Each year, Paisley Park, Prince‘s home and production studio holds its Celebration, honoring Prince’s impact and legacy. In 2023, the Celebration will take place on June 8-11 with appearances from the likes of Chaka Khan, Chuck D, The Steels, and Sounds Of Blackness. However, the biggest selling point of the announcement is being met with a mixed reception.
While the Prince Legacy Tribute show is definitely a draw, Prince’s estate has announced that it’ll be opening the singer’s legendary vault for tours of the complex, presenting some of his unreleased music. The number seven is said to feature prominently in the proceedings, as it’s the seventh anniversary of his death on April 21, 2016, and the number seven was significant to him throughout his life — he was born on June 7, and frequently referenced the number in his music.
A statement released by Paisley Park touches on the power of this digit in Prince’s life, reading, “This year marks 7 years of uplifting Prince’s legacy and carefully preserving his prolific artistic output and his creative sanctuary. At Celebration 2023, guests will take a deep dive into understanding the cultural significance of 7 and how it has been reflected throughout history.”
However, some fans misread the news on Twitter, believing that “opening the vault” means releasing music he never wanted the public to hear and disrespecting his wishes. It doesn’t seem that that is completely the case, but it does sound like there’s a possibility some of his unreleased work will finally be heard. Whether that’s a good thing depends on where you stand on statements he made before his death.
You can find more information about Celebration 2023 here.