Welcome 2 America was recorded in 2010, but by listening to the lyrics, you would argue that to be impossible. It's hard to overstate just how prescient of a vision Prince had with this album; it's like he's speaking to 2021 from the grave. He talks of systemic racism, a renewed fight for racial justice, visions for a shifting society, political corruption and even foreshadowing an era of major political division.
The first posthumous release conceived as an entire album, Prince started out by only laying down instrumental tracks - no vocals or lyrics written - with a couple other musicians, then recruited his New Power Generation singers to come in, sharing leads and harmonies with them throughout.
There isn't much known about why Prince shelved this album after recording, and many fans have conflicted feelings about it. For such a renowned perfectionist, there had to be a reason. Even still, this release feels more important than ever, and truly solidifies Prince's legacy and musical genius.
Hear more from Welcome 2 America by listening to KAXE/KBXE this week!
