Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Lawrence was so thrilled of singing live that she reported broke down in tears before filming, yet her raw, haunting rendition of “The Hanging Tree” not only stunned the 150 crew members on the set of The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 , but also unexpectedly rocketed to No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
The Breakdown on Set
The high-stakes scene required Lawrence’s character, Katniss Everdeen, to sing a forbidden folk song, which quickly transforms into a powerful rallying cry for the districts rebelling against the Capitol. Lawrence was incredibly self-conscious about her voice, describing it as “deer-like,” and begged Director Francis Lawrence to allow her to lip-sync.
The director, however, insisted on a live vocal take to capture the raw vulnerabilities needed for the pivotal moment. Director Francis Lawrence later revealed the star’s intense anxiety, stating, “She was horrified to sing, she cried a little bit in the morning before she had to sing.” Despite her genuine fear and the pressure of performing in front of approximately 150 crew members, Lawrence pushed through, delivering a deep, vulnerable performance that perfectly captured Katniss’s despair and defiance.
The Data of a Global Hit
The song, credited to James Newton Howard featuring Jennifer Lawrence, was an unexpected commercial juggernaut. It was based on lyrics by Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins , with the melody composed by Jeremiah Fraites and Wesley Schultz of The Lumineers .
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Billboard Hot 100 Peak: The track debut and peaked at a remarkable No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the US, becoming the highest-charting song from The Hunger Games franchise.
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Sales and Certification: The song sold an estimated 200,000 digital downloads in its debut week and has since been certified 2x Platinum in the US, moving over 1.1 million certified units .
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Global Reach: “The Hanging Tree” was a true international success, peaking at No. 1 in several European countries including Germany, Austria, and Hungary, and hitting No. 5 in Australia and No. 14 on the UK Singles Chart .
The song’s authenticity, born from Lawrence’s raw fear and the director’s insistence, propelled the actress—who never considered herself a singer—into the exclusive club of Academy Award winners who have scored a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.