WEBBY AWARDED PODCAST RETURNS WITH “THE STORY OF WELCOME 2 AMERICA,” PREVIEWING UNRELEASED TRACKS AHEAD OF WELCOME 2 AMERICA’S RELEASE JULY 30

LISTEN TO HOT SUMMER HERE

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST HERE

PRE-ORDER ALBUM HERE

EARLY PRAISE FOR WELCOME 2 AMERICA:

“The record is a gorgeous romp through taut funk grooves and spaced-out R&B.”

—Wall Street Journal

“In and of itself, it’s historic.” 

—Rolling Stone

“These songs are amongst the most socially and politically engaged of his career. As though Prince were updating Sign O’ The Times.”

– UNCUT

“Welcome 2 America is a delight. The grooves are airtight and joyous.”

– New York Magazine

The Prince Estate and Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, are excited to share the track “Hot Summer” from Welcome 2 America, an album that Prince recorded in 2010 and which will be released from his legendary Paisley Park vault in standard and Deluxe editions on July 30.

Stream “Hot Summer” here.

“Hot Summer” arrives the same day that The Prince Estate has launched a new season of its Webby awarded official podcast. “The Story of Welcome 2 America” takes listeners on a journey into the studios of Paisley Park and out onto the road with Prince in 2010-2011, when he recorded his political and poignant album Welcome 2 America and then archived it, choosing to focus instead on creating unparalleled live concert residencies in cities around the U.S.

On the first episode of “The Story of Welcome 2 America,” the Minneapolis music journalist Andrea Swensson and Prince’s long-time vocalist and collaborator Shelby J. share the backstory of how the Welcome 2 America sessions began, when Prince enlisted the young bass phenom Tal Wilkenfeld to help him form a live trio and record a series of improvisational compositions with the drummer Chris Coleman. Once the instrumental tracks were recorded, Shelby and her fellow NPG vocalists Liv Warfieldand Elisa Fiorillo were brought into Studio A to record their harmonies, melody lines, improvised jokes, and even a rap with Prince.

Listen to Episode 1 of “The Story of Welcome 2 America” here.

Accentuated by exclusive previews of many of the Welcome 2 America tracks, the singers recount on the podcast how close they became with Prince during the Welcome 2 America sessions—and how they would all get into his black Mercedes SUV after their recording sessions to listen to the new creations together.

After recording the joyful “Hot Summer,” Prince even took them for a drive past the beach while cranking the new tune. “All those people were outside and I’m thinking it’s broad daylight, they’re gonna see him. But we didn’t care,” Elisa Fiorillo shares on the podcast. “We had the windows rolled down and we were playing ‘Hot Summer.’ There’s nothing like driving in a car and listening to music and I think he agreed.”

“It makes me think we’re all at the beach doing the twist, like Annette Funicello,” Shelby J. added. “That’s just what I feel when I hear that song. So I say it’s going be a Hot Purple Summer!”

In anticipation of the release of Welcome 2 America on July 30, 60 Minutes is planning to rebroadcast its story about the new album with correspondent Jon Wertheim this Sunday, July 25, on CBS. The Deluxe Edition of Welcome 2 America includes the complete studio vault album on both CD and black vinyl (accompanied with a hi-res digital download) plus a never-before-released full concert video of Prince’s April 28, 2011 show at The Forum, presented in 1080p HD with stereo, 5.1 surround and Dolby Atmos audio.

Pre-order digital, vinyl, CD, and Deluxe editions of Welcome 2 America here and shop exclusive Welcome 2 America merchandise at the Official Prince Store.

About The Prince Estate:

The Prince Estate passionately presents Prince’s life and work, and cultivates opportunities to further his legacy. As the singular, authoritative source on all things Prince, The Prince Estate inspires and educates fans, celebrates Prince in his totality, and stewards Prince’s legacy into the future.

Official Website: PRINCE.com

Official Store: Store.PRINCE.com

Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @prince 

About Legacy Recordings

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is home to the world’s foremost library of historically significant commercial recordings, a peerless collection of works by the most important musical artists of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. Across a variety of platforms, the label offers contemporary music fans access to thousands of meticulously restored archival titles representing virtually every musical genre.