Hailee Steinfeld Sesame Street Performance - I Wonder, What If, Let's Try

Hailee Steinfeld has proven she's got amazing singing and acting chops, but her hallmark song on Sesame Street isn't a standout performance because Steinfeld doesn't really take center stage.

Grade: B

Character: Herself

Sesame Street Characters: Elmo, Rosita, Abby Cadabby, Rudy, Big Bird

Episode: #5103

Original Air Date: November 26, 2020

Season 51 was a big one for new Sesame Street anthems, starting with I Wonder, What If, Let's Try by Hailee Steinfeld. It came out just one episode before Maren Morris' Oops! Whoops! Wait, Aha!

The biggest drawback is that Steinfeld seemed to be part of the background through a lot of the song. In the first interaction with the puppets she literally looked like part of the background given that she was standing well behind them. It was too far away for Steinfeld to interact with the puppets and make it feel more natural.

Throughout much of the skit when Hailee Steinfeld was on screen with the puppets there was little interaction. She did a good job playing to camera, but there could have been a better balance of playing off of the puppets. There were actually a few missed moments, which suggested the timing was somewhat off. Of course, getting the timing down right is very difficult when you're playing off a puppet.

And while Hailee Steinfeld easily had one of the most killer outfits ever featured on Sesame Street, it seemed to be a bit of a hindrance at the beginning of the performance. As she walked into the scene and down a few steps Steinfeld had to break eye contact away from the camera to look down to safely stay in frame. It definitely took away from the performance.

Steinfeld gets bonus points for the song being extremely catchy. In terms of the singing she did the Sesame Street's new catchphrase justice. All in all, it was a solid performance, but it wasn't a standout performance. And for that reason, The Sesame Street Critic is giving Hailee Steinfeld a B.

What Do You Think About Hailee Steinfeld's Sesame Street Performance?

Did you think Hailee Steinfeld's Sesame Street performance is a showstopper? Or do you agree that there could have been a stronger presence onscreen? You be the critic!