U.S. rock star Prince is to give away his new album for free with a UK tabloid newspaper weeks before its official launch, in a move that has caused dismay among music retailers.

Prince’s new 10-track CD “Planet Earth” will be included with this weekend’s Mail on Sunday, the newspaper’s managing director, Stephen Miron, told Reuters on Friday.

The album is not scheduled to go on sale until July 24, 2007.