Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve posted a song list here, and I’ve had multiple requests asking for musical theatre song suggestions from the 2020s. It’s hard to believe we’re already about 1/3 through this decade. It’s also important to note that Broadway was completely shuttered from March 2020 through September 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many shows that have opened since have been revivals. However, there have been some strong original score and jukebox score musicals this decade so far, and I’d like to highlight songs from those here. For a list of great female character songs, check out this blog post.

Below is a list of [mostly] solo musical theatre songs from the 2020s performed by male-identifying characters. Note: Since I started this blog nearly a decade ago, discussions about gender in theatre and society in general have evolved so much (thankfully!). I don’t think anyone across the gender spectrum should be discouraged from singing these songs– though the majority of them will fit tenor and baritone/’baritenor’ voices best in their current keys.

P.S. If you need more musical theatre song suggestions, check out my professional repertoire guides here.

1. “Good Kid” from The Lightning Thief (Broadway; 2019-20)

Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


2. “No Friends” from Almost Famous (Broadway; 2022-23)

Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt | Sheet Music: TBA


3. “Perfect” [Broadway Version] from Jagged Little Pill (Broadway; 2019-20, 2021)

Music by Alanis Morissette & Glenn Ballard; Lyrics by Alanis Morissette | Sheet Music: Music Notes


4. “Only You, Lonely You” from Bad Cinderella (Broadway; 2023)

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by David Zippel | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


5. “Good Kid” from Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway; 2022-present)

Music by Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire | Sheet Music: TBA


6. “Epic III” from Hadestown (Broadway; 2019-2020, 2021-present)

Music & Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell | Sheet Music: SheetMusicDirect


7. “I Want to Be There” from Mrs. Doubtfire (Broadway; 2021-22)

Music & Lyrics by Karey Kirkpatrick & Wayne Kirkpatrick | Sheet Music: TBA


8. “Your Song” [Broadway Version] from Moulin Rouge (Broadway; 2019-2020; 2021-present)

Music & Lyrics by Elton John & Bernie Taupin | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


9. “Any Man But Me” from Mr. Saturday Night (Broadway; 2022)

Music by Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics by Amanda Green | Sheet Music: TBA


10. “Michael in the Bathroom” from Be More Chill (Broadway; 2019, West End; 2021)

Music & Lyrics by Joe Iconis | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


11. “I Have It All” from Flying Over Sunset (Broadway; 2021)

Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Michael Korie | Sheet Music: TBA


12. “I Won’t Let You Down” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)

Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


13. “A Strange Loop” from A Strange Loop (Broadway; 2022-23)

Music & Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


14. “Why Should I Die in Springtime?” from Paradise Square (Broadway; 2022)

Music by Jason Howland; Lyrics by Masi Asare & Nathan Tysen | Sheet Music: Tunescribers


15. “Love Me Like You Do” [Broadway Version] from & Juliet (Broadway; 2022)

Music & Lyrics by Max Martin, et al | Sheet Music: MusicNotes (Ellie Goulding version)


16. “Diana (The Rage)” from Diana: The Musical (Broadway; 2021)

Music by David Bryan; Lyrics by David Bryan & Joe DiPietro | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


17. “OK” from Shucked (Broadway; 2023-present)

Music & Lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally | Sheet Music: TBD


18. “For the Dreamers” from Back to the Future (2023-present)

Music by Alan Silvestri; Lyrics by Glen Ballard | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


19. “The Tree on the Hill” from The Lightning Thief (Broadway; 2019-20)

Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


20. “Talk to Me Dorothy” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)

Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


21. “She’s Out of My Life” [Broadway Version] from MJ the Musical (Broadway; 2023)

Music & Lyrics by Tom Bahler | Sheet Music: MusicNotes (Michael Jackson version)


22. “Somebody Will” from Shucked (Broadway; 2023-present)

Music & Lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


23. “He Lied When He Said Hello” from Some Like It Hot (Broadway; 2022-present)

Music by Marc Shaiman; Lyrics by Marc Shaiman & Scott Wittman | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


24. “Whaddya Do” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)

Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


25. “It’s Only a Matter of Time” from Back to the Future (Broadway; 2023-present)

Music by Alan Silvestri; Lyrics by Glen Ballard | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


26. “The Whole Being Dead Thing” from Beetlejuice (Broadway; 2019-20, 2022-23)

Music & Lyrics by Eddie Perfect | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


27. “A Little Joy” from Mr. Saturday Night (Broadway; 2022)

Music by Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics by Amanda Green | Sheet Music: TBA


28. “Loser Geek Whatever” from Be More Chill (Broadway; 2019, West End; 2021)

Music & Lyrics by Joe Iconis | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


29. “The Mess I’ve Made” from Mrs. Doubtfire (Broadway; 2021-22)

Music & Lyrics by Karey Kirkpatrick & Wayne Kirkpatrick | Sheet Music: TBA


30. “Jeff Sums It Up” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)

Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


31. “Happy for Her” from Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway; 2022-present)

Music by Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire | Sheet Music: TBA


32. “My Myopia” from Back to the Future (2023-present)

Music by Alan Silvestri; Lyrics by Glen Ballard | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


33. “The Vanquishing of the Three-Headed Sea Witch” from Bad Cinderella (Broadway; 2023)

Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics by David Zippel | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


34. “Whatever Love Means Anyway” [Excrept] from Diana: The Musical (Broadway; 2021)

Music by David Bryan; Lyrics by David Bryan & Joe DiPietro | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


35. “Wondrous” from Flying Over Sunset (Broadway; 2021)

Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Michael Korie | Sheet Music: TBA


36. “Mary Jane” [Broadway Version] from Jagged Little Pill (Broadway; 2019-20, 2021)

Music by Alanis Morissette & Glenn Ballard; Lyrics by Alanis Morissette | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


37. “As Long As You Love Me” [Broadway Version] from & Juliet (Broadway; 2022)

Music & Lyrics by Max Martin, et al | Sheet Music: MusicNotes (Backstreet Boys version)


38. “Lost in New York City” [Excerpt] from Almost Famous (Broadway; 2022-23)

Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Cameron Crowe & Tom Kitt | Sheet Music: TBA


39. “Hello, Baby” from Kimberly Akimbo (Broadway; 2022-present)

Music by Jeanine Tesori; Lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire | Sheet Music: TBA


40. “Broken” from Mr. Saturday Night (Broadway; 2022)

Music by Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics by Amanda Green | Sheet Music: TBA


41. “His Kiss, the Riot” from Hadestown (Broadway; 2019-2020, 2021-present)

Music & Lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell | Sheet Music: TBA


42. “El Tango De Roxanne” [Broadway Version] from Moulin Rouge (Broadway; 2019-2020; 2021-present)

Music & Lyrics by Gordon Sumner et al | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


43. “Rocket Ship” from Flying Over Sunset (Broadway; 2021)

Music by Tom Kitt; Lyrics by Michael Korie | Sheet Music: TBA


44. “Gotta Start Somewhere” from Back to the Future (2023-present)

Music by Alan Silvestri; Lyrics by Glen Ballard | Sheet Music: TBA


45. “This Thing” from Tootsie (Broadway; 2019-20)

Music & Lyrics by David Yazbek | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


46. “Another Terrible Day” from The Lightning Thief (Broadway; 2019-20)

Music & Lyrics by Rob Rokicki | Sheet Music: TBA


47. “Buddy’s First Act” from Mr. Saturday Night (Broadway; 2022)

Music by Jason Robert Brown; Lyrics by Amanda Green | Sheet Music: TBA


48. “Boundaries” from A Strange Loop (Broadway; 2022-23)

Music & Lyrics by Michael R. Jackson | Sheet Music: MusicNotes


49. “Bad” from Shucked (Broadway; 2023-present)

Music & Lyrics by Brandy Clark & Shane McAnally | Sheet Music: TBD


50. “I’m Coming” from Paradise Square (Broadway; 2022)

Music by Jason Howland; Lyrics by Masi Asare & Nathan Tysen | Sheet Music: TBA


For a list of great 2020s female character songs, check out this blog post.

– Kevin Michael Jones

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