On Friday, July 24, The Knockturnal attended Prince Royce’s listening party.
We had the opportunity to hear his new album Double Vision, and learn about the making of this record. The celebration of Prince Royce’s new album took place at one of New York’s top venues, VIP Room. It was presented by Sprint. Guests were served refreshments and some appetizers such as sushi rolls and onion rings, among other delicious treats. The club was filled with fans of all ages, from kids to elderly people. The ambience was very lively and we all had a good time dancing and singing along to Bachata and Reggeaton songs. Sprint helped fans get cool polaroid pictures by placing little printers along the venue. To get your photo, all you had to do was hashtag on Instagram the picture you wanted printed with Prince Royce and Sprint and after a few minutes your picture was ready.
The DJ kept teasing the audience by playing a few of Royce’s songs in the mix, to which the fans energetically responded with screams. We got to hear a few of his amazing new songs such as “Handcuffs” and “Back It Up” feat. Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull. As the show went on, fans began to get more and more anxious. A few members of the audience came forward and danced in front of everyone. All looked delighted to be dancing to Prince’s songs. Afterwards, fans started to chant his name hoping they would see the singer shortly. When the clock hit 9 p.m., an announcement was made that Royce would be joining soon. Everyone prepared their phones and welcomed the star with smiles, shouts and much love.
Prince Royce very humbly thanked everyone for coming and had to wait to talk again while his fans euphorically called out his name. Once the artist sat down, the Q&A began. First, they streamed a video summarizing Royce’s beginnings. What was touching is that his first job was at Sprint, where he worked as a costumer service representative. Now he is working for Sprint again. Royce shared that the beginning of his career was not easy. After he got his first job, he began to save up in order to record the album he always dreamed off. While his peers and family thought it was risky, Royce deeply believed in himself. Instead of buying the car that he long desired, he spent his first savings to record his first album. Everything went uphill from that moment forward.
Prince is incredibly proud of Double Vision. He said that it was a new step for him. He learned a lot from producing the new album (which only contains songs in English), and said that he would like to implement everything he learned into his next album, which might include bilingual songs. He addressed the fact that some fans might be disappointed that he did not release any Spanish songs (since most of his fan base is Hispanic). He stated that he is still a Hispanic singer representing his community through music.
First, Royce introduced “Handcuffs,” a pop/trap style hit that has been growing in popularity. As everyone sang along to it, he explained the inspiration behind his album. Royce wanted to create something fresh, but also something that his fan-base could relate to. Royce proves with his lyrics and musicality that all of his new tunes can connect with anyone, and that is one of the beauties of Double Vision.
During the Q&A, guests were shown a video of his old middle school teacher. She shared that when he was in middle school, during a class activity, he stood up and sang in front of everyone. His teacher said that the students, including herself waited until he was done singing. His voice was soothing and beautiful. As Royce blushed from embarrassment, the moderator added that she has known Prince Royce since before his career began, when he was just Geoffrey Royce. She mentioned how humble his heart is and shared a story from the beginning of his career. One time, a radio station was looking for an artist to volunteer to bring food to those in need. Prince, without giving it a second thought, volunteered on a cold winter day and got up at five in the morning to personally deliver food for the homeless. She followed the story by saying that Royce never forgot where he came from and still cares so much for his people. Even after achieving fame and success, his heart has not changed one bit. The interview concluded with the singer answering a few questions from his fans, thanking everyone again, hugging many fans and taking selfies as he exited the venue.
Double Vision has everything: from upbeat songs, to romantic songs that will melt your heart. Take a listen to this amazing album and fall in love with this inspirational singer and songwriter.
