One of the most innovative recording artists of the last 50 years, Prince, has stayed continuously relevant since his tragic death on the 21st of April 2016, aged only 57. Today, NPG Records, the platform which Prince owned to distribute his personal music, has released posthumous single ‘With This Tear’ in honour of the 10 years since his passing.
Prince Rogers Nelson, known by various names but chief among them, Prince, was an enigmatic artist. An unparalleled savant and polymath, he was regaled for playing numerous instruments with a natural flair, as well as his ability to write music in nearly any genre with ease. Since 1978, he released a staggering 39 albums across numerous projects, as well as 5 films including 1984 multimedia-sensation ‘Purple Rain’, which won him an Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. His accolades count 7 BRIT Awards, 11 Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe, and a 2004 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
His passing in 2016 due to an accidental fentanyl overdose, with no signs of foul play, shocked the world of music. Since his death however, Prince’s musical releases have not let up – his unrelenting genius yielded a vault of previously-unheard songs, albums and live footage, as well as fully produced music videos that have still yet to see the light of day. While some items have been leaked as raw bootleg versions, others like 2021’s ‘Welcome 2 America’ received a full studio release through NPG.
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Today, in memory of 10 years since Prince’s death, his estate have released ‘With This Tear’ as part of their annual ‘A Day 2 Reflect | A Night 2 Remember’ observation of his life. The track was recorded in November 1991 at his Paisley Park home studio in Minnesota. It was originally written, recorded and mixed by himself, but has been remixed and mastered by former collaborator Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Chris James, best known for his work with Frank Ocean and Janelle Monáe. Prince gave the song to singer Celine Dion, which appeared on her 1992 self-titled album as a non-single track.
The music video is an emotional tribute to the great man, opening with a short clip of him saying “when I was younger I always said that, one day, I was going to play all kinds of music, and not be judged for the colour of my skin, but the quality of my work. And hopefully that’ll continue.” Footage of his vast career plays behind the gentle ballad, a reminder of how storied his time on his planet was and the still-growing trove of material he has left behind.
‘With This Tear’ is out now on NPG Records in association with Sony’s Legacy Records. It comes ahead of ‘Prince Celebration, 10th Anniversary Celebration of Life’, a vigil which will see 5 days of gathering and remembrance in Prince’s home of Paisley Park in Minneapolis, including performances by his former backing groups New Power Generation and The Revolution. More unreleased recordings by Prince are due to make their emergence later this year in an as-yet unnamed album project.
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