The Hamildrops

 Since I just finished talking about The Hamilton Mixtape, I decided to talk about the Hamildrops while I was on the topic. Beginning in December of 2017 and releasing once a month in 2018 except in the month of July of 2018, once a month a new Hamilton cover or song inspired by it was dropped. This was an intended sequel to the Hamilton Mixtape which was just discussed on this blog so why not go through them.

the eleven songs featured as they did not do a song in July are:

The Benjamin Franklin Song: The Decemberists 

Wrote My Way Out: Nas, Dave East, Lin Manuel Miranda, Aloe Blacc

The Hamilton Polka: Weird Al Yankovic 

Found/Tonight: Ben Platt, Lin Manuel Miranda

First Burn: Ari Afsar, Julia Harriman, Lexi Lawson, Rachelle Ann Go

Helpless: The Regrettes 

Boom Goes The Canon: Mobb Deep

Rise Up Wise Up Eyes Up: Ibeyi

A Forgotten Spot (Olvidado) : Lin Manuel Miranda, Zion y Lennox, De La Ghetto, Ivy Queen

Dear Theodosia Reprise: Sara Bareilles

Cheering For Me Now: John Kander, Lin Manuel Miranda 

As you see a couple can be found on the Hamilton mixtape but were given extensive music videos namely Wrote My Way Out And Theodosia Reprise though this time the song is performed by a different musician, since Sara Barellis did not perform it in the mixtape,  so only one song carries over. Looking at the other ten songs all of these are a great extension of the Hamilton Mixtape and a great to listen to alongside it, after it, or on its own. 

Many of these songs really stand out on their own, whether it is covered in a way that stands out in a whole new way like The Hamilton Polka or a punk rock version of Helpless. All of these are great listens, all in different styles, some fast-paced and energetic others slow and relaxing. Cheering For Me Now sounds like a big showstopping number in the style of a traditional musical. Found/Tonight is an excellent mashup of two musicals in such a soft and sweet way, same with Dear Theodosia Reprise being soft and amazing. A Forogtten Spot (Olvidado). being energetic and entirely in Spanish, and then there is  First Burn.

Using all of the other Eliza actresses to do a remix of one song I already love to the moon and back, is simply amazing. The instrumentals, the harmonies, and the new lyrics all work together to make a song that really keeps the strong emotion of the original while shining in a way all its own. 

I love all of these songs and they are worth at least one listen, but I find myself tuning into them for a great change of pace with an amazing variety in so many styles. From rock, to pop, to polka and more. All of these songs are great listens alongside the mixtape when you want some Hamilton fun in a different way. These both are great supplementary material for people who have listened to Hamilton over and over, taking what worked and making something new while keeping why we loved the songs, to begin with. Whether it was using a couple lyrics or the entire song but in a different style both the mixtape and the Hamildrops are wonderful listens full of different genres while the emotions behind the music stay relateable