Caution: Spoilers Ahead for West Side Story
People have been singing the songs of West Side Story for decades—here is a ranking of all 13 songs featured in Steven Spielberg’s 2021 adaptation of the musical. While all the songs are excellent and are important to the racially charged Romeo and Juliet story, there are a few which stand out above the rest. The remake of the film includes all the songs from the original Broadway show and 1961 movie, and added a version of the Puerto Rican National anthem. The original music was written by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by the recently deceased Stephen Sondheim.
While all of West Side Story’s songs are excellent and are important to the racially charged Romeo and Juliet story, there are a few which stand out above the rest. The songs have left a lasting impression on the world, inspiring and influencing current songwriters and playwrights such as Lin-Manuel Miranda. The 1961 film adaptation of the movie has been well-regarded over time, leaving many wondering if Spielberg could live up to its legacy.
Spielberg proved himself able to maintain the classic integrity of West Side Story's music while staging songs in new and exciting ways. The young and relatively unknown cast also brought a joyous energy to their musical performances, especially Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose, and Mike Faist in the respective roles of Maria, Anita, and Riff. With its high praise and Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, it seems likely that Spielberg’s version of West Side Story will be the one seen by future generations and its soundtrack the one that people will listen to over and over again. Here’s a ranking of all 13 songs from the film.
Somewhere
While this song may be a favorite for some, it falls to the bottom of this list because of its slowness. Sung in West Side Story (2021) by Rita Moreno’s Valentina (a slightly controversial new character created for the film), “Somewhere” is sandwiched between two far more dynamic songs in the movie. Moreno sings the lullaby with a sweet conviction that fits the character’s sentiment of longing for her deceased husband but it also overlays a tender moment between Tony and Maria. The effect is a little jarring in consideration of the fact that Tony had just killed Bernardo a couple of scenes prior to the song.
One Hand, One Heart
This duet between Tony and Maria is pretty and purports the admirable ideal of commitment in a romantic relationship. However, the couple had met only the night before and this song takes place on their first date, highlighting their naïveté. Ansel Elgort and Rachel Zegler have wonderful chemistry (especially when compared to the main actors from the 1961 version) that makes the whirlwind romance believable but this is not their best duet in West Side Story (2021).
La Borinqueña
This addition to the soundtrack of West Side Story (2021) is not an original, although it is the first time it has been used in service to the story. “La Borinquena” is the Puerto Rican song that became the country’s national anthem in 1952 after it was officially made Commonwealth. The first song in Spielberg’s take on the musical, it marks the gravity with which the film takes on the subject of race and puts the Sharks on even ground with the Jets. It shows the pride and power of Bernardo (David Alvarez) and the Sharks, whereas the 1961 version of the movie featured the Jets more prominently.
Jet Song
An introductory number for the Sharks rivals, this song is remembered for the iconic imagery it conjures of tough guys snapping their fingers and dancing in t-shirts and jeans. Besides this visual and its narrative importance in characterizing the Jets gang and its motivations, their title song isn’t as memorable as several later songs. It’s a fun number early number in West Side Story (2021) but its leverage over “La Boriqueña” comes simply from the fact that the song is an original to the film’s story.
María
Tony’s ballad after meeting Maria at a dance captures the wonder of a person in the early stages of romance, before the relationship has gone through any conflict. Spielberg employs some clever visual cues during “Maria”, such as streetlights turning on behind Tony each time he sings the name of his beloved. Elgort sings it well, but this is the slower of Tony’s ballads making it a slightly less exciting moment in West Side Story (2021).
Something’s Coming
Tony’s solo songs fall right next to one another on this list but “Something’s Coming” edges out “Maria” by being the more musically dynamic. While West Side Story (2021) made a point of hiding Elgort in the trailer (likely due to recent assault allegations against the actor), he holds his own in this movie even though he is surrounded by more seasoned singers and dancers. This song works the most in his favor, as Tony sings the song to Valentina while moving dynamically around her drugstore.
A Boy Like That/I Have A Love
This joint number between Anita (Ariana DeBose) and Maria is the most serious in West Side Story (2021). The spitting staccato of the lyrics in the first half of the song frames Anita’s anger towards Maria for choosing to be with Tony in spite of Bernardo’s murder. In the second half of the song, Maria mournfully pleads with Anita to understand her love for Tony. The differing tempos of the songs' parts play well against one another and the lyrics show the emotional consequences of the Sharks and Jets violence at the end of the movie.
Tonight (Quintet)
The Act 1 finale of the original stage musical, this song is the culmination of the rising tensions between the five most important characters/groups in West Side Story (2021). Alternating between Tony, Maria, Anita, Bernardo, and Riff and the Jets, the song hearkens back to “Tonight” but with far more intensity. The differing motivations between characters make this song exciting, as Maria and Anita look forward to seeing their respective boyfriends while the Jets and Sharks recklessly seek to fight each other.
Cool
If “A Boy Like That/I Have A Love” is West Side Story (2021)’s most intense song, “Cool” is a close runner-up. The 1961 movie placed the song following the rumble in which both Riff and Bernardo die but Spielberg returns it to its place from the stage show, prior to the rumble. One of Spielberg's major changes in the film is making Tony a primary performer in the number alongside Riff (Mike Faist). This change adds to the brotherly relationship between Tony and Riff as the former tries to keep the latter from getting into trouble. The scene is staged on a dilapidated bridge and is electrified by Faist’s edgy performance.
Tonight (Balcony Scene)
In terms of West Side Story (2021)’s love songs, this one is by far the best. A mid-tempo duet that describes all the joyous rapture of young love, Elgort and Zegler portray these emotions perfectly in their performances. It also feels the most familiar to the Romeo and Juliet premise from which it is adapted (the musical is one of many Hollywood versions of the Shakespeare play), as Tony sings conversationally with Maria first from beneath a balcony before climbing up it.
I Feel Pretty
West Side Story has many famous songs but the pop culture reach of “I Feel Pretty” has extended beyond the musical. It has been used in commercials and parodies, making it likely that some have heard the song before seeing either version of the movie. This song highlights Zegler’s talent as she prances around a colorful department store to sing brightly of the effects love has had on her.
Gee, Officer Krupke
Despite the title of the song, Officer Krupke (played in Spielberg’s adaptation by Broadway veteran Brian d’Arcy James) is not present during the performance of this song. Showing off the more humorous side of West Side Story, this Jets tune is a hilarious critique of the societal handling of juveniles in the middle of the 20th century. Spielberg savvily sets it in a police precinct where the Jets cause chaos while the officers are distracted by Anybodys (Iris Menas). The stage version places the number after the rumble but both movie versions place it earlier in the film to maintain tension in the latter half of the story.
America
This song is great in all its forms, speaking to the appeal the USA has for immigrants while also poking fun at the trials they face in this country. Ariana DeBose’s talent and charm are on full display in this song, contributing to her Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. She follows in the footsteps of Rita Moreno, who played the role of Anita in 1961 and won the very same award for which DeBose is nominated. The song bounces to a Puerto Rican beat and is by the far the most memorable number in Spielberg’s West Side Story.