Opetaia Foa’I just achieved something genuinely historic. His co-written track“We Know The Way”from Disney’s Moana has officially crossed one billion streams across Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, earning him APRA AMCOS’prestigious Billions Award. The song, which features Foa’I’s vocals in Tokelau and Sāmoan languages, reached No. 93 on the Billboard Hot 100 back in 2016 and secured a spot on Billboard’s Greatest of All Time Disney Songs list. But the numbers tell only part of the story. What makes this achievement remarkable is what it represents: authentic Pacific Islander representation breaking into mainstream global success.
Foa’I collaborated with Lin-Manuel Miranda and Mark Mancina to create something that would reshape how Pacific Islander culture appears in Hollywood. Rather than serving as background flavor, the Tokelau and Sāmoan languages became central to the song’s identity and power. That authenticity resonated with listeners worldwide and proved audiences are hungry for genuine cultural storytelling. The success of“We Know The Way”opened doors for Foa’I to maintain creative involvement throughout the Moana franchise, from Moana 2 in 2024 through the recently released live-action adaptation. His fingerprints remain on the cultural DNA of these films.
The billion-stream milestone matters because it validates what many have argued for years: audiences will embrace and celebrate work that honors cultures authentically. It’s not just about streaming numbers or chart positions—it’s about representation that feels true rather than tokenized. What other artists or creators do you think deserve similar platforms to share their authentic cultural stories on a global scale?
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Local Lawton
Local Lawton is a contributor to LocalBeat, covering local news and community stories.