Man, does Anna Kendrick sure like to belt out a tune. As we told you previously, she had a Broadway past long before Pitch Perfect rolled along and was nominated for a Tony at just 13 years-old.
Since moving from stage to film, Anna’s kept her vocal chords in check by finding opportunities to sing on film and television — even when the project isn’t a musical. With her new movie Into the Woods opening on Christmas and The Last Five Years and Pitch Perfect 2 coming out in 2015 — SO MUCH SINGING — now is a prime opportunity to remind you just how much Anna Kendrick likes to break out in song. It’s A LOT.
Camp — 2003
Anna’s first screen performance had her playing an understudy that wasn’t about to let herself be robbed of the spotlight. She also manages to trick an audience into giving her a standing ovation — gotta admire that. Riiiiiiiiiiiise. Riiiiiiiiiiise. Riiiiiiiiiise.
Up in the Air — 2009
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m22NaRb1APU
A classic karaoke song if there ever was one, and just a small preview of Anna Kendrick’s big screen singing to come.
“Down in Fraggle Rock” with Bend Folds Five and the Fraggles — 2012
This one’s a rather brief singing appearance and only comes at the end of the official Ben Fold’s music video, but I gotta give props to Anna for hanging with some of my childhood icons. Not you, Ben.
End of Watch — 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q0EPpgCoDs
The found footage style camera work of this clip from the David Ayer cop drama adds an extra bit of realness to the relationship between Jake Gyllenhaal’s rookie cop and his new girlfriend. Just a couple of young kids singing a 90s pop song in the car — there are dozens of videos just like it on YouTube, and you can tell it’s not going to be a happy ending for these two.
Pitch Perfect — 2012
Should Blackstreet ever decide to do another album and feel they need that certain touch that only a red-headed actress from Portland, Maine can give — Anna Kendrick’s got it on lock. Anna’s 90s R&B skills in End of Watch were only a teaser of what to expect in Pitch Perfect. By the end of the song Anna had all of America wanting to bag it up.
Anna sings for Dave — 2012
The singing is fine here, but the real show is Anna nailing that old-timey cup and clap trick in a single try. You can’t ask for more than Dave Letterman giving you a standing ovation and telling his audience to get their asses up.
Anna joins a Korean pop supergroup — 2013
Based on the mind-melting weirdness that makes up 90% of Korean pop videos, this seems fairly accurate. Two points deducted though for no explosions or lasers.
Comedy Bang Bang — 2013
[protected-iframe id=”f8c866c813b5d27039d1fba267c53838-60970621-60078829″ info=”https://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1″ width=”650″ height=”400″]
While most people would probably choose to be Beyonce in Destiny’s Child or a very distant second, Kelly Rowland — no offense to Kelly, just stating the facts — Anna would opt for Michelle. It’s a bold choice, but there’s always going to be somebody rooting for the Jan Bradys of the world.
“Dongs All Over the World” — 2014
First off, I’m going to applaud SNL for using the word “dong.” It’s by far the silliest word for a man’s privates and I’m not sure it’s being utilized enough. Second, this is not the song you want to be caught singing to yourself in line at the bank after it inevitably gets stuck in your head. (Apologies to the guy in front of me in line at Chase.)
Into the Woods — 2014
C’mon now, did you really think Anna Kendrick was going to sign on for a Cinderella movie and NOT sing? Not in this universe.
Pitch Perfect 2 — 2015
While we don’t technically get any new singing from Anna in the first Pitch Perfect 2 trailer, we do get her making a fart noise with her arm like a fifth grader. Good enough for me, now bring on Rebel Wilson’s fat girl jokes.
The Last Five Years — 2015
This is the Anna Kendrick musical that is really going to give theater nerds a bad case of the jazz hands in 2015. Anna plays a young singer who moves to New York and falls in love with a boy while working on a play. Expect random singing flashmobs, several gotta-make-my-point-across door slams, and a sh*tload of pizzazz.
