✦ HITnRUN Phase One – Album: Sept. 2015

A purple funk‑electro detonation from Prince’s late‑era renaissance — bold, digital, collaborative and gloriously unpredictable

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✦ SUMMARY

Released on September 11, 2015 in Europe by NPG Records (no catalogue number), HITnRUN Phase One is Prince’s 38th studio album — a hybrid of funk, pop, EDM, dubstep, R&B and digital experimentation. Initially launched as a Tidal exclusive on 7 September 2015, the album arrived on CD shortly after, marking one of Prince’s most technologically forward releases.

Co‑produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince and Joshua Welton, the album features contributions from Judith Hill, Rita Ora, Lianne La Havas and Curly Fryz, with horns by The Hornheads and strings by Stringenius. HITnRUN Phase One captures Prince in full late‑period reinvention mode — playful, modern, and unafraid to push into new sonic territory.

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✦ HIGHLIGHTS

• Released 11 September 2015 (Europe)

• Initially a Tidal exclusive (7 September 2015)

• Co‑produced with Joshua Welton

• Features Judith Hill, Rita Ora, Lianne La Havas, Curly Fryz

• Horns by The Hornheads; strings by Stringenius

• Cover illustration by Martin Homent

• A bold fusion of funk, EDM, pop and digital experimentation

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✦ TRACKLISTING

1. Million $ Show (feat. Judith Hill) — 3:10

2. Shut This Down — 3:03

3. Ain’t About 2 Stop (feat. Rita Ora) — 3:38

4. Like a Mack (feat. Curly Fryz) — 4:04

5. This Could B Us — 4:11

6. Fallinlove2nite — 3:12

7. X’s Face — 2:38

8. Hardrocklover — 3:42

9. Mr. Nelson (feat. Lianne La Havas) — 2:27

10. 1000 X’s & O’s — 4:27

11. June — 3:21

Format: CD, Album — NPG Records (no cat#) — Europe — 11 Sept 2015

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✦ PRODUCTION & CONTEXT

Produced, arranged, composed and performed by Prince & Joshua Welton.

Recorded at Paisley Park, Bone 2 B Wild Music and The Brewhouse.

Mixed and mastered at Paisley Park.

Cover illustration by Martin Homent.

HITnRUN Phase One reflects Prince’s embrace of digital distribution, streaming platforms and contemporary production aesthetics. Joshua Welton’s involvement brought a modern electronic sheen, while Prince’s songwriting and performance remained unmistakably his own — sharp, funky and emotionally charged.

The album sits at a fascinating crossroads: Prince experimenting with EDM textures while still grounding everything in Minneapolis funk DNA.

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✦ LEGACY

HITnRUN Phase One stands as one of Prince’s most adventurous late‑career statements — a fearless blend of genres that shows his refusal to settle into nostalgia. Tracks like Hardrocklover, X’s Face and 1000 X’s & O’s highlight his ability to merge modern production with classic Prince attitude.

The album also marks a moment of renewed collaboration, with younger artists and producers helping Prince explore new sonic landscapes without losing his signature edge.

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✦ PRINCE 2014–2015 MINI‑TIMELINE — THE DIGITAL EXPERIMENTATION ERA

✦ 2014

Prince releases Art Official Age and PLECTRUMELECTRUM, signalling a creative resurgence.

✦ Early 2015

Prince deepens his partnership with Tidal, exploring new digital distribution models.

✦ Summer 2015

Recording and finalising HITnRUN Phase One with Joshua Welton.

✦ September 2015

HITnRUN Phase One launches as a Tidal exclusive, then on CD.

✦ Late 2015

Prince begins work on HITnRUN Phase Two, released later that year.

This era captures Prince as a restless innovator — embracing new platforms, new collaborators and new sonic textures.

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✦ GLAM FLASHBACK — HITnRUN PHASE ONE VS. PRINCE’S EARLY EDM‑LEANING EXPERIMENTS

✦ HITnRUN Phase One (2015)

• EDM‑infused production

• Heavy digital processing and modern pop structures

• Collaborative energy with younger artists

• Bold, glossy, futuristic

✦ Early Experiments (e.g., 1999, The Black Album, Crystal Ball outtakes)

• Analog synths and drum machines

• Raw, funky, experimental edges

• Prince as sole architect

• Proto‑electronic Minneapolis sound

Together, they show Prince’s lifelong fascination with electronic textures — from early synth‑funk to late‑era digital maximalism.

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✦ SOURCES

Personal archive knowledge

Prince Vault

Discogs

45cat

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