In 2010, Prince announced his “Welcome 2 America” tour, and he also recorded an album of the same name that was never released. Now, though, over a decade later, Prince’s estate is releasing the album, which is set for July 30. Accompanying the announcement is the title track, a spoken-word tune that’s critical of mass media, social media, and other issues in American life.
The album features 11 Prince originals and a cover of Soul Asylum’s “Stand Up and B Strong.” As Rolling Stone notes, these songs haven’t been released before, but some have been either performed by Prince live or appeared on webcasts and one-off radio premieres. The deluxe edition of the album features a concert video filmed on April 28, 2011 at The Forum in Inglewood, California.
In a 2010 statement, Prince said of the album, “The world is fraught with misin4mation. George Orwell’s vision of the future is here. We need 2 remain steadfast in faith in the trying times ahead.”
Listen to “Welcome 2 America” above and find the Welcome 2 America art and tracklist below.
1. “Welcome 2 America”
2. “Running Game (Son Of A Slave Master)”
3. “Born 2 Die”
4. “1000 Light Years From Here”
5. “Hot Summer”
6. “Stand Up And B Strong (Soul Asylum cover)”
7. “Check The Record”
8. “Same Page, Different Book”
9. “When She Comes”
10. “1010 (Rin Tin Tin)”
11. “Yes”
12. “One Day We Will All B Free”
Welcome 2 America is out 7/30 via SMG. Pre-order it here.
