Prince Releases New Unheard Single, “With This Tear”

Published on April 22, 2026Updated on August 11, 2026

Key takeaways

“With This Tear” is a previously unreleased Prince track recorded at Paisley Park in November 1991, released on April 20, 2026.
The song was written, produced, and performed entirely by Prince himself.
Prince gave the track to Céline Dion, who recorded it as early as 1992.
This single launches a previously unreleased vault album project slated for late 2026.

At Woodbrass, Prince is one of our essentials. So when his Estate opened up the Paisley Park vault for the tenth anniversary of his passing, we listened closely. “With This Tear” is no mere curiosity for collectors: it’s Prince stripped bare, alone at the controls, in a moment of grace captured more than thirty years ago. And this is only the beginning of a wave of unreleased material promised for 2026.

A piano ballad straight out of the Paisley Park vault

Released on April 20, 2026 via NPG Records and Legacy Recordings, “With This Tear” was recorded in November 1991 at Paisley Park, Chanhassen (Minnesota). It finds a solitary and meticulous Prince, far from the onstage fury that made him a legend. No Revolution, no NPG: just him, his piano, and his voice.

The track is a stripped-back, intimate piano ballad that reveals a reserved side of the Kid. Prince handles everything: songwriting, production, arrangement, and the performance of every instrument. It’s an approach true to his philosophy of total artistic control, which he championed throughout his career.

Good to know

Before Céline Dion, Prince originally intended “With This Tear” for singer Jevetta Steele. A short excerpt even appeared in 1993 on Carmen Electra’s debut album, produced by Prince. But the original version remained locked away in the vault for 35 years.

The unexpected connection to Céline Dion

Shortly after recording it in 1991, Prince gave the song to Céline Dion, who recorded it for her album Céline Dion (her second English-language release), which came out in 1992. At the time, the Québécois singer was beginning her conquest of the international market, and receiving a song written by Prince was a fast pass to the big leagues.

Reacting to the release of the original version, Céline Dion herself hailed this gift as a personal treasure, bringing a three-decade-long musical journey full circle. This indirect collaboration highlights an underestimated aspect of Prince’s genius: that of a songwriter in service of others. The Kid wrote for a whole host of artists:

“Manic Monday” for the Bangles in 1986
“Nothing Compares 2 U”, initially given to The Family before exploding through the voice of Sinéad O’Connor
“I Feel For You”, covered and turned into a hit by Chaka Khan
“Sugar Walls”, written for Sheena Easton under the pseudonym Alexander Nevermind

Chris James at the mixing desk

The version arriving now was remixed and mastered by Chris James, a Grammy-nominated engineer-producer. He’s no stranger: he worked on HITnRUN Phase Two, Art Official Age, and Plectrumelectrum. His close connection to the Paisley Park sound made him a natural choice.

The result breathes deliberate restraint: the voice sits front and center, carried by a clear piano and a few subtle pads. No overproduction. Just raw emotion, as though the listener were standing two meters away from Prince in the studio.

The vault project: what awaits fans in 2026

“With This Tear” is just a preview. The Prince Estate has confirmed that it is the first single from a previously unreleased album due in late 2026, made up entirely of never-before-released tracks. The song had also been considered for the aborted Diamonds & Love project in 2022 before being set aside.

From June 3 to 7, 2026, Paisley Park and downtown Minneapolis will host Prince Celebration 2026, a global gathering called “10th Anniversary Celebration of Life”: live performances, rare screenings, panels with former collaborators, and tributes to the albums Parade, Emancipation, and 3121. For the first time, members of The Revolution and the New Power Generation will share the stage together.

A reminder of Prince’s creative power

Ten years after his passing, on April 21, 2016 at the age of 57, Prince continues to fascinate. His vault, a legendary repository housing thousands of hours of unreleased material, fuels a cultural economy that shows no sign of slowing down. “With This Tear” reminds us that the man behind the extravagant outfits and the Cloud Guitar was also a songwriter capable of making a piano weep with three chords. If this track sets the tone for 2026, we can expect a great purple year.