One of the world's biggest names in music is convinced the end of the internet is near and will only be releasing his upcoming album on CD as a result.
Prince has given the UK newspaper The Daily Mail a rare insight into his private world, where he spoke about his new album 20TEN.
In his first newspaper interview in 10 years, Prince revealed that the album will only be released in CD format and will not be available to download anywhere in the world.
Prince claims this is because of his ongoing battle with internet abuse and that at least this way he can still get paid an advance.
In a move most modern-day pop stars would avoid,
Prince has shut down his official website and banned YouTube and iTunes from using any of his music.
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The internet's completely over. I don't see why I should give my new music to iTunes or anyone else. They won't pay me an advance for it and then they get angry when they can't get it," Prince told the newspaper.
"
The internet's like MTV. At one time MTV was hip and suddenly it became outdated. Anyway, all these computers and digital gadgets are no good. They just fill your head with numbers and that can't be good for you."
Prince has sold more than 100 million albums throughout his 30 year career.
Ironically, Prince was one of the first artists to really embrace the possibilities of e-tailing back in the 1990s. Once he emancipated himself from his record label and struck out on his own, Prince's web portal became the source for his music. While downloads were never available, his official site was the only place where you could order a copy of his four-disc rarities album Mirror Ball (which was then shipped as a physical copy). Despite the fact that Internet access wasn't as widely available as it is now, Prince still managed to sell thousands of copies (though production and shipping problems turned the whole project into a bit of a boondoggle).
Prince also insisted that despite the fact that he has released some truly seminal albums (including 1984's Purple Rain and 1987's Sign o' the Times), he still says he's getting better. "Someone told me they saw me at my peak, but how do they know when my peak is? I think I'm improving all the time," he said. "When I listen to my old records I'm ashamed of how I played then."
sources:
http://newsroom.mtv.com/2010/07/06/prince-internet/
http://tvnz.co.nz/entertainment-news...t-over-3631473
