Lost in the Woods

Anderson-Lopez and Lopez decided Kristoff's first proper song should depict him learning how to express his emotions for the first time, specifically how he feels about his girlfriend Anna, to whom he has been struggling to propose.

American rock band Weezer recorded a cover of the song for the film's end credits, the release of which was accompanied by a music video starring actress Kristen Bell, who voices Anna, as lead singer Rivers Cuomo's love interest.

[20] "Lost in the Woods" was primarily written to convey Kristoff, a "buttoned-up mountain man", truly voicing his innermost feelings for the first time,[21] while expanding upon the idea that he longs for a committed relationship with Anna.

[7] Upon hearing "Lost in the Woods" for the first time, Groff was surprised to learn Disney was willing to explore "such a left turn" for his character musically, and feared the song would be cut from the final film due to its jarring nature.

[25][26] Disney revealed the full track list for the Frozen II soundtrack on September 30, 2019, in which both the film and end credit versions of "Lost in the Woods" are mentioned.

[17] The process of writing and recording the song is documented in the documentary series Into the Unknown: Making Frozen II, serving as the main focus of its second episode "Back to the Drawing Board".

[7] Like the song itself, its animated sequence is inspired by rock ballads from the 1980s, which directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee researched diligently to ensure their visuals complimented the songwriters' vision.

[21] According to Brian Tuitt of USA Today, Sven's introduction encourages Kristoff to "Let your guard down and let your feelings out",[38] which Anderson-Lopez hoped would help young boys confront toxic masculinity.

[39] Actress Kristen Bell, who voices Anna, concurred that Kristoff's song offers young boys a positive example of a grown man expressing "big feelings", which she believes they do not see represented on screen often.

[40] "Lost in the Woods" takes place approximately one-third of the way into the film when Kristoff and Anna become separated, the latter choosing to pursue her sister Elsa deeper into the Enchanted Forest.

[11] Syfy writer Courtney Enlow observed that each main character experiences an identify crisis in Frozen II, with Kristoff becoming lost both "in the woods" and his relationship.

[52] Despite being a tonal departure from the film's more earnest musical moments, Groff felt the song's comedic treatment would help Kristoff's emotional proclamations be more palatable to young boys.

[78] "Lost in the Woods"'s production and instrumentation have been compared to the works of several musical acts who were popular during the 1980s, such as singers Bryan Adams, Michael Bolton, Peter Cetera, Elton John, Meat Loaf, and Richard Marx,[8][79][80][81][82] and the bands Air Supply, Chicago and Journey.

[85] Remarking upon the song's 1980s authenticity, Michael Ordoña of the Los Angeles Times joked that "[producer] David Foster may demand a DNA test",[86] while according The Daily Nebraskan's Libby Schilz, its instrumentation "provides a grandiose, orchestral sonic landscape ... creating a soundscape reminiscent of Elton John and REO Speedwagon's 'I Can't Fight This Feeling'".

[41] According to Us Weekly's Mara Reinstein, the song's lyrics are tongue-in-cheek about pining another's love,[90] while the Los Angeles Times film critic Justin Chang quipped that the singer "basically admits he needs directions".

[6][47][59][91][94][95] Recognizing the song as a highlight of the sequel, the Associated Press critic Jocelyn Noveck crowned "Lost in the Woods" the film's "true heir to 'Let it Go,' at least in terms of its addictiveness".

[43] Matt Rooney of JoBlo.com suggested "Lost in the Woods" could become a fan favorite, writing that Groff "has the pipes to make it a worthy ballad to stand alongside 'Into the Unknown'".

[96] Billboard contributor Rania Aniftos dubbed the musical sequence one of the film's most iconic,[97] while The Mary Sue's Princess Weekes called it "visually satisfying".

Though Kristoff's love for Anna is real, and his frustration at not being able to put a ring on her finger genuine, "Lost in the Woods' is a hilarious throwback to the power ballads of the 1980s, down to how the song is visualized like a music video that might have featured a hair-metal band doing a slow number.

Critics agreed that "Lost in the Woods" is one of the film's funniest moments and praised its humor,[39][78][83][101] with Dana Barbuto of The State Journal-Register calling it a "fun surprise".

[63] Noah Levine of The Daily Texan encouraged readers to forget about "Let it Go'" in favor of "Lost in the Woods', calling the latter "a hilarious homage to retro love songs".

[57] Writing for TheSagOnline, Phoebe Kallaher identified "Lost in the Woods" as the film's only memorable musical moment, reporting that it "had every age group in the audience rollicking with laughter".

Annlee Ellingson of the American City Business Journals agreed that "Lost in the Woods" is the sequel's musical highlight, despite feeling it lacks the earworm potential to rival "Let it Go".

[37] Vox writer Aja Romano admitted that they found "Lost in the Woods" generic upon subsequent re-listens despite initially selecting it as the film's best song, believing the ballad could be performed by any Frozen II character.

[109] Simran Hans of The Guardian dismissed "Lost in the Woods" as "forgettable",[110] while Petrana Radulovic of Polygon remarked that the song "would be absolutely hilarious if it didn't stall the movie for three minutes".

[41] Kimberly Jones of The Austin Chronicle offered a negative review, describing "Lost in the Woods" as a "low point" and its lyrics as "numbingly straightforward" and "bereft of wit".

[88] Sam Adams, writing for Slate, opined that "Lost in the Woods" being the film's best moment is actually "not a great sign", fearing younger viewers would not understand the scene's retro references.

[112] Syfy selected the track as their "Chosen One of the Day", with author Courtney Enlow penning an entire article celebrating Groff having earned a proper solo and its use of a reindeer choir.

[114] Matt Berger of Screen Rant named "Lost in the Woods" the second-best song from the film, calling it both "hilariously catchy" and effective for character development.

[86] Marisa LaScala of Good Housekeeping ranked "Lost in the Woods" the 36th best Disney song of all-time, citing it as an example of Frozen II excelling when songwriters try new genres.