✦ S.S.T. – Single: Sept. 2005

Prince responds to Hurricane Katrina with a rapid‑fire charity single recorded and released within 24 hours

✦ Summary

S.S.T. was released on September 5, 2005 as a digital download through the NPG Music Club, arriving less than a day after Prince recorded it at Paisley Park in response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The track was paired with Brand New Orleans, initially as a free stream, with both songs created to raise funds for the Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Two days later, on September 7, the NPG Music Club expanded the offering by adding You Will Be Moved — a Prince‑written, Mavis Staples‑performed gospel ballad — available for purchase alongside the original tracks. On October 25, 2005, the two Prince recordings were issued as a physical CD single in the United States, extending the charity effort beyond the digital realm. Though the single achieved limited chart success, it demonstrated Prince’s ability to mobilise quickly for social causes, using his independent digital platform to support relief efforts during a national crisis.

✦ Highlights

• Recorded and released within 24 hours of Hurricane Katrina’s aftermath

• Digital release on September 5, 2005 via NPG Music Club

• Brand New Orleans offered as a free stream, later purchasable

• You Will Be Moved added on September 7 as part of expanded charity bundle

• Physical CD single released October 25, 2005 in the US

• All proceeds donated to Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund

• Raised over $100,000 according to NPG reports

✦ Track Details

Digital Single (Sept. 5, 2005)

S.S.T. — 3:39

Brand New Orleans — 6:37

Digital Expanded Release (Sept. 7, 2005)

S.S.T. — 3:39

Brand New Orleans — 6:37

You Will Be Moved (Mavis Staples) — 4:12

CD Single (Oct. 25, 2005, USA)

S.S.T. — 3:39

Brand New Orleans — 6:37

Format: Digital MP3/WAV; later CD single

Label: NPG Music Club (digital), Paisley Park / Warner Bros. (CD)

Written, produced, and performed by Prince (except You Will Be Moved, performed by Mavis Staples).

✦ Chart Performance

United States: No Billboard Hot 100 entry; reached No. 111 on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart

International: No major chart activity documented

✦ Discography Sidebar

2005 Digital & Charity Releases:

S.S.T. — Single: Sept. 2005

Brand New Orleans — Digital Track: 2005

You Will Be Moved (Mavis Staples) — Digital Track: 2005

3121 — Album: 2006

Black Sweat — Single: 2006

✦ Prince Era Mini‑Timeline

Aug. 29, 2005 — Hurricane Katrina strikes the Gulf Coast

Sept. 5, 2005 — S.S.T. and Brand New Orleans released digitally

Sept. 7, 2005 — You Will Be Moved added to the NPG Music Club

Oct. 25, 2005 — CD single released in the US

2006 — 3121 era begins

✦ Glam Flashback

S.S.T. stands as one of Prince’s most immediate and heartfelt responses to a national tragedy — a reminder of how quickly he could channel empathy into music. Recorded in a burst of urgency and released within a day, the single blended funk, soul, and charity into a project that prioritised impact over commercial ambition. Its modest chart performance mattered far less than its purpose: raising funds, raising awareness, and honouring the cultural heartbeat of New Orleans.

✦ Sources

Prince Vault, Discogs, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, Billboard Chart History, YouTube