Released April 20, 2004 Length 47:26 Release date 20 April 2004 | Recorded 2001–04 | |
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Nominations Grammy Award for Best R&B Album Awards NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Album Similar Prince albums, Funk albums |
Musicology is the twenty-eighth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on April 20, 2004 by NPG Records and distributed by Columbia Records. The album proved to be his most successful in years, reaching the Top 5 of the album charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, and many other countries.
Contents
- Prince call my name musicology 2004 bass
- Commercial performance
- Critical reception
- Accolades
- Tour
- Track listing
- Personnel
- Singles
- Songs
- References
Musicology was the first album in five years that Prince released through a major label (Sony Music) and, being partially recorded in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, was his first to be recorded outside Minneapolis in many years. Musicology is R&B themed.
At the end of the song "Musicology" snippets of "Kiss", "Little Red Corvette", "Sign o' the Times", "17 Days", "If I Was Your Girlfriend", as well as "Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance" can be heard. At the time of release Prince was quoted as saying he wished the album to provide musical education to listeners.
Prince call my name musicology 2004 bass
Commercial performance
Musicology quickly proved to be Prince's most successful album since Diamonds and Pearls, reaching the Top 5 in the United States, United Kingdom and Germany and making a significant impression on charts around the world. It also proved to be well received by music critics. The title track was only released as a single in Australia, where it enjoyed moderate chart success and airplay. However it was also a hit on the US R&B charts through airplay. The album was certified platinum by The RIAA in June 2004 and was certified double platinum in late January 2005.
Part of the album's chart success is due to concertgoers receiving a copy of Musicology, with the album cost included in the ticket price for the Musicology Tour. This prompted Billboard magazine and Nielsen SoundScan to change its chart data methodology: For future album releases, Billboard says that customers "must be given an option to either add the CD to the ticket purchase or forgo the CD for a reduced ticket-only price."
Critical reception
Musicology received generally positive reviews from music critics. In his review for The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau said that after the album's opening uptempo songs, "pleasant shocks lurk near the surface and go against the flow of the quality material, and almost everything packs payback". In a less enthusiastic review, Mojo magazine found it better produced and performed than it was written.
Accolades
Prince won two Grammy Awards, for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("Musicology") and Best R&B Vocal Performance—Male ("Call My Name"), and was nominated for Best Pop Vocal Performance—Male ("Cinnamon Girl"), Best R&B Song (awarded to the songwriter) ("Call My Name"), and Best R&B Album (Musicology). Prince was chosen by Rolling Stone magazine's readers as the best male performer and most welcome comeback.
Tour
Prince toured North America from March 27 to September 9, 2004 to promote Musicology. The tour was often billed as the Musicology Live 2004ever, or more commonly, the Musicology Tour. The tour earned 87.4 million dollars and was attended by 1.47 million fans Although the tour promoted Musicology, only a select few tracks from the album were played during the concerts. The title track, "Musicology", and the two singles, "Call My Name" and "Cinnamon Girl", were among them. The tour featured many of Prince's more famous tracks, such as "Little Red Corvette", "Raspberry Beret", "Kiss", and "Purple Rain". A copy of Musicology was included with every concert ticket sold.
Track listing
All tracks written by Prince.
- "Musicology" – 4:26
- "Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance" – 4:46
- "A Million Days" – 3:50
- "Life 'o' the Party" – 4:29
- "Call My Name" – 5:15
- "Cinnamon Girl" – 3:56
- "What Do U Want Me 2 Do?" – 4:15
- "The Marrying Kind" – 2:49
- "If Eye Was the Man in Ur Life" – 3:09
- "On the Couch" – 3:33
- "Dear Mr. Man" – 4:14
- "Reflection" – 3:04
Personnel
Singles
Songs
1Musicology4:27
2Illusion - Coma - Pimp & Circumstance4:48
3A Million Days3:52