Stevie Wonder has departed Motown Records after almost six decades to launch his own Republic Records imprint, So What The Fuss Music.
The “Superstition” hitmaker was just 11 when he was signed to the iconic label and now he's launched his own imprint So What The Fuss Music on Universal Music Group's Republic Records.
To kick-start his new record label, Wonder released the new tracks “Where Is Our Love Song” and “Can't Put It In The Hands Of Fate” on Tuesday, and he's set to release a new EP and solo album, “Through the Eyes of Wonder“.
The “Isn't She Lovely” hitmaker insisted that while he has left Motown they may still work together in the future, and he hopes he can do something with them for his project “Gospel Inspired by Lula”, which he announced back in 2013.
On departing Motown - which he signed to in 1961 - Wonder said at a press conference this week: “Even though I have left Motown, I never leave Motown. That’s Detroit. So I’m sure that we can figure out how we can do some things at Motown. Maybe I’ll do my ‘Gospel Inspired by Lula’ with Motown. We’ll work it out."
The music legend also revealed that he penned 'Where Is Our Love Song' when he was 18, but he felt with the current state of the world, now was the time to share it.
He said: "Then came this year.
"With all the confusion and all the hate and the East versus West, left versus right. It's just a hard break."
“Can't Put It In The Hands Of Fate”, which features Busta Rhymes, Rapsody, Cordae and Chika, is about "thinking about where we [are] in the world and thinking about how this is the crucial time".
He explained: "Change is right now.
"We can't put it into the hands of fate. Ain't nobody got time to wait.
"We can't put it the hands of fate, finding a cure for this dreadful virus.
"We got to get on our knees and pray or whatever you do.”
Wonder’s last album on Motown was 2005’s “A Time To Love”.