There's a Lot of Pressure

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"I've sung in the past, and in Polynesian culture, we sing, we dance, we play ukulele or guitar, things like that—but not to this level," Johnson adds. "It's Disney, and there's music involved. In a way, it's a musical. There's a lot of pressure...But I had the best time—really, the best time."

When Johnson hit the recording studio, Miranda gave him the boost of confidence he needed. "I didn't know how challenging Lin is lyrically when he writes. I just knew Lin. He's the king. He was just my dude, right? My buddy. He's great," Johnson recalled. "He sent me the song and I tried it, but it wasn't until after we were done with the session—it was like six hours—that I understood…these are really challenging lyrics in how they're put together, and where you go with it rhythmically and intonation. He goes, 'I want you to know: Feel good about yourself.'"