On July 30, 2021, The Prince Estate and Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, released the enigmatic and prescient 2010 album Welcome 2 America, a powerful creative statement that documents 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.
Recorded in 2010 and then mysteriously archived, Welcome 2 America features some of Prince’s only studio collaborations with bassist Tal Wilkenfeld, drummer Chris Coleman, and GRAMMY-nominated engineer Jason Agel, with additional contributions from New Power Generation singers Shelby J., Liv Warfield, and Elisa Fiorillo and keyboardist Morris Hayes, who Prince also recruited to co-produce several tracks on the album.
I think he knew this album needed to wait. He knew we'd need it later.”
Shelby J., NPG vocalist
Shortly after completing the Welcome 2 America album, Prince embarked on a unique tour of the same name that included multiple performances in several U.S. cities, capped off by the historic “21 Nite Stand” at The Forum in Inglewood, California. 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.
The live concert video features Prince performing with his 2011-era lineup of the New Power Generation, including Shelby J., Liv Warfield, Elisa Fiorillo, and Morris Hayes, additional keyboardists Renato Neto and Cassandra O’Neal, bassist Ida Nielsen, drummer John Blackwell, and dancers Maya and Nandy McClean (The Twinz). Captured midway through his marathon “21 Nite Stand” at The Forum in Inglewood, California, this performance documents the spontaneity and incendiary energy of that historic portion of the Welcome 2 America Tour – an audiovisual testament to the proclamation he made at the launch of the tour in October, 2010, stating “Bring friends, bring Ur children, and bring foot spray, because… it’s gonna B funky.”
Photo by Kevin Mazur
Track listing:
Prince – Welcome 2 America
Studio Album (CD/LP/Digital)
- Welcome 2 America
- Running Game (Son of a Slave Master)
- Born 2 Die
- 1000 Light Years From Here
- Hot Summer
- Stand Up and B Strong *
- Check The Record
- Same Page, Different Book
- When She Comes
- 1010 (Rin Tin Tin)
- Yes
- One Day We Will All B Free
* Soul Asylum cover
Prince – Welcome 2 America (Live at The Forum, April 28, 2011)
Concert Performance (Blu-Ray):
Joy In Repetition
Brown Skin (India.Arie cover)
17 Days
Shhh
Controversy
Theme From “Which Way Is Up” (Stargard cover)
What Have You Done For Me Lately (Janet Jackson cover)
Partyman
Make You Feel My Love (Bob Dylan cover)
Misty Blue (Eddy Arnold cover)
Let’s Go Crazy
Delirious
1999
Little Red Corvette
Purple Rain
The Bird (The Time cover – Prince composition)
Jungle Love (The Time cover – Prince composition)
A Love Bizarre (Sheila E. cover – Prince composition)
Kiss
Play That Funky Music (Wild Cherry cover)
Inglewood Swinging (cover of Kool & the Gang’s “Hollywood Swinging”)
Fantastic Voyage (Lakeside cover)
More Than This (Roxy Music cover)
Join community to get news and updates
By providing us with your email address and clicking “Submit” you are agreeing to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.