By Sean Perez-Gonzales
On Sept. 24, 2021, “Dear Evan Hansen” was released in theaters. The movie was based on the Broadway musical, “Dear Evan Hansen,” which debuted in 2016. I will be reviewing the songs from the movie, which build upon the original Broadway versions. There are a total of 11 songs I will give my thoughts on, and be prepared for an emotional roller coaster.
The first song, “Waving Through a Window,” starts with a mellow tone and the lyrics are soft talking about how to stay in the background, trying not to stand out. As the song goes on, it tells about them becoming more confident and getting out there. The song becomes more upbeat, with more percussion joining in and the vocals crescendo. It gains more energy, giving the listener a boost.
The next song is, “For Forever.” Overall, the whole mood of the song is pretty upbeat. This song sends chills down my spine when it reaches the end. The vocals are so captivating, and they reel you in as it goes on. After that is the song, “Sincerely Me.” This song is probably one of the more popular songs on the album. This is the funniest song as well. It explains two people, the main character and his friend, writing emails about an imaginary friendship.
“Requiem” is the next song. It sort of has a country feel to it but after a few measures it turns more church tone. This is more of a sad song, talking about a someone’s suicide and the family suffering through it. Up next is “If I Could Tell Her.” This is a love song. Mellow with soft acoustics in the background, this song is something I would listen to when I’m crushing on someone. The last few songs have been pretty sad and mellow, and that’s how the next song, “The Anonymous Ones,” starts out. This song can really get someone out of a funk, lightening their day. It talks about that people having a secret side of them, shielding themselves to make them seem prefect. The singer encourages people who hide their imperfections to let those imperfections out into the light and to love them.
Next up is “Only Us.” This is the most mellow song in the album. It’s another love song but it has a brighter note to it, saying they are enough for each other even though they have been through hell. “Words Fail” really messes with your emotions, pulling on the heart strings. The main character sings about all the things that have gone wrong with him, all his mistakes and the mistakes of others around him. The tone of this song is strong but so sad. This next song is my absolute favorite but literally brings me to tears every time I listen to it. “So Big/So Small” is about the main character’s mother having to raise him alone due to the father leaving. The vocals send shivers down my spine, filled with so much emotion that you feel like you’re there with them.
Last but not least is, “A Little Closer.” This is the way you end an album, hopeful and bright. It has an amazing orchestra in the background with an acoustic guitar harmonizing with the vocals. This tells about the main character reaching closer to his happy place or his peace of mind. I like that they didn’t make it a complete happy ending, its realistic. So, overall, I give this album a 9/10. I totally recommend this to anyone who needs a healthy dose of emotion.
