Prince [ tickets ] gave a surprise midnight performance Tuesday (3/21) at the Sunset Tower Records store in West Hollywood, CA, to usher in the release of his new album, "3121."

According to a Tower press release, Prince, playing guitar, was joined onstage by Sheila E on percussion.

Purple wristbands were handed out to about 500 fans about two hours prior to the performance.

The soundtrack to the TV movie "High School Musical," which held down the No. 1 spot on the US album chart three weeks ago, moves up two notches on this week's Billboard 200 to reclaim No. 1.

James Blunt [ tickets ]'s "Back to Bedlam" holds steady at No. 2, while rapper E-40 [ tickets ]'s "My Ghetto Report Card" makes its chart debut at No. 3.

Ne-Yo's "In My Own Word" is up one notch to No. 4, while Juvenile's "Reality Check"--which was last week's No. 1 album--falls to No. 5.

The MTV Video Music Awards, which have taken place in Miami the last two years, will return to New York City in 2006, the network announced. The ceremony will take place at Radio City Music Hall in August.

New Edition [ tickets ]--including Bobby Brown [ tickets ]--plans to reunite for a single performance at this year's Essence Music Festival, set for July 1-3. The event, which usually takes place in New Orleans, has been relocated to Houston's Reliant Park.

Other acts on the bill include Diddy, Mary J. Blige, Toni Braxton, Earth, Wind & Fire and Chris Brown.