In the world of music, it is rare to find an album that spans across multiple styles and variations. Asking someone what their favorite style of music is, is a common question to ask when you are getting to know someone. They could respond with rap, country, pop, broadway, or any other genre of music. However, what if there was a way to combine multiple genres? Hamilton, the broadway musical about founding father, Alexander Hamilton has done just that. Now, I know what you're thinking. It's a MUSICAL, how revolutionary can it be? Quite revolutionary, actually. Hamilton has the brilliant ability to combine classic broadway style tunes with the stylings of rap, jazz, R&B, ballad, etc. This is a completely new art form that is still on the up and up, thanks to writer and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda.
So what is the Hamilton Mixtape anyway and why is it important? The Hamilton Mixtape is a compilation album of different artists doing covers and interpretations of songs from the Hamilton musical. This will include artists like Usher, Kelly Clarkson, Sia, Alicia Keys, The Roots, Common, Chance the Rapper, and many others. So for example, Usher will be performing a song called Wait For It, a song that gives insight into Aaron Burr's internal struggles and his life motto. Jimmy Fallon will also be performing a song called "You'll be Back" which is a song told from King George III's perspective when the United States declares war on the British. The whole concept of having current artists interpret these songs is brilliant. For quite some time, there has been a large barrier and gap between Broadway songs and the songs you would hear on the radio. I have always been a Broadway musical fan, but this Mixtape is helping to make Broadway cool again. It is also sparking historical interest in the young people of today, which is great.
Only two songs have officially been released as of now. One of which is Kelly Clarkson's interpretation of a song titled, "It's Quiet Uptown." The other song is a remix of the song "My Shot" by Busta Rhymes, The Roots, Joell Ortiz, and Nate Ruess. Kelly Clarkson's voice is angelic in her interpretation. She maintains the somber quality of the song while also providing a hint of a beat and beautiful runs. I was worried that her version wouldn't retain that deeply emotional trademark, but she definitely succeeded. The "My Shot" interpretation was also fantastic. The chorus remained the same, and the raps before and after were altered to fit a more modern setting. The song was still incredibly motivating and inspirational. Given that "My Shot" is Hamilton's anthem, it was great that the song retained that element.
Overall, these songs are already incredible. If that is the case, then who knows how amazing the rest of the album will be. So if you are interested in Hamilton but are too scared to jump into the musical theatre waters, then this is a great place to begin. Good luck and enjoy the Hamilton Mixtape!
