Stevie WonderPhoto: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Art of Elysium
Stevie Wonder had a big day today: During a virtual press conference (via Billboard), he announced his plan to do something he had “never done before,” revealing that he’s leaving the iconic Motown record label and starting his own imprint under Republic Records and the Universal Music Group. The new label is called What The Fuss Records, and it marks the first time Wonder has been on a label other than Motown since 1961—so his entire career, in other words. He signed to Motown when he was just 11 years old and now, at 70, he’s moving on to do his own thing. Whoever you are, that’s wild.
Granted, Wonder hasn’t put out a studio album since A Time To Love in 2005, and his last one before that was Conversation Peace in 1995, so it’s not like he had been a prolific artist for Motown over the last 30 years. Still, though, this is a big move, and Wonder is celebrating it by releasing two new singles, “Where Is Our Love Song” with Gary Clark Jr. and “Can’t Put It In The Hands Of Fate” with Rapsody, Cordae, Chika, and Busta Rhymes. They’re both available now, and all of the proceeds from “Where Is Our Love Song” will be going to Feeding America. You can hear them both below (though you might want to buy them, since Stevie Wonder just left his record label and could probably use your support of he has any hopes of making it in the notoriously rough music industry for another 60 years or so).
