Comparing The Maybe Man And Jorge Rivera-Herrans In EP Music

How do AJR in The Maybe Man and Jorge Rivera-Herrans in EPIC: The Musical explore identity and its influence on the human experience?

The multifaceted nature of identity is key to one’s understanding of the world, justifying its prevalence as a literary theme throughout history. Jorge Rivera-Herran’s EPIC: The Musical (2024) and AJR’s The Maybe Man (2023) employ various language and stylistic features to dissect various aspects of identity, and its influence in shaping the human experience. EPIC: The Musical is an adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey, exploring the themes of identity, survivorship and ambition as Odysseus sets off on his journey home after the Trojan War. Contrarily, The Maybe Man is an alternative/indie album that navigates the

Both Herrans and AJR rely on various language and stylistic features in their respective texts to illustrate the importance of identity by exploring the consequences of its absence. In Epic, Herrans relies on the opening song, The Horse and The Infant to establish Odysseus’ identity, highlighting his leadership, pride, and ambitions. High modality language and ensemble vocals facilitate the creation of a norm, with lyrics such as “Your families wonder where you've been / They're growing old and yet you're still here / Do what I say and you'll see them again.” (00:21 - 00:35) accentuating the persuasive nature of Odysseus’ pep talk before their siege on Troy. This is further supported by the repetition of “Yes sir!” in ensemble vocals, which emphasises Odysseus’ authority and influence over his crew, allowing Herrans to establish Odysseus’ leadership as a central aspect of his identity. Herrans then deviates from the previously established norm throughout the musical to highlight the consequences

Odysseus’ struggle to find a balance between the two acts as a catalyst for the didactic nature of Epic, which, like other Greek epics, demonstrates the dangers of each characteristic when taken to an extreme. The consequences for all three characters are central to the story’s literal and metaphorical progression, with Polite’s death, Poseidon’s ongoing restlessness, and Odysseus’ loss of identity reiterating the importance of balance. As Odysseus’ best friend, comrade and moral compass, Polites embodies humanitarianism, which is mirrored in his advice to Odysseus in Open Arms: “I know that you're tired of the war and bloodshed / Tell me, is this how we're supposed to live? Look at how you grip your sword, and say, “Why should we take when we can give?” (00:27 - 00:43) Despite his positive nature, Herrans condemns Polites’ kindness and overt optimism. In Full Speed Ahead, Polites contradicts Eurylochus’ suggestion to raid the island, demonstrating his lack of foresight for negative reactions as he convinces the captain to scout ahead without reinforcement. His influence on Odysseus’ perception of morality is reflected in Odysseus’ response “We