In anticipation of the upcoming Welcome 2 America album, the Prince estate has teased the previously unreleased song “Hot Summer” via Tik Tok.

“The #Welcome2America track ‘Hot Summer’ is now available to preview exclusively on TikTok,” proclaimed a message on the official Prince Facebook page. ‘Soundtrack your own ‘Hot Summer’ by using the song when you create your next TikTok video.”

The clip finds Prince and his backing vocalists singing atop of a chugging, boogie-woogie style guitar line. Meanwhile, drums, keyboards and percussion help fill out the track.

The Purple One sticks to his baritone vocal range as he delivers what appears to be the song’s chorus: “Cuz it’s gonna be a hot summer / Just wait and see / Hot summer / Shoobee doobee / Hot summer / As long as you're my company.

Listen to the clip of “Hot Summer” in the video below.

@prince.4.everPreview “Hot Summer” from the #Welcome2America album exclusively on TikTok. #hotsummer♬ Hot Summer - Prince

The track gives fans their latest taste from Welcome 2 America, the first fully formed posthumous album taken from the musician's legendary vault of material. However, it's not the first time fans have heard the tune, as Prince previously premiered "Hot Summer" on the airwaves of Minnesota public radio in 2010, and played the track at a few shows later that year. Still, the song was never officially released, much like the entire Welcome 2 America album, which recorded in 2010 but shelved by Prince for unknown reasons.

“He probably was eventually going to get to it and dust off some stuff and remix some of it and maybe add a couple more parts or add more musicians and eventually put it out," backup singer Elsa Fiorillo theorized of the album in a conversation with Rolling Stone.

Likewise, keyboardist and album co-producer Morris Hayes was shocked that Welcome 2 America was held back. "I thought it was kind of crazy when we did the Welcome 2 America tour and none of the songs were in the show. I thought, ‘This is weird. You don’t have any of these songs on the tour, but it’s named that!’”

Now the long awaited LP will finally see the light of day. Welcome 2 America is due for release on July 30.

 

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