He’s pulling a U2!

Catch him March 25th thru 27th and May 28th.

Billboard offers further deets.

MP3: Prince – Kiss

Dissect his controversial statement here.

Keep up to date on Prince at his official site.

MP3: Prince – Darling Nikki

Enjoy last night’s performance below. Visit Prince’s online fan community here.

MP3: Prince – Kiss

Controversy is due out on 2/4, here’s the track listing:

1. Stina Nordenstam – Purple Rain
2. Blue States – Alphabet Street
3. Susanna & TMO – Condition Of The Heart
4. Osunlade – Crazy You
5. Hefner – Controversy
6. The Dynamics – Girls & Boys
7. Broadway Project – Ballard Of Dorothy Parker
8. 7 Hurtz & Peaches – Sexy Dancer
9. Soulwax – Starfish & Coffee
10. Rob Mello – Critical
11. LB – The Future
12. Kode 9 & Space Ape – Sine Of The Dub

MP3: Prince – Kiss

A wise move? Reuters reports: *U.S. pop star Prince plans to sue YouTube and other major Web sites for unauthorized use of his music in a bid to “reclaim his art on the Internet.” The man behind hit songs “Purple Rain,” “1999″ and “When Doves Cry” said on Thursday that YouTube could not argue it had no control over which videos users posted on its site. “YouTube … are clearly able (to) filter porn and pedophile material but appear to choose not to filter out the unauthorized music and film content which is core to their business success,” a statement released on his behalf said.

YouTube responded by saying it was working with artists to help them manage their music on the site. “Most content owners understand that we respect copyrights, we work every day to help them manage their content, and we are developing state-of-the-art tools to let them do that even better,” said YouTube chief counsel Zahavah Levine. “We have great partnerships with major music labels all over the world that understand the benefit of using YouTube as another way to communicate with their fans.” In addition to YouTube, Prince plans legal action against online auctioneer eBay & Pirate Bay, accused by Hollywood & the music industry as being a major source of music & film piracy.

The legal action is the latest bid by the music industry to wrest back control over content in an age where file sharing, mobile phones and video sites make enforcing copyright increasingly difficult. But it is believed to be rare for an individual artist of Prince’s stature to take on popular Web sites, while some up-and-coming performers actually encourage online file sharing to create a fan base and buzz around a record. “Prince strongly believes artists as the creators and owners of their music need to reclaim their art.”*

Read the rest of the article here.

MP3: Prince – Kiss

Prince: The Psychic? Prince: The Shoegazer? Prince: He’s Got The Whole World In His Hands? Here’s the cover art for July’s Planet Earth. Awful or really awful? You decide.

MP3: Prince – Kiss

Via NME: *Prince is set to launch his own perfume. The name of the fragrance, 3121, is also the name of his last studio album, which was released in 2006.

According to official site 3121perfume.com, it’s described as “a kaleidoscope of rich florals…Xquisite (sic), Mysterious, Xotic (sic)”.

The perfume is set to go on sale on July 7.*

Hmm….

MP3: Prince – Kiss

Via Billboard: Bjork, Prince, James Taylor and Elvis Costello are among the artists who have recorded covers for “A Tribute to Joni Mitchell,” due in the spring via Nonesuch. The 11-track set also boasts contributions from Sarah McLachlan, k.d. lang, Emmylou Harris and Sufjan Stevens…

“Free Man in Paris,” Sufjan Stevens
“Boho Dance,” Bjork
“Dreamland,” Caetano Veloso
“Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow,” Brad Mehldau
“For the Roses,” Cassandra Wilson
“A Case of U,” Prince
“Blue,” Sarah McLachlan
“Ladies of the Canyon,” Annie Lennox
“Magdalena Laundries,” Emmylou Harris
“Edith and the Kingpin,” Elvis Costello
“Help Me,” k.d. lang
“River,” James Taylor

Oh, and yes that really is A BABY PICTURE of Bjork. Adorable, right?

Err, Billboard reports: Prince will open a nightclub at the Rio hotel in Las Vegas, which will host concerts by the artist as well as acts signed to his NPG label. Sources tell Billboard.com that Concerts West/AEG Live, producers of Prince’s $90 million Musicology tour in 2004, will be working with the artist on the project, which will launch next month.

It is also unknown how regularly Prince plans to perform at the venue formerly known as Club Rio, which has hosted a topless revue called Club Eroticka since February 2005.

MP3: Prince – Purple Rain

Take THAT, Moby!

I’m sad to hear that Moz didn’t even make the top 5 on PETA’s list of sexiest vegetarians!
Oh well, always next year Stephen Patrick!

Other surprise omissions include Fiona Apple and THOM YORKE!!!

The rest of the top few went something like this:
-Natalie Portman
-Nicolette Sheridan
-Joaquin Phoenix