By Emma Hoffman ’16, Staff Writer

Confession: I have not listened to the Hamilton soundtrack. I know that it’s pop culture blasphemy but it’s true: I am a Hamilton virgin. I have stood idly by as my friends have sung paeans to the glory of Lin-Manuel Miranda and his theatrical genius. Through her Hamilton-induced giddiness, senior Maggie DeNoon described the musical as, “an emotionally powerful show. It’s just so raw and relatable. It just hits you right in the heart…it presents this figure who is heroic yet flawed and it’s just so fantastic. And the music is incredible.”

After such a glowing review, I decided that it was time for me to venture into Miranda’s world and a possible new obsession. I will listen to the soundtrack without any kind of break or disruption and write down my observations as I go along. I will risk wading into a new obsession in the name of journalistic inquiry and investigation.

A quick introduction before we begin: Hamilton is a musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda that tells the story of founding father Alexander Hamilton through rap and hip hop. The cast is diverse, featuring mainly Latino and black actors as historical figures from the revolution, and tickets are virtually impossible to purchase. Both critics and the theatre-going public, including President Barack Obama, have fallen in love with this cutting-edge musical.

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Track 1: Alexander Hamilton

Off we go! Immediately, my foot started tapping. The internal rhymes are insane. In an interview with 60 Minutes, Lin-Manuel Miranda said that he wanted to emulate the real-life Hamilton’s rambling speaking style through this opening number. Although the first line is a rather long run-on, the beat definitely breaks up each thought and makes them digestible to the listener.

Favorite line: “In New York, you can be a new man.”

Bottom line: It hooks you in and doesn’t let you go.

Track 2: Aaron Burr, Sir

Repetition is a tricky thing. At worst, it bogs down any piece of writing with false profundities. At best, it adds another layer of meaning that’s good to bring up in an IB English IOC. Here, the repetition of the word “sir” both reveals a lot about Hamilton’s character (he is young, eager, and willing to learn) and allows Miranda to show off his rhyming finesse. The introduction of Lafayette was easily my favorite part.

Favorite line:

[Hamilton] “I was seeking an accelerated course of study when I got sort of out of sorts with a buddy of yours. I may have punched him. It’s a blur, sir. He handles the financials?”

[Burr] “You punched the bursar.”

Bottom line: Are orphans somehow attracted to war? Is there a psychological explanation for this?

Track 3: My Shot

Halfway through, this song implanted itself in my head. I have a feeling it’s going to stay there for a while. Sorry David Bowie—Hamilton has dethroned you from the stuck-in-my-head seat. On a musical note, the use of the clinking glasses and military drums in the orchestration are brilliant. Lafayette is still my favorite.

Favorite line: “I’m past patiently waitin’ /I’m passionately Smashin’ every expectation/Every action’s an act of creation!”

Track 4: The Story of Tonight

This is perhaps the first conventional Broadway moment of the soundtrack: four men singing in harmony about the future. It reminded me a little bit of Les Miserables.

 Track 5: The Schuyler Sisters

I can see myself at age nine jumping on my bed to this song. Correction: I can see myself at age eighteen jumping on my bed to this song. When I die, I hope to come back as a Schuyler sister.

Favorite line: “And when I meet Thomas Jefferson/I’m ‘a compel him to include women in the sequel!”

Bottom line: Slay on, Schuyler Sisters

Track 6: Farmer Refuted

 Royalist harpsichords fade into revolutionary hip-hop. Brilliant.

Favorite line:

[Seabury] I pray the king shows you his mercy…

[Hamilton] Is he in Jersey?

Track 7: You’ll Be Back

King George enters as a British-twanged version of Michael Bublé. The song is essentially formatted as a bright pop post-breakup plea to an angry lover. I’ve heard some hushed giggles about how actor Jonathan Groff does King George’s walk; apparently Beyoncé is fan of it so I can only imagine it conforms the highest degree of swag.

Favorite line: “When you’re gone I’ll go mad/So don’t throw away this thing we had.” (Historical note: King George actually went mad after the revolution due to the effect of porphyria. The lyric not only serves the cheesy, creepy-romantic tone but also makes a clever historical reference.)

Bottom line: Da da dat da da ya dad da….

Track 8: Right Hand Man

Washington arrives, defeated, to the disbelief of the ensemble, which seemed to be expecting the general to arrive in bombastic glory. Historically, Washington was a reluctant figure, not the stoic figure we have painted him as. Both “Aaron Burr, sir” and “Rise up” have returned to the text—perhaps as leitmotifs? Burr and Hamilton’s rivalry deepens after Washington selects the latter as his titular right hand man.

Favorite line:

[Washington] I was just like you when I was younger / Head full of fantasies of dyin’ like a martyr?

[Hamilton] Yes

[Washington] Dying is easy young man, living is harder.

Bottom line: A more accurate portrait of our founding father

Listen to the full soundtrack here, and comment your reactions – whether you’re listening for the first time or the tenth!