Following the release of “Born 2 Die” last month and the titular track in April, Prince‘s estate has unveiled an additional previously unreleased song from the legendary vocalist’s upcoming posthumous album, Welcome 2 America.
“Hot Summer” is the third track to arrive off of Prince’s soon-to-be-released record, which he originally completed in 2010 with plans for a 2011 debut. The pioneering singer then performed a tour in 2011 under the same name, though he ultimately decided not to release the coinciding album.
The 23-track record, slated to release on July 30, will be the first complete studio LP to be unearthed from Prince’s vault since his death in 2016.
The release of “Hot Summer” comes in tandem with the launch of the second season of The Story of Welcome 2 America, a podcast that offers an inside look at the making of the album. On the first episode, Elisa Fiorillo — a singer who was present during the Welcome 2 America recording sessions — recalled how Prince took his collaborators on a joyride in his car while playing “Hot Summer.”
“All those people were outside and I’m thinking it’s broad daylight, they’re gonna see him. But we didn’t care,” Fiorillo said. “We had the windows rolled down and we were playing ‘Hot Summer.’ There’s nothing like driving in a car and listening to music and I think he agreed.”
Listen to “Hot Summer” above.
In another music release, watch Migos drive through the desert in the trio’s new “Roadrunner” music video.
