FIVE years after his death, treasures continue to emerge from Prince's legendary vault, with a previously unreleased album "Welcome 2 America" set for release on July 30, label Legacy Recordings said Thursday.
The album, which was recorded in 2010, is likely to rank among the artist's most overtly political statements, with a title track that concludes: "Land of the free / home of the slave."
That song is immediately available on streaming platforms, with the full 12-track album following this summer.
A second disc will feature a live performance from the tour of the same name, recorded at The Forum in California in April 2011.
The album covers "Prince's concerns, hopes, and visions for a shifting society, presciently foreshadowing an era of political division, disinformation, and a renewed fight for racial justice," the label and his estate said in a statement.
Prince, who died on April 21, 2016 at the age of 57, famously battled with labels during his career and kept "thousands upon thousands" of tapes sealed away in "The Vault" in his home-studio, Paisley Park near Minneapolis.
"I didn't always give the record companies the best song," Prince told Rolling Stone magazine in 2014. "There are songs in the vault that no one's ever heard... tons of stuff recorded in different periods."
Since his death, some of these have started to emerge, including dozens of unheard tracks attached to reissues of his classic albums, "1999", "Sign o' the Times" and "Purple Rain".
Legacy Recordings included a telling and prophetic quote from Prince dating to the recording of "Welcome 2 America" that gives a sense of his mindset at the time: "The world is fraught with misin4mation. George Orwell's vision of the future is here. We need 2 remain steadfast in faith in the trying times ahead."
But as the live recording makes clear, this doom-laden forecast could not halt the good times at a Prince show.
Prince announced the tour with a statement: "Bring friends, bring Ur children, and bring foot spray, because... it's gonna B funky."
ETX Studio
Fri Apr 09 2021

The album covers "Prince's concerns, hopes, and visions for a shifting society, presciently foreshadowing an era of political division, disinformation, and a renewed fight for racial justice," the label and his estate said in a statement. Filepic/AP

What happened in Philippine drug war that led to Duterte's arrest?
Here are some facts about the drug war during Duterte's presidency from 2016 to 2022.

Soccer - Manchester United plans to build 'world's greatest stadium'
Manchester United plans to build a new 100,000-seat stadium next to the existing Old Trafford, the club announces.

Meta begins testing its first in-house AI training chip
Meta is working with Taiwan-based chip manufacturer TSMC to produce the chip, according to sources.

Russia says it wants united and 'friendly' Syria
Russia has two strategically important military bases in Syria, which it is hoping to retain in the wake of Assad's fall.

Musk says juggling DOGE and CEO jobs is difficult, as Tesla shares slump
Elon Musk says he is running his businesses "with great difficulty" while working with the Trump administration.

Philippine ex-leader Duterte long defiant on deadly drug war
Before becoming president, Rodrigo Duterte earned the nicknames "The Punisher" and "Duterte Harry" for his violent anti-drug crackdown.

Ismail Sabri probe: 36 witnesses finish giving statements to MACC, 23 others to be summoned
A MACC source said 23 other witnesses have also been identified and would be summoned to give their statements soon.

Westin Hotels marks World Sleep Day with wellness-focused offerings
With a growing demand for sleep tourism and wellness travel, Westin aims to solidify its position as a leader in holistic hospitality.

Govt wants local experts to help improve national cyber security - PM's press secretary
Tunku Nashrul Abaidah says the government has high confidence in local expertise to face cybersecurity challenges.

Philippines' ex-President Duterte arrested at ICC's request over 'drugs war', government says
Rodrigo Duterte was arrested upon his arrival at a Manila airport and the ex-leader is now in custody, the office of the president said.
![[COLUMNIST] Lighting up lives: How solar power is transforming Orang Asal villages in Sabah [COLUMNIST] Lighting up lives: How solar power is transforming Orang Asal villages in Sabah](https://resizer-awani.eco.astro.com.my/tr:w-177,h-100,q-100,f-auto/https://img.astroawani.com/2025-03/81741682061_tbOrangAslisolar.jpg)
[COLUMNIST] Lighting up lives: How solar power is transforming Orang Asal villages in Sabah
For years, families in these villages relied on diesel generators, but the high cost of fuel and maintenance meant electricity was a luxury.

Court postpones verdict in Aliff Syukri obscene content case to March 14
Datuk Seri Aliff Syukri Kamarzaman faces four charges of uploading obscene content on his Instagram account in 2022.

Trump says he will buy a 'new Tesla' to show support for Musk
Tesla's market capitalisation has more than halved since hitting an all-time high of $1.5 trillion on December 17.

Tanker hired by US military ablaze off UK after hit by container ship
The ship is carrying 15 containers of sodium cyanide, a toxic chemical used mainly in gold mining, and an unknown quantity of alcohol.

Failure to pay PTPTN loan: UMNO Youth supports proposal to ban borrowers from overseas travel
UMNO Youth chief says the borrowers involved must be responsible in settling their debts with PTPTN for the sake of future generations.

Pope Francis no longer faces immediate danger, responding to treatment, Vatican says
The Vatican says pope's doctors decided to lift an earlier "guarded" prognosis, meaning the pontiff was no longer in immediate danger.

AI Revolution: Will Malaysia’s workforce sink or swim?
AI is no longer a distant concept, it is actively transforming industries, reshaping job markets, and redefining the skills needed.

Dalai Lama says his successor to be born outside China
Beijing insists it will choose his successor, but the Dalai Lama says any successor named by China would not be respected.

US judge says Musk's DOGE must release records on operations run in 'secrecy'
The ruling, the first of its kind, marks an early victory for advocates pushing DOGE to be more transparent about its role in mass firings.

How to Get to Merdeka 118: Your Complete Guide
Heres everything you need to know about getting there efficiently.