Say No to This

Last updated
"Say No to This"
Song by Leslie Odom Jr., Lin-Manuel Miranda, Jasmine Cephas Jones, Sydney James Harcourt, and the cast of Hamilton
from the album Hamilton
Released2015
Genre
Length4:03
Songwriter(s) Lin-Manuel Miranda
Audio
"Say No to This" on YouTube

"Say No to This" is the fourth song from Act 2 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. In this song, "Hamilton's eye begins wandering", as he has an affair with Maria Reynolds. [1]

Contents

Background

According to Slate , the song "began with a quote from LL Cool J's "I Need Love"", but due to clearance issues from Atlantic Records, "the line was removed before the show's transition to Broadway". [2]

Synopsis

The song outlines Alexander Hamilton's one-year adulterous affair with Maria Reynolds. Hamilton remains in New York City working on passing his plan for the creation of a national bank, his wife leaving to go on vacation upstate without him. While separated from his family, Hamilton is approached by Mrs. Reynolds, who claims her husband has abandoned her and asks Hamilton for financial aid before seducing him. Their adultery continues throughout the summer until Hamilton is contacted via letter by James Reynolds, who uses blackmail to coerce Hamilton to give him money for remaining silent about the affair. The affair and related blackmail later led to the first major political sex scandal in US history. [3] The song is sung by Alexander Hamilton, Maria Reynolds, James Reynolds, and the show's company. [4]

Analysis

Vibe described the song as "a '90s slow jam, Usher-style". [3] Screen Fellows deemed it "the best 90s slow jam R. Kelly never wrote". [5] Musical director Alex Lacamoire noted that he used the cello to represent the character of Maria, and implements it in a "really snaky and sinister" fashion in this song. [6]

The song includes a quotation from "Nobody Needs to Know", a song from the musical The Last Five Years which Miranda describes as "the ultimate infidelity jam." [2]

Critical reception

The Huffington Post wrote that the song includes "classic dude logic: I was crazy tired, so I had to cheat on my wife". [7] Jezebel said that Maria Reynolds has "chilling, low vibrations" in this song. [8] Monique Ocampo of Patheos praised the musical for not making Hamilton "Mister Perfect", noting that this song illustrates his "short-sightedness." [9] Adam Gopnik of The New Yorker called the song "beautiful". [10]

Mixtape version

"Say Yes to This"
Song by Jill Scott, Leslie Odom Jr., Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sydney James Harcourt, and the cast of Hamilton
from the album The Hamilton Mixtape
Released2016
Genre
Length3:50
Songwriter(s) Lin-Manuel Miranda
Audio
"Say Yes to This" on YouTube

A revised version of the song was released on The Hamilton Mixtape in 2016. It was performed by Jill Scott, and tells the story of the Hamilton-Reynolds sex scandal from the perspective of Maria Reynolds, unlike in the original cast recording where Alexander Hamilton recounts the story. It incorporates the same backing vocals and music as the song from the musical.

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [11] Silver200,000
United States (RIAA) [12] Platinum1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

Maria Reynolds was the wife of James Reynolds, and was Alexander Hamilton's mistress between 1791 and 1792. She became the object of much scrutiny after the release of the Reynolds Pamphlet and central in America's first political sex scandal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lin-Manuel Miranda</span> American songwriter, actor and playwright (born 1980)

Lin-Manuel Miranda is an American songwriter, actor, filmmaker and playwright. He created the Broadway musicals In the Heights (2005) and Hamilton (2015), and the soundtracks for the animated films Moana (2016), Vivo, and Encanto. He has received numerous accolades including three Tony Awards, three Emmy Awards, and five Grammy Awards, along with nominations for two Academy Awards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip-hop theater</span> Theatrical genre

Hip-hop theater is a form of theater that presents contemporary stories through the use of one or more of the four elements of hip-hop culture—b-boying, graffiti writing, MCing (rapping), and DJing. Other cultural markers of hip-hop such as spoken word, beatboxing, and hip-hop dance can be included as well although they are not always present. What is most important is the language of the theatrical piece and the plot's relevance to the world. Danny Hoch, the founder of the Hip-Hop Theater Festival, further defines it as such: "Hip-hop theatre must fit into the realm of theatrical performance, and it must be by, about and for the hip-hop generation, participants in hip-hop culture, or both."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton–Reynolds affair</span> Sex scandal in early United States history

The Hamilton–Reynolds affair was the first major sex scandal in American political history. It involved Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, who conducted an affair with Maria Reynolds from 1791 to 1792, during the presidency of George Washington. When he discovered the affair, Reynolds' husband, James Reynolds, subsequently blackmailed Hamilton over the affair, who paid him over $1,300, about a third of his annual income, to maintain the secrecy. In 1797, Hamilton publicly admitted to the affair after his political enemies attacked and accused him of financial corruption during his time as the Treasury Secretary. Hamilton responded by writing, "The charge against me is a connection with one James Reynolds for purposes of improper pecuniary speculation. My real crime is an amorous connection with his wife, for a considerable time with his privity and connivance."

<i>Hamilton</i> (musical) 2015 biographical musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda

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References

  1. Tommasini, Anthony; Caramanica, Jon (30 August 2015). "Exploring 'Hamilton' and Hip-Hop Steeped in Heritage". The New York Times. Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States of America.
  2. 1 2 Wickman, Forrest (24 September 2015). Written at Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States. "All the Hip-Hop References in Hamilton: A Track-by-Track Guide". Slate Magazine. Washington D.C., United States of America: The Slate Group.
  3. 1 2 "Going H.A.M.: A Track-By-Track Review Of The 'Hamilton' Soundtrack". Vibe. 20 October 2015.
  4. "'Hamilton' Songs". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved February 20, 2016.
  5. "'HAMILTON' Cast Recording Review: An American Masterpiece - FELLOWSHIP OF THE SCREEN". FELLOWSHIP OF THE SCREEN. 2 November 2015.
  6. "Nerding Out With Hamilton's Musical Director -- Vulture". Vulture. 13 January 2016.
  7. "I Have an Opinion on Every Song in "Hamilton"". The Huffington Post. 1 October 2015.
  8. Julianne Escobedo Shepherd (21 September 2015). "Should You Listen to the Soundtrack to Hamilton If You Have Not Seen Hamilton?". The Muse.
  9. "Hamilton The Musical: An Album Review". Monique Ocampo Writes. 14 October 2015.
  10. Gopnik, Adam (5 February 2016). ""Hamilton" and the Hip-Hop Case for Progressive Heroism". The New Yorker.
  11. "British single certifications – Cephas-Jones/Odom Jr/Miranda – Say No to This". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved November 26, 2023.
  12. "American single certifications – Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton – Say No to This". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved June 24, 2023.