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Today’s Music News: Prince releases new album ‘Hit N Run: Phase Two’

by Staff

December 13, 2015

When Prince titled his last album Hit N Run: Phase One, fans were left wondering if and when Phase Two would arrive. The answer turned out to be: on Saturday, exclusively on Tidal. Hit N Run: Phase Two contains a dozen tracks, beginning with the topical song "Baltimore." The album contains three other previously released tracks, a few songs that have been performed live but never released, and several brand new songs. (Rolling Stone)

Two huge acts announced shows at the Xcel Energy Center: AC/DC will play the arena on Valentine's Day (awww), and then in July the venue will host two shows by someone else you just might possibly have heard of.

Meanwhile, Jimmy Page announced that in 2016, he'll hit the road for his first solo tour in 20 years. He's putting a band together, he says, that's "totally different" from Led Zeppelin; he'll play music from various eras of his long career. (Billboard)

Somali-born hip-hop star K'naan has announced that he'll partner with Kathryn Bigelow — director of The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty — to produce a new HBO series that will dramatize Jihadi recruitment in the United States. The series will be set in Minnesota; acting auditions are being held both in Minnesota and Ontario. (Rolling Stone)

Janis Joplin's 1964 Porsche 356C, custom-painted with psychedelic decorations, sold at auction on Thursday night for $1.7 million — the most ever paid at auction for that model of car. (Yahoo)

Celebrity interviewer Narduwar the Human Serviette has been released from a Vancouver hospital after suffering a stroke last weekend at a holiday party. (Billboard)

B.B. King's grave is now marked with black granite slab that was dedicated on Friday at the B.B. King Museum and Delta Interpretive Center in Indianola, Miss. The grave will eventually be surrounded by a memorial garden. (Billboard)

Chance the Rapper appeared on Saturday Night Live to perform "Sunday Candy" and the newly-released "Somewhere in Paradise." Watch the performances at Pitchfork.

A new video for the Miley Cyrus/Flaming Lips song "BB Talk" features Cyrus in the role of a giant baby. (Pitchfork) (Heads up: song contains NSFW language.)

Prince isn't the only one who released a surprise album this weekend: Willow (Smith), whose Ardipithecus is her debut LP. (Billboard)

Video has emerged of Albert Hammond Jr. beating up a pickpocket who was trying to steal his wife's wallet. "Let's just say we got everything back," the Strokes member tweeted. (Billboard)

Viewers flocked to Thursday night's NBC broadcast of Coat of Many Colors — a TV movie that dramatizes the true story from Dolly Parton's childhood that inspired her song of the same name. With almost 13 million viewers, Coat of Many Colors was the most-watched movie in years on any of the "big four" broadcast networks. (Rolling Stone)

Taylor Swift has inked an exclusive deal with Apple Music to stream a concert film recorded at a recent show in Sydney, Australia. The film will become available for streaming this coming Sunday, and will include appearances by musical guests St. VincentBeckLordeHaim, and more. (Pitchfork) Be careful what you name your Taylor-themed holiday party, though: the star has applied for trademark protection of the word "Swiftmas." (BBC)

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