💜 Prince: HitnRun – The Final Act of the Pop Genius
- GlamSlamEscape
- Feb 13
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 5
✦ Musikexpress Special Edition + Exclusive 7" Vinyl Single
A commemorative collector’s issue marking ten years since Prince’s passing — complete with an exclusive “Baltimore” / “Stare” 7" single
✦ Summary
Released February 13, 2026, this Musikexpress special edition pays tribute to Prince a decade after his passing, centering on the feature “HitnRun – The Final Act of the Pop Genius.” The issue examines Prince’s late‑career innovations, the creative arc of the HitnRun era, and the enduring influence of his final studio experiments.
The magazine includes an exclusive 7" vinyl single featuring “Baltimore” and “Stare,” pressed specifically for this issue and unavailable elsewhere — making it an essential item for collectors and archivists.
The magazine also includes a 10 page article
As I please and according to my whim
By André Boße
PRINCE
Always these contradictions! Ten years ago, Prince died. A pop genius. An internet pioneer who rejects streaming. A global star who feels disadvantaged. A gender-fluid artist who joins the Jehovah's Witnesses. A queer thought leader with homophobic lyrics. And while other pop celebrities are recording "We Are The World," he throws a party that lands his bodyguard in jail. Bad? No. Because Prince was an artist. And art must forgo unambiguity.
Even if it hurts.
For everyone who likes things unambiguous, Prince is as stressful as a compass that immediately recalibrates as soon as you think you've found north. In 1992, he states: His name is Prince, and he's funky. "My name is Prince, the one and only." A few months later, in 1993, he gives himself a speechless symbol that unites femininity and masculinity. Gender-fluid In 2001, he joined the Jehovah's Witnesses, a sect with a terribly strict gender and sexual morality. Among other things, masturbation is considered "impurity" that must be confessed. Which makes the "Watchtower" group a remarkable religious community for someone like Prince, who wrote at least two blatant masturbation-motivation songs, "Darling Nikki" and "Jack U Off." A sample lyric from "Darling Nikki," the last track on the A-side of *Purple Rain*, Prince's 1984 pop blockbuster: "I met her in a hotel lobby / Masturbating with a magazine." Bam! The song landed on Tipper Gore's "Filthy Fifteen" list, the 15 dirtiest pop songs, the starting point for the "Parental Advisory" stickers with which virtuous parents try to warn against filth on recordings.
Consistently inconsistent
Back to the symbol: It's not meant to be spoken, but it's meant to evoke emotions. This makes the symbol an emoji long before emojis began flooding the internet. As early as 1981, Prince used shortcuts like 4 for "for," U for "you," B for "be," and the peace sign in the album title of SIGN THE TIMES. This "sensational spelling" also wouldn't be known until many
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musikexpress
FOTO: GETTY IMAGES
FOTO: NANDY MCCLEAN/PRINCE ESTATE
Beyond the Prince tribute, the issue spans a wide cultural spectrum: German battle rap pioneers reflect on 30 years of the genre; Aerosmith receive a career‑spanning profile; Kraftwerk are celebrated as the “Beatles of electronic music”; and the annual Pop Poll 2025 highlights the year’s highs and lows. Additional features include Peaches, David Bowie’s Station to Station re‑release, Mitski, Calexico, The Damned, Rocko Schamoni, Momoko Gill, and more.
A beautifully curated, multi‑layered homage — blending journalism, archival insight, and exclusive music.
✦ Highlights
• Exclusive 7" vinyl single: “Baltimore” / “Stare”
• Feature story: HitnRun – The Final Act of the Pop Genius
• Released 13 February 2026
• Free shipping within Germany
• EU / Switzerland / Worldwide shipping: +5,90 EUR
• Includes Pop Poll 2025 results
• Features on Aerosmith, Kraftwerk, Peaches, David Bowie, Mitski & more
• Limited collector’s edition
✦ Contents
Prince Feature
• HitnRun – The Final Act of the Pop Genius
• Exclusive 7" vinyl single (“Baltimore” / “Stare”)
Additional Features
• Masters of Rap — 30 years of German battle rap
• Aerosmith — ME Heroes profile
• Kraftwerk — Live with the “Beatles of electronic music”
• Pop Poll 2025 — Tops and flops of the year
• Peaches — XL interview
• David Bowie — Station to Station re‑release deep dive
• Mitski, Calexico, The Damned, Rocko Schamoni, Momoko Gill & more
✦ Reissues & Global Variants
• Standard magazine edition (Germany)
• Collector’s edition with exclusive 7" vinyl
• International shipping available
✦ Production and Context
• Released to commemorate ten years since Prince’s passing
• Exclusive vinyl single produced specifically for this issue
• Cover photography and design created for the 03/26 edition
• Part of Musikexpress’s ongoing tradition of artist‑focused collector issues
• Aligns with renewed interest in Prince’s late‑career catalogue
✦ Chart Performance
(Not applicable — magazine release)
✦ Discography Sidebar
HitnRun Era Releases:
HITnRUN Phase One — 2015
HITnRUN Phase Two — 2015
Baltimore (Single) — 2015
Stare (Single) — 2015
Musikexpress Special Edition — 2026
✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline
2015 — HITnRUN Phase One released
2015 — HITnRUN Phase Two released
2016 — Prince passes away
2026 — Musikexpress releases 10‑year tribute issue
✦ Glam Flashback
This Musikexpress special captures the electricity of Prince’s final creative chapter — the restless experimentation, the digital‑age reinvention, the refusal to slow down. Pairing a deep‑dive feature with an exclusive 7" single, the issue feels like a love letter to the artist’s late‑period brilliance. It’s a reminder that even in his final years, Prince was pushing boundaries, bending genres, and reshaping the future of pop on his own terms.
✦ Image & Artwork Copyright Notice
All images, photographs, and artwork referenced or displayed in this post remain the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included strictly for historical, educational, and archival purposes under fair‑use principles. No ownership is claimed, and all rights belong to the original creators, photographers, designers, and publishers.
✦ Sources
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