who did frozen songs: singers and writers

The songs in Disney’s Frozen were performed by the actors who voiced its characters, including Idina Menzel as Elsa and Kristen Bell as Anna. The film’s songs were written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

That short answer has a few important details: some songs feature several cast members, and the end-credit version of Let It Go was sung by Demi Lovato. Below, you’ll find a track-by-track guide to the original movie, a clear distinction between film and end-credit vocals, and a look at the performers and songwriters behind Frozen II.

who did frozen songs in the original movie?

The original Frozen, released in 2013, features songs performed mainly by the actors who voiced the characters. Idina Menzel sings Elsa’s major songs, while Kristen Bell sings Anna’s. The rest of the cast also performs songs that fit their characters, including Josh Gad as Olaf and Jonathan Groff as Kristoff.

The songs were written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, the songwriting team responsible for both the lyrics and music. Christophe Beck composed the film’s orchestral score, which is separate from the songs with lyrics.

Here’s who performs the best-known songs in the movie:

Song	Performer or performers	Best-known detail
Frozen Heart	Cast of Frozen	Ensemble opening
Do You Want to Build a Snowman?	Agatha Lee Monn, Kristen Bell, and other cast voices	Anna is heard at different ages
For the First Time in Forever	Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel	Anna and Elsa sing contrasting parts
Love Is an Open Door	Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana	Anna and Hans sing together
Let It Go	Idina Menzel	Elsa’s song in the film
Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People	Jonathan Groff	Kristoff’s short solo
In Summer	Josh Gad	Olaf’s comic number
For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)	Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel	Anna and Elsa confront each other
Fixer Upper	Maia Wilson and the cast	Ensemble song led by the trolls

Who sings each Frozen song?

Frozen Heart

The film opens with an ensemble of ice harvesters singing Frozen Heart. It introduces the dangerous work of cutting ice and establishes the film’s cold, wintry setting. The number is performed by the cast rather than by one of the central characters alone.

Do You Want to Build a Snowman?

This song follows Anna as she tries to reach her sister over several years. Because Anna grows up during the song, more than one performer voices her singing: child performer Agatha Lee Monn sings the younger Anna, and Kristen Bell sings the older Anna. The sequence also uses young performers for the children’s voices, while Idina Menzel voices Elsa.

That change in voices is part of the storytelling. The song covers a long stretch of time, so the young Anna’s voice gives way to Bell’s as Anna grows older. It is not a single singer’s voice altered to cover every age.

For the First Time in Forever

Kristen Bell sings Anna’s parts, and Idina Menzel sings Elsa’s. Anna is excited about the gates opening for the coronation, while Elsa is anxious about being seen. The voices overlap and contrast as the characters experience the same day in very different ways.

The song also has a reprise later in the film. That version brings the sisters together in a tense exchange, again performed by Bell and Menzel. If you hear the reprise listed as a separate track, it is a different scene and arrangement, not another version of the opening sequence.

Love Is an Open Door

Bell performs as Anna, with Santino Fontana singing Hans. It is a duet between the two characters during their courtship. The song’s cheerful style reflects Anna’s excitement, even as the plot later changes how the audience understands Hans.

Let It Go

Idina Menzel sings the version of Let It Go heard in the film. She performs it as Elsa, after Elsa leaves Arendelle and begins to use her powers without hiding them. Menzel’s singing voice and Elsa’s speaking voice are both part of her performance.

Demi Lovato recorded a separate pop arrangement for the film’s end credits. That version is not the voice used for Elsa in the story. The distinction explains why soundtrack listings may show both Menzel and Lovato connected with the same song.

Reindeer(s) Are Better Than People

Jonathan Groff sings this brief song as Kristoff. The character performs it with Sven, his reindeer, treating Sven as a conversation partner. The number is intentionally short, so it is easy to overlook when people recall the film’s larger musical set pieces.

In Summer

Josh Gad sings In Summer as Olaf. Olaf imagines what summer would be like, unaware of the danger that warmer weather would pose to a snowman. Gad’s comic delivery is central to the song’s humor.

Fixer Upper

Maia Wilson leads the singing as Bulda, with the trolls and other cast members joining in. It is an ensemble number rather than a solo for Anna, Elsa, or Kristoff. The song’s cheerful advice is part of a scene where the trolls try to help Kristoff and Anna.

Are the soundtrack singers the same as the film’s voices?

For the main characters, yes: the actors who voice Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf also perform their characters’ songs. Bell sings for Anna, Menzel for Elsa, Groff for Kristoff, and Gad for Olaf. This helps the songs feel like part of the characters’ performances instead of separate musical interludes.

However, a soundtrack can include recordings that do not appear as character vocals in the story. The clearest example is Lovato’s end-credit Let It Go. It is an additional recording, not a replacement for Menzel’s performance in the film.

Supporting and child performers also matter. A song may pass between a character at different ages, or feature a group of singers instead of one lead. For that reason, soundtrack credits can list more performers than a quick description such as Anna sings it suggests.

Who wrote the songs for Frozen?

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez wrote the songs for the 2013 film. They created the melodies and lyrics, including the songs performed by the central characters and the ensemble. The pair also wrote the songs for Frozen II.

The songs are different from the orchestral score. Christophe Beck composed the instrumental score that supports the scenes, while the Lopez songwriting team wrote the featured songs with lyrics. Both contribute to the movie’s music, but they have distinct roles.

This distinction is useful when checking credits. If a question asks who sang a song, look for the performer. If it asks who wrote it, look for the songwriters. The person performing a character’s song is not necessarily the person who composed or wrote its words.

Who sings the songs in Frozen II?

Frozen II keeps the same main cast and songwriting team, while adding new characters and vocalists. The film’s songs were again written by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, and Christophe Beck returned to compose the score.

Song	Performer or performers	Best-known detail
All Is Found	Evan Rachel Wood	Queen Iduna sings the lullaby
Some Things Never Change	Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, and cast	Ensemble number
Into the Unknown	Idina Menzel, with Aurora	Aurora provides the mysterious voice
When I Am Older	Josh Gad	Olaf’s song about growing up
Lost in the Woods	Jonathan Groff	Kristoff’s dramatic solo
Show Yourself	Idina Menzel and Evan Rachel Wood	Elsa and Iduna sing together
The Next Right Thing	Kristen Bell	Anna’s emotional solo

Evan Rachel Wood voices Queen Iduna and sings All Is Found. The song introduces a lullaby that becomes important to the story. She also sings with Menzel in Show Yourself, where Iduna and Elsa’s voices meet.

Menzel leads Into the Unknown as Elsa. The mysterious voice calling to Elsa is performed by Norwegian singer Aurora, who also appears in the song’s soundtrack credits. This means the track is not simply a duet between Elsa and another named character in the scene.

The returning cast members perform the other character songs. Bell sings as Anna, Gad as Olaf, and Groff as Kristoff. The ensemble song Some Things Never Change brings several of the main voices together.

There are also end-credit recordings for the sequel. Panic! at the Disco recorded an end-credit version of Into the Unknown, while Weezer recorded an end-credit version of Lost in the Woods. These are separate from the performances heard during the story, just as Lovato’s version of Let It Go is separate from Menzel’s film performance.

How to tell film performances from end-credit versions

Look at the track title and its credit description. A soundtrack may place the character version and a pop or cover version next to each other, even though only one is heard in the story. The performer’s name, the words end credits, or a label such as soundtrack version can clarify which recording you are looking at.

1. Check the movie scene. The singer heard during the scene is the character performer. In the first film, Elsa sings Let It Go in Menzel’s voice.
2. Check the track credit. A separate artist credit may identify a recording made for the end credits. Lovato’s recording is an example.
3. Separate singer from songwriter. Performer credits tell you who sang the track; songwriting credits identify who wrote its music and lyrics.
4. Notice group and age changes. A cast track or a song that follows a character through childhood may involve several vocalists.

A common mix-up is to say that the end-credit artist sang the song in the movie. The artist may have recorded a well-known version, but that does not change who sang the character’s scene. Check the specific recording rather than relying on the song title alone.

Quick answers about the Frozen music

Did Idina Menzel sing Let It Go?

Yes. Menzel sings Let It Go as Elsa in the original film. Demi Lovato recorded a separate end-credit version.

Did Kristen Bell sing in Frozen?

Yes. Bell sings Anna’s songs, including Do You Want to Build a Snowman?, For the First Time in Forever, and Love Is an Open Door. She also sings Anna’s songs in Frozen II.

Who sings the mysterious voice in Into the Unknown?

Aurora provides the mysterious voice heard alongside Elsa, who is sung by Idina Menzel. Aurora’s vocal is part of the story version, while Panic! at the Disco recorded a separate version for the end credits.

Who wrote the Frozen songs?

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez wrote the songs for both Frozen and Frozen II. Christophe Beck composed the orchestral score for the films.

Are all Frozen soundtrack songs sung by the main cast?

No. Many story songs are performed by the cast, but soundtrack releases can also include end-credit recordings by other artists. Some tracks feature ensembles, supporting performers, or different singers for a character’s younger voice.

The answer to who did frozen songs depends on whether you mean the character performances or the songwriters. The principal cast sings the songs in the films, Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez wrote them, and separate artists recorded some end-credit versions.

For a specific track, check whether the recording is from the film or the end credits before naming its singer. That small distinction clears up the most common confusion, especially with Let It Go and Into the Unknown.