With Prince’s estate releasing a “new” album, Originals, next month via Tidal, Jay-Z’s favored streaming platform is stepping up to celebrate and create a memorable experience for fans. The streaming service will hold multiple listening parties, with Jay-Z hosting a party planned for Los Angeles ahead of the album’s release on June 7.
Originals will be a 15-track release featuring 14 previously unreleased versions of songs Prince penned for other artists, such as The Bangles’ “Manic Monday” and Sinéad O’Connor “Nothing Compares 2 U.” The album’s tracks were curated by music manager Troy Carter and Jay-Z with the estate’s approval. Originals will be exclusive to Tidal for its first two weeks of release, with a physical release to follow on June 21 and a special edition vinyl release on July 19. The work has been brewing since 2016, when Jay and Tidal made a bid for Prince’s unreleased music.
The listening parties for the album are planned for various locations worldwide, including Brazil, Poland, and more, with “In-Office Prince Day” events planned for Atlanta, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In a statement, Jay said of the album: “Prince led the way, for artistic freedom, for ownership. He’s one of the bravest people I can think of in the industry. He trusted us, not just me, but Tidal, to continue his fight. Trying to help further that legacy through his music is both an honor we couldn’t pass up as an organization dedicated to empowering artists. This gives his true fans that peek behind the curtain.” Prince worked with Tidal extensively before he passed and his catalog was originally Tidal exclusive in the months after his death.
Originals is due June 7 through the recently rebranded Warner Records.
