“Warrior of the Mind” by Jorge Rivera-Herrans (ft. Teagan Earley and EPIC Ensemble)

“Warrior of the Mind” is from a project called “Epic: The Musical” which is pretty similar in nature to Hamilton. That is to say that as with the latter, it is a musical set in the past and based on historical characters. However, in the case of Epic said characters are fictional, with the piece serving as a retelling of the Odyssey, the mythical and highly-regarded literary work that is now about 3,000 years old. 

So for instance, from the onset of this song we are met with Athena, i.e. the Greek goddess of wisdom, interacting with the story’s protagonist, Odysseus (aka Ulysses).

Athena and Odysseus

This effort would of course be one which listeners familiar with the Odyssey, one of the most-famous stories in history, would likely appreciate. But what’s being put forth is simplistic enough for the rest of us to understand also.

Athena, who is also akin to a war god, seems initially peeved that Odysseus is not as aggressive as she would prefer. She has been able to perceive his warrior potential since his youth, when he apparently killed “a magic boar” she crafted in the name of testing fighters’ skills. More specifically she seems to have regarded that challenge as a test of wills, with Ulysses proving to be just as stubborn as said beast.

So what she’s doing now is basically fantasizing about putting him under her wing. In other words, Athena estimates that Odysseus’s aforenoted potential will only be maximized if he accepts her as his personal mentor. Or as she puts it he is “a warrior of the mind” – someone whose resolve is so strong that she “know(s) he’ll change the world”. But it’s as if she wants this power under her control.

The Spell

Athena goes about making the above observations while spying on Ulysses under the veil of a spell. But he is astute enough to see through her sorcery, so the two of them go about conversing directly. And to make a long story short, he too is able to perceive the potential of teaming up with a goddess, especially one like Athena, who is a master of military strategy. 

So the implication is that by this point, Ulysses is already along the lines of being an established warrior or armed forces’ leader.

The Conclusion

The song eventually concludes with the two of them celebrating their newfound union. They are both convinced that together they will indeed prove to be an unstoppable force. So this particular narrative, most simply interpreted, is about military conquest.

And perhaps, in overanalyzing things a bit, what the track seems to be conclusive positing is that success on the battlefield is a combination of inherent skill, strategy and a bit of luck or blessing, if you will.

Who is Jorge Rivera-Herrans?

Jorge Rivera-Herrans is a writer and musician from Puerto Rico. As of this writing, he is yet to gain worldwide stardom. However, he does boast a moderately-sizeable following on social-media platforms such as Instagram and YouTube. 

What is known about him is that he entered Notre Dame University circa the late 2010s as a promising medical student. However, he realized his heart was in theatre. He therefore switched majors (also proceeded to write a play about the ordeal). 

When was “Warrior of the Mind” released?

“Warrior of the Mind” came out on Christmas Day, 2022. It is from a project titled “Epic: The Musical”. This is a musical based on the ancient Greece literary character Odysseus.

The soundtrack to “Epic: The Musical”, which is 40 songs’ deep, is split into nine EPs. And more specifically this track is from the first of those efforts, “Epic: The Troy Saga”. Both “Epic: The Troy Saga” and “Warrior of the Mind” share the same date of release. 

Other songs that appear “Epic: The Troy Saga” are:

• “The Horse and the Infant”
• “Open Arms”
• “Just a Man”
• “Full Speed Ahead”

Success

Upon issuance, both the EP and this track proceeded to blow up. For instance, the former debuted at second place on a Billboard listing known as the Cast Albums Chart.

Barely a month after release, this song garnered millions of streams on Spotify.

Who wrote “Warrior of the Mind”?

Jorge Rivera-Herrans is credited with composing this song.

Who is the female singer on “Warrior of the Mind”?

The female vocalist on this song is Teagan Early. Teagan actually takes on the role of Athena in “Epic: The Musical”.