| Specific recording dates are unknown, but the track was recorded in January 2004, likely at [[Paisley Park Studios]] in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The song quotes the line ''O say can you see'' from the patriotic song [[The Star Spangled Banner]]. | | Specific recording dates are unknown, but the track was recorded in January 2004, likely at [[Paisley Park Studios]] in Chanhassen, Minnesota. The song quotes the line ''O say can you see'' from the patriotic song [[The Star Spangled Banner]]. |
− | On [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/April 5|5 April 2024]], a slightly different mix of the song with more prominent horns was released as a stand alone digital track by [[Prince]]’s estate (in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the [[Album: Musicology|Musicology]] album) with this announcement (published a few hours after the availability of the song): ''<blockquote>"Today, to commemorate 2 decades of Musicology, NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, have released '''United States Of Division''', a rare 2004 [[Prince]] recording that was initially offered as a virtual B-side download for [[Single: Cinnamon Girl|Cinnamon Girl]] exclusively from [[Prince]]’s [[NPG Music Club]] and eventually as a non-LP bonus track for the UK CD [[Single: Cinnamon Girl|single of Cinnamon Girl]], but has not been distributed via streaming services until now.<br>'''United States Of Division''' is a powerful protest song that sees [[Prince]] boldly confronting the social and political issues that continue to plague the nation to this day. Over a percussive backbeat and slinking bassline colored by synths and horn stabs, [[Prince]] laments the state of a fractured nation: “How far from heaven must we go? / Before the winds of change will blow and show / This world how it's supposed to be / Land of peace and harmony.” Released in the midst of the US war in Iraq, '''United States Of Division''' serves as a potent reminder of [[Prince]]’s often underappreciated passion for social commentary. While [[Prince]]’s 2004 lyrics may be referring to a past era, his unyielding stance on inequality remains ever so relevant in the turbulent socio-political landscape of the present. The timelessness of his songwriting once again serves as a reminder that music has the power to bring people together.<br> "It's obvious that there's an agenda against the disenfranchised and the uneducated," according to [[Prince]] during the Musicology era, "so ultimately, I think, to counter that, we're gonna have to talk to one another. One of the ways we used to do that was through our music…"</blockquote>'' Oddly, this announcement does not emphasize the fact that this version is different from the one released in 2004. It is suspected the 2024 release wasn't a new mix by design. all signs point to it that it is accidentally a different mix than the version it is supposed to commemorate from 20 years prior | + | On [[Prince_Vault:Selected_anniversaries/April 5|5 April 2024]], a slightly different mix of the song with more prominent horns was released as a stand alone digital track by [[Prince]]’s estate (in conjunction with the 20th anniversary of the [[Album: Musicology|Musicology]] album) with this announcement (published a few hours after the availability of the song): ''<blockquote>"Today, to commemorate 2 decades of Musicology, NPG Records and Paisley Park Enterprises, in partnership with Sony Music Entertainment, have released '''United States Of Division''', a rare 2004 [[Prince]] recording that was initially offered as a virtual B-side download for [[Single: Cinnamon Girl|Cinnamon Girl]] exclusively from [[Prince]]’s [[NPG Music Club]] and eventually as a non-LP bonus track for the UK CD [[Single: Cinnamon Girl|single of Cinnamon Girl]], but has not been distributed via streaming services until now.<br>'''United States Of Division''' is a powerful protest song that sees [[Prince]] boldly confronting the social and political issues that continue to plague the nation to this day. Over a percussive backbeat and slinking bassline colored by synths and horn stabs, [[Prince]] laments the state of a fractured nation: “How far from heaven must we go? / Before the winds of change will blow and show / This world how it's supposed to be / Land of peace and harmony.” Released in the midst of the US war in Iraq, '''United States Of Division''' serves as a potent reminder of [[Prince]]’s often underappreciated passion for social commentary. While [[Prince]]’s 2004 lyrics may be referring to a past era, his unyielding stance on inequality remains ever so relevant in the turbulent socio-political landscape of the present. The timelessness of his songwriting once again serves as a reminder that music has the power to bring people together.<br> "It's obvious that there's an agenda against the disenfranchised and the uneducated," according to [[Prince]] during the Musicology era, "so ultimately, I think, to counter that, we're gonna have to talk to one another. One of the ways we used to do that was through our music…"</blockquote>'' Oddly, this announcement does not emphasize the fact that this version is different from the one released in 2004. It is suspected the 2024 release wasn't a new mix by design. all signs point to it that it is accidentally a different mix than the version it is supposed to commemorate, from 20 years prior. |