Ten years after Prince’s death, his estate has cracked open the vault again.
On April 20, NPG Records and Legacy Recordings released “With This Tear,” a previously unheard Prince recording from 1991 that had never officially surfaced until now.
The stripped-down, piano-heavy ballad was recorded at Paisley Park and arrives just one day before the 10th anniversary of Prince’s passing, kicking off what is expected to be a much larger wave of unreleased music in 2026.
Unlike many of the estate’s recent archival releases, “With This Tear” is pure Prince. He wrote it, produced it, arranged it, and played every instrument himself.
The newly released version was mixed and mastered by former Prince engineer Chris James, whose past work with the late icon includes HITnRUN Phase Two, Art Official Age, and Plectrumelectrum.
Prince originally recorded “With This Tear” in November 1991, then handed it off to Céline Dion, who released her own version the following year. Fans have known the song through Dion for more than three decades. Now, for the first time, they can hear Prince’s original take — quieter, more intimate, and unmistakably his.
The release is also the first official sign that the estate is preparing another major vault campaign. More unreleased material is expected later this year, including a long-rumored deluxe edition of Parade, the 1986 album tied to Under the Cherry Moon.
Prince built an entire second career behind the scenes, writing songs for other artists that often became hits in their own right. He gave “Manic Monday” to the Bangles. He wrote “Nothing Compares 2 U” for The Family before Sinéad O’Connor turned it into a global smash.
“With This Tear” lands just weeks before Paisley Park’s June 3-7 “10th Anniversary Celebration of Life,” a five-day event in Minneapolis that will feature rare footage, unreleased music, and appearances from members of both The Revolution and the New Power Generation.
