Above & BEYOND

FROM TIKTOK TO A DISNEY MOVIE SOUNDTRACK, MEET MUSIC'S TRAILBLAZING DUO

- Jade Carpenter

In 2021, Abigail Barlow, 26, and Emily Bear, 23, went viral on TikTok after sharing songs they wrote for a hypothetical musical based on Netflix hit Bridgerton. The following year, they won a Grammy for their concept album, The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical. Now, they are the youngest and first ever female duo to write the music for a Walt Disney animation. Taking the reigns from Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i, they have composed the songs for Moana 2.

With quite the combined résumé, they continue to have stacked schedules working on exciting solo and joint projects, including a musical of their own they hope to one day take to the stage. Right now, though, they are excited for Moana 2 to reach the world. Together they are making history – and there’s just no telling how far they’ll go.

What was it like when you got the call for Moana 2?
EMILY BEAR We screamed, I think?
ABIGAIL BARLOW Yeah, we definitely had our fair share of just freaking out separately and then we came together to celebrate. It’s wild – you never think when you meet a partner that it could open so many doors, but that’s what happened when we met.