20Ten | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | July 10, 2010 | |||
Recorded | Early-mid 2006; 2009–early 2010 [1] | |||
Studio | Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota, US | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 39:18 | |||
Label | NPG | |||
Producer | Prince | |||
Prince chronology | ||||
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20Ten is the thirty-fifth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on July 10, 2010, by NPG Records as a free covermount with the Daily Mirror and Daily Record in the UK and Ireland, [2] and Het Nieuwsblad and De Gentenaar in Belgium. [3] It was also released on July 22, 2010, with Rolling Stone magazine in Germany, [4] and Courrier International in France. [5]
The album was produced, arranged, composed, and performed by Prince at Paisley Park Studios in Chanhassen, Minnesota. [6] [7] It is his thirty-third studio album released in the UK. [8] 20Ten contains musical elements of funk, pop, rock, and soul music. [9] Some titles of the tracks from the album were revealed as clues in Prince's song "Cause and Effect" which was released to radio earlier in 2010. [10]
Prince revealed the name of the album when receiving a lifetime achievement award at the 2010 BET Awards in June 2010. [7] He stated to the Daily Mirror that he chose the title because, "I just think it's a year that really matters. These are very trying times." [11] He considered the album a personal diary of the year. [12]
Over 2.5 million copies were distributed by Trinity Mirror, the publisher of the Daily Mirror and Daily Record. Prince was featured in the publications, to which he granted his first interview in a British newspaper in over 10 years. [2] The issue of the Mirror cost 65 pence; the album was not available as a digital download or in retail stores. [13] Prince stated to the Mirror that this method of releasing the album was "the best way to go... no charts, no internet piracy and no stress," [14] although the album is easily available for illegal download via peer-to-peer networks. [15] The publisher released that sales of the Daily Mirror increased by 334,000, and sales of The Daily Record increased by 45,000 copies on the day it included the album. [16]
Prince released his album Planet Earth in July 2007 under a similar arrangement with the British newspaper The Mail on Sunday . No plans for a U.S. release have even been announced. [7]
On October 8, 2010, Prince told French radio station Europe 1 that he was reportedly planning on releasing an updated edition of the album called 20Ten Deluxe. [17]
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [18] |
MusicOMH | [19] |
NME | 4/10 [20] |
20Ten received mixed reviews from most music critics. Columnist Tony Parsons reviewed the album for the Daily Mirror, the newspaper marketing the album. [21] He wrote that it was "as good as [Prince's] all-time classics like Purple Rain and 1999 " and that it's "his best record since Sign o' the Times 23 years ago." [22] Joachim Hentschel, writing for the German edition of Rolling Stone , viewed the album as Prince's best effort since 1992's the Love Symbol Album . [23] Jason Draper of NME gave 20Ten a 4/10 rating, stating that while it "has its moments", the album was "no way" his best in 23 years, but likely his best in four years. [20] MusicOMH writer Luke Winkie gave it 2 out of 5 stars and described it as "one of the slightest albums the man has ever recorded; fluffy, anti-climatic, and utterly boring". [19] Stephen Thomas Erlewine of Allmusic gave the album 2½ out of 5 stars and wrote that its songs feature "enough of a shape to be attractive from a distance, not enough to withstand closer scrutiny... hooks don’t sink in, funk jams are stuck in low gear, sensuality only simmers, the rhythms are somewhat stiff, and Prince’s deliberate mining of the past only highlights how he’s stripped the freakiness out of his entire persona". [18]
All tracks are written by Prince [6]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Compassion" | 3:57 |
2. | "Beginning Endlessly" | 5:27 |
3. | "Future Soul Song" | 5:08 |
4. | "Sticky Like Glue" | 4:46 |
5. | "Act of God" | 3:13 |
6. | "Lavaux" | 3:03 |
7. | "Walk in Sand" | 3:29 |
8. | "Sea of Everything" | 3:49 |
9. | "Everybody Loves Me" | 4:08 |
77. | "Laydown" (hidden track) | 3:07 |
Notes:
Country | Date | Format | Publication | Label |
---|---|---|---|---|
United Kingdom | July 10, 2010 [24] | CD covermount | Daily Mirror | NPG |
Scotland | Daily Record | |||
Belgium | Het Nieuwsblad | |||
France [25] | July 22, 2010 | Courrier International | ||
Germany [26] | Rolling Stone |
Prince Rogers Nelson was an American singer, songwriter, musician, record producer, and actor. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona; his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, blues, and hip hop. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound.
Purple is the second studio album by the American rock band Stone Temple Pilots, released on June 7, 1994, by Atlantic Records. The album, building on the foundation laid by the band's debut album Core (1992), was a major commercial success, debuting at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 252,000 copies sold in its first week. It remained at the top of the chart for three weeks, eventually selling over six million copies. It spawned a number of successful singles; "Vasoline" and "Interstate Love Song" both topped the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and reached number 2 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart, while "Big Empty" also reached the top ten on both charts. Lesser known album cuts "Pretty Penny" and "Unglued" were released as promotional radio singles.
Purple Rain is the sixth studio album by the American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was released on June 25, 1984, by Warner Bros. Records, as the soundtrack album to the 1984 film of the same name. Purple Rain was musically denser than Prince's previous albums, emphasizing full band performances, and multiple layers of guitars, keyboards, electronic synthesizer effects, drum machines, and other instruments.
"When Doves Cry" is a song by American musician Prince, and the lead single from his sixth studio album Purple Rain. According to the DVD commentary of the film Purple Rain (1984), Prince was asked by director Albert Magnoli to write a song to match the theme of a particular segment of the film that involved intermingled parental difficulties and a love affair. The next morning, Prince had composed two songs, one of which was "When Doves Cry". According to Prince's biographer Per Nilsen, the song was inspired by his relationship with Vanity 6 member Susan Moonsie.
Bad is the seventh studio album by the American singer and songwriter Michael Jackson. It was released on August 31, 1987, by Epic Records, nearly five years after Jackson's previous album, Thriller (1982). Written and recorded between January 1985 and July 1987, Bad was the third and final collaboration between Jackson and producer Quincy Jones, with Jackson co-producing and composing all but two tracks. Jackson adopted an edgy look and sound with Bad, departing from his signature groove-based style and high-pitched vocals. The album incorporates pop, rock, funk, R&B, dance, soul, and hard rock styles. Jackson also experimented with newer recording technology, including digital synthesizers and drum machines, resulting in a sleeker and more aggressive sound. Jackson wrote nine of the eleven songs on the album. Lyrical themes on the album include media bias, paranoia, racial profiling, romance, self-improvement, and world peace. The album features appearances from Siedah Garrett and Stevie Wonder.
Musicology is the twenty-eighth studio album by American recording artist Prince. The album was given to concertgoers at his Musicology Tour, from March 27 to September 9, 2004, in North America. A digital release followed two days after his tour started on March 29, 2004. The physical retail version was released on April 19, 2004 (Europe) and April 20, 2004 (US) by NPG Records and distributed by Columbia Records. Musicology was the first album in five years that Prince released through a major label and, being partially recorded in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, was his first to be recorded outside Minneapolis in many years. Musicology is R&B-themed.
1999 is the fifth studio album by American recording artist Prince, released on October 27, 1982, by Warner Bros. Records. It became his first album to be recorded with his band the Revolution. 1999's critical and commercial success propelled Prince to a place in the public psyche and marked the beginning of two years of heightened fame via his following releases.
Aftermath is a studio album by the English rock band the Rolling Stones. The group recorded the album at RCA Studios in California in December 1965 and March 1966, during breaks between their international tours. It was released in the United Kingdom on 15 April 1966 by Decca Records and in the United States in late June or early July 1966 by London Records. It is the band's fourth British and sixth American studio album, and closely follows a series of international hit singles that helped bring the Stones newfound wealth and fame rivalling that of their contemporaries the Beatles.
N·E·W·S is the twenty-seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on June 30, 2003, by NPG Records. The album is the second instrumental album released under Prince's own name, containing four tracks of 14 minutes duration each. Recorded at Prince's Paisley Park Studios over a single day, the album was initially available through Prince's NPG Music Club website on June 30, 2003, before becoming widely commercially available on July 29. The album can be seen as a modern incarnation of Madhouse, but this time as a Prince release. Original Madhouse member Eric Leeds lends his talents, as well as The New Power Generation members John Blackwell, Rhonda Smith and Renato Neto. The album was recorded improvisationally.
The Rainbow Children is the twenty-fourth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on November 20, 2001, by NPG Records and Redline Entertainment. It was also released through Prince's website earlier in the year. It is the first album released outside of the NPG Music Club to be released under the name of Prince again, as he had reverted to his previous stage name from his symbolic moniker a year earlier. It was released on double vinyl with a glossy colour booklet, and was not available on vinyl again until the Legacy release in 2020.
"Purple Rain" is a song by American musician Prince and his backing band the Revolution. It is the title track from the 1984 album of the same name, which in turn is the soundtrack album for the 1984 film of the same name starring Prince, and was released as the third single from the album. The song is a power ballad that combines rock, R&B, gospel, and orchestral music.
Planet Earth is the thirty-second studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on July 15, 2007 by NPG Records and distributed, in the UK, as a free covermount with The Mail on Sunday national newspaper. This was followed by the album's worldwide distribution. It features contributions from his newest protégée Bria Valente and former New Power Generation members Marva King, Sonny T., and Michael Bland, as well as Sheila E. and former Revolution members Wendy & Lisa. The CD package's liner notes credit the album to Prince & The New Power Generation. The album debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 96,000 copies in its first week.
"Adore" is a song by Prince. It is the last track on his 1987 double album Sign o' the Times, following the live track "It's Gonna Be a Beautiful Night". A long, ornate slow jam featuring Atlanta Bliss and Eric Leeds on horns, it was described by NME reviewer Paolo Hewitt as "a sugar ballad that harks back to the Stylistics but is indelibly Prince's, a lush yet remarkable piece of music, and a fitting climax". It received significant radio play despite never being released as a single, and became an occasional part of Prince's concert repertoire. A 4:39-long edit of the song appears on the 1993 compilation album The Hits/The B-Sides, and the Girl 6 soundtrack album contains the full-length version. Prince's 2002 box set One Nite Alone... Live! includes a solo performance of "Adore" with piano accompaniment.
Brenda Fuentes, better known by her stage name Bria Valente is an American singer. A protégée of Prince, Valente released her debut album, Elixer, as part of a three-album set with Prince's Lotusflow3r and MPLSound on March 29, 2009. The collection debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
Prince's albums discography consists of forty studio albums, five live albums, and numerous compilations. Two albums of demo material have been released posthumously. Prince also released several albums under various group names. See Prince singles discography for his singles and extended plays, and Prince videography for his music videos and video albums.
Hit n Run Phase Two is the thirty-ninth studio album by American musician Prince and the last to be released within his lifetime. It was initially released exclusively on the Tidal streaming service on December 12, 2015, for streaming and purchase as a continuation of his previous album, Hit n Run Phase One.
Gabriella Sarmiento Wilson, known professionally as H.E.R., is an American R&B singer and songwriter. She has received an Academy Award, a Children's and Family Emmy Award, and five Grammy Awards, along with nominations for a Golden Globe Award, three American Music Awards, and four Billboard Music Awards.
Anthology: 1995–2010 is the second posthumous compilation album by Prince, released digitally by NPG Records, in association with Legacy Recordings, through streaming platforms including Spotify and Apple Music on August 17, 2018.
Welcome 2 America is the 40th and final studio album by American musician Prince. It was posthumously released through NPG Records on July 30, 2021. Recorded in March 2010 before the Welcome 2 America Tour, it is the first full previously unreleased studio album of Prince material to be released posthumously.
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