Prince releases new song, The Breakdown

Breaking down … Prince on stage in London in February

Immediately after announcing a new partnership with Warner Bros,Prince has released a new song, The Breakdown, for streaming online over the weekend.

However, fans who read Mojo's cover story on Prince earlier this year and might have expected a tough guitar rock song might be surprised: The Breakdown is a slow, stately ballad, with lush, layered vocal harmonies, and little guitar, Prince's voice ascending into a falsetto holler.

Reading on mobile? Click here to listen to The Breakdown

Prince had referred to the song during an interview with US chatshow host Arsenio Hall in March. "There's a song we've just written called The Breakdown," he said. "One of the things that we try to do, though, is waiting until we have other songs that go together with our favorites. That's why it takes a long time to come out with albums these days. You know, not being under contract, there's no rush."

It has been a busy few months for Prince. The year began with a flash visit to Britain, where he played a series of surprise shows, mainly in London, though there were also appearances in Manchester. Then there was the hook-up with Warners, which will see the label release both new material and a deluxe 30th-anniversary edition of Purple Rain.

Nevertheless, there's still no sign of the new album, Plectrum Electrum, recorded with his current band, 3rdEyeGirl.