In addition to the original score featured, Powell also collaborated with Jónsi, to write two songs for the film, which were performed by Jónsi, Gerard Butler, Craig Ferguson and Mary Jane Wells, while a song "Into a Fantasy" performed by Alexander Rybak was released on June 9, and was included in the European version of the soundtrack.
Recording took place during April 2014 at Abbey Road Studios in London[3] with a 120-piece orchestra, a 100-voice choir,[4] and a wide array of ethnic instruments, including celtic harp, uilleann bagpipes, tin whistle, bodhrán, and Highland bagpipes; the latter of which were performed by pipers from the Scottish group The Red Hot Chilli Pipers.
[5][6] Belarusian-Norwegian artist Alexander Rybak, who voices Hiccup in the Norwegian dub of the film, also wrote and performed the song "Into a Fantasy".
He further wrote "Powell took all the best thematic elements from his previous score and then expertly intertwined them with some pretty fantastic new ones, altogether making for a rather breathtaking and indeed highly enjoyable album.
"[10] Movie Wave's James Southall wrote "How to Train Your Dragon 2 takes the first score, does all the good things it did, adds even more great ones.
"[11] City Newspaper's Matt DeTurck wrote "Composer John Powell's score to "How to Train Your Dragon 2" musically achieves what we hope from all sequels: incorporating established themes while expanding them with new elements that are just as strong.
"[12] Renowned for Sound-based Marcus Floyd wrote "The soundtrack to How To Train Your Dragon 2 is a collection of unique tracks that would reign suitable for an action packed animated feature such as those in the How To Train Your Dragon trilogy; each piece obviously had a story to tell, as would each scene in the film and it would seem they would go hand in hand to deliver a strong impacting film.
"[13] Jonathan Broxton wrote "if How to Train Your Dragon 2 is anything to go by, Powell is nowhere close to running out of ideas, or of falling out of love with the medium.