3121 (album)
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| 3121 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| File:Prince - 3121.jpg | ||||
| Studio album by Prince | ||||
| Released | March 21, 2006 | |||
| Recorded | 2004–2005 | |||
| Genre | R&B, funk, rock, electronica | |||
| Length | 53:42 | |||
| Label | NPG, Universal | |||
| Producer | Prince | |||
| Prince chronology | ||||
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| Singles from 3121 | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Aggregate scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | (69/100)[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [2] |
| Robert Christgau | A−[3] |
| Entertainment Weekly | C+[4] |
| Los Angeles Times | [5] |
| New York Times | favorable[6] |
| Newsday | A[7] |
| Pitchfork Media | (6.0/10)[8] |
| Rolling Stone | [9] |
| Stylus | A−[10] |
| Village Voice | favorable[11] |
3121 (pronounced "thirty-one twenty-one") is the thirty-first studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on March 21, 2006 by NPG Records and distributed by Universal Records.
Contents
Album information
The album's first single, "Te Amo Corazón", was released in the United States on December 13, 2005, and debuted at number 20 on the VH1 countdown; the second single, "Black Sweat", was released on February 2, 2006.[12]
The title of the album was believed to be a reference to the address of Prince's rented Los Angeles mansion. A lawsuit filed against Prince by the landlord (NBA player Carlos Boozer) indicates an entirely different address (1235 Sierra Alta Way).[13] However, Prince has repeatedly referred to the property as "3121"; indeed, the lawsuit alleges he painted 3121 on the exterior of the property, and the album's liner notes indicate that it was "recorded at Paisley Park Studios and 3121."
According to another explanation the album's title refers to a verse in the Bible (Psalm 31:21). "Blessed be Jehovah (God/Yahweh), For he has rendered wonderful loving-kindness to me in a city under stress." Prince made a reference to this during a performance of the title track on the 2006 BET Awards; "Where's the real party at? Shake your tambourines! BET read Psalms; that's where it is."
A further explanation reveals that 3121 refers to the album being Prince's 31st release and the release date being the 21st.
Album sessions started in November 2004 with the recording of the song "3121" with Michael Bland and Sonny T.
Ostensibly inspired by the 1964 children's novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Prince included a limited number of "purple tickets" with the album. Lucky winners who found tickets were flown in from Europe, Asia, Mexico and the US to attend a semi-private performance (along with a long list of celebrities) at Prince's home in Los Angeles.
3121 reinforced Prince's big comeback after the release of 2004's Musicology. It became the first Prince album ever to debut at #1, with 183,436 sold in its first week. It knocked the soundtrack for High School Musical off the top spot, and became Prince's first #1 album since 1989's Batman. Eventually it was certified Gold by the RIAA.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Prince, except where noted.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "3121" | 4:31 |
| 2. | "Lolita" | 4:06 |
| 3. | "Te Amo Corazón" | 3:35 |
| 4. | "Black Sweat" | 3:12 |
| 5. | "Incense and Candles" | 4:04 |
| 6. | "Love" | 5:45 |
| 7. | "Satisfied" | 2:50 |
| 8. | "Fury" | 4:02 |
| 9. | "The Word" | 4:11 |
| 10. | "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed" (Prince, Támar) | 5:43 |
| 11. | "The Dance" | 5:20 |
| 12. | "Get On the Boat" | 6:18 |
Personnel
- Drums: Michael Bland (on "3121"), Cora Coleman Dunham (on "Te Amo Corazón", "Get On the Boat")
- Bass: Sonny T (on "3121"), Joshua Dunham (on "Te Amo Corazón", "Get On the Boat")
- Horn section: Maceo Parker, Candy Dulfer, Greg Boyer and Ray
- Percussion: Herbert Urena, Ricky Salas (on "Te Amo Corazón"), Sheila E. (on "Get On the Boat")
- Strings arrangement: Clare Fischer
- Additional vocals: The New Power Generation (shouts), Támar (and co-lead on "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed")
- All other instruments and voices: Prince
- Produced by Prince
- Photo: Afshin Shahidi
- Designer: Sam Jennings
- Recorded at Paisley Park Studios and 3121
- Engineered by Ian Boxill, L. Stu Young
- Assisted by Lisa Chamblee Hampton
- Mastered at Bernie Grundman
Certifications
| Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[14] | Silver | 60,000 |
| United States (RIAA)[15] | Gold | 500,000 |
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*sales figures based on certification alone |
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References
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- ↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Prince: 3121 > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved 17 September 2011.
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH
External links
| Preceded by | Billboard 200 number-one album April 2–8, 2006 |
Succeeded by King by T.I. |
