In 1992, Kylie Minogue received a cassette from one of her musical heroes and newfound acquaintance, Prince. On the tape was his recording of “Baby Doll,” a song she had written and shown to him. That song never wound up getting an official release back then, but it’s finally made its way to the Internet. According to Stereogum, this recording of “Baby Doll” was supposed to be included on a 2022 archival compilation that the Prince Estate had cancelled for some reason. It has some disco flair that Minogue was known for at the time. Listen below:

The song starts almost unexpectedly, with Prince — full name Prince Rogers Nelson — singing without instrumentals in the background. Once the instrumentals pick up after his verse, the song becomes a jaunty, disco-inspired pop ballad. Nelson’s compelling range as a vocalist makes this song an intriguing and mesmerizing track – it’s not surprising that Minogue never re-recorded it, as Nelson’s rendition of the lyrics is simply magical.

There has been speculation about what compilation this song was supposed to be on. Many commenters on Stereogum’s article have mentioned how this song was supposed to be on the reissued Diamonds and Pearls album, but the album itself was released sans “Baby Doll.” The description of “Baby Doll” explains this track was listed as a Prince and the New Power Generation track, but as Diamonds and Pearls excluded songs recorded after October 1991, the song became a lost legend – until now.

This electric pop ballad has already gained traction amongst Prince fans and the interest is only supposed to increase from here. It’s interesting to note that Minogue will be going on tour next year; perhaps this song will make its way onto setlists.