April 26 (Minneapolis, MN) - In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Prince’s seminal Musicology album, NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, have released “Magnificent,” a rare 2003 Prince track that was previously issued as a “virtual B-side” to “Musicology,” the lead single from the classic record. Originally distributed via Prince’s NPG Music Club, the song has never been previously available on any official streaming services, so today’s release marks the first time that a new generation of Prince fans around the world will have access to this hard-to-find gem. The track’s debut on streaming follows the release of “United States Of Division,” another rare B-side from the Musicology era.
April 26 (Minneapolis, MN) - In celebration of the 20th anniversary of Prince’s seminal Musicology album, NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, have released “Magnificent,” a rare 2003 Prince track that was previously issued as a “virtual B-side” to “Musicology,” the lead single from the classic record. Originally distributed via Prince’s NPG Music Club, the song has never been previously available on any official streaming services, so today’s release marks the first time that a new generation of Prince fans around the world will have access to this hard-to-find gem. The track’s debut on streaming follows the release of “United States Of Division,” another rare B-side from the Musicology era.
“Magnificent” is a sensual love song backed by layers of heavy digital percussion and an ominous synthesizer riff throughout. Over the irresistibly funky backing track, Prince croons to an unnamed lover: “In the time it took the others / to say your name / we became magnificent.” Unofficially available to Prince fans for 20 years and sourced from master tapes found in Prince’s legendary vault, “Magnificent” is yet another stunning sonic artifact from a notably prolific era of his celebrated career.
The releases of “Magnificent” and “United States Of Division” also celebrate the 20th anniversary of Prince’s landmark Musicology Live 2004ever tour, a remarkable run of shows that saw the trendsetting star distributing copies of his most recent album Musicology to over a million concert attendees. On Prince’s request, the tour featured reasonable ticket prices that encouraged fans young and old to attend shows. Devised by Prince and his longtime lawyer, confidante, and Musicology Executive Producer L. Londell McMillan this grassroots approach to album marketing profoundly changed that way the music industry viewed live performances and once again cemented Prince’s status as one of modern music’s great creative visionaries.