Hamilton mania may be over, but it’s time to prepare for mixtape mania. The Hamilton Mixtape is an album of covers and remixes of songs from the hit Broadway show, as well as songs inspired by the musical.
Lin-Manuel Miranda officially announced the mixtape last Thursday on his Twitter page. The album is currently available for pre-order, and it will go on sale Dec. 2.
Two singles from the upcoming mixtape were released last Friday following the announcement.
The first single is a cover of “It’s Quiet Uptown” by Kelly Clarkson. In the musical, the song appears at the end of the show and serves to kind of wrap up the things that have happened. Alexander Hamilton and Eliza Schuyler mourn the death of their son as they struggle to fix their relationship.
The musical accompaniment of the original song is sparse. Clarkson’s version gives the song a new beat and melody that she then couples with her powerful vocals. Clarkson makes a melancholy, slow song into one that features a steady, almost fast paced beat at certain parts, along with resounding vocals that in some ways overshadow the original.
The second single released from the mixtape is “My Shot (Rise Up Remix)” performed by The Roots featuring Busta Rhymes, Joell Ortiz and Nate Ruess. The star-studded cast of artists on the remix does the original song justice.
In the musical, the song provides Hamilton with the opportunity to impress his fellow revolutionaries with his verbal skills. On the remix, it’s Busta Rhymes showing off his verbal skills instead of Miranda/Hamilton.
“My Shot (Rise Up Remix)” gives a whole new meaning and perspective to a song that talks about rising up in the face of adversity. By featuring rap and hip-hop artists, the song brings the message from the original “My Shot” away from the American Revolution and into the 21st century, a time when many people face adversity just because of the color of their skin.
The singles released from The Hamilton Mixtape take the best elements from the musical and add in a touch of modern music to create a refreshing pair of songs. Both Clarkson and The Roots have turned already good numbers from a Broadway musical into promising first singles from a mixtape that many people are anticipating.
