Every In the Heights Song: RANKED

Fans of the original stage show will be delighted to learn that most of your favorite tracks remained intact for the 2021 movie. Instead of rewriting the Tony Award-winning soundtrack, Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote an additional song. In the movie, this song is sung by Anthony Ramos, who plays Usanvi; Leslie Grace, who plays Nina; and Marc Anthony who plays Sonny’s father. According to an article by IndieWire, Miranda called the movie a love letter to the Washington Heights neighborhood, where he still lives. What could possibly be a more fitting tribute than to end the movie with a song called “Home All Summer”?

The day after the blackout, Usnavi visits Abuela Claudia and the conversation soon turns to her winning lottery ticket. She urges Usnavi to use his share of the money to fulfill his dream of opening a bar on the beach back home in the Dominican Republic. In typical Lin Manuel Miranda style, he uses certain rhythms to differentiate between generations. While Claudia sings in more traditional Latin melodies, Usnavi overlaps with modern hip-hop beats, reflecting his biculturalism. Usnavi and Claudia reflect on the hundreds of stories that make up their past as well as the hundreds of stories awaiting them in the future.

Following Abuela Claudia’s passing, Usnavi and Nina go through some of her belongings. As Nina looks through old papers and photos, she comes to realize just how much of a central role the beloved matriarch played in her life. It’s almost impossible to hold back the tears as Nina takes us through photos chronicling Claudia’s life. This beautiful melody is an ode to the woman who made the neighborhood what it was, and the impact she had on all those in her path. To honor Abuela Claudia’s memory and uphold her legacy, Nina decides to return to college and finish what she started.

Nina’s mom, Camila doesn’t feature in the 2021 movie so, sadly, her song has been cut too. However, in the musical, this song takes place during the blackout, after the Rosarios finally find Nina. When they learn she was with Benny, a fight breaks out between father and daughter, forcing Camila to step in. In this feisty song, she confronts them both, pointing out that Nina and her dad are a lot more alike than they perhaps realize. As she leaves to let them work out their differences, she reminds them that they’re a loving family who’ll always have each other’s backs.

This number, although brief, hits like a punch in the gut. One moment we’re reveling in the party vibes of “Carnaval del Barrio'' and the next we’re having our hearts broken. Kevin informs his drivers, and the audience, that everyone’s beloved Abuela Claudia has passed away. It’s such a stark and sudden shift in mood as we’re taken from one of the most animated scenes in the entire show to one of its most somber. As well as being the adoptive Abuela of the neighborhood, Claudia has cemented herself in the audience’s hearts, too. Even as onlookers, we feel that she’ll be missed dearly.

The Piragua Guy actually plays a bigger role than you might initially think. When we first meet him, he’s struggling to compete with Mister Softee. However, in his reprise, things are starting to look up. His two songs are relatively short but they both feature at a time when the audience needs some livening up. The first one follows the emotional duet “When You’re Home” and the second one takes place after the heartwrenching “Everything I Know”. Even if he’s not center stage, the Piragua Guy is a predominant resident of Washington Heights. You simply can’t help but root for him.

Another song that you won’t be hearing in the movie adaptation is this one performed by Nina’s father, Kevin. After Nina confesses that she lost her college scholarship, Kevin feels helpless that he can’t support his daughter financially. He sings about how he overcame poverty and hardships to provide a better life for his family, but now he feels guilty that he can’t do more for her. Underneath his anguish, we also learn just how much he admires Nina and how proud he is of everything she’s achieved. As the song concludes, Kevin vows to do whatever it takes to help Nina complete her education.

In one of the show’s most emotional scenes, Usnavi leads the block in paying tribute to his adoptive grandmother. Nina starts singing Abuela Claudia’s praises, quite literally, and is soon joined by the others. Claudia was the bedrock of the neighborhood and this song just shows how much she meant to so many people. The melody is really beautiful, starting out soft and becoming more impassioned as it builds. Usnavi’s solo at the end is sure to hit you straight in the feels! Abuela may be gone but her spirit lives on through those who loved her. This will resonate with anyone who’s experienced loss.

This song serves as a perfect contrast to Nina and Benny’s earlier song, “Sunrise”. Nina has decided to go back to college and Benny worries about making it long distance. It’s a bittersweet love song as the pair are still in the early stages of their relationship but acknowledge the challenges up ahead. It also neatly brings their storyline full circle as you might recognize hints of the same melody as “When You’re Home” from act one. Miranda, who played Lee Scoresby in the BBC’s “His Dark Materials” adaptation, has since shared in a Slate interview that this song was inspired by a moment in the fantasy novel trilogy.

After Nina tells her parents that she’s dropped out of college, she heads to the salon seeking comfort from her friend Vanessa. Once there, salon owner Daniela and her partner Carla sit her down for a makeover. The ladies share gossip over this uptempo mambo rhythm, often repeating “No Me Diga”, translating as “You Don’t Say”. Daniela then teases Vanessa and Nina as she switches the conversation to their love lives. It’s such a fun number; however, the energy momentarily dips when Nina divulges that she won’t be attending any graduation. It picks up again quickly enough, leaving us hyped for the next scene.

There’s a lot to unpack in this bittersweet number. As the effects of gentrification take their toll, Vanessa visits Usnavi to celebrate their respective new chapters. Just as she’s ready to confess her feelings for him, she realizes that the time they have left together is short. Meanwhile, Usnavi awkwardly fumbles over the champagne, seemingly in a metaphor for the feelings he’s yet to address. Vanessa desperately tries to get Usnavi to stay in New York but he’s simply not reading between the lines. As the tension builds, the pair engage in a long-overdue kiss. This song manages to be funny, emotional, exciting, and wistful all at once.

It’s no “Guns & Ships” from “Hamilton”, but let’s be honest, you’ve also tried to keep up with Benny’s rap... and probably failed. It’s cool, we’ve all done it. Benny’s been left in charge of the taxi service dispatch when Nina arrives looking for her parents. As they reunite for the first time since she left for college, Benny tries to impress her with his awesome dispatch skills. It’s an enthralling hip-hop-inspired number with subtle Latin tones and invigorating energy. He certainly makes quite a fanfare over Nina’s return to the barrio, and the rising heat between them is something that not even the AC could help with!

Although we love all of the individual songs, it’s the ensemble numbers where the cast really shines. At the club, Usnavi and Vanessa are on their date while Benny drinks his sorrows away after being laid off. Tensions rise when Nina arrives to apologize to Benny, and Vanessa and Usnavi try to make each other jealous by dancing with other people. This all builds up to an incredible salsa dance break that’s both charged and exhilarating. As the drinks continue to flow, Benny starts a fight and suddenly, the power goes out. This scene alone is worthy of the show’s many choreography awards.

Following the chaos that ends act one, the curtain rises on Nina and Benny, who engage in an impromptu Spanish lesson while watching the sunrise. In a tweet, Miranda revealed that the opening notes to this song mirror the sound of the coquí, a frog native to Puerto Rico. This is supposed to reflect the calm that Nina feels during the blackout. The events of the night before are left to our imaginations, but the intimacy they shared is hinted at through their bilingual back-and-forth. Unfortunately “Sunrise” was cut from the movie. Still, we recommend giving it a listen, as this song is simply stunning.

Although we briefly met Vanessa in the opening number, this song gives us more exposition to her character. It also lays the groundwork for the romantic tension between her and Usnavi. The song is emblematic of merengue music, one of the freest styles of Latin rhythms, which may be symbolic of Vanessa’s dream to be free of her present circumstance. It’s also during this song that Sonny plays wingman for his cousin, asking out Vanessa on his behalf. Usnavi celebrates his upcoming date with Vanessa; however, he frets that they’re on very different paths as she’s so determined to leave her life in Washington Heights behind.

In an interview with The Harvard Crimson, Miranda shared that this song “came out of finding a phrase that would encapsulate Abuela Claudia’s worldview”. Although, he also confessed that it became his mantra while writing the musical. In this mambo-inspired number, we’re taken on a journey through Claudia’s past: from living in Cuba to immigrating to the U.S. with her mother. Through all their hardships and sacrifices, Claudia always held on to her patience and faith. She then reveals to the audience that she holds the winning lottery ticket. It’s easy to see how her backstory resonates with many and continues to be relevant even today.

This is a show about community, family, and finding home, as described in Swarthmore College’s conversation with the Maestro himself. In the finale, everyone is about ready to say their goodbyes to the neighborhood, but when Sonny unveils a mural of Abuela Claudia, Usnavi realizes that he’s been home all along. The movie’s ending is somewhat different, but what remains is Usnavi’s vow to keep this snapshot of his Washington Heights alive. Miranda has certainly lived up to that promise too, allowing the story to be told around the world and now also bringing it to the silver screen.

According to an MTV article, Miranda has described the story as “extremely personal” as it celebrates the people, cultures, and music that made Washington Heights feel magical to him growing up. Nothing is a bigger celebration of that than this absolute party anthem. While the power is still out, Daniela lifts everyone’s spirits with this neighborhood-wide party. There’s nothing more powerful than hearing the cast sing in both Spanish and English, and seeing them dance with the flags of the nationalities that make up their community. Whether you’re watching a screen or a stage, it’s almost impossible to fight off the urge to get up and dance along.

This song is bound to be a favorite of the romantics among us. Benny and Nina bond over feelings of alienation as they take a stroll down memory lane. Nina, who recently dropped out of Stanford, feels like she’s losing her way, but Benny wholeheartedly believes in her and is sure that she’s meant to do great things. Miranda actually wrote this song after a date with his now-wife, Vanessa Nadal, where they also took a stroll around the neighborhood. Bringing things full circle, the composer also revealed that his wife burst into tears after watching this scene in the movie. So, tissues at the ready!

Similar to the Act One finale of Miranda’s other well-known musical, “Hamilton”, “Blackout” is a musical gem in how it expertly overlaps multiple storylines and harmonies at once. As Washington Heights is plunged into darkness, the chaos is echoed through the polytextuality of the music. Benny searches for Nina, Usnavi has seemingly abandoned Vanessa, and Sonny desperately tries to protect the bodega from looters. It’s an animated and explosive number that brings with it several revelations just in time for intermission. There’s so much going on in this number; you can hear it multiple times and always pick up on something new!

According to Miranda, one of the biggest influences for this musical was “Fiddler on the Roof”. In fact, the title number shares a similar setup in how it presents the community and the themes of traditions and culture. We’re introduced to the small bodega owner, and protagonist, Usnavi, who raps in Miranda’s signature style. As more characters are introduced, other musical influences are interjected, giving us a feel for the neighborhood. The song perfectly transports us to Usnavi’s Washington Heights with its detailed exposition. It also creates a feel-good atmosphere, getting us hyped for the rest of the show.

In this song, Nina prepares to tell her parents that she’s dropped out of Stanford. However, coming from a working-class background, and as the daughter of immigrants, she feels like she’s let down the entire community. At one point the ensemble sings to her in Spanish and she responds with the English translations. With every line, she gets increasingly stressed out until she finally bursts into an impassioned soliloquy. In a conversation with Swarthmore College, Miranda explained that the Spanish represents “all of the burdens and expectations [the community is] placing on her”. It’s a beautiful and emotional song that’s bound to resonate with many and, at the very least, touch anyone who hears it.

This epic “I Want” song is a cinematic spectacular and musical masterpiece. As Usanvi discovers that he sold the winning lottery ticket, the neighborhood dreams about what they would do with the winnings. It starts with Benny rapping, but soon other musical styles such as dancehall and reggaeton are integrated, echoing the barrio’s diversity. It’s the perfect scene as it takes everything we love about this musical and showcases it all in one exhilarating number. Even with a few changes for the movie, it’s still just as iconic. This number makes us want to sing, dance, and dream about what we’d do with $96,000...