 According to Linda Buchwald of "American Theatre", "Journey to the Past" is also about overcoming and facing one's fears.Jeffrey Gantz of the "Boston Phoenix" identified the ballad as "self-fulfillment anthem", comparing it to similar songs used in previous animated Disney films.Some critics and fans have interpreted "Journey to the Past" as an "empowerment anthem for women", discussing "going out into the unknown and taking life by the horns.” Ahrens described the ballad as a song about "those are universal emotions that every woman, everybody feels as they step into their lives and take control of their lives and know that I'm at that no turning back moment in life".