Prince gives social media another try

NEW YORK,

Pop icon Prince, who has had a turbulent relationship with the Internet, is giving social media another go.

The Purple One has started an Instagram account — dubbed "Princestagram" — consisting mostly of professional-quality photos.

But the verified account, started late last week, also has flashes of humour, a side that Prince has rarely shown in public.

One posting references a well-known television skit in which comedian Charlie Murphy plays a purple-clad Prince on "Chappelle's Show." The real Prince shows a skit image on Instagram and writes, "This bores me."

Prince was an early proponent of online music but in 2010 declared that the Internet was "completely over."

Last year he joined Facebook and Twitter — seen by most musicians as vital for promotion — but soon deleted his accounts without comment and later took down most of his music from YouTube and streaming sites.

But the prolific musician has recently spoken enthusiastically about the possibilities of the Internet after releasing his latest album on Tidal, the streaming service led by rap mogul Jay Z.

Instagram, with its emphasis on pictures and videos, is especially popular among celebrity musicians, with Jay-Z's wife Beyonce among the platform's most followed.

Prince's dalliance last year with social media came as he reconciled with Warner Music and released two albums with the label, two decades after a feud over his output led him to change his name to the unpronounceable "love symbol."

His all-female back-up band 3rdEyeGirl has nonetheless kept a Twitter account aimed in part at revealing his shows, which Prince prefers to announce at the last minute.