July 30, 2021
NPG Records
1xLP
There's an interesting internal conflict to any and all recordings to come out of our late King's camp since his untimely death. The man (the myth, the purple legend) was notoriously protective of his material. You don't have to look far to find stories of Prince requesting lo-fi recordings of his demos be removed from Soundcloud, or grainy home video filmed on a beat-up pair of potato be stripped from YouTube at his behest. That being said, it goes without saying that more music by Prince in the world is an objective plus. And, considering the late-career Prince was undergoing in the early 2010's, Welcome 2 America absolutely, positively should have come out. The world needed it, with it's punchy funk, topical songwriting and developed R&B sensibilities. Especially for those who obsess over the last few albums Prince released in his lifetime (Art Official Age, the HITNRUN volumes), Welcome 2 America is a seamless addition to what would have (and will continue to be) one of the most spectacular catalogues in music.