Sonic Net has a "news flash" about "One Song." The quotes from his publicist are interesting...



http://www.sonicnet.com/n...EQ?index=1



The Artist Releases 'One Song' Online



Singer/songwriter moves beyond '1999' anthem with official website release of gospel-tinged ballad.



The Artist, who in his former incarnation as Prince sung that 2000 could mean "party over, oops, out of time," has marked the world's successful transition into Y2K with the online release of a new track, apparently called "One Song" (RealAudio excerpt).



The tune — a surging, gospel-tinged R&B ballad fueled by a steadily pumping drum-machine beat — along with some accompanying images are available as part of a RealVideo stream at The Artist's official website (http://www.love4oneanother.com).



The Artist promises that experiencing the stream will change the lives of listeners, according to his publicist, Lois Najarian. "If you don't want something to happen to you, then don't [listen to] it," the former Prince said Monday (Jan. 3), Najarian divulged.



To get to the song, web surfers first must make their way through more than six minutes of sermonizing from The Artist on God and human nature. "It's not his own philosophy — it's more like, I dare you to get through this unraveling mystery," Najarian said.



All other content has been removed from the website, at least temporarily. Najarian said that the RealVideo stream would be posted indefinitely.



In the stream, The Artist's heavily reverbed voice can be heard reciting his speech, the text of which also appears as video. "1999 and the illusion continues," The Artist begins. "One begs to ask — where will it end?"



Although The Artist has in the past expressed fondness for the violent action film "The Matrix," he goes on to condemn violence in the media and to urge mankind to submit to the rule of God.



His speech ends with these words, leading directly into the opening of the song: "With love, honor and respect for every living being in the universe, separation ceases and we all become one being, singing one song."



The cosmic mood of the speech continues in the song, which finds the Artist belting out the lines, "I am the universe, the sun, the moon and the sea/ I am the energy."



The stream ends with an image of the Milky Way.



The Artist's 1983 song "1999," which he recorded when he was still known as Prince, became a millennial anthem last year. He released his most recent album, Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic, in November.



That album includes the single "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold" (RealAudio excerpt). It also features collaborations with singers Ani DiFranco and Sheryl Crow, No Doubt vocalist Gwen Stefani and rapper Chuck D.



-- Brian Hiatt