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United States Of Division

Sony Legacy

2004. Still at war. And everybody hates Americans.

Recorded at Paisley Park Studios in January 2004, the track United States Of Division was first available as a digital download at Prince’s official website at the time NPG Music Club, issued on Independence Day on 4 July 2004.

United States Of Division remained downloadable from the website as the virtual B-side to accompany the US issued physical CD single Cinnamon Girl when released on 28 September 2004, the second single in promotion of Prince’s twenty-eighth studio album Musicology. United States Of Division was subsequently published in physical format on 8 November as a bonus track included in the European issue of the CD single. Since then the track remained otherwise unavailable until 5 April 2024 when released by Sony Legacy on behalf of The Prince Estate to mark the 20th anniversary of the Musicology album (released under Columbia Records, 20 April 2004). The date 5th April 2004 was the day Magnificent appeared on the website as the virtual B-side to the album’s upcoming first single, the title track. The Musicology album was an epoch in Prince’s career. After a long absence from the Billboard top-10, Musicology secured Prince his commercial comeback and scored two Grammy Awards; its supporting Musicology Live2004ever Tour, which ran from 27 March to 11 September 2004, was one of the year’s biggest draws.

Lyrically, United States Of Division protests about the on-going involvement of the US in the Iraq War which began on 20 March 2003 in consequence of the terrorist attacks of 9/11 2001, and the social division that ensued and dominated American domestic politics. The war would grind on until 18 December 2011. The basic mantra of the track is “Everybody stop fighting / Everybody make love.”

Returning to the master tape of the recording, the 2024 release is a slightly remixed version to the 2004 original. Although no new elements were added, the horns are made more prominent in the 2024 version and the sound more vibrant. Its 5 April 2024 release is the first occasion this hard to obtain track is available on popular streaming services, such as Spotify and Apple Music.

Performers

Vocals / all instra.: Prince
Backing vox: Rhonda Smith
Backing vox & Sax: Candy Dulfer

Data

Production

Prince

Label

NPG Records

Distribution

Sony Legacy

Cover/Design

Afshin Shahidi

Released

25 days ago on 5 April 2024

Running Time

6:19

US Chart Peak

Did not chart

UK Chart Peak

Did not chart

Orig. Format

Tracklist

United States Of Divsion
NPG Music Club
[feat. Rhonda Smith & Candy Dulfer] (6:19)

United States Of Division – review

The fortieth year of the release of Purple Rain was always going to overshadow the run of big anniversaries in Prince’s body of work also celebrated in 2024: Happy birthday Come (30), Musicology (20) and Art Official Age (10). With so much material in his catalogue, every year shall witness a major birthday of some description. But 2004’s Musicology was different; returning him from the wilderness since departing the yoke of Warner Bros in 1996. Prince had few flirtations with commercial “success” – a.k.a. chart ranking as the traditional industry measured it – between. After a long drought Musicology produced Prince his first top-ten album since those dark days bearing ‘SLAVE’ on his cheek in public and for meetings with record execs. It may have sounded daft at the time, but when he sat there in those meetings with SLAVE scrawled on his face, those execs knew that discussions about creative ownership were off the table. United States Of Division hails from 2004, created when Prince was putting together the finishing touches to both the album and his distribution agreement with Columbia. Arriving too late to make the final configuration, he published the track on NPG Music Club as a virtual B-side for the album’s second single Cinnamon Girl – another anti-war track. United States Of Division has been largely hidden away since, only otherwise available on the European CD issue of the single. Come 2024, The Estate had the bright idea to shine at least a modest light on Musicology in acknowledgement of its twentieth birthday. The original tape was surfaced from the vault and tweaked for a much deserved wide distribution in 2024. The result is a punchy remixed version that gives greater appreciation of the quality of the track perhaps missed in 2004. The ability to hear all individual elements affords the track a fresh perspective for 2024. The lyrics sadly remain prescient for today’s global turmoil and misfortunes. The choosing of this track is thereby evidence of Prince’s foresight, and why he will continue to be relevant while today’s artists pay more attention to themselves than draw attention to what matters in the news.

United States Of Division is rated 4.5 out of 5 by Goldies Parade.