The Song “The Next Right Things” from Frozen 2 is a great example of a song that incorporates numerous aspects of what Sellnow (2017) describes as the "Illusion of Life" in her analysis of music. Not only does this song have an immensely powerful rhetorical message, it also includes many paralinguistic cues and patterns of intensity and release. The rhythmic structure is slow and full of melancholy, modeling the “release pattern”. But then it builds in intensity as the singer/actor triumphs over her perceived loss and insecurities and ultimately chooses courage over fear and uncertainty, by listening to that small inner voice telling her to not give up and do “the next right thing.”
As Sellnow (2017) describes, this song follows the congruent pattern, “where the emotional meaning of the music and lyrics reinforce one another” (p. 176). In other words, the tone, emotion, and energy of the rhetorical message matches the depth, passion, and intensity of the music. Because the song is congruent, the powerful rhetorical message is emphasized by the music as is lets you dwell on the pain but then spurs you on to consider possibilities, with the music itself surging with the will to continue on and not give up. The singer (Kristen Bell) does an excellent job of expressing emotion as she sings, which stirs up “emotional content” that represents real feelings we can all relate to and have likely experiences ourselves at some point in our lives. Both the lyrics and the music convey not just the content, but deep emotional and feeling.
The rhetorical focus of the song is to persuade listeners (humanity) to remember the importance of not staying stuck or wallowing in our pity, but rather to listen to that inner voice that encourages hope. Its message is that life (and ultimately everyone’s success in life) is all about making one small choice at a time, especially when we feel overwhelmed or discouraged. When we don’t see the light at the end of the tunnel, we only have to make the decision right in front of us, or choose to do the “next right thing.” Our youth today are so anxious and stressed. Many suffer from depression and are often consumed by fear. Even us adults often let fear rule our emotions and limit our actions. But this poignant message shows that we don’t need to have all the answers to make positive progress. It also teaches essential coping skills to get through any trial.
The song starts with the "tragic lyrics" focus on a sense of hopeless but moves to what Sellnow (2017) calls a virtual experience with “comic lyrics”. Despite the song primarily being filled with sadness and despair, the “comic lyrics focus on the protagonist's determination to beat the odds” (p. 174). Gradually, the character refuses to succumb to the darkness shows the potential in all of us. This song epitomizes how someone consumed by grief and despair can ultimately triumphs over adversity by listening to that still small voice within that encourages each of us to make one right choice, and then another “right choice” until ultimately it will lead her (and us too) out of the darkness and into the light, figuratively and literally.
What songs do you think reflect both emotional content and the illusion of life? Do you believe songs like this one can prevent suicide or help people deal with stress, anxiety, and depression? If so, why? If not, why not?
References:
DisneyMusicVEVO. (2021, October 9). Kristen Bell – The next right thing (From “Frozen 2”) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFkClV2gM-s
Sellnow, D. D. (2017). A music perspective. In The illusion of life: Rhetoric of the human condition (2nd ed., pp. [page numbers]). SAGE Publications.
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