Melvin Riley of Ready For The World: No AI, Prince & the Stories Behind the Hits

So we're really pumped because in June, No AI, your new double album, was released.

to rave reviews and digital sales, of course, chart-wise.

That's a new thing, relatively new thing with the way you grew up.

But 19 songs.

It's an arduous project.

How did you decide to put it so expansive and such great music? When did it start?

I started recording two years ago.

And what I wanted to do is take my time And do what I've always done, which is let the music come to me.

I might be walking by the house and I'll hear a hook in my head.

I'll go and record the idea.

And the ideas are what takes a while because you want to put all the greatest ideas you can.

And then a year of recording those great ideas.

And so I just wanted to take my time and do what, you know, which is what I did with Ready for the World's Catalog of Music the same way.

Yes.

Now, 19 songs, you know, you've got the flavor that you wrote all those songs with, Ready for the World.

And of course, Modern Times, you got some modern flavor in there as well.

Yes.

With your songs.

Choosing the first couple singles, what went into that?

Well, I put the first one is They Won't Leave Me Alone, which came out in 2026.

But Talking In My Sleep came out the year before.

Those are the two singles we started off with.

And radio heard Talking In My Sleep.

And Talking In My Sleep was one of those you got to get it kind of feel songs.

And I kind of felt like that was my little jazz vibe.