After dropping hints for months, Prince has finally announced expected release dates for PLECTRUMELECTRUM—his album with his band 3RDEYEGIRL—and a record under his own name, ART OFFICIAL AGE. Both are now available for pre-order on iTunes and are expected on Sept. 30. Each pre-order also includes an entry for a chance to win a trip to see Prince at Paisley Park in October. [Update: multiple songs from these albums have now been released. Scroll down for information and, in some cases, to listen.]

Along with the news came official artwork and track lists (see below) for both releases, as well as the release of a new single, "CLOUDS," from Art Official Age. The credited label on both is NPG Records, Inc., under exclusive license to Warner Bros Records Inc.—per the terms of Prince's new deal with Warner Bros.

Both albums, and almost all of their track titles, are presented in Prince's new favored all-caps style. Each includes music never before heard in addition to some tracks that have been released and/or played live. Interestingly, one song, "FUNKNROLL," seems to appear on both albums. Prince and 3RDEYEGIRL played the song on Prince's Arsenio Hall Show "takeover" episode this spring.

PLECTRUMELECTRUM, credited to "Prince & 3RDEYEGIRL," includes already-released single "PRETZELBODYLOGIC" and "WOW," presumably the new title for 3RDEYEGIRL's recording of a song heard on the new Liv Warfield album as "The Unexpected." (The song's chorus goes, "You can call it the unexpected, or you can call it wow!")

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/164017476%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-cQ5kp&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHbyNrGXpAA

Donna Grantis (guitar), Hannah Ford Welton (drums), and Ida Nielsen (bass)—the members of 3RDEYEGIRL—appeared on Good Morning America this morning to announce the release news. Fans can expect "everything," we're told.

For more on these albums and what you can expect to hear on them, read Andrea Swensson's post about visiting with Prince and my post about hearing music from PLECTRUMELECTRUM.

Update 9/2: Prince has shared two additional tracks from the albums: "U KNOW" from ART OFFICIAL AGE, and "WHITECAPS" from PLECTRUMELECTRUM. Listen below:

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/165083588%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-DqzSx&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/165217426%3Fsecret_token%3Ds-wOScj&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&visual=true&wmode=transparent&enablejsapi=1" width="100%" height="450" iframe="true" /]

Update 9/18: The ART OFFICIAL AGE version of "FUNKNROLL" has just been released via Amazon.

PLECTRUMELECTRUM track list:

WOW

PRETZELBODYLOGIC

AINTTURNINROUND

PLECTRUMELECTRUM

WHITECAPS

FIXURLIFEUP

BOYTROUBLE

STOPTHISTRAIN

ANOTHERLOVE

TICTACTOE

MARZ

FUNKNROLL

ARTOFFICIALAGE track list:

ART OFFICIAL CAGE

CLOUDS

BREAKDOWN

THE GOLD STANDARD

U KNOW

BREAKFAST CAN WAIT

THIS COULD BE US

WHAT IT FEELS LIKE

affirmation I & II

WAY BACK HOME

FUNKNROLL

TIME

affirmation III