"Dear Evan Hansen" Soundtrack Lyrics

"Dear Evan Hansen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" Soundtrack Description

Overview

Is a movie musical still a musical if the songs feel like confessions whispered straight into the camera? Dear Evan Hansen (2021) answers that with a pop-forward score that puts vulnerability first. The film adaptation keeps the core pulse of Pasek & Paul’s stage songs—big melodies, plainspoken lines, emotion that climbs like a panic attack and breaks like a wave—while trimming several theatrical numbers and adding two film-only pieces to refocus the story on internal states.

Produced for the screen with crisp, intimate arrangements and a performance-led recording approach, the soundtrack doubles as character study: Ben Platt’s tremulous lead, Kaitlyn Dever’s steady warmth, Amy Adams and Julianne Moore in aching counterpoint, and Amandla Stenberg’s new solo (“The Anonymous Ones”) reframing the narrative’s empathy. It’s pop musical grammar—verses that breathe, choruses that blanket you—deployed to track anxiety, self-invention, and the cost of a lie.

Questions & Answers

Is there an official movie soundtrack?

Yes. Dear Evan Hansen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) was released in September 2021 by Interscope Records.

Which stage songs were cut for the film?

“Anybody Have a Map?,” “Disappear,” “To Break in a Glove,” and “Good for You” do not appear as full vocal numbers in the movie.

What new songs were added for the movie?

Two: “The Anonymous Ones” (performed in-film by Amandla Stenberg) and “A Little Closer” (centered on Connor Murphy).

Who composed the film score and produced the songs?

Dan Romer and Justin Paul composed the score; album production involved Justin Paul, Dan Romer, and Alex Lacamoire.

Are there end-credit covers by outside artists?

Yes—among them SZA’s version of “The Anonymous Ones” and Sam Smith & Summer Walker’s “You Will Be Found.”

Did the album receive awards recognition?

It was nominated for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the 64th Annual Grammy Awards.

Notes & Trivia

• The film’s songs were largely recorded live on set, then polished in post—helping performances feel conversational.
• “The Anonymous Ones” was co-written with Amandla Stenberg specifically to deepen Alana’s arc.
• “You Will Be Found” soundtracked the first trailer and anchors the movie’s viral montage.
• Four stage favorites are gone as full numbers, but pep-band cues nod to them in early school scenes.
• The soundtrack album charted strongly on U.S. Top Soundtracks and drew better notices than the film itself.

Genres & Themes

Pop-musical balladry carries the diary-entry intimacy of Evan’s voice—soft verses that steady the breath, choruses that crest into catharsis. It maps neatly onto anxiety spirals and fragile hope.

Acoustic pop/indie textures (piano, muted guitars, hand percussion) keep the film grounded in everyday suburban spaces—bedrooms, cafeterias, cars—where small choices loom large.

Choral swells represent community: texts, posts, and well-meaning strangers converging. In context, they’re both uplifting and unnervingly viral.

Tracks & Scenes

“Waving Through a Window” — Ben Platt
Where it plays: Early in the film at school, as Evan narrates his isolation; non-diegetic, with quick inserts of hallway glances and therapy notes.
Why it matters: A mission statement—anxious self-talk set to a pop engine, introducing the film’s first-person musical language.

“For Forever” — Ben Platt
Where it plays: Evan at the Murphys’ dinner table and beyond, spinning a story about orchard afternoons; non-diegetic that feels like a shared fantasy.
Why it matters: The lie hardens into myth; the melody turns nostalgia into evidence.

“Sincerely, Me” — Colton Ryan, Ben Platt, Nik Dodani
Where it plays: Comedic montage of forged emails between Evan, Jared, and the late Connor; non-diegetic intercut with mock “receipts.”
Why it matters: A pressure-valve of levity; rhythmic wordplay sells both the bit and Evan’s slippery ethics.

“Requiem” — Kaitlyn Dever, Danny Pino, Amy Adams
Where it plays: Three Murphys process Connor’s death in parallel spaces; non-diegetic, cross-cutting the family’s divergent grief.
Why it matters: A rare ensemble polyphony in a solo-heavy score; it complicates the sainthood Connor’s memory is granted online.

“If I Could Tell Her” — Ben Platt, Kaitlyn Dever
Where it plays: Evan in Zoe’s room, projecting his feelings via “Connor’s” supposed words; intimate, largely diegetic in staging tone.
Why it matters: Sweetness with a sting—romance built on borrowed truth.

“The Anonymous Ones” — Amandla Stenberg
Where it plays: Alana opens up at school, revealing her own hidden struggles; non-diegetic with confessional staging.
Why it matters: The film’s most valuable addition—expands the story’s empathy beyond Evan and reframes who needs to be “found.”

“You Will Be Found” — Ensemble
Where it plays: School assembly into viral social montage; starts diegetic, then blooms into non-diegetic chorus as posts multiply.
Why it matters: The movie’s emotional supernova and its most persuasive depiction of networked comfort.

“Only Us” — Kaitlyn Dever, Ben Platt
Where it plays: Quiet date and home scenes; soft-focus domestic montage.
Why it matters: Resets the tempo after the viral surge; a gentle plea for boundaries inside chaos.

“Words Fail” — Ben Platt
Where it plays: Confrontation when the fabrication implodes; non-diegetic but staged like a near-real-time confession.
Why it matters: Evan’s reckoning—melodic peaks crack under guilt.

“So Big/So Small” — Julianne Moore
Where it plays: Heidi’s car-ride memory, later at the kitchen table; intimate, speech-adjacent singing.
Why it matters: A parent’s perspective grounds the finale, explaining imperfect love without absolving deception.

“A Little Closer” — Colton Ryan
Where it plays: Connor-centered reflection near the end; memory fragments and stillness.
Why it matters: Humanizes Connor beyond plot device, giving the film a needed counterweight.

Music–Story Links

When Evan performs “For Forever,” the song doesn’t just build lore; it teaches the Murphys how to remember their son. “Requiem” then resists that gloss, letting Zoe question the internet’s halo. Later, “The Anonymous Ones” reframes the community chorus of “You Will Be Found”—not everyone who looks “together” is unbroken. And in “Words Fail,” musical certainty collapses; melismas that once soared now buckle, matching the story’s ethical crash.

How It Was Made

Songwriters Benj Pasek & Justin Paul returned to adapt their Broadway score for film, adding two numbers and paring back others to keep the camera fixed on Evan’s perspective. Producer–arrangers Justin Paul, Dan Romer, and Alex Lacamoire shaped a clear, modern pop palette with live-on-set vocals wherever possible, then layered studio detail to keep performances front and center. Dan Romer and Justin Paul co-composed the original score, threading motifs between songs and dialogue.

Reception & Quotes

Critical response split: many praised individual performances and the power of select numbers while questioning story framing. The album itself drew warmer notes for clarity and polish.

“It’s one of two original numbers added for the movie… ‘A Little Closer’ isn’t especially good.” Variety

“The movie version of the smash Broadway musical about forging human connections in a world of loneliness and uncertainty.” The Hollywood Reporter

“The cast performed most of the songs live on set.” Wikipedia

“SZA has released her rendition of ‘The Anonymous Ones.’” Pitchfork

Trusted source mentions (text-only): Variety; Pitchfork; Wikipedia; Billboard.

Additional Info

• The soundtrack drops the stage opener but sneaks pep-band nods to cut songs in early school scenes.
• End credits feature multiple pop covers, mirroring the show’s broad fandom footprint.
• “You Will Be Found” doubled as trailer underscore, boosting pre-release recognition.
• Amandla Stenberg’s co-writing credit gave Alana a rare movie-musical character song written with the actor in mind.
• Vinyl and digital editions arrived in staggered waves; physical formats followed the theatrical run.

Technical Info

• Title: Dear Evan Hansen (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
• Year: 2021
• Type: Movie soundtrack
• Composers/Songwriters: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul (songs); Dan Romer & Justin Paul (score)
• Album Production: Justin Paul, Dan Romer, Alex Lacamoire
• Label: Interscope Records
• Notable Movie Placements: “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever,” “Sincerely, Me,” “Requiem,” “If I Could Tell Her,” “The Anonymous Ones,” “You Will Be Found,” “Only Us,” “Words Fail,” “So Big/So Small,” “A Little Closer.”
• Awards/Charts: Grammy nomination (Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media); strong showing on Billboard Top Soundtracks.
• Release Context: Theatrical release September 2021 with soundtrack dropping the same day; covers by SZA, Sam Smith & Summer Walker, Carrie Underwood & Dan + Shay, FINNEAS, and Tori Kelly.

Canonical Entities & Relations

Sources: Variety; Pitchfork; Wikipedia; ScreenRant; Teen Vogue; Billboard; Discogs; IMDb; Apple Music.

November, 04th 2025