2016 may go down in history as the year of “Hamilton,” with tickets to the beloved Broadway show selling for thousands online and fans building a community around creator Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 11 Tony-winning masterpiece. Produced by Questlove, “The Hamilton Mixtape” will be released this December, featuring a new take on the theatrical soundtrack that details the life of America’s first Secretary of the Treasury.
The mixtape displays a broad array of popular artists from many genres who were recruited by Miranda for the wide variance in their voices and backgrounds. The first two singles released were “My Shot” sung by The Roots and Kelly Clarkson’s rendition of “It’s Quiet Uptown.”
“My Shot” details Hamilton’s first days in New York City and how he met other key revolutionary figures. The Roots manage to retain a sense of raw ambition from the original song, capturing Hamilton’s fierce desire to “rise up” from his lowly social status. With his gravelly voice and Miranda’s signature fast speech, Questlove brings a fresh perspective. The Roots also imbue their rendition of “My Shot” with contemporary references to class and racial struggles, noting “even role models tell [young black men] we’re born to be felons,” and draw a striking parallel between the Founding Father and other “young, scrappy and hungry” men in the same nation and city streets.
The second single is Clarkson’s “It’s Quiet Uptown”, which articulates the pain felt by Hamilton and his wife following the death of their son Phillip. Clarkson’s voice adds a soulfulness to the song it previously lacked, peering into the essence of “suffering too terrible to name.” However, Clarkson’s emotionally charged delivery is overbearing at times. While The Roots made speed their trademark, Clarkson’s vocals seem to drag on and make her message seem insincere. Originally, “It’s Quiet Uptown” was very selective with instrumentals, but the lushness of the mixtape version and its excessive AutoTune is out of character for the emotions meant to be portrayed. The overall effect was disjointed.
“Hamilton” is a cultural keystone for the millennial generation. Its relevance in today’s political climate is profound, and the mixtape promises to echo its predecessor in sharp commentary and an exciting eclecticism. While some tracks might fall short of sky-high expectations, Miranda’s brilliance promises to shine through. His role as a voice of a generation will endure, and with it, so will the legacy of Alexander Hamilton.
Preorders for the mixtape began Nov. 4.
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