You know that feeling when you're scrolling through the internet and you stumble on a weird hobby? That’s basically how we got the most iconic a cappella moment of the 2010s. Anna Kendrick didn't just walk onto the set of Pitch Perfect with a plan to revolutionize plastic kitchenware. Honestly, the whole thing was a fluke.
If you were alive and near a radio in 2013, you couldn't escape it. The rhythm was everywhere. Kids were driving their parents crazy tapping on dinner tables. It’s been over a decade, but Anna Kendrick Cups remains one of those rare pop culture artifacts that feels both totally dated and completely timeless. But here’s the thing: most people think the movie’s writers came up with the idea. They didn't.
The Weird History of That Yellow Plastic Cup
Let's get one thing straight. Anna Kendrick didn't invent the cup game. She’s the first to admit she’s just a "huge nerd" who spent an entire afternoon obsessively watching a YouTube video until her hands hurt.
The song itself, "When I'm Gone," is ancient in music industry terms. It was originally recorded by The Carter Family all the way back in 1931. Think old-school Appalachian folk. It wasn't exactly a club banger. Decades later, a British band called Lulu and the Lampshades (now known as Landshapes) had the genius idea to pair those lyrics with a rhythmic clapping game using a cup.
How It Landed in Pitch Perfect
The script for Pitch Perfect was originally way different. Beca Mitchell, the moody protagonist, was actually supposed to audition for the Barden Bellas by singing "I'm a Little Teapot." Can you imagine?
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It would have been a totally different vibe. Probably more of a "look how quirky I am" moment than the cool, effortless scene we got. When the producers found out Anna could do the "cups" thing—which she had learned from a viral Reddit post featuring a girl named Anna Burden—they ditched the teapot. Thank god.
Why Anna Kendrick Cups Went Triple Platinum
It’s easy to dismiss it as a gimmick, but the numbers are actually insane. The song, officially titled "Cups (Pitch Perfect’s When I’m Gone)," didn't just sit on a soundtrack gathering dust. It peaked at number 6 on the Billboard Hot 100.
That’s wild for a track that is basically just a voice and a piece of Tupperware.
- The Accessibility Factor: You didn't need a guitar or a $3,000 synth to play it. You just needed a cup.
- The "Pop" Remix: While the movie version is short and sweet, the radio edit added a full folk-pop arrangement with guitars and percussion.
- The Music Video: Remember the diner? Anna gliding through a kitchen while a whole staff of cooks does the rhythm in unison? It was peak 2013 aesthetic.
The song spent 42 weeks on the charts. For context, most "viral" hits today disappear after three weeks. This thing had legs.
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The Technical Side of the Rhythm
If you’ve tried to learn it, you know it’s harder than it looks. It’s a multi-step process that requires actual coordination. You have the double clap, the triple tap on the base, the lift, and then the tricky part—the "flip-and-slap" move where you catch the rim.
It’s essentially a percussion solo for beginners.
"I thought the best way to spend an entire afternoon would be like watching this video 50 times and learning how to do it," Anna told David Letterman.
That "entire afternoon" turned into a career-defining moment. It proved that Anna Kendrick wasn't just a "theatre kid" who could act; she was a legitimate pop star, even if she didn't necessarily want to be one.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the Credits
There’s a lot of debate about who "owns" the song. Since the original 1931 version by A.P. Carter entered the public domain years ago, the legalities are a bit of a mess. However, the specific arrangement—the pairing of that old folk song with the cup rhythm—is largely credited to the Lulu and the Lampshades version from 2009.
Without those two girls in a kitchen in London, Beca Mitchell would have been singing about being a teapot, and we would have all been spared a decade of teenagers tapping on tables.
Actionable Steps for the "Cups" Fan
If you're looking to revisit this era or finally master the move, don't just wing it.
- Find the right cup: Do not use glass. Seriously. You’ll break it, or worse, hurt your hand. A standard 16oz plastic stadium cup is the "gold standard."
- Slow it down: Most people fail because they try to match Anna's speed immediately. Start at half-speed. Focus on the "grab-pass" transition.
- Listen to the 1931 original: If you want to impress your music nerd friends, go find The Carter Family’s "When I'm Gone." It puts the lyrics in a completely different, much more soulful perspective.
The legacy of Anna Kendrick Cups isn't just about a movie scene. It’s about how the internet takes something old, makes it weird, and then hands it to a movie star to make it a global phenomenon.
Next Steps for Your Deep Dive:
To truly master the technique, search for "Anna Burden Cups tutorial" on YouTube—this is the exact video Anna Kendrick used to learn the routine. Once you've got the rhythm down, try layering it over other 4/4 time signature songs to see how versatile the "cup beat" actually is.