The Pitch Perfect trilogy has featured an array of chart-toppers and even some underrated gems that weren’t that big in the acapella space. The film’s soundtrack also made room for original compositions, but some of the best Pitch Perfect live performances go for trusted cult hits and adapt it to incorporate acapella arrangements.
Pitbull and Ne-Yo’s “Give Me Everything,” which has largely been known as a rap/pop club track, has been used in the first movie with some synchronized vocals; other tracks like Jessie J’s “Price Tag” or Ludacris’ “All I Do Is Win” have been styled to fit a live polyphonic performance. These songs, as well as a few others, helped to make the trilogy really iconic. However, which performances and scenes stood out the most?
“How A Heart Unbreaks” Is A Rare Song With Instruments
Pitch Perfect 3
In an attempt to mix up the formula from the first two Pitch Perfect movies, Pitch Perfect 3 sees the Bellas reunite to entertain troops on a USO tour. However, for the first time, they aren’t just being compared to other acapella groups. Evermoist, headed by Ruby Rose’s Calamity, is a particularly tough act to follow with their earworm rock hit, “How A Heart Unbreaks.”
Beyond its catchy guitar riffs and Rose’s smooth vocal delivery, the song works well by breaking many typical post-breakup song clichés. Stanzas like “I’m gonna smile when it hurts Going out tonight with all of my girls Party ’til I can’t see straight This is how a heart unbreaks” acknowledge the pain that any split causes, but it’s a celebration of moving on and finding the happiness everyone deserves.
The First Riff-Off Started A Pitch Perfect Tradition
Pitch Perfect
While its cast of fantastic comedic actors boded well for Pitch Perfect before its release, few fans expected the “world-building” that it would do to establish acapella as a competitive event with its own in-world traditions. One such event was the riff-off, which saw different groups of singers jumping in and out of the active spotlight by connecting words from one song to words from another.
The result was an endlessly catchy flow of multiple songs chained together by their lyrics that showed the Bellas not only flexing their vocal chops but also their quick wit. While the riff-off was done again in Pitch Perfect 2 with an amazing cameo by the Green Bay Packers, it just couldn’t capture the magic of seeing this type of event for the first time.
“Since U Been Gone” Introduced New Singers With Style
Pitch Perfect
In the first Pitch Perfect movie, the Barden Bellas and the Treblemakers are down several members and need to recruit new singers. Instead of showing several individual tryouts, the movie instead uses a montage to stitch together an acapella version of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone.”
Beyond generally sounding great, the song is notable for quickly showcasing several singers’ personalities, styles, and strengths. From jaw-dropping voices to spot-on beatboxing, it’s a fresh take on a great song that succeeds in both entertaining listeners and moving the plot forward.
The Treblemakers Give The Championship All They’ve Got
Pitch Perfect
The first Pitch Perfect movie is centered around a national collegiate acapella competition, and none of the performances in the finale disappoint. While the Barden Bellas inevitably take home the trophy, the Treblemakers show why they deserve their clout as well.
Starting with Skylar Astin and company’s fantastic interpretation of “Bright Lights, Bigger City” and working its way into a Ben Platt-led “I’ve Got The Magic In Me,” it gives several of the main Treblemakers time to shine and acts as a proper penultimate performance for the movie.
“We Got The World/Timber” Set The Bellas Back
Pitch Perfect 2
The Bellas are consistently shown to be a top-tier acapella group in the first Pitch Perfect movie, so the sequel had the challenge of coming up with a way to give them somewhere higher to go. The stakes were raised by bringing their competition international, but the opening of Pitch Perfect 2 also showed some cracks in the group.
The song is as catchy as anything else for the majority of the performance, but stage and choreography malfunctions at the end give the Bellas a big knock to their self-confidence and sets them up to once again have a satisfying underdog story arc.
“Flashlight” Symbolizes The Bellas’ Bond
Pitch Perfect 2
The Jessie J number was seen to be a relatable anthem as it seemed to perfectly summarize the Barden Bellas’ friendship. With most of the characters graduating, there was a lot of anxiety about what the future would hold for each character and their futures. However, as the lyrics attest, the Barden Bellas had nothing to worry about since the group would not let any member go through this new and scary path alone; they’d work it out together.
The song is subtler in delivery and styling than most of Jessie J’s soul-vocal-led songs. “Flashlight“ is also one of the best covers in the Pitch Perfect series, and also makes it to the Bellas’ World Championship setlist. It follows Beyonce’s “Run The World” since it has a really upbeat tempo, and the lyrics are quite positive and hopeful.
“Light ‘Em Up” Is DSM’s Best Performance
Pitch Perfect 2
This Fall Out Boy anthem did astonishingly well as an acapella production; for listeners who are familiar with the jarring guitar riffs of the original number, the breathy tonality of Das Sound Machine’s performance came across as a novelty. They kept their set simple since there was quite a lot to improvise sonically, but the angst of the song is flawlessly projected.
The original number is repeatable and heady, which made it such a perfect pick for a final setlist, especially because it was followed by a lengthy rap sequence so a consistent tempo was crucial for the transition.
“Cups” Became A Viral Hit
Pitch Perfect
This is one of the most popular Pitch Perfect songs on Spotify, and for good reason. It’s an unusual composition, the original composition obviously has a longer orchestration than the one in the movie.
The lyrics are about starting a new journey, and Anna Kendrick’s original number explores the acapella element quite heavily. However, to make it more repeatable, sonic elements (like a light background piano) have been introduced, which helps the track maintain a consistent tenor outside of the film.
“Cake By The Ocean” Is Light-Hearted Fun
Pitch Perfect 3
The single by the Joe Jonas led-supergroup DNCE is one of the most danceable songs to have been featured in the franchise. However, the Bellas perform an impromptu version of the song during a car ride, and the track’s potential for a full-scale acapella production hasn’t been explored in the movie.
The song has a vibrant quality, it’s lively, and has some great uptempo musical work, which is smooth and yet quite simple. Essentially, it can be covered in almost any cheerful setting.
“Right Round” Showed The Treblemakers’ Style
Pitch Perfect
“Right Round” has room for versatility since it can work with all kinds of octaves; Flo Rida’s 2009 remix of the Dead or Alive number was able to anchor the composition almost entirely on rap. Pitch Perfect chooses to cover Flo Rida’s version, which makes sense because it’s more modernized. The song also switches between tempos so it can make the most of the chorus hook.
But what makes the song a valuable addition to the movie’s soundtrack is that no one would expect this classic pop track-turned-R&B-chartbuster to find its way to an acapella set, so the performance comes across as really refreshing.
“Crazy Youngsters” Is A Beautiful Youth Anthem
Pitch Perfect 2
Ester Dean, who wrote and performed the song, is one of the most gifted musical talents in the series, also responsible for writing some of Rihanna and Katy Perry’s most iconic hits. The song, although designed like a youth anthem, does not flow like a run-off-the-mill peppy composition.
It’s quite groovy but also deep and soulful with an intense soundscape; the right balance of drums and bass does a good job of balancing out the song’s vocals, and the single fits right into the movie’s context.
Party In The USA Showed The Bellas Opening Up
Pitch Perfect
This Miley Cyrus track balances a lot of sonic qualities, which makes it such an ambitious track; the song has been designed like a stomping, youth-oriented number but boasts pretty seasoned guitar work and even has some reggae elements.
But it’s not a frothy party anthem or something that can be referred to as ‘ear candy;’ it’s innately catchy and has some sophisticated jazz accents, which give it a mature edge. In the film, the Bellas sing it as a road trip number, which proves the song’s styling is incredibly adaptable.
“Cheap Thrills” Is High-Energy Fun
Pitch Perfect 3
Pitch Perfect 3 does not make a lot of changes in this track’s soundscape during the live performance. The Sia track is bouncy, effervescent, and has an unconventional lyrical rhythm which adds to the song’s unpredictability.
The song has a lot of synth layers, and it plays well when it’s being performed live since it elevates the tempo and makes it more nuanced. The Bellas’ performance makes room for impromptu high notes, which add an edge to the song.
“Give Me Everything” Won Gold For The Bellas
Pitch Perfect
The Bellas chose to feature this Pitbull, Ne-Yo, and Afrojack number as part of their finale medley. The original song design takes some R&B elements and mixes them against a soulful piano intro and a thumping synth parade.
The song has been packaged as a party anthem but incorporates some very stylized EDM elements, which make it such a great number for an acapella performance. There’s also simply a lot of room for vocal improvisation. For their performance, the Bellas focus on the chorus but don’t let go of the rap, which helps them stay true to the tempo.
