, 2019.
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37. Peterson, Jens (December 26, 2019). "Känslostark uppföljare med sjungande Frost-systrarna". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved December 16, 2020.
38. "About - Alisha Thomas". Alisha Thomas Music. Retrieved January 13, 2021.
39. Alisha Thomas - Seiven Sariyaanadhai (From "Frozen 2"/Official Lyric Video). YouTube (in Tamil). DisneyMusicIndiaVEVO. March 12, 2020. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
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41. Nuengthida Sophon - The Next Right Thing (From "Frozen 2"/Audio Only). YouTube (in Thai). DisneyMusicAsiaVEVO. November 15, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
42. "Deniz Sujana - Doğru Şey Uğruna ("Karlar Ülkesi 2")". YouTube. March 25, 2021.
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44. "'Frozen 2' and its message on dealing with overwhelming pressure by doing 'The Next Right Thing' needs to be recognized". Media Entertainment Arts WorldWide. November 25, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
45. "Forget Elsa's 'Into the Unknown.' Anna sings the best 'Frozen 2' song". Los Angeles Times. November 26, 2019. Retrieved November 29, 2019.
46. Kranz, Kristen (December 30, 2019). "'The Next Right Thing' is Frozen 2's most valuable legacy". Hypable. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
47. Seddon, Dan (October 11, 2019). "Frozen 2 star admits one of the film's new songs left him in "a total puddle" of tears". Digital Spy. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
48. "Kristen Bell Chart History (Kid Digital Songs)". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 11, 2021. Retrieved January 9, 2021.
49. "British single certifications – Kristen Bell – Next Right Thing". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved May 10, 2024.
50. "American single certifications – Kristen Bell – Next Right Thing". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved April 12, 2023.

• 2019 songs
• Kristen Bell songs
• Songs about depression
• Songs written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez
• Songs written by Robert Lopez
• Songs from Frozen (franchise)
• Disney songs