Any new show added to Broadway has some big shoes to fill. Hamilton, the newest edition to 46th street, does not disappoint. America’s founding fathers are reborn on stage to share the story of the youngest founding father and the face of the $10 bill, Alexander Hamilton. It follows Hamilton’s journey from orphan to first Secretary of the Treasury to his death.

The show began in New York’s Public Theater and made its way to Broadway this past summer, getting attention from fans all over the world. However it’s not the Tony- nominated actors that are drawing the crowds—it’s the music.

Lin Manuel Miranda, the mastermind behind all the hype, wrote and composed the musical, then starred as Alexander Hamilton himself. Miranda discovered the idea for the show while reading a biography on Hamilton,  assuming the sound to describe the revolution would be hip hop. By combining modern lingo with historical facts, Hamilton was born.

The recently released cast album gives Hamilton fans a glimpse into the show’s unique and addicting sound. Stereotyped show tunes are replaced with R&B, rap and hip hop-esque ballads. Songs such as “The Room Where It Happens” became classic show-stopping numbers and “Cabinet Battles 1 & 2” are rap battles between the members of Washington’s Cabinet. Rap battles are not the norm on Broadway, so this surprising twist catches the audience off guard and keeps them entertained. This combination of the old and new sounds of Broadway is both enticing and leaves listeners wanting more.

Hamilton may describe the lives of the men on American bills, but they are not cast as all powdered wig-wearing, white men. The majority of the characters are portrayed by modern men and women. Many of the cast members are African American or Hispanic which provides a variety of different voices. They vitalize the overall sound of the show by filling it with energy.

The score also has many recurring themes that help listeners who haven’t seen the show stay in tune with the plot. Lyrics such as “I’m not throwing away my shot,” “You write like you’re running out of time” and “History has its eyes on you” occur consistently throughout the album. They help describe the strife that the characters go through and give the listener a visual way to imagine their own version of the show in their head.

Each song in the score is also tailored to fit the particular singer. Every solo song has a personality to match the unique characters. For example, King George’s solo, “You’ll Be Back,”  is very reminiscent of classic 70s British invasion pop songs. The battle song “Right Hand Man” has many of the same chord lines as popular pump up song “Here Comes the Boom” by rap artist Nelly.

Hamilton’s cast album does not disappoint. It’s sure to turn any Broadway hater into a show tunes junkie in no time flat.

Rating: 5 stars

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Want to listen to some of the music? Check out the album here:

Released: Sep 25, 2015

℗ 2015 Hamilton Uptown, LLC under exclusive license to Atlantic Recording