If you haven't heard of Hamilton, the musical phenomenon that has taken Broadway (and politics. Looking at you, Pence) by storm this past year, where have you been living? The show, written by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda, follows the life of America's first treasury secretary Alexander Hamilton and his rise and fall. The show has been playing to sold-out audiences, even with its notoriously high ticket prices, at the Richard Rodgers theatre for over a year. Now, Miranda is at it again, collaborating with some of his personal favorite artists to create the Hamilton Mixtape. The mixtape features covers, demos, and original pieces inspired by the musical. It just dropped on December 2, 2016 and after playing it on repeat for the past 24 hours, I would like to share my thoughts on each track with you.

1. No John Trumbull (Intro) - The Roots

This is the perfect way to introduce us to the mixtape. It's a song that was initially cut from the musical, but I think it was repurposed quite well for this. The "what you're about to witness..." line is what leads us into the next track and it's the perfect device for introduction.

And of course...that musical transition between this track and the next...

2. My Shot (Rise Up Remix) - Busta Rhymes, The Roots, Joell Ortiz, Nate Ruess

This one I was especially excited for, mostly because I knew how much it meant to Lin. Busta Rhymes is one of his biggest inspirations and I can't imagine how it must have felt to have him involved in this project.

The song itself features original lyrics on the verses, and the chorus is taken directly from the song of the same name from the musical. I think this contrast works well with this track, as the original lyrics coincide topically with the theme of the song it is inspired by. The utilization of Nate Ruess' voice on the iconic "woahs" works well, and I prefer it to the alternatives which would have been sampling the track from the musical or leaving that part out completely. That being said, I think his unique voice could have been featured a bit more. It seems almost like a waste of a talent.

My personal favorite section of this track is the last couple of lines of Joell Ortiz's verse, where he makes very clear references to Eminem's "Lose Yourself." That song was a defining one in my childhood so this track gets brownie points for that.

3. Wrote My Way Out - Nas, Dave East, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Aloe Blacc

This was an early standout to me, and I would still consider it my favorite track on the mixtape.

This song samples the line "I wrote my way out" from the musical, and I think it works well. The idea of writing your way out is something that has resonated with me since I first started listening to the musical's soundtrack. The idea that writing can help you get out of a bad situation I think is applicable to a lot of people's circumstances. Lin has mentioned in multiple interviews that this idea is inherently a rap story, because rappers often write lyrics as a way to both literally and figuratively escape their negative lives. That being said, I very much enjoyed hearing those words in that context. It's a powerful sentiment that I think many people can relate to.

Also, those internal rhymes in Lin's verse...

4. Wait For It - Usher

All this praise had to reach an end at some point. This track was just okay for me.

I think Usher is an extremely talented singer and performer. He is another artist whose music defined my adolesence. This is a pretty powerful song and I expected him to take it to the next level but unfortunately it fell kind of flat. Not to mention, there were some strange lyric changes that didn't quite match up with each other. I understand the need to make some of the lyrics more general, so as to appeal to a pop audience rather than Hamilton fans, but the changes made in this track seemed cumbersome and inconsistent. Bottom line is, if it came down to it, I'd much prefer to listen to the version of this song from the musical sung by Leslie Odom, Jr.

5. An Open Letter (interlude) - Watsky feat. Shockwave

This was one of my favorite songs that was initially cut from the musical and Watsky's rendition did not disappoint.

It starts off with a spoken word over what sounds like a pencil scribbling onto paper. If you're familiar at all with Shockwave, however, you will quickly realize that the sound is being made with his mouth. That just adds to the genius. Shockwave's beats in general are the show-stealing part of this track. The track ends with a kazoo sound which is actually comical, although weird.

My one wish is that they had chosen to parody this song to be about Trump. I understand why they didn't but, damn would that have been iconic.

6. Satisfied - Sia, Queen Latifah, Miguel

This was, unfortunately, another one that fell a bit flat for me. I say unfortunately because Satisfied happens to be my favorite song from the musical, so I had high hopes for this cover.

Sia can sing her face off, that's no secret. That's why I was hoping she would do something groundbreaking with this song. Unfortunately she kept it pretty tame. The vocals were good but they weren't anything spectacular. She didn't even do any sort of riff at the end, which some of the women playing Angelica have taken to doing recently. I like her voice, and I think it worked well for the song. I just wish she would have done more with it. That being said, Queen Latifah's verse slayed. It was definitely the saving grace of this track.

7. Dear Theodosia - Regina Spektor, Ben Folds

This is one of the covers that really worked. This track is proof that, if done right, the covers can be comparable to the original songs.

Spektor's voice fit this song beautifully, and the song really lends itself to her style. Ben Folds could have been utilized a bit more in the song. He is extremely talented and those talents were only really used for a couple of echos and harmonies. Overall, the song was done simply and I think that was best. It was not overproduced in any way and it was just light and pretty, which I think is exactly how this song should be.

8. Valley Forge (Demo) - Lin-Manuel Miranda

This song was another that was cut from the musical early on. The more I listen to this one, the more it grows on me.

The "oohs" in the background of Lin's vocals are incredible haunting and they set a tone that is different from anything else we have heard from the musical. Perhaps that's why it was cut. Some of the lyrics from this track ended up finding their way back into the musical in the song Stay Alive, which I think works better than this for the purpose of the show. As a song on the mixtape, however, I think it works well.

9. It's Quiet Uptown - Kelly Clarkson

This was one of the first tracks that got released early and it was one that made me really nervous for the mixtape as a whole. Luckily it got released alongside My Shot, so that kept my hope alive.

Don't get me wrong, the track is...fine. At least, it would be fine as a standalone pop song. It is very Kelly Clarkson-style, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I grew up listening to her music (this is becoming a recurring theme. Can you tell I listened to a lot of music growing up?) This song is an extremely emotional one in the context of the musical. It's about (spoiler alert) Hamilton's son's death. Something like that is difficult to pass off as a pop song, and the overall production of it seemed way too cheesy. The instrumentation was a cliche pop beat and the way it was sung did not have the same emotion I have come to expect from the song, having heard it on the musical's soundtrack and seeing it staged.

10. That Would Be Enough - Alicia Keys

This is one of those songs that you almost miss in the musical. Not because it isn't beautiful or important, but because it isn't a show-stopper. However, this rendition changes that completely.

If It's Quiet Uptown was an example of how not to remake an emotional song, this is an example of the opposite. Alicia Keys has a beautiful voice that completely lends itself to singing Eliza in general, and especially this song. She doesn't try to hard to change the song or make it sound too much like a pop song. It just...does. Her melody changes fit well and aren't too jarring, as opposed to some of the other tracks. Her riffs at the end of the song add a bit more to it, making it feel more like a complete song that can stand alone outside of the musical. And something about her singing "look around..." just feels right.

11. Immigrants (We Get The Job Done) - K'Naan, Snow Tha Product, Riz MC, Residente

This track could not have come at a more relevant time. It happened to be released just after the election of Donald Trump as our new president. I couldn't possibly think of a more important song to be put into the world.

Now, let me preface this by saying: I am not an immigrant, nor was my family. I am privileged enough to have always been an American citizen, coming from a line of American citizens. That being said, I can recognize how incredibly important it is for those who are immigrants to have a song of empowerment during this time. I don't want to get too political, but I know that many immigrants are living in fear right now given the current state of our country. This song offers a few voices of reason, of hope, of empowerment to these people. I can't argue with that. The verse in Spanish was a very nice touch, giving another perspective to the issues brought up in the song. The sampling of the words "immigrants, we get the job done" from the musical was a bit overkill and annoying after awhile but that is something I am willing to overlook for the overall value of the song.

12. You'll Be Back - Jimmy Fallon

Okay, this is a weird one. I don't hate it completely, I'm just a bit confused by some of the choices made here.

The introduction where Jimmy is talking and then begins the song with weird gasps in between lines just feels...strange and out of place. I'm not sure why this was included in the track but to me it completely ruins the flow of the mixtape and takes me out of it. That being said, once the actual song started, it wasn't bad. Jimmy was a great choice for this track because it's supposed to be comedic. He isn't a singer by any means but it works in this case because he's still funny, and on a recorded track you have autotune at your disposal. I love the Beatles-esque instrumentals in the background as well. I know the original track was meant to have that sound, but it was amped up tenfold for the mixtape and I love it.

13. Helpless - Ashanti, Ja Rule

Okay listen. If you were alive in the early 2000s you understand that these two were the dream team. If you don't remember the song Mesmerize, you were seriously missing out. Getting Ashanti and Ja Rule on a track together again is the ultimate accomplishment of this mixtape, bar none.

The track itself is pretty much a direct cover of the song from the musical. In this case though, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. Maybe I'm just so smitten with the idea that Ashanti and Ja Rule did their first song together in 10+ years, but I think this one really worked. The song from the musical isn't one of my favorites to begin with and I think this is the first cover from this mixtape that I'd prefer to listen to over the original. Thanks for getting these two back together, Lin.

14. Take a Break (interlude) - !llmind

This is weird just in the fact that I'm not used to hearing it, but after a few plays through it's already growing on me. This is just a song that I never expected to hear remixed. It works for an interlude and I'm glad that was all it was. It would've been even stranger if it was made into a full track.

Also...take a break...interlude...

15. Say Yes To This - Jill Scott

This is one that I liked the concept of more than the actual execution. The idea of hearing the iconic musical song "Say No To This" from the perspective of the woman Hamilton is cheating with was exciting to me. I'm just not sure if I'm entirely happy with the way they did it.

Jill Scott's voice is incredible, and it's absolutely perfect for a Maria Reynolds-esque character. It took me a few times listening to the lyrics, however, to full understand what was even happening in the song. The lyrics seem a bit abstract and I almost wish they were a bit more directly related to the lyrics from the original song. The sample from the musical is a bit weird too and doesn't quite fit. If they were going to have a chorus in the background singing "say no to this," it should have been an original recording with new voices, not the direct musical track. But regardless, this is a female empowerment track and I'm always a sucker for those.

16. Congratulations - Dessa

This was another cut track from the original show, and unlike my usual observations, this is one that I think should have been kept in the musical. But that is beside the point.

This song has been a favorite of mine since I heard the original cut track from the musical. It is such an empowering moment of Angelica's character, who happens to be my favorite. That being said, I was thrilled when I found out that this song would be featured on the mixtape. Dessa does a wonderful job with it, and she captures the tone perfectly. It has palpable intensity and emotion at all of the right moments. I even think this could work as a standalone track if it was reworked slightly to remove the names of characters from the musical. I'd love to hear this kickass female voice on the radio.

17. Burn - Andra Day

Holy moly. THIS is how you cover a song.

Going into this mixtape, I couldn't possibly imagine a cover that I would genuinely enjoy more than the original track but this one completely changed that view. Andra Day's voice is unbelievable, and pairing her with this song was the greatest choice anyone involved with this mixtape could have made. She puts a sense of urgency into the song that was not quite there in the original. It's a song of empowerment for the character of Eliza but it never quite seemed powerful. Now this could just be the style of voice that the people performing it possessed, but regardless, this song needed power and Andra Day supplied it.

18. Stay Alive (interlude) - J.PERIOD, Stro Elliot

This serves the purpose it was meant for, which was to separate that beautiful trifecta of female empowerment from the next few tracks that have a different tone. It was nothing groundbreaking, just a simple remix of a song from the musical, but the intention was clear.

19. Cabinet Battle #3 - Lin-Manuel Miranda

Another cut song from the original musical. Another one that I think works for the purposes of the mixtape but I can see why it didn't make it into the show.

When I listen to these cut songs, I often wonder if there was ever a time where they fit into the musical and just how many changes Miranda had to go through to reach the place the musical is in today. While this is irrelevant from my views on the song itself, I do find it interesting that at one point, a three minute rap about slavery was something that made sense. That being said, as a standalone on the mixtape, I enjoy it. Miranda's killer lyrics are obviously there, most notably "people follow like lemmings, all your hemming and hawing while you're hee-hawing with Sally Hemings"

20. Washingtons By Your Side - Wiz Khalifa

From the moment I read this track name, I was curious about it. The original song from the musical is called "Washington on Your Side" and I had a feeling the addition of the S in the title would change the meaning of the song from George Washington himself, to money.

That being said, I think this one was a stretch. It was a very loose inspired-by, in that the only thing that remained was a bit of the melody and lyrics in the chorus. The meaning of the song completely changed to be a song about how Wiz Khalifa is making money and people's views on him have changed. It's an interesting track, the lyrics are good, and I think it would make a great standalone song for the radio, if the melodies from the musical were cut. As far as being on the mixtape, it seemed like it was trying too hard to fit in.

21. History Has It's Eyes On You - John Legend

This is another song that has restored my faith in the ability to cover songs well. Everything about this one is perfect.

Right off the bat, there is a gospel feel to the song, which is completely fitting for the song itself. John Legend as George Washington in general just feels right. His voice fits the part, and it packs the exact amount of strength and power that anyone singing Washington should. His voice has an extremely unique presence to it. It's commanding and makes you stop and listen to every word. Ths isn't even a style of song that I would listen to usually but the moment it began, I felt required to drop everything to listen to every word.

22. Who Tells Your Story - The Roots, Common, Ingrid Michaelson

I was worried going into this one, as this song is so beautiful as it is. I was a bit nervous that it would get ruined by overproduction and while I don't think it was completely ruined, I do think some of the choices were a bit overkill.

There is a lot of sampling of the original song, but the sample has been sped up. I initially hated this choice just because I am obviously a musical purist (if you've gotten this far in the review without realizing this, I don't know what to tell you). I don't like when the emotional, beautiful songs from the show get taken out of context and ruined. However, after giving it a few listens, the remix factor of it really grew on me. The chrous is catchy and what started as a song that I didn't think I'd ever listen to again, I'd almost venture to say is now one of my favorites on the album.

23. Dear Theodosia (Reprise) - Chance the Rapper, Francis and the Lights

I hate to end on a bad note, but this is arguably the worst track on the album.

Every single thing about this song is just...wrong. From the fact that Chance, a rapper, is singing, to the weird synthesized bits, to the jumbled ending that is straight out of a nightmare sequence of a horror film. It's just...it's too much. I will never understand why this was the last track on the album. Who Tells Your Story seemed like the obvious ending point, and this song is almost like a strange afterthought. It's not done well and it doesn't fit and it's just a very disappointing note to end on.

On the whole, I highly recommend giving this mixtape a listen. You don't have to be a fan of Hamilton to connect with the messages in a lot of these songs. This album bridges a formerly quite large gap between the musical theatre world and pop/hip hop/R&B music, and I can not thank Lin-Manuel Miranda enough for that.