‘Let It Go’ Has Turned Idina Menzel Into A Superstar — But Is It Controlling Her Career?
Idina Menzel was already a household name for fans of Broadway musicals, especially for those who knew her as Elphaba in the show Wicked. But Idina Menzel crossed over from theater fame to mainstream super-stardom when she lent her voice to Queen Elsa in the Disney musical, Frozen. But it wasn’t simply playing the role of Elsa that shot Menzel into the public eye, it was specifically the movie’s show stopper, “Let It Go.”
According to Billboard, “Let It Go” was a massive success on the charts, and even helped Idina Menzel break a chart record by being the first person to earn both a Tony Award and a Top 10 spot on Billboard. Since then, “Let It Go” hasn’t lost much momentum, and, in fact, Disney is planning a sequel to Frozen. But until then, Idina Menzel has an incredible amount of pressure on her shoulders to perform the song at nearly every venue she visits. She recently performed it with a cancer survivor.
But not every time Idina Menzel sings “Let It Go” is a heartwarming experience. The singer is still constantly criticized for her less-than-perfect performances of “Let It Go” at the Oscars, at a New Year’s performance, and in South Korea. Idina Menzel is upheld to an impossible standard when singing the song, thanks to the studio trickery of Disney, and is frequently berated by fans for failing to hit the notes as flawlessly as Elsa does in the movie.
The star admitted to the New York Times that crossing over into the mainstream pop music world has not been easy as a result of Frozen‘s success.
“It’s hard to cross over like that and that’s what this whole last year has been about for me. So I’m trying to take it in and be proud of that.”
Even so, Idina Menzel has been taken on a wild ride thanks to the popularity of “Let It Go,” and is preparing to embark on a world tour. There’s no doubt she’ll have to sing the Disney tune everywhere she goes, and fans will expect perfection. Because of this, Menzel has to train for the tour like an Olympic athlete, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch.
“You have to build your stamina, get a lot of sleep and take care of yourself,” said Idina Menzel. “I prepare as much as I can beforehand and treat it like I am an athlete vocally.”
The superstar also knows she owes much of her recent success to “Let It Go.” Menzel says she still loves the song and claims it’s a reminder to her to be proud of her own power and talent, but she does admit that the notoriety of the song has become unbelievably huge.
“I knew it was such a great song and I was in great company with the Disney family, but I didn’t know it would be such a phenomenon.”
[Image credit: Getty]
