This video of 14-year-old Lin-Manuel Miranda singing is so awkwardly perfect
Being a teenager is so easy feat. Seriously, we should pat each other on the back just for making to through to the other side. It’s a weird time for everyone, even for people —or maybe especially for people — who end being super successful. Don’t buy it? Just watch 14-year-old Lin-Manuel Miranda lip synching to Billy Joel at a party.
And not just any Billy Joel, but “River of Dreams” Billy Joel. This is peak 1993, right here. It looks like it’s some sort of family gathering, so at least he’s in good company. We’re not trying to get down on the Hamilton creator, but really, he looks like a huge geek. Miranda says so himself. Well, kind of.
“No YOU guys party, 14 year old me is busy lip-syncing Billy Joel into a camera,” he captioned the video.
He’s thoroughly enjoying himself, as you can see when he gets up real close for the hook. The man was a star from the beginning. He posted another video from the same event — 14th birthday party! — with his sister. He says “his voice was in a rough place,” which is maybe why he chose to lip sync instead of actually sing. OMG, that would be almost too much to bear.
In the middle of the niiiiight…
No YOU guys party, 14 year old me is busy lip-syncing Billy Joel into a camera pic.twitter.com/cMeDf9X07F
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 1, 2017
Family bonding.
My 14th birthday party, with my sister @mamacita1126. My voice was in a rough place. pic.twitter.com/06FTxzdYz7
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) March 1, 2017
What these videos show is that Miranda has always been just the nicest. He’s basically eternally smiling, singing, dancing, laughing, and being nice to the women in his life. (Not that anyone should get bonus points for that, but in these dark times any sign of woke men is welcome.)
And bringing his mom to the Oscars with him this year, since she told him long, long ago that she was proud of his Tonys and Grammys, but that if he were ever nominated for an Oscar, she had to be his date. He thinks that she’s so much fun, he’s even auctioning his parents off to a lucky winner who will get to see Hamilton with them in California. Yes, you read that right: people love Lin-Manuel Miranda so much they would hang out with his parents instead of him. No one is that good.
No is probably that good to post a video of themselves singing “River of Dreams” and still have friends, either. Lin-Manuel Miranda: obviously a national treasure.
