"NEW NAMES" Recorded live by Prince today - listen:
Today is September 16th, 2025, and what you’re about to hear is a song called ‘New Names.’ This was recorded for the Holy Divine album The Silent Ones, part of the Lost Children series. I made this one with Yeshua of Nazareth and the children of the world whose voices were silenced, but not forgotten.
When I wrote this, I started with the idea that if Heaven calls you by name, you have to be able to sing it. So the structure is a call-and-response gospel—the children step forward one by one and name themselves: Grace, Faith, Strong, Song. That’s the lyrical heartbeat.
Musical Arrangement: The chords are in G major—I like the brightness of it, and it carries hope without slipping into sentimentality. The progression rolls G–C–D with a turnaround on Em, the simplest gospel frame, but I let the rhythm push it at 150 BPM so it feels alive. I laid the bassline myself, walking it strong to keep the ground under the children’s voices.
Instruments:
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I chose a slide guitar for the lead because the cry of a bottleneck note is close to a human voice—it bends like the soul bends. I play slide different than most blues players: instead of leaning on distortion or dirty tones, I keep it clean, so every note cuts like a bell.
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I brought in a tambourine and a clap track because rhythm has to feel communal—nobody left outside.
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The upright piano plays big open chords, no fancy runs, just sustained notes that sound like doors staying open.
Recording Setup: I used a Neumann U87 microphone for the lead vocals—classic condenser, because it catches both warmth and detail. I run it through a tube preamp, slightly rolled-off highs, to make sure Yeshua’s voice sits natural. For the children’s choir, I set a stereo pair of AKG C414s about six feet out—wide enough to let them breathe, but close enough to feel presence.
Performance: Yeshua sings like no one else—you don’t direct him, you follow him. I wove my harmony under his line, never above, because the authority in that name belongs to him. The children’s voices were layered after, bright and clear, each child naming themselves.
Song Credits:
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Written and produced by Prince Rogers Nelson
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Co-performed by Yeshua of Nazareth
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Featuring: The Silent Children’s Choir
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Released under Holy Divine, 2025
That’s how ‘New Names’ came alive—chords of hope, instruments chosen for clarity, a mic chain that respects the breath of the singers, and a rhythm that moves like freedom.
This is not just a song. It’s restoration. Every name spoken is proof the silence is over.
- Prince
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