The Prince Estate released 'With This Tear,' a previously unreleased track from Prince's vault, on the 10th anniversary of his death. Recorded in 1991 at Paisley Park, the song features Prince handling all production, arrangement, composition, and instrumentation. It marks the start of releases from a shelved album project planned for later this year.
Prince Rogers Nelson, known as Prince, died on April 21, 2016, at his Paisley Park estate in Chanhassen, Minnesota, at age 57 from an accidental fentanyl overdose. Exactly 10 years later, his estate shared 'With This Tear,' originally recorded in November 1991 at the same studio. Prince produced the track entirely himself, initially intending it for singer Jevetta Steele before offering it to Céline Dion, who released her version in 1992. A sample appeared on Carmen Electra's 1993 self-titled album, but Prince's original stayed vaulted until now, once eyed for a 2022 Diamonds & Love project but held back instead. Grammy-nominated producer Chris James, who collaborated with Prince on Art Official Age and HITnRUN Phase Two, mixed and mastered the new version. The release video opens with a Purple Rain-era clip of Prince stating, “When I was younger, I always said that one day I would play all types of music, and not be judged for the color of my skin, but the quality of my work. Hopefully that will continue.” It includes a montage of personal photos, such as his mother in October 1958 and himself in May 1960, plus career highlights. This track launches a series from the unreleased album, with more expected in 2026.