Prince has been busy making music and mending fences with his record label Warner Bros. On Monday the purple one announced that he's releasing two albums back to back. Prince's 33rd studio album will be called Art Official Age and is described as "a contemporary concoction of soul, R&B and funk." The second album, Plectrumelectrum, which is a collaboration with his funk band, 3rdEyeGirl, is described as a "classic band record" with "an electrifying funk-rock statement."
Over the past several years, Prince and Warner Bros. Records had butted heads over his contractual obligations, but his relationship with the label seems to be at a better place. Prince originally signed with the label in 1976 and left in 1996. The relationship wasn't salvaged until Warner Bros. returned Prince's early master recordings to him.
In a press release, Warner Bros. expressed its sentiments about Prince and his upcoming music: "Prince is one of just a handful of visionary artists who have truly reshaped and redefined modern music and culture," Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Cameron Strang said. "For the past 35 years, he has never stopped evolving, challenging himself, reinventing his sound and pushing boundaries. In true Prince fashion, he has just given us not one, but two extraordinary albums that express the incredible range and depth of his talent. All of us at WBR are immensely proud to be working with Prince to bring this brilliant new music to his legions of fans around the world, and needless to say we are thrilled to be working in partnership with him again."
Prince, who once shied away from anything Internet related, has now embraced social media with open arms. He's even released a single from Art Official Age on Soundcloud:
Both albums are currently available for preorder.
Here's the Art Official Age track list:
1. "Art Official Cage"
2. "Clouds"
3. "Breakdown"
4. "The Gold Standard"
5. "U Know"
6. "Breakfast Can Wait"
7. "This Could Be Us"
8. "What It Feels Like"
9. "Affirmation I & II"
10. "Way Back Home"
11. "Funknroll"
12. "Time"
13. "Affirmation III"
Here's the Plectrumelectrum track list:
1. "Wow"
2. "Pretzelbodylogic"
3. "Aintturninround"
4. "Plectrumelectrum"
5. "Whitecaps"
6. "Fixurlifeup"
7. "Boytrouble"
8. "Stopthistrain"
9. "Anotherlove"
10. "Tictactoe"
11. "Marz"
12. "Funknroll"