The Schuyler Sisters
| "The Schuyler Sisters" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Renée Elise Goldsberry, Phillipa Soo, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Leslie Odom Jr., & the Cast of Hamilton | |
| from the album Hamilton | |
| Released | 2015 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:07 |
| Songwriter(s) | Lin-Manuel Miranda |
"The Schuyler Sisters" is the fifth song from Act 1 of the musical Hamilton, based on the life of Alexander Hamilton, which premiered on Broadway in 2015. Lin-Manuel Miranda wrote both the music and lyrics to the song.
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 improvising 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, their different personalities and views, and how they are excited to be in a new age,[2] "amidst the powder keg of the early days of the revolution".[3] Burr tries to flirt with Angelica, but Angelica rejects him and instead professes how she wants a "revelation" instead of a "revolution."
Style
The New Yorker described the sisters as a "Destiny's Child-esque R&B girl group."[4] Pitchfork said the song wouldn't sound out of place in an album by Wyclef protégé City High.[5] The Guardian said the number "combines TLC with the Andrews Sisters and a hat tip to 'Three Little Maids From School Are We'".[6] Wiux described it as "a pre-pre-feminist power anthem".[7]
Critical reception
Entertainment Monthly says this song marks the moment when "the album really kicks it into high gear."[8] Jeff Lunden of Byline said that this is the song he keeps "more or less in constant rotation".[9] When Miranda appeared on the West Wing Weekly podcast, he said the line "I'm looking for a mind at work" was taken from the TV series The West Wing.
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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Dominick, Nora. "A Day Spent Listening to 'Hamilton'". Emertainment Monthly. Archived from the original on 2016-03-09.
- ^ "Song From Broadway Musical 'Hamilton' Celebrates Founding Mothers". NPR.org. 25 December 2015.