"In Summer"
Song by Josh Gad
from the album Frozen
PublishedWonderland Music Company
ReleasedNovember 25, 2013
Recorded2012[1]
GenreShow tune
Length1:54
LabelWalt Disney
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)

"In Summer" is a song from Disney's 2013 animated feature film Frozen, with music and lyrics composed by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

Synopsis

The song is performed by Olaf (Josh Gad), and is a comedic and ironic ballad in which Olaf expresses how he wants to experience the season of summer. He is seen in several positions, including in shades, relaxing in a hot tub, playing on a beach, dancing around sand people, and relaxing on a picnic, unaware that as a snowman he will melt, and therefore his dream is in vain. The song is considered darkly comical large in part because every single thing that Olaf does is something that will only make him melt faster.

Background

According to Josh Gad, since Robert Lopez had already co-written The Book of Mormon (in which Gad was the original Elder Cunningham), Lopez already knew what type of voice he had, and so that influenced the type of song that was written for him. Gad also appreciated being able to perform a song "without 20 f-bombs in it", so it was acceptable for a younger demographic. The songwriters asked him to do "the operatic ending", a request that amused Gad.[2]

He argued that the song was not morbid, and is instead filled with a "youthful optimism", as Olaf still acts like the ages of Elsa and Anna when they created him - he is the last vestige of their forgotten past - and therefore everything he does has a naïve and hopeful quality to it.[2]

The song replaced an earlier song for Olaf titled "Hot Hot Ice," which Anderson-Lopez described as "Hot Hot Hot meets Simon & Garfunkel. It didn't work."[3]: 37:05 

Critical reception

Time dubbed it "the movie’s mid-show-stopper" and "a musical-comedy miracle", writing "A soft-shoe number with brilliant choreography of character, voice and visuals (it ends with a swirling tracking shot that quotes the one that accompanied Julie Andrews singing 'The Sound of Music'), 'In Summer' makes Olaf's weather delusion sound and look deliciously delirious".[4] CinemaBlend said it was "the film's best song",[5] and National Catholic Register called it "the movie’s funniest scene and best song".[6] Variety said it was the "most inspired musical number", and added it was "wryly visualized by Buck and Lee and expressed in playful lyrics".[7] The Morton Report described it as "Josh Gad’s spotlight number", and noted that it "might not exactly drive the narrative, but it’s hilarious."[8] Rochester City Newspaper said "Josh Gad’s distinctive, totally-committed performance gives In Summer a lot of heart.[9] HighDef Digest said it was "a nice break from the darkness and action".[10] New York Post calls it "a superb comic number, describing it as "a denialist fantasy on par with "By the Sea" in Sweeney Todd".[11] Sputnikmusic said it was "charmingly heavy-handed", "It’s one of the few pieces which doesn't take itself seriously, and as a result it’s by far the best song on the soundtrack. The buzzing, nimble lyrics succeed as well, and the admittedly simple premise stays fresh throughout alongside whimsical string plucks and offbeat acoustic guitar."[12] CraveOnline deemed it one of the two "unforgettable, showstopping number[s]" of the musical, along with "Let It Go", and describes it as "a delightfully wry confection".[13] CommonSenseMedia, responding to Jonathan Groff's character's quips to try to burst Olaf's bubble, said "Groff captures Olaf's neurotic optimism in the hopeful tune "In Summer", describing it as one of the great character moment brought out through song."[14] Paste called it a "show-stopping comedy number", and adding it "provides one of the few moments when Frozen fully lives up to the Disney’s classics that have come before."[15]

Other languages

The Korean language version sung by Lee Jangwon appeared on the Gaon Music Chart's download sub-chart at 189 after being downloaded 7,000 times, however did not appear on the main Gaon Singles Chart.[16]

Charts

Chart (2013–14) Peak
position
South Korea (Gaon International Chart)[17] 10
South Korea (Gaon Chart)[17] 67
UK Singles (OCC)[18] 84
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100[19] 4
US Heatseekers Songs (Billboard)[20] 12

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[21] Gold 400,000‡
United States (RIAA)[22] 2× Platinum 2,000,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ Perlman, Jake (February 10, 2014). "On the Scene: 'Frozen' cast performs live for the first (and probably only) time ever". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 10, 2014. It was the first time the cast had ever sung the songs live and the first time many had sung the songs at all since they recorded the soundtrack a year and a half ago.
  2. ^ a b Sepinwall, Alan (2013-11-27). "Josh Gad on Frozen, being influenced by Robin Williams, and singing In Summer". Hitfix.com. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  3. ^ Williams College (June 30, 2014). "Exploring the Songs of "Frozen" with Kristen Anderson-Lopez '94". YouTube. Williams College. Retrieved August 10, 2014.
  4. ^ Corliss, Richard (2013-11-23). "Review: 'Frozen' – This Disney Princess Movie Is Thaw-some | TIME.com". Entertainment.time.com. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  5. ^ "Disney's Frozen Review". CinemaBlend.com. 2013-11-27. Archived from the original on May 24, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  6. ^ Greydanus, Steven D. (26 November 2013). "SDG Reviews 'Frozen' | Daily News". NCRegister.com. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  7. ^ Scott Foundas Chief Film Critic @foundasonfilm (2013-11-03). "Film Review: 'Frozen'". Variety. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  8. ^ Lipp, Chaz (2014-03-14). "Blu-ray Review: Disney's Frozen". The Morton Report. Archived from the original on May 24, 2014. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  9. ^ Netsky, Ron. "CD Review: Disney's "Frozen" Soundtrack | Music Reviews". Rochester City Newspaper. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  10. ^ "Frozen - 3D (2013) [UK Import] Blu-ray Review | High Def Digest". Bluray.highdefdigest.com. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  11. ^ Smith, Kyle (2013-11-20). "Disney's 'Frozen' will melt your heart | New York Post". Nypost.com. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  12. ^ "Review: Disney Soundtracks - Frozen: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Sputnikmusic. 2013-11-25. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  13. ^ Bibbiani, William (2013-11-17). "Review: Frozen". CraveOnline. Archived from the original on 2014-05-25. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  14. ^ "Frozen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) Music Review". Commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  15. ^ Berkshire, Geoff. "Frozen :: Movies :: Reviews :: Paste". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2014-05-25.
  16. ^ "Gaon Download Chart 2014년 3월 2주차". Gaon (in Korean). March 1, 2014. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  17. ^ a b "Gaon Digital Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on 2014-05-27.
  18. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  19. ^ "Bubbling Under Hot 100". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2014-09-06.
  20. ^ "Billboard - Artists - Josh Gad - Heatseeking songs". Billboard. Retrieved 22 May 2014.
  21. ^ "British single certifications – Josh Gad – In Summer". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  22. ^ "American single certifications – Josh Gad – In Summer". Recording Industry Association of America.

External links

Disney's Frozen
Authority control databases
Categories