Prince’s ‘HITNRUN Phase One’ No Longer TIDAL Streaming Service Exclusive

When Prince released his new album HITNRUN Phase One on September 7, it was done so exclusively through the online music streaming subscription service run by Jay Z, called TIDAL. Well, no more. Now, you can get the new Prince tunes on CD or as a download without being a subscriber of the service.

According to a spokesperson from TIDAL, as reported by Verge , this is the first time TIDAL has allowed non-subscribers to purchase music through the service. Prince has had all of his music almost exclusively on TIDAL since pulling it last July from all other streaming services, and they seem to be doing a bit of experimenting, with Prince taking the lead, trying out new ways to garner revenue and get recognition.

As reported in Billboard , Prince released a statement about his partnership with TIDAL during the summer.

“After one meeting, it was obvious that Jay Z and the team he has assembled at TIDAL recognize and applaud the effort that real musicians put in2 their craft 2 achieve the very best they can at this pivotal time in the music industry. TIDAL have honored Us with a non-restrictive arrangement that once again allows Us to continue making art in the fashion We’ve grown accustomed 2 and We’re Extremely grateful 4 their generous support.”

So far, Prince is the first artist to sell physical CDs that are mailed out to purchasers, or downloads directly from the TIDAL service, but the service spokesman said this option could extend to include other artists if they decide it is a route they wish to take.

But, is the new Prince album any good? Is it worth buying in the first place?

NME did a review of HITNRUN Phase On e, and gave a mediocre approval with a 7 out of 10 rating.

“HITNRUN Phase One isn’t one of Prince’s best albums. But neither is it his worst. He hasn’t lost it. He’s just resting it.”

The Guardian gave it 3 out of 5 stars, and seemed to echo NME’s thoughts on the album.

“The tempting morsel of Let’s Go Crazy, which precedes clunky opener Million $ Show, adds insult to the injury of a largely mediocre first six tracks. Just as the jury threatens to return an “off with his head” verdict…. Prince redeems himself with three absolute belters – the deliciously gritty X’s Face; an authentically slinky update of Imagination-influenced fan fave 1000 X’s & O’s; and the instant classic June.”

Pitchfork offers a bit harsher of a view on HITNRUN Phase One, but in the end repeats the common theme that this isn’t Prince’s best work, although it’s not terrible.

“Even if, this time around, you can forget the familiar discographical parlor game of comparing each new Prince record to earlier triumphs—this one isn’t his best album in the last twelve months, let alone years—songs and performances like that one show why it remains unwise to count him out.”

The next question is how well HITNRUN Phase One will sell for Prince and how it will shape the future for TIDAL?