Shiny

"Shiny," performed by Jemaine Clement in the character of Tamatoa in Disney's "Moana," is a song that delves into themes of vanity, superficiality, and the facade of glamour. Tamatoa, a giant, tresure-encrusted crab, uses the song to express his philosophy of life that prioritizes external beauty and material glitter over inner values and genuine self-worth.

The song opens with Tamatoa reflecting on his past, aknowledging that he wasn't always as glamorous. He dismisses the conventional wisdom of "listening to your heart" and "being who you are on the inside," which is imparted by Moana's grandmother. Instead, he champions surface-level attractiveness, as evidenced by his obsession with being "shiny" like a treasure. This reflects his belief that external beauty and the ability to dazzle others is of paramount importance.

Throughout the song, Tamatoa equates his worth with his shiny exterior, which he believes makes him superior. The lyrics "I will sparkle like a wealthy woman's neck" and "Watch me dazzle like a diamond in the rough" emphasize his fixation on appearance. This fixation is also a metaphor for how people, in general, can become obsessed with superficial appearances and material possessions, often at the expense of more profound, intrinsic qualities.

Tamatoa's interaction with Maui, the demi-god, further explores these themes. He criticizes Maui for losing his former glory and for relying on the admiration of humans. Tamatoa's own transformation into a work of art, as he describes himself, is shown to be purely external, devoid of any real substance.

"Shiny" is a satirical take on society's preoccupation with surface-level beauty and the allure of materialism. The song serves as a critique of how external appearances can be deceiving and how true value often lies beneath the surface. It portrays the idea that what truly matters can't always be seen and that genuine self-worth comes from within, not from how one appears to others.

It is an interesting stuff – this song is called 'Shiny' and it is performed by Jemaine Clement, while there is a song in the soundtrack named ‘Bling-Bling’ and it is performed by a person named 'Shiny'. Interesting equivoque paronomasia.
A pop folk song continues a slightly over 3 minutes. And despite being performed by a person whose name sounds really French, it is sung completely in solid English.
The lyrics of the song completely recreate the French lyrics of the song ‘Bling-Bling’, probably to captivate the bilingual auditorium of the film or to stress out the idea even further.

Sources:

Moana Shiny Song: See Jemaine Clement's Musical Number - /Film