Love Him Or Hate Him, Lin Manuel Miranda Refuses To Stop
Prior to 2015, nobody would’ve thought that a musical about the life of one of our founding fathers would become one of the nation’s most well-known musicals. However, Lin Manuel Miranda changed that.
The Puerto Rican-American composer, actor, and filmmaker is a figure that the internet has loved and hated throughout the years.
Miranda’s music has not only been successful, it has changed how we view musicals. His first musical, In The Heights, won two Tony Awards and a Grammy. Its unique storytelling style captivated everyone and it seamlessly combined various genres of music.
His genius was made clear when Hamilton was released. Many people were eager to spend hundreds of dollars to see an on-stage rap battle between Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton.
Miranda cracked the code to success with a formulaic style, which is on full display on songs such as We Don’t Talk About Bruno in Disney’s Encanto. The oversaturation of his music ensures that his name will not leave our minds.
Despite all the success the Puerto Rican-American composer has amassed, he has faced backlash as well.
Hamilton has received harsh criticism for failing to acknowledge that many of the founding fathers highlighted in the musical were slave owners and for not giving a voice to minorities despite his brand of progressivism.
The movie casting of In The Heights also faced criticism for lacking diversity. Many felt it failed to truly represent the Washington Heights population, where the musical occurred.
Many who once called Miranda a genius now say he is cringe worthy. They say he has fallen victim to the war between Millennials and Generation Z. Others have ruthlessly questioned his vocal abilities and pointed out his weird lip-biting poses, among other things.
But even with that criticism, Miranda’s success has continued, especially since joining Disney. While working with the multi-billion dollar company, he has released music for Encanto, Moana, and The Little Mermaid.
Even though Encanto added two Grammys to Miranda’s accolades, that soundtrack is the only one of his Disney projects to receive warm feedback from critics.
However, the criticism has not stopped Miranda. He recently starred in Percy Jackson and The Olympians on Disney+ as Hermes.
If Miranda has proven anything, it’s that he will not let bad press stop him.
