"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 messing 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