British paper The Mirror has a fascinating interview with pop star Prince. Prince is a devout Jehovah’s Witness and a committed vegan. The journalist spends an evening at Prince’s mansion and it’s like he’s an anthropologist researching the lifestyle of eccentric filthy rich musicians. I guess the takeaway from this story is the fact that Prince will release his new CD, 20TEN, for free but only in The Mirror this Saturday. It sounds like the CD will both be available to subscribers and to purchasers in shops. It’s sure to sell out quicker than people can get their hands on it.
In the interview, Prince goes on about the Internet cutting into his profits and being “over.” I would snark that it’s Prince that’s over, not the Internet, but of course that’s not true. He makes incredible music and has a large fanbase. His wacky but mysterious persona works for him. It doesn’t help his cause at all to strongarm YouTube users for posting videos of their babies dancing to his songs.
He explains that he decided the album will be released in CD format only in the Mirror. There’ll be no downloads anywhere in the world because of his ongoing battles against internet abuses.
Unlike most other rock stars, he has banned YouTube and iTunes from using any of his music and has even closed down his own official website.
He says: “The internet’s completely over. I don’t see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won’t pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can’t get it.
“The internet’s like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good.
“They just fill your head with numbers and that can’t be good for you.”
[From The Mirror]
So what is Prince going to do when the tracks from this CD inevitably get leaked online? I’m sure they’re protected against copying, but someone will find a way around that. Did he somehow include tracking information that can pinpoint the exact location or store where the CD originated? I wouldn’t be surprised.
The Mirror used to have a video with previews of three of the new songs, but it’s since been removed. All I could find was this goofy parody of the Duchess Fergie’s scandal along with a clip playing in the background. (That’s at :57) I’m sure that will be taken down soon too.
The Internet isn’t over, but the old way of distributing music definitely is. Leave it to Prince to find a new way to go old school.
Update: Here’s a link to a video with clips of some of the songs. I’m not impressed as they sound very familiar and like Prince’s older work.
Prince is shown performing in Paris on 10/12/09, out in Paris on 10/5/09 (credit: Fame Pictures) and at Fashion Week on 10/6/09 (credit: PRPhotos). He’s 52!
He’s 52! Wow. I have to say I think he just belongs to a different era, when musicians were musicians and he’s having a hard time keeping up.
I do think that online and p2p sharing music sites should pay an advance for his music, but it irritates me to no end that I can’t download his music *legally* on any of the sites I use e.g. iTunes, Grooveshark, Spotify or Blip.fm
He’ll come around at some point, hey he changed his name back so maybe he’ll change his tune about online music?
Musicians have adapted to the internet thing and make money from touring instead. I love prince but the internet isnt “over”..Hes right about MTV though. It sucks now
It’s his music and he can basically call the shots.
He has made a name for himself based on his talent over the years.
I have to say, he looks awesome for 52! Hard to believe. I saw him in concert years ago- A M A Z I N G!
Yeah well, I happen to think Prince has BEEN over for quite some time now.
Prince is one pretty dude, lol. I will always buy his music. His music is classic.
This ugly little egoistic idiot has been over for me ever since he blocked Youtube recording of his cover of Radiohead’s Creep two years ago, claiming copyright. Thom Yorke had to ask the w**ker to unblock it, since, it was… and still is… THEIR song. Talk about something being over!
LOVE him. prince is among the ranks who can do whatever the hell they want due to talent/overall coolness. SUCH a little b*tch in the best way possible. i agree to some extent that all the gadgetry and the like will eventually cycle back – it wont go away and neither will the web, but i do think we’re in a hyper-gadgetry phase that will pass. and mtv has been the sh*ts for ages now, no doubt. but it wasnt the format that made mtv sh*t, it was the people who run it. videos could totally still be viable, and are still a force to some degree, but mostly on youtube/vevo. somebody with some taste should buy mtv. maybe prince.
look for prince’s lawyers to become even richer as he goes on a renewed lawsuit spree once the leaks and copying begin!
His CD is also being released tomorrow in France with the weekly “Courrier International”
If they made a black Golden Girls, Prince would be Blanche Dubois.
Me that is funny!
@andrea: you really think it’s cool to think someone can steal someone else’s work and not let others steel his own? If the answer is yes, then I’m glad you don’t live next door to me, or else you wouldn’t hesistate to steel the chair on which I’m sitting, right!?!
@Kelaa: yeah, Radiohead also thought it was funny they couldn’t view it. PS: Thom Yorke talked about the accident in an interview by Rolling Stone.
Me1, dear, the proper word is “steal” as in theft….”steel” is a metal.
Only Prince can get away with dressing like that. I mean purple, satin heels! LOL!
Love him; love his music. I am so very sad that I won’t have access to his latest album but it does my heart good to know it’s out there. Sigh.
I doubt the Inet is over (yet) but I must say I am over it. Yes, I appreciate the irony of posting that on a blog.
His last album was a stink pile, which explains why he’d want an advance on proceeds which may never have materialised otherwise.
He is constantly sending out vulture lawyers on his fans. Remember that incident where that woman had videoed her toddler dancing around to the radio?
Well, it was a Prince song on the radio and he swooped in and got it pulled down from YouTube! LOL. WTF?
the only man in america who can wear assless, lacy pants and high heels and still be hot as hell. and he is great in concert; really talented and surprisingly funny and light-hearted.
He’s biting himself in the a$$ on this one. By limiting the release of his CD, he is encouraging pirates to rip and upload it so that people like me can then download it illegally for free.
No, Prince, the internet is most certainly not over, and you would do well to acquaint yourself with how it works!
The internet over? But it’s on computers now!
He was over when he became a Jehova’s Witness!
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