If I had a nickel for every time I wrote a web story about mythology, I’d have two nickels. Which isn’t a lot, and it’s not terribly weird that it happened twice.
I love mythology, this isn’t a secret at all. But you know what I also like? Music. Good thing there’s a perfect combination of both, right?
In 2021, Jorge Rivera-Herrans posted a TikTok promoting the idea of a musical based on the Odyssey – an ancient Greek epic which follows Odysseus’s journey from the ruined Troy to his homeland of Ithaca. Since then, the musical has blown up online, and in December of 2024, the final album of Epic was released.
Since it’s a concept album, there’s no physical show attached to the music yet – only the songs and official animatics for each one. The show was released across nine “sagas” (albums), with five in Act I of the show, and four in Act II. I loved this approach to release – as someone who discovered it upon release of the second saga, I found it a lot easier to get into the show when it was released in smaller chunks.
It’s obvious that a lot of time and dedication was put into each and every song – evidenced not only by listening to the final products, but the many behind the scenes videos posted to Rivera-Herrans’s social media accounts. Each character has their own musical motif, each saga has a clear and distinct plot arc, and the entire show is perfectly cohesive despite its segmented creation.
I love this show, there isn’t a single bad song in it if you ask me. However, everyone always has their favorites, and I’m still going to rank them as I go. These are just my opinions, not critiques or facts. Past this point, there are mild spoilers for Epic the Musical. Songs are ranked compared to only those within the same saga, sagas are ranked as a whole based off of story and music.
Leading the show is The Troy Saga, detailing the final battle of the Trojan war, and the beginning of Odysseus’s journey
back home. Included myths include the sack of Troy, the death of Hector’s son, and the island of the Lotus Eaters. This saga contains five songs (The Horse and the Infant, Just a Man, Full Speed Ahead, Open Arms, Warrior of the Mind), and introduces most of the show’s recurring characters.
Best Song: Open Arms
Ranking: 6/9
The second album is The Cyclops Saga. After being directed to a cave full of food, Odysseus and his men encounter the cyclops Polyphemus, who they have to defeat to continue their journey. This saga has four songs in it (Polyphemus, Survive, Remember Them, My Goodbye), and we witness the tragic loss of Polites, my beloved.
Best Song: My Goodbye
Ranking: 9/9
After a bit of a hiatus, The Ocean Saga was the third album released for the show, introducing the
primary antagonist and theme of the show. After leaving the island of the cyclops, Odysseus encounters an impenetrable storm sent by Poseidon, and discovers he has made an enemy of the god. This album has four songs (Storm, Luck Runs Out, Keep Your Friends Close, Ruthlessness), and sets Odysseus’s primary character arc in motion.
Best Song: Ruthlessness
Ranking: 3/9
Appropriately released on Valentine’s Day last year, the fourth saga is The Circe Saga. After the storm, Odysseus lands on Circe’s island, and their primary goal throughout the album is to leave. There are four songs in this saga (Puppeteer, Wouldn’t You Like, Done For, There Are Other Ways), and we meet my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE character in the show, the messenger god Hermes.
Best Song: Wouldn’t You Like
Ranking: 2/9
The final saga of Act I is The Underworld Saga. Circe sent the crew to The Underworld (NOT by killing them) to find the prophet Tiresias, in hopes that he can help them get home despite Poseidon trying to stop them. There are only three songs in this album (The Underworld, No Longer You, Monster), and it serves as a sharp turning point for Odysseus and his character.
Best Song: No Longer You
Ranking: 7/9
To begin Act II is The Thunder Saga, where we see the product of Odysseus’s character arc, and the return of the King of Gods, Zeus. The crew encounters many mythological monsters throughout this saga, notably the sirens and Scylla. There are five songs in this album (Suffering, Different Beast, Scylla, Mutiny, Thunder Bringer), and at the very end of the saga is a giant cliffhanger that I will not spoil here (I beg of you to go listen to this show).
Best Song: Scylla
Ranking: 5/9
For most of the seventh saga, Odysseus is absent. The Wisdom Saga focuses primarily on his son, Telemachus, and sees the return of Athena. Telemachus has to contend with the mob of suitors who wish to wed his mom and be king, while longing to meet his father. At the end of the album, we see that Odysseus has landed on Calypso’s island, and has been trapped there for seven years. This saga spans five songs (Legendary, Little Wolf, We’ll Be Fine, Love in Paradise, God Games), and includes most of the Olympian gods throughout.
Best Song: Little Wolf
Ranking: 8/9
The eighth – and in my opinion the best – saga is The Vengeance Saga. Odysseus leaves Calypso’s islands, Hermes returns, and the final battle with Poseidon occurs. There are five songs in this album (Not Sorry for Loving You, Dangerous, Charibdis, Get in the Water, 600 Strike), and by the end of the saga, Odysseus finally reaches the shores of Ithaca.
Best Song: Dangerous
Ranking: 1/9
The final album in the show is the adequately named Ithaca Saga. This album is the most perfect ending for the show, with
independent scenes for Odysseus’s wife Penelope, Telemachus, and Odysseus himself. Penelope addresses the suitors from The Wisdom Saga, Telemachus fights them, and Odysseus kills them all. The songs for reunion between father/son and husband/wife are both adorable, and the conclusion spans five final songs (The Challenge, Hold Them Down, Odysseus, I Can’t Help But Wonder, Would You Fall In Love with Me Again).
Best Song: Would You Fall in Love with Me Again
Ranking: 4/9
And that’s the whole show! I love this project so much, watching it come together over an entire year was so cool, and the cast that worked on it is clearly so dedicated and passionate about it. I 100% recommend that everyone listen to it, even if you don’t know mythology–it’s good music nonetheless.
