Anna Kendrick's Cup Song

The true voice of a capella

I recently saw a TikTok clip of Anna Kendrick watching her famous scene from Pitch Perfect performing “When I’m Gone” accompanied by a SOLO drinking cup. She was astonished by the fuss that the scene garnered – it became a viral video release and a smash single recording. Such a simple song, but the charm of its simplicity is why it drew people in, that and her own engaging sweetness.

She claims now that she can’t watch it without a grimace for technical reasons. It is too jarring for her to hear how she rushes the cadence of each phrase. In the professionally mastered recording of the song, the producer had her work with a metronome to keep the rhythm steady.

In my mind, it is the slight rushing that gives the scene and the song so much of its authenticity and its charm. I sang a capella music for four years in college, heard dozens of auditions (including a plethora of Shenandoahs and Marias). One of the constants in amateur singing is the tendency to rush the unaccompanied solo. The best soloists were only slightly rushed in their performances; the least experienced would take off on a trot.

When Ms. Kendrick sings her bit, we feel the undercurrent of nervousness and we enjoy the spirited lack of polish that college a capella always exudes. Too often, the portrayal of amateur singers in media is somehow magically professional. Here, we see the brilliant, flawed earnestness that makes school- and college-aged singing so endearing.

Don’t wince, Anna. Embrace the wonderful and genuine performance that you gave. Your beautiful song is inspiration, an attainable performance rather than a glitzy but hollow perfection.