‘Moana’ Celebrates 1 Billion Views of “How Far I’ll Go”

Even though the animated Disney movie Moana premiered in 2016, the Disney princess film has continued to be a favorite of Disney fans as it passes its fifth anniversary. Although the song “You’re Welcome” that is performed by Dwayne Johnson in the movie has been just as steady a hit with fans as the movie itself, another song in the movie has proved to be even more popular. “How Far I’ll Go”, Moana’s “I want” song, has reached 1 billion views on Youtube this week!

Lately, a lot of other Disney movies have been getting attention when it comes to catchy and chart-topping musical numbers. The 2021 Walt Disney Animation Studios movie Encanto has beaten the Billboard chart records that were previously held by Frozen (2012) and Aladdin (1993), with its song “Dos Oruguitas” also being nominated for an Academy Award.

With new Disney content coming each year, it’s nice to see that Moana and the power ballad of its titular heroine (which was nominated for the Oscar for Best Original Song) are both still being appreciated!

Compared to movies like the Golden Globe Award-winning Encanto, Moana‘s soundtrack does feel a little short. “Where You Are”, “How Far I’ll Go”,  and “You’re Welcome” are the Disney movie’s standout songs. “We Know the Way”, “I Am Moana”, and the Disney villain song “Shiny” are enjoyable but might be less recognizable for the average Disney fan.

Both Moana and Encanto have Lin-Manuel Miranda to thank for their respective soundtracks, but it’s exciting to watch a five-year-old song continue to expand its reach!

Auli’i Cravalho, the young Hawaiian actress who voiced Moana, shared the news on Instagram with some behind-the-scenes photos and the following caption: “CHEEEEHOOOO!! Mahalo nui loa my #MoanaOhana, for loving this film and its music as much as I do. My heart is oh so full!! ?? Here are a few pics from the journey- nearly 6 years ago now. It truly feels like yesterday. ❤️”.

Is “How Far I’ll Go” your favorite original song from Moana?