The Schuyler Sisters
| "The Schuyler Sisters" | |
|---|---|
| Song |
"The Schuyler Sisters" is the fifth song from Act 1 of the 2015 musical Hamilton.
Background
Musical director Alex Lacamoire explained that the song originally had a throwback Daft Punk/Pharrell feel, but after viewing a series of Vines with the three actresses improv-ing on Destiny’s Child songs, he reworked the song to give it a Destiny's Child vibe, then let the sisters add their own harmonies to the tune; he "realized there’s nothing in the song as cool as the harmonies the girls do when they’re fucking around, so we...just let them riff".[1]
Synopsis
The song introduces the three Schuyler sisters: Angelica, Eliza, and Peggy, and how they are excited to be in a new age,[2] "amidst the powder keg of the early days of the revolution".[3] The song has been described as feminist by Patheos.[4]
Style
The New Yorker described the sisters as a "Destiny’s Child-esque R. & B. girl group."[5] Pitchfork said the song wouldn't sound out of place in an album by Wyclef protégé City High.[6] The Guardian said the number "combines TLC with the Andrews Sisters and a hat tip to 'Three Little Maids From School Are We'".[7] Wiux described it as "a pre-pre-feminist power anthem".[8]
Critical reception
The Huffington Post found that the refrain "Work, work" "gets stuck in your head after just one listen", but added that the lines about New York being the greatest city in the world were slightly pandering.[9] Emertainment Monthly says this song marks the moment when "the album really kicks it into high gear."[10] Jeff Lunden of Byline said that this is the song he keeps "more or less in constant rotation".[11]
References
- ^ Jones, Nate. "Nerding Out With Hamilton Musical Director, Alex Lacamoire", Vulture (NY Magazine), January 13, 2016
- ^ "Going H.A.M.: A Track-By-Track Review Of The 'Hamilton' Soundtrack". Vibe.
- ^ "Hamilton the Musical review". Noted in NYC.
- ^ "Hamilton The Musical: An Album Review". Monique Ocampo Writes.
- ^ Michael Schulman (6 August 2015). "The Women of "Hamilton"". The New Yorker.
- ^ "Various Artists". Pitchfork.
- ^ Alexis Soloski. "Hamilton review – founding father gets a hip-hop makeover". the Guardian.
- ^ "Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording)". 29 October 2015.
- ^ "I Have an Opinion on Every Song in "Hamilton"". The Huffington Post. 1 October 2015.
- ^ Dominick, Nora. "A Day Spent Listening to 'Hamilton'". Emertainment Monthly.
- ^ "Song From Broadway Musical 'Hamilton' Celebrates Founding Mothers". NPR.org. 25 December 2015.