Pop singer-songwriter Lauv is kicking off his new era a bit early with a contribution to the Disney and Pixar film, Elemental. The track, “Steal The Show,” is an immediate throwback to his first major project, I met you when I was 18, combining his signature airy pop vocals with simple yet experimental electro-pop production. He collaborated with well-known composer Thomas Newman, whose credits include Finding Nemo, Wall-E, and Finding Dory, and songwriter Michael Matosic on the track.
According to Disney, “Elemental” is described as, “an all-new, original feature film set in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air residents all live together. The story introduces Ember, a tough, quick-witted, and fiery young woman, whose friendship with a fun, sappy, go-with-the-flow guy named Wade challenges her beliefs about the world they live in.” Perhaps Ember will add to the growing list of strong female protagonists in the Disney pantheon, following that of Elsa of “Frozen” and Moana of “Moana.”
Lauv is, arguably, the perfect voice to spearhead a soundtrack of a film such as this. While some of his material, such as “fuck, I’m lonely” with Anne-Marie and “Drugs And The Internet” may not be particularly PG, other well-known tracks like “I Like Me Better” and “I’m so tired” with Troye Sivan keep him well within the realm of Disney’s core demographic. He follows in the footsteps of other pop figures such as Shawn Mendes (“Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile,”) Tori Kelly (“Sing,”), and Kelly Clarkson (“UglyDolls”) to successfully lend their voices to animated films.
The track, in the context of the film, is used in a scene in which main characters Ember and Wade showcase their vibrant, inspiring talents, much to the other’s delight. Lauv captures the moment perfectly, with the lyric, “So if it’s real then darling let me know / I wouldn’t mind if you steal the show,” applying to both characters’ desire to see the other shine.
His style of electro-pop production, which he expertly recreates at the moment during live shows, only adds to the beauty and innocence of the moment. “I sat down with Thomas Newman and he gave me a couple of sounds that he was working with and I asked, ‘Can I have a couple of minutes in a room, pull up a piano and turn on the microphone?’,” he said in a statement. “I had melodies, chords and a couple of key lyrics totally freestyled after watching the scene. It was a very in-the-moment thing.”
“Elemental” is out in theatres on June 16th.
Listen to “Steal The Show” :
