Freshman Delany Clay is listening to “Keep Your Friends Close” by Jorge Rivera-Herrans.

“It’s a good song,” Clay said. “It’s catchy.”

“Keep Your Friends Close” is from the “Epic,” a musical adaptation of the “Odyssey,” focusing on Odysseus’s encounter with Aeolus. It outlines Odysseus’s struggles about who he can trust. The song’s name refers to the famous saying, “keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

The song foreshadows the incident where the crew members open the bag of winds and send the ship away from their destination. Odysseus grapples between trying to be a good leader to his men and trying to get home to Penelope. 

The song blends musical theater with contemporary pop. Pop elements make it catchy. “Keep Your Friends Close” features contemporary musical arrangements common in modern musicals.

Jorge Rivera-Herrans is a Puerto Rican playwright, composer, lyricist, and actor. Originally, he was a medical student but he dropped out after writing “My Heart Says Go.” Rivera-Herrans is known for his game-like storytelling. He is famous for his famous musical, “Epic.” Rivera-Herrans is currently working on his next musical, “Ilium,” based on the “Iliad.” 

“I like it and others should like it, too,” Clay said.

You can listen to “Keep Your Friends Close” on most major musical platforms.