Introduction to Matangi

Perhaps the most energetic of Disney villain songs, "Get Lost" introduces Matangi, the fierce bat goddess of Moana 2. The film, now available on Disney+ and set to release on physical media on the 18th, features a captivated sequence where Matangi, voiced by Awhimai Fraser, seduces Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) in one of the best sequences of the film to "get lost" instead of journeying in a straight line.

The Creation of "Get Lost"

io9 recently spoke with Moana 2 composers Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear—together known as Barlow & Bear—about writing "Get Lost," and broke down the track along with voice actress Awhimai Fraser, who sings the instant classic baddie song. According to Barlow, "We knew we wanted it to be like a big pop anthem. But we didn’t really know what she was singing about until we got the script. And it said that she was a goddess that was stuck in a giant clam and she was giving Moana some non-advice."

Matangi’s Complexity

Bear added, “I think she started out a little bit more evil or less good-intentioned. But the thing about Matangi is that she serves herself and serving Moana happens to help her in this case.” Matangi’s character is complex, and her intentions are not entirely clear, making her a fascinating and unpredictable villain. As Bear explained, "But she’s very mysterious and I feel like at any point, one thing could change her."

Finding Matangi

For Fraser, the process of finding Matangi was both on the page and in the music. "She’s got this older sister vibe about her to an extent. And I think that that was a really fun thing to play," she said. "She genuinely wanted Moana to succeed, but also when you’ve been stuck in a certain place and time for a very long amount of time, I think she was also learning sort of how to be sociable again."

The Lyrics of "Get Lost"

The lyrics to "Get Lost" encourage taking paths less traveled to find your way and Matangi embodies the nature of alluring unpredictability. As Bear shared, "I mean, ultimately, we didn’t even really what her agenda was. Is she good? Is she bad?" The song’s lyrics, as seen below, reflect this complexity:

Moana’s Journey

But before Moana can reach her full potential, she had to embrace jumping into the unknown. As Barlow shared, "Even the line ‘Get Lost’ was inspired by a conversation with real life Wayfinders, who said getting lost was the pathway to magic." Bear agreed that Moana had to reach a point where she had to toss out the rule book. "Her bag of tricks is used up. She keeps making mistakes, relying on what she already knows."

The Future of Matangi

Fraser hopes to return to the role, and it’s teased in Moana 2‘s post-credits scenes that it won’t be the last time we see Matangi. "I hope to kind of delve a little bit more into Moana’s journey and also how Matangi can keep playing with her and keep pushing her into spaces that maybe she’s not so comfortable with," she said.

Conclusion

Along with fans of the newest baddie among the Disney Villains, Fraser also hopes to discover more about Matangi’s backstory. "It would be really fascinating to find out how on earth—what did she do to get put into this giant clam and have to be there for a very long amount of time? She must have really annoyed Nalo." With Moana 2 now available on Disney+, fans can experience the magic of Matangi for themselves. The film will also be available on 4K and Blu-ray March 18 at retailers, with a special steelbook edition from Walmart.

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