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How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

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Re: How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

#11

Post by ecspike »

kyrre wrote: post #9
fnord123 wrote: post #7

For people not living in NY: "Hamilton" is a 2015 musical about the US president Alexander Hamilton and it's very popular in that part of the world.

why is this musical so popular? btw, Alexander Hamilton was never the president

It's popular because it uses all types of musical styles including rap, R&B, and brit pop to tell Hamilton's story. The cast is also racially diverse, the only character that has a cast member with the same race as he is King George, a minor character.

IMHO, it has resonated with people because it takes a stuffy topic and makes it more relatable to younger generations allowing them to see a bit of themselves in the founding of this country. It also goes against a prevailing thought that it's ok to "white-wash"(recast minority roles with white actors) but not the inverse. Also, the internet, this was the viral video that started it all: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNFf7nMIGnE

Unable to score tickets to see the show, fans have coalesced around the really awesome soundtrack.

Re: How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

#12

Post by pja »

kyrre wrote: post #9
fnord123 wrote: post #7

For people not living in NY: "Hamilton" is a 2015 musical about the US president Alexander Hamilton and it's very popular in that part of the world.

why is this musical so popular? btw, Alexander Hamilton was never the president

Because it’s very, very good?

That isn’t any kind of guarantee of success, but it’s a damn good base to start from.

Re: How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

#14

Post by kyrre »

pja wrote: post #12
kyrre wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

why is this musical so popular? btw, Alexander Hamilton was never the president

Because it’s very, very good? That isn’t any kind of guarantee of success, but it’s a damn good base to start from.

right. i just got the impression it was particular popular among the leftist crowd, e.g., HCR is now giving away 'free' tickets [1], and i thought it maybe had something to do with Hamilton's political views.

[1] https://twitter.com/Communism_Kills/status/74685929910477619...

Re: How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

#15

Post by pja »

kyrre wrote: post #14
pja wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it’s very, very good? That isn’t any kind of guarantee of success, but it’s a damn good base to start from.

right. i just got the impression it was particular popular among the leftist crowd, e.g., HCR is now giving away 'free' tickets [1], and i thought it maybe had something to do with Hamilton's political views. [1] https://twitter.com/Communism_Kills/status/74685929910477619...

Well there are the pro-immigrant story notes, the race bending casting and so on - those things all played to social justice / left groups & probably helped win people over in marketing the thing (having the interest of the PoTUS does tend to help your production get noticed for instance). But none of that would have mattered if it wasn’t any good.

It’s pointless to try and ram the founding fathers into any kind of modern left/right axis - 300 years ago is definitely another country & they did things differently there. Trust me, if you haven’t heard it, get a hold of the cast album and give it a listen. It’s worth your time.

Re: How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

#16

Post by covercash »

monolithpl wrote: post #10

also see this analysis / graphic breakdown / of rap lyrics http://genius.com/Sameoldshawn-rap-stats-breaking-down-the-w...

Here's the official analysis of each song all in one book:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1455539740/

It's really well done.

Re: How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

#17

Post by drzaiusapelord »

kyrre wrote: post #9
fnord123 wrote: post #7

For people not living in NY: "Hamilton" is a 2015 musical about the US president Alexander Hamilton and it's very popular in that part of the world.

why is this musical so popular? btw, Alexander Hamilton was never the president

>why is this musical so popular?

My wife loves it and I listened to parts of it and it has some really catchy rap. She never got into hip-hop culture, so I think this is the the big breakthrough for a lot of white middle-class and higher theater/musical people who previously found this stuff inaccessible.

This is pretty much Kanye for housewives and grandmas. Its non-threatening and if there is anything controversial about it, its a manufactured controversy that's safe to partake in.

Re: How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

#18

Post by RodericDay »

pja wrote: post #15
kyrre wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

right. i just got the impression it was particular popular among the leftist crowd, e.g., HCR is now giving away 'free' tickets [1], and i thought it maybe had something to do with Hamilton's political views. [1] https://twitter.com/Communism_Kills/status/74685929910477619...

Well there are the pro-immigrant story notes, the race bending casting and so on - those things all played to social justice / left groups & probably helped win people over in marketing the thing (having the interest of the PoTUS does tend to help your production get noticed for instance). But none of that would have mattered if it wasn’t any good. It’s pointless to try and ram the founding fathers into any kind of m…

I wouldn't say it's pointless. It needs to be done carefully, but it can provide some insight and fun reading:

https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/08/reading-hamilton-from-the...

Re: How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

#19

Post by btown »

kyrre wrote: post #14
pja wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Because it’s very, very good? That isn’t any kind of guarantee of success, but it’s a damn good base to start from.

right. i just got the impression it was particular popular among the leftist crowd, e.g., HCR is now giving away 'free' tickets [1], and i thought it maybe had something to do with Hamilton's political views. [1] https://twitter.com/Communism_Kills/status/74685929910477619...

For those with Spotify, you can listen to the cast album here. The title track is arguably the most famous, but Yorktown (Track 20) is another excellent example of how the musical blends rap and musical theater tropes into an unforgettable combo.

https://open.spotify.com/album/1kCHru7uhxBUdzkm4gzRQc

Re: your point about the leftist crowd, the Clinton campaign giving away tickets is notable because tickets now sell on the secondary market starting at $1000+. (And 100% worth it.) The show itself does make you sympathize for a character who consistently advocates for a strong central government (see Cabinet Battle #1, Disc 2 Track 2), but that's an afterthought in the context of how groundbreaking the rest of the show is.

Re: How We Analyzed and Visualized Hamilton’s Rhyming Lyrics

#20

Post by epc »

kyrre wrote: post #9
fnord123 wrote: post #7

For people not living in NY: "Hamilton" is a 2015 musical about the US president Alexander Hamilton and it's very popular in that part of the world.

why is this musical so popular? btw, Alexander Hamilton was never the president

The music and book are excellent. The music samples from a variety of hip/hop and rap from the 70s-80s and early 90s, hitting a core demographic of Broadway attendees (30-40 somethings). The book is a fairly decent summary of the biography by Chernow.
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