The singer's ballad, 'It's Quiet Uptown,' is one of two pre-released tracks from the highly anticipated album.
Get ready Hamilton fans, the mixtape is going to be epic!
After Lin-Manuel Miranda dropped the track list for the upcoming Hamilton Mixtape -- featuring covers and riffs on songs from his megahit musical -- on Thursday, fans spent the day freaking out over the lineup of musical talent recruited to perform on the Tony-winning tracks.
Seriously, just look at it. John Legend, Alicia Keys, Andra Day, Usher, Sia, Queen Latifah, The Roots, Wiz Khalifa, and more, all featured on one album, inspired by a hip-hop musical about one of America’s (no longer) underrated founding fathers.
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“I'm overwhelmed that you're all so happy,” Miranda later tweeted. “I have been SITTING ON SO MANY SECRETS. Each artist on here is a dream come true.”
But that wasn’t the only surprise Miranda had in store for Hamilton enthusiasts. The Broadway star released two tracks early, as a reward for fans pre-ordering the mixtape, which will be released in full on Dec. 2.
The first song, an interpretation of the bravado-laced anthem “My Shot,” featuring all-new rhymes from Busta Rhymes and backing vocals from Nate Ruess, is already a classic, but it’s Kelly Clarkson’s contribution to the mixtape that’s making fans truly emotional.
Clarkson lends her vocals to the heartbreaking act two ballad “It’s Quiet Uptown,” in which Alexander Hamilton (played by Miranda in the show’s initial run and original cast recording) laments the death of his eldest son, Philip.
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The American Idol winner truly makes the song her own, lending her iconic voice -- which often sings of familial heartbreak and enduring love -- to the already harrowing tune, causing fans everywhere to reach for the Kleenex.
“Should I start therapy once a day to emotionally prepare for Kelly Clarkson singing It's Quiet Uptown?” Empire star and Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe tweeted. “Cuz I will! #HamiltonMixtape.”
“Sit next to me, Gabby. It's here today,” Miranda replied.
And while the Pulitzer Prize winner seems to be having as hard a time waiting for December as the rest of his loyal fans, he was effusive in his gratitude about the mixtape’s early reception.
“I'm just so happy you're happy,” Miranda added on Twitter. “We've all lost so much sleep making this for you. I don't have words for this gratitude. #HamiltonMixtape.”
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