Release the Purple Cut: Never-Before-Heard Prince Album Welcome 2 America Is Coming in July

We may earn a commission from links on this page.
In this Feb. 1, 2007 photo, Prince performs during rehearsals before Super Bowl XLI in Miami.
In this Feb. 1, 2007 photo, Prince performs during rehearsals before Super Bowl XLI in Miami.
Photo: Christy Radecic/Invision (AP)

Fans of the late legendary artist and musician Prince (born Prince Rogers Nelson) have read about his iconic vault located at Paisley Park, which is said to contain a significant amount of unreleased songs.

Well, fans are in for a treat because one particular collection of those songs will be released to the public this summer. According to the New York Times, Welcome 2 America, a never-before-heard unreleased album will finally be released on July 30, via Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. The album, containing 12 tracks, was recorded at Paisley Park Studios in 2010.

Advertisement

NYT further reports:

In its announcement, the estate called Welcome 2 America a document of “Prince’s concerns, hopes and visions for a shifting society, presciently foreshadowing an era of political division, disinformation, and a renewed fight for racial justice.” The album touches on “golden parachutes, the superficial nature of social media, reality TV-fueled celebrity culture, and corporate monopolies in the music industry, ultimately concluding that America is the ‘Land of the free/home of the slave,’” the estate said.

It also included a quote about the album from Prince at the time, written in his trademark style: “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.”

In line with that message, songs from the album include titles like “Running Game (Son of a Slave Master),” “Born 2 Die” and “One Day We Will All B Free.” On the title track, Prince sings, “Distracted by the features of the iPhone/Got an application, 2 fix Ur situation.”

Advertisement

Wow. What a legacy this man has left for the world to have the privilege in experiencing his unmatched gifts. Being familiar with Prince’s work, these titles will no doubt be an astute lyrical assessment of the country as he saw it.

Advertisement

Ever since Prince died unexpectedly in 2016 (without leaving a will), his estate has been overwhelmed with financial challenges, including tax problems with the I.R.S. Prince’s younger sister Tyka Nelson has been on an intentional mission to preserve her brother’s legacy. “I won’t get off this planet until he gets every single solitary thing he worked so hard for and preserved for all of the world to hear,” Tyka said, per Rolling Stone.

Advertisement

We’re grateful for the opportunity to immerse ourselves in more of his music and we’ll be ready in July.