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Prince and 3rdEyeGirl release new single ‘Live Out Loud’

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by Andrea Swensson

February 22, 2013

 

Are you keeping up with all this? As promised, 2013 is shaping up to be a busy year for Prince and his new bandmates. In the past few weeks alone the Purple One has appeared on the Grammys, released a series of demo songs and videos via the new 3rdEyeGirl site, and announced a run of festival dates in Denmark, Switzerland and Sweden.

And today brings a new single, "Live Out Loud," featuring drummer Hannah Ford on lead vocals and Prince helping out on harmonies.

After weeks of speculation about the meaning behind the moniker 3rdEyeGirl, this track confirms that bandmates Ford, Ida Nielsen, and Donna Grantis are the focal point of Prince's attention right now—and though they obviously get a kick out of playing coy, 3rdEyeGirl's promise of being "Underground. Soon to be above" appears to be coming true.

Prince has embraced the internet once again, and he's using it to quickly disperse material that may or may not even be finalized. Some of the tracks offered up on the 3rdEyeGirl site are available in several versions, and he's made no mention of a full-length album or physical release in the works. For now, Prince seems to be enjoying how readily he can test out new material in front of a digital audience, much in the same way he used the Dakota to audition and soundcheck his band last month.

So what's next? Prince will be on Jimmy Fallon next Friday, March 1, and is planning to attend the star-studded tribute to his career at Carnegie Hall the week after that. It's obvious Prince's promotional engine is just revving up, so I wouldn't be surprised to find more festival or tour dates unveiled in the near future.

For now, take a listen to "Live Out Loud," and keep an eye on Prince's official site and 3rdEyeGirl.com for more developments.

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