By koalafriend
Prince’s HITnRUN Albums Are FINALLY Coming to Vinyl and We Are Literally Freaking Out!
OMG you guys, hold onto your raspberry berets because this is the news every Prince fan has been waiting for! Get ready to clear some space on your shelves because the Purple One’s final masterpieces, HITnRUN Phase One and HITnRUN Phase Two, are finally getting the vinyl treatment they so deeply deserve. This is not a drill!
In a stunning move that honors the final chapter of his legendary career, the Prince Estate is dropping a special anniversary edition of these iconic albums. For the first time EVER, fans can experience Prince’s last lifetime works on wax. We are SO ready for the needle to drop on this piece of music history!
This is a major moment for the Purple Fam, celebrating the genius of Prince as we approach the 10th anniversary of these groundbreaking releases. It’s a bittersweet but beautiful tribute, reminding us all of the endless creativity that flowed from Paisley Park until the very end.
The Vinyl Debut We’ve All Been Waiting For
Let’s get into the deets, because they are major. For years, these albums have been digital exclusives or limited to CD, which felt like a total crime for an artist whose funk is best felt through the warm grooves of a record. Now, Prince’s HITnRUN Phase One and Phase Two are being released as separate LPs, allowing a whole new generation and dedicated collectors to experience them in the richest audio format possible.
We’re hearing whispers of high-quality pressings, gorgeous gatefold art, and that incredible feeling of dropping the needle on a fresh Prince record. Can you even imagine hearing the futuristic synths of Phase One or the blistering guitar solos of Phase Two on a turntable? Chills. Literally chills.
This vinyl release is more than just a reissue; it’s a statement. It solidifies these albums' place in Prince’s epic discography and treats them with the reverence they command as his final, personally approved statements to the world.
A Tale of Two Albums: The HITnRUN Era Was A Vibe
For anyone who needs a refresher, the HITnRUN era was Prince at his most unpredictable and brilliant. Dropped with little warning back in 2015, these albums were initially TIDAL exclusives, proving Prince was still miles ahead of the curve when it came to music distribution. And they couldn't be more different, which is what makes them so iconic.
HITnRUN Phase One is the experimental, futuristic banger. It’s Prince diving headfirst into modern electronic, pop, and even trap-influenced sounds. It was a bold, polarizing move that showed he was still listening, still creating, and still refusing to be put in a box. From the glossy pop of “FALLINLOVE2NITE” (which he famously debuted on the TV show New Girl with Zooey Deschanel) to the hard-hitting, glitchy beats of “HARDROCKLOVER,” this album is an adventure. It’s Prince collaborating with a younger producer, Joshua Welton, and proving he could still dominate any genre he touched. Hearing this album’s deep bass and complex electronic layers on vinyl is going to be a transcendent experience.
Then there’s HITnRUN Phase Two, which felt like a warm, funky hug from Prince himself. If Phase One was the future, Phase Two was a glorious return to his roots. This album is pure, uncut funk and soul. It’s packed with live horns, groovy basslines, and that signature guitar swagger we all know and love. It gave us instant classics like the socially conscious anthem “Baltimore,” the impossibly smooth “RocknRoll Love Affair,” and the joyful funk explosion of “Stare.” This is the Prince that makes you want to dance, to cry, to fall in love all at once. For many fans, Phase Two was a perfect final statement—a full-circle moment that brought together everything we loved about his music.
Why This Release is Everything for The Prince Estate and His Legacy
This vinyl drop is happening amid the massive, ongoing project by the Prince Estate to digitize the legendary Vault. And thank goodness for that! The Vault is a mythical treasure trove containing thousands of hours of unreleased music, and this reissue feels like a crucial part of that larger mission: to preserve and share Prince’s genius with the world.
By giving his final albums a proper physical release, the Estate is ensuring that his complete story is told. These aren’t just footnotes in his career; they are the powerful, emotional, and funky conclusion. It also has us totally buzzing about what could be next. As the Vault continues to be explored, could we see even more gems from this era? Demos? Alternate takes? A Super Deluxe Edition? A girl can dream!
For now, we get to celebrate this incredible gift. Whether you’re a lifelong fan who has been waiting for this day or a new listener just discovering his magic, this is your chance to own a vital piece of music history. Prince’s final albums are a testament to his unstoppable artistic spirit. He never stopped creating, never stopped pushing boundaries, and never stopped giving us the funk.
So mark your calendars and get your turntables ready. On December 11, we’re spinning Prince and celebrating the everlasting legacy of a true icon. It’s what he would have wanted.
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