‘Are You F—ing Serious?’ The Funny Story Behind Anna Kendrick Recording Pitch Perfect’s ‘Cups,’ And How It Became A Hit

Anna Kendrick in Pitch Perfect.

One of the most iconic moments in 2012’s Pitch Perfect (which you can watch with a Netflix subscription) is when Anna Kendrick’s character, Beca Mitchell, auditions for the Barden Bellas. The song she performs is “Cups” (or, “Cups (Pitch Perfect's 'When I’m Gone')”, a routine based on an old folk song by The Carter Family, written by A.P. Carter, that Beca accompanies herself on by playing a plastic cup.

The moment in the movie proved so popular with fans of the musical comedy that it became a big hit when it was remixed, extended and released as a single. To think, it wasn’t even supposed to be the song in the movie, as Kendrick explained recently on the podcast Call Her Daddy.