If there’s been a Prince-video-shaped hole in your heart these past few years, good news: Some of his best videos are back on YouTube.
Before the rock icon’s death in 2016, he pulled all of the music videos and concert footage from his Vevo channel in protest of the streaming company’s licensing fees. When fans tweeted at him requesting he reinstate his channel, the Prince of Funk didn’t mince words. “Since YouTube doesn’t pay equitable licensing fees, isn’t that a nonsensical question?” he said. “Shouldn’t ur concerns b directed at YouTube and not here?”
A few years later, though, it seems like his camp is cracking open the vault a little bit to promote the new Purple Rain box set, which dropped June 23. Videos for “Let’s Get Crazy,” “When Doves Cry,” and a few other hits have gone live again this week.
As Noisey points out, it seems like His Royal Badness would probably be annoyed with the move from a business standpoint (since presumably nothing about YouTube’s licensing agreements has drastically changed), but at least future generations won’t be deprived of that steamy bathtub scene.
H/T A/V Club