Ahead of his Rally 4 Peace on Sunday night in Baltimore, Prince has released a new track online, inspired by the recent riots in the city and the death of Freddie Gray.
While the song is musically upbeat, it features pointed lyrics like “Does anybody hear us pray / For Michael Brown or Freddie Gray / Peace is more than the absence of a war” and “If there ain’t no justice then there ain’t no peace.”
After recording the song, Prince told My Fox Twin Cities that when writing it, in addition to the recent events that have unfolded in Baltimore and Ferguson, Joni Mitchell‘s health was also weighing heavily on his mind. Prince is one of Mitchell’s biggest fans and has credited her as one of his greatest musical influences.
Hear the new song, “Baltimore” below.
The Rally 4 Peace will stream live online Sunday night via Tidal.