Dear Evan Hansen (soundtrack)

Development

In August 2020, Amandla Stenberg, who portrays Alana Beck, was confirmed to be co-writing a new song for her character alongside Pasek & Paul. The song’s title, “The Anonymous Ones,” was revealed a year later. Stenberg explained to MTV News that her strong connection to the character drove the writing, allowing them to capture the shared experience that “we’re all going through it.” SZA performed the track, having felt an immediate bond with it and bringing in several demo versions.

She noted her rendition was “completely different and new, but also really respectful to the original melody and lyrics.” Most of the songs were performed live by the cast during filming. The film’s official website, launched in May 2021, listed “You Will Be Found,” “Waving Through a Window,” “For Forever,” and “Words Fail” as included tracks. That same day, Ben Platt told Vanity Fair that no major songs were missing and that all key beats and fan favorites remained, while also teasing another new piece, “A Little Closer,” created for Connor Murphy’s character. On August 24, 2021, it was announced that Justin Paul and Dan Romer would compose the film’s incidental underscore.

Release

The soundtrack for the film arrived on September 24, 2021, via Interscope Records in both digital and physical forms, coinciding with the movie's theater debut. It features five cover songs performed by well-known artists, including Sam Smith, Finneas O'Connell, Carrie Underwood, Dan + Shay, and Tori Kelly. The first cover to drop was "Only Us" by Underwood and Dan + Shay, which came out on September 3, 2021, alongside the movie's own version. Earlier, on August 26, 2021, the film's takes on "Waving Through a Window" and "You Will Be Found" were issued as promotional singles.

To promote the soundtrack, Ben Platt sang a solo rendition of the latter on season 16 of America's Got Talent and again on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on September 15, 2021. On September 10, 2021, the day after the film's world premiere, both Amandla Stenberg's and SZA's versions of "The Anonymous Ones" were released. SZA's recording later appeared as an unreleased track on the deluxe edition of her album Ctrl in June 2022. This same SZA version, along with Sam Smith and Summer Walker's cover of "You Will Be Found," plays during the end credits; the latter was made public on September 17, 2021.

"Sincerely, Me" preceded these, arriving on September 13, 2021. The vinyl edition of the soundtrack hit shelves on January 14, 2022.