Top Five ‘Hamilton’ Covers and Deleted Songs

Even though it’s been nearly five years since “Hamilton: An American Musical” premiered, the masterpiece that redefined modern musical theater has been a gift that keeps on giving. Various “official” covers, adaptations, and deleted songs from the project came from Hamildrops, a project that released new content each month of 2018, and “The Hamilton Mixtape,” a 2016 mixtape album featuring various artists performing covers and deleted songs from the musical, while unofficial covers by fans and artists alike have allowed the musical’s universe to expand and inspire years after its premiere. Here are the top five “Hamilton” adaptations and deleted songs, just in case you needed your heartstrings pulled or lyrical expectations thoroughly shattered.

5. Bradley Gibson, Isabelle McCalla, and Oyoyo Joi - "Burn" Pronoun Showdown

Feinstein’s/54 Below, a New York cabaret operated by several Broadway producers, hosts a live performance series called Pronoun Showdown, challenging artists to play with the ways a song can transform by flipping its pronouns (ex: Dan DeLuca performing “So Much Better” from “Legally Blonde” from Emmett’s perspective. “The Lion King”’s Bradley Gibson, “Aladdin”’s Isabelle McCalla, and “Memphis”’s Oyoyo Joi took on this challenge by reinterpreting “Burn,” Eliza’s emotional solo ballad, by performing as Hamilton, Eliza, and Angelica respectively. While the original song is a solo that captures one woman’s heartbreak and empowerment, this interpretation twists together the complex emotions of three central characters. Each performer lends incredible vocals that create breathtaking harmonies, and it’s almost shocking that it’s only a cover.

4. “Congratulations”

One of the most celebrated deleted songs from the musical is “Congratulations,” a short piece that features Angelica’s reaction to Alexander’s publicized infidelity to her sister. It’s been covered by Dessa on “The Hamilton Mixtape” and performed live by Renee Elise Goldberry (Angelica in the original Broadway cast of the musical). The song’s punchy, sharp lyrics play on a multitude of the musical’s motifs, providing an angry counter to Eliza’s mournful “Burn.” It’s a brilliant roast over a strong beat, and even as fans debate whether it should’ve been in the actual musical, there are still plenty of ways to experience it now.

3. Immigrants (We Get the Job Done)

Inspired by a line in “Yorktown (The World Turned Upside Down),” “Immigrants” by K'naan, Snow tha Product, Riz MC and Residente is featured on “The Hamilton Mixtape.” The song is definitely more grounded in the musical’s rap inspiration than show tunes, and each performer delivers brilliant and scathing lyrics like “sailing on graves” and “we’re America’s ghost writers, the credit’s only borrowed” in their own unique style.

2. Wrote My Way Out

The third song on “The Hamilton Mixtape” by Nas ft. Aloe Blacc, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Dave East demonstrates why Alexander Hamilton’s story can be represented through hip hop, inspired by the musical’s “Hurricane.” “Wrote My Way Out” calls on several different stories of using language and storytelling to overcome disadvantages and become something greater. Even with a transcendent beat and beautiful instrumentation, the lyrics maintain an unrelenting grip on the listener. Look to this song for inspiration the next time you’re stuck facing a blank page.

1. First Burn

In first place is “First Burn,” a Hamildrop of an original draft of “Burn” performed by Ari Afsar, Julia Harriman, Lexi Lawson, Rachelle Ann Go, and Shoba Narayan (who have each portrayed the character of Eliza). While both versions of the song have obvious merits (see: their heavy representation on this brief list), “First Burn” infuses the piece a fresh emotional take, revealing many more layers of betrayal, love, and anger. It doesn’t hurt that there are four times the brilliant vocalists infusing different interpretations of the character into three minutes of pure, angst-ridden melodic gold.

—Staff writer Jenna Bao can be reached at jenna.bao@thecrimson.com