Prince: (July 1, 2015 Release) Hardrocklover - Prince3EG Soundcloud

Prince: (July 1, 2015) Hardrocklover - Single Release

Release Date: July 1, 2015 Platform: Prince3EG SoundCloud account (later added to Tidal) Album Context: Eighth track on Hitnrun Phase One (Prince’s 38th album)

Release Context

Recording & Production Details

Hardrocklover was released as the second single from Hitnrun Phase One, ten weeks before the full album dropped. At the time of release, no album was officially announced, and it was later retroactively positioned as the lead single (following the earlier standalone release of “Fallinlove2nite”). The track was first made available for streaming on Prince’s official Prince3EG SoundCloud the week prior, before appearing on Tidal.

Specific recording dates are not fully documented, but producer Joshua Welton confirmed in a BBC interview that Hardrocklover was recorded in late June 2015 at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota — very shortly before its release. Welton recalled Prince’s direction: “Prince said to me: ‘I need something that starts off quiet, and then I just want it to erupt and then I want you to go back… like this roller coaster’.” The song was reportedly completed in the same hour as the last track on the album.

Song Details

Additional Notes

A dynamic funk-rock track that builds from a quiet beginning into an explosive, energetic sound. The lyrics include references to Sade and Babyface. The title may have been inspired by “Hard Rock Lover” from Mother’s Finest album Another Mother Further. Prince had previously referenced the phrase “anotha motha furtha” on Funknroll, and the same album also contains “Baby Love,” which Prince later released live on Indigo Nights.

This surprise release exemplified Prince’s late-career strategy of direct-to-fan digital drops and spontaneous creativity at Paisley Park. Hardrocklover stands as a strong example of his ability to blend classic funk energy with modern production in his final years.

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