Funk legend Prince has a new record, HITNRUN, coming out on September 7, but you’ll need a Tidal subscription if you want to hear it. It’s not an entirely unsurprising move considering the 57 year old pulled his entire catalog from all streaming music services aside from Tidal last month. Regardless, it’s a big win for the streaming service which has had difficulties both with its public image and its competitors in its first few months.
Prince began his relationship with Tidal in May, when he exclusively streamed his Rally 4 Peace concert on the platform. With this exclusive deal, though, the artist is publicly announcing his allegiance to the service.
“After one meeting, it was obvious that Jay Z and the team he has assembled at Tidal recognize and applaud the real effort that real musicians put in2 their craft 2 achieve the very best they can at this pivotal time in the music industry,” said Prince in a statement. “Tidal has honored Us with a non-restrictive arrangement that once again allows Us to continue making art in the fashion We’ve grown accustomed 2 and We’re Extremely grateful 4 their generous support.”
The album was recorded with producer Joshua Welton in just three months, according to the press release. HARDROCKLOVER, exclusively released on Spotify (we’re not sure why either), was its first single.
While we’re not sure how long Tidal will be the exclusive place to hear HITNRUN, Jay Z and his team at the streaming service are hoping it will help convince potential customers to choose Tidal over Apple Music, Spotify, Rdio, and others.
“Both Prince and Tidal share the belief that all creatives should have the opportunity to speak directly to those that love and support them,” said Jay Z in a statement. “The partnership with Prince represents Tidal’s philosophy in its truest form, a 1 to 1 connection and direct delivery of artistry to the world.”
