Lin-Manuel Miranda had two very personal test listeners for his new Moana song, his sons.
People reported that Miranda wrote “Along the Way” for Disney’s 2026 live-action Moana, and that he knew the song was working when his children started singing it on their own.
Variety also framed the song as a potential awards contender, with early attention already forming around the track.
Miranda Said His Sons Passed the Song’s “Smell Test”
Miranda told People that his sons, Sebastian, 11, and Francisco, 8, often hear him singing to himself while he works. That background noise became useful feedback when he caught them singing “Along the Way” without being prompted.
“My poor kids have to listen to me singing to myself all the time and they understand that that’s daddy’s job,” Miranda said. “But when I caught them singing it on their own, I realized, ‘Okay, this is catchy enough that it can live alongside the other songs I wrote all those years ago.’”
He said hearing his younger son Frankie sing the title phrase made him feel the song had passed the “smell test.” For Miranda, that meant the track could stand beside the songs he helped create for the original animated Moana.
The Song Connects Three Moana Voices
“Along the Way” is performed by Catherine Laga‘aia, who plays Moana in the live-action film, and Dwayne Johnson, who returns as Maui. The track also features Auli‘i Cravalho, who voiced Moana in the 2016 animated movie and Moana 2.
That lineup gives the song a bridge between different versions of the franchise.
A Disney featurette described the song as a musical conversation between the new Moana and the original Moana before Johnson’s Maui joins in. Director Thomas Kail said the breakthrough idea was asking what would happen if both Moanas sang together.
Miranda’s Moana History Runs Deep
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Miranda wrote music and lyrics for several of the 2016 animated film’s best-known songs, including “How Far I’ll Go,” “Shiny” and “You’re Welcome.” He also worked with Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa‘i on the original soundtrack.
People noted that “How Far I’ll Go” earned Miranda an Oscar nomination for Best Original Song. The original Moana soundtrack also became one of Disney’s defining modern musical releases.
People reported that Miranda was not involved in developing music for Moana 2. Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear had been brought in for a Moana-inspired television project that later became the sequel, while Miranda was working on songs for Mufasa: The Lion King.
The Song Could Put Miranda Back in the Oscar Race
People reported that “Along the Way” could potentially put Miranda in the same Best Original Song conversation as Taylor Swift, whose Toy Story 5 song “I Knew It, I Knew You” has also drawn early awards attention.
Miranda downplayed the idea of an awards duel and praised Swift’s work. “I love Taylor, and I love that song,” he told People, adding that writing for movies is about making a song feel honest and true to the character rather than thinking first about Oscar nominations.