Lin-Manuel Miranda has announced he will release new Hamilton content every month for the next year.
The first track will be released on December 15 and it will continue once a month until December 2018, he said.
The content, dubbed the Hamildrops, will replace a Hamilton Mixtape Vol 2, a follow-up to the re-imaginings of songs from the hit musical, as well as tracks not included in the songbook for the Broadway smash.
Hello hello hello!Been working on a mixtape for years.It's finished.You can pre-order it TOMORROW.#HamiltonMixtape pic.twitter.com/PcgluIUXw4
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) November 3, 2016
The first volume, released in December 2016, included tracks by The Roots, Usher, Sia, Regina Spektor, Kelly Clarkson, Alicia Keys, John Legend and Chance The Rapper.
The musical, which has enjoyed sell-out runs in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, is in previews in London’s West End and will open on December 21.
Miranda announced the new project on Twitter, writing: “A year ago this month we released The Hamilton Mixtape. It was the culmination of so many dreams come true.
A year ago this month we released The Hamilton Mixtape. It was the culmination of so many dreams come true.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) December 14, 2017
“Every artist, every interpretation represented the original impulse I had for this story, even before this thing was a musical.
“I know I promised you a Hamilton Mixtape Vol 2, but nothing’s gonna match those songs in that order, beautifully sequenced by @jperiodBK, at that moment in December 2016.
I know I promised you a Hamilton Mixtape Vol. 2, but nothing’s gonna match those songs in that order, beautifully sequenced by @jperiodBK, at that moment in December 2016.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) December 14, 2017
He continued: “So today, we begin THE HAMILDROPS. We’re gonna drop some new Hamilton content, every month, December NOW through December 2018.”
So today, we begin THE HAMILDROPS. We’re gonna drop some new Hamilton content, every month, December NOW through December 2018.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) December 14, 2017
The first track to be released will be about Benjamin Franklin, with music by The Decemberists and lyrics by Miranda.
He wrote: “DECEMBER’S #HAMILDROP. ‘member how I said I once wrote some Decemberists-esque lyrics for a Ben Franklin tune, but never set ‘em to music?
DECEMBER’S #HAMILDROP. ‘member how I said I once wrote some Decemberists-esque lyrics for a Ben Franklin tune, but never set ‘em to music?
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) December 14, 2017
“So I sent the lyrics to @ColinMeloy. He’s in @TheDecemberists.
“And HE set it to music as only he and his crew can. It absolutely blew me away. I went BACK to write new lyrics for a bridge for him.
“He took it to @TheDecemberists & they brought Ben Franklin to life.
And HE set it to music as only he and his crew can. It absolutely blew me away. I weent BACK to write new lyrics for a bridge for him.
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) December 14, 2017
“So enjoy BEN FRANKLIN’S SONG. Music by The Decemberists, Lyrics by yours truly. Available at Midnight, wherever you are. (Austraila, NZ, you’re up first!)”
So enjoy BEN FRANKLIN’S SONG. Music by The Decemberists, Lyrics by yours truly. Available at Midnight, wherever you are. (Austraila, NZ, you’re up first!) #Hamildrops
— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) December 14, 2017
Miranda said there will be explicit and clean versions of the song available, adding: “You’ll see why soon.”