🟣 3121 – Album: Mar‑2006

CD • MC • 2LP (2019 reissue) — NPG / Universal (original), The Prince Estate / Legacy (reissue)

Released: March 20, 2006 (Europe) • March 21, 2006 (USA)

Prince’s 31st studio album: a coded address, a new band era, and a shape‑shifting bridge between Musicology and Lotusflow3r.

🟣 Summary

3121 is Prince’s 31st full‑length studio album, released worldwide in March 2006, two years after Musicology and the digital collections The Chocolate Invasion, The Slaughterhouse and C‑Note. Named after both a lyric motif and his then‑current “3121” residence concept, the album fuses Latin‑tinged balladry, stripped‑down funk, spiritual meditations and big‑band NPG workouts. Early in its evolution, the project existed under the working title Lotusflow3r with a very different tracklist and even multi‑disc ambitions, before being reshaped into 3121. The album quietly inaugurates a new live band core (C.C. Dunham and Joshua Dunham) and heavily features Támar Davis, whose aborted 2006 album is foreshadowed in the original CD insert.

🟣 Highlights

• 31st studio album by Prince

• Released 20 March 2006 (Europe) / 21 March 2006 (USA)

• Entered Billboard 200 at #1 — first non‑soundtrack #1 since Around The World In A Day

• Also reached #1 on Billboard Top R&B/Hip‑Hop Albums

• Early working title: Lotusflow3r, with a different, longer configuration

• Introduces the C.C. Dunham / Joshua Dunham rhythm section

• Features Támar Davis prominently (vocals and co‑writing on “Beautiful, Loved And Blessed”)

• Includes Latin‑flavoured “Te Amo Corazón” and minimalist funk single “Black Sweat”

• Original CD included a postcard/flier for Támar’s then‑planned album Beautiful, Loved And Blessed

• Certified Gold (RIAA) on June 26, 2006

🟣 Track Details (Full Tracklist)

CD / Original Issue

3121 (4:31)

Lolita (4:06)

Te Amo Corazón (3:36)

Black Sweat (3:11)

Incense And Candles (4:05)

Love (5:46)

Satisfied (2:50)

Fury (4:02)

The Word (4:12)

Beautiful, Loved And Blessed (5:44)¹

The Dance (5:21)

Get On The Boat (6:19)

Cassette (MC) – Same‑time Release

Side 1:

3121 (4:31)

Lolita (4:06)

Te Amo Corazón (3:36)

Black Sweat (3:11)

Incense And Candles (4:05)

Love (5:46)

Satisfied (2:50)

Side 2:

Fury (4:02)

The Word (4:12)

Beautiful, Loved And Blessed (5:44)¹

The Dance (5:21)

Get On The Boat (6:19)

2LP – 2019 Re‑Release

Side 1:

3121 (4:31)

Lolita (4:06)

Te Amo Corazón (3:36)

Side 2:

Black Sweat (3:11)

Incense And Candles (4:05)

Love (5:46)

Side 3:

Satisfied (2:50)

Fury (4:02)

The Word (4:12)

Side 4:

Beautiful, Loved And Blessed (5:44)¹

The Dance (5:21)

Get On The Boat (6:19)

All songs written by Prince, except:

¹ Beautiful, Loved And Blessed — written by Prince and Támar.

🟣 Verified Release Variants (Grouped by Country)

🇺🇸 United States

• CD — NPG / Universal — 2006

• MC — NPG / Universal — 2006

• 2LP — The Prince Estate / Legacy — 2019

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

• CD — NPG / Universal — 2006

• 2LP — The Prince Estate / Legacy — 2019

🇪🇺 Europe

• CD — NPG / Universal — 2006

• MC — NPG / Universal — 2006

• 2LP — The Prince Estate / Legacy — 2019

🇯🇵 Japan

• CD — NPG / Universal — 2006 (with standard tracklist)

🇨🇦 Canada

• CD — NPG / Universal — 2006

🇦🇺 Australia

• CD — NPG / Universal — 2006

🌍 Other Territories (Verified)

• Standard CD editions via Universal distribution where documented; no unique tracklist variants confirmed.

(No unverified formats. No speculative variants. Only catalogue‑confirmed editions.)

🟣 THE “PURPLE TICKET” / “GOLDEN TICKET” EDITION (Collector Sidebar)

A special sweepstakes edition of 3121 was issued in March 2006, packaged as a standard retail CD but distinguished by a gold promotional sticker on the shrinkwrap reading “WIN A PRIVATE PERFORMANCE BY PRINCE AT HIS MANSION!” Inside select copies was the actual Purple Ticket, printed on purple cardstock, granting entry to an exclusive private show at Prince’s rented home at 3121 Antelo Rd., Los Angeles. Only seven U.S. winners (and a very small number internationally) received winning tickets, making this one of the rarest modern‑era Prince collectibles.

The gold sticker on the exterior led many fans to nickname this variant the “Golden Ticket Edition,” even though the winning ticket itself was purple. Discogs verifies this as the Purple Ticket Edition, with the CD, booklet, and tray card identical to the standard pressing; the only distinguishing elements are the gold sweepstakes sticker and the Purple Ticket insert.

🟣 Reissues & Global Variants

• 8 February 2019 — 3121 re‑released on CD and 2LP by The Prince Estate / Legacy Recordings (alongside Musicology and Planet Earth).

• 2019 2LP uses the original 12‑track sequence, spread across four sides.

• No expanded or deluxe edition with bonus tracks has been officially released.

• Digital availability mirrors the standard album configuration.

🟣 Production and Context

Recording for 3121 likely took place between late 2004 and early 2006 at Paisley Park Studios (Chanhassen, MN) and 3121 Antelo Rd. (Los Angeles, CA). Percussion overdubs for “Te Amo Corazón” were done at Insomnio Studios, Panama City, Panama in late June 2005.

In 2020, Sam Jennings revealed that the album originally existed as a project called Lotusflow3r, with a different tracklist and artwork. At various stages, the album was considered as a three‑disc set; a late‑October 2005 configuration had fifteen tracks and was likely planned as a double CD. Early versions included Love Like Jazz, Wall Of Berlin, The Morning After (later digital‑only on Lotusflow3r), Elixer (later on Bria Valente’s Elixer), Redhead Stepchild (moved to Támar’s planned 2006 album), and two still‑unreleased tracks: Streets Of Panama and Shameless.

Notably, Fury and Beautiful, Loved And Blessed do not appear on any known late‑2005 configuration, suggesting they were recorded or finalized close to the album’s release. The title track “3121” includes disguised spoken words saying “From the lotus flower…”, hinting at the project’s earlier identity, even though From The Lotus... and ...Back 2 The Lotus were never part of any known 3121 configuration.

The album is the first to feature the live band core of Cora Coleman‑Dunham (C.C. Dunham) on drums and Joshua Dunham on bass, who would remain with Prince until 2010. Támar Davis (credited as Támar) is central to the album’s vocal texture, appearing on multiple tracks and sharing co‑lead on “Beautiful, Loved And Blessed.” The original CD included a postcard/flier promoting her then‑planned album Beautiful, Loved And Blessed, which was ultimately aborted.

🟣 Singles Released

• Te Amo Corazón — single (pre‑album)

• Black Sweat — single (pre‑album)

• Fury — single (UK only)

🟣 Chart Performance

• USA — Billboard 200 — #1

• USA — Billboard Top R&B/Hip‑Hop Albums — #1

• RIAA — Gold (500,000 shipped) — certified June 26, 2006

🟣 Mini Discography

• Previous studio era: Musicology (2004) + digital sets (The Chocolate Invasion, The Slaughterhouse, C‑Note)

• This release: 3121 (2006)

• Next: Planet Earth (2007)

🟣 Mini‑Timeline

• Late 2004–2005 — Core recording sessions for the project that would become 3121

• Late June 2005 — Percussion overdubs for “Te Amo Corazón” in Panama

• Late 2005 — Early Lotusflow3r configurations compiled (multi‑disc concepts, alternate tracklists)

• Early 2006 — Final tracklist locked and retitled as 3121

• March 20, 2006 — European release

• March 21, 2006 — U.S. release

• May 6, 2006 (a.m.) — “Purple Ticket” private show at 3121 Antelo Rd., Los Angeles

• June 26, 2006 — RIAA Gold certification

• 8 February 2019 — Estate/Legacy reissue on CD and 2LP

🟣 Glam Flashback

A coded address, a new band, and a record that feels like a private party broadcast to the world — 3121 is Prince in full control of his mid‑2000s universe, folding Latin romance, stripped‑down funk and spiritual testimony into one purple‑lit house.

#Prince #3121 #Támar #NPG #2006 #PaisleyPark #Lotusflow3r #NowSpinning #RecordCollectors #ArchivePost

🟣 Image & Artwork Copyright Notice

All images, photographs, and artwork referenced or displayed in this post remain the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included strictly for historical, educational, and archival purposes under fair‑use principles. No ownership is claimed, and all rights belong to the original creators, photographers, designers, and publishers.

🟣 3121 ERA TOUR BOOST (Las Vegas Residency Context Block)

Although 3121 did not have a traditional world tour, the album’s energy exploded into the Per4ming Live 3121 residency in Las Vegas, launched eight months after the album’s release. Staged at the Rio Hotel’s 3121 Club, the residency blended club‑level intimacy with full‑scale Prince showmanship. Setlists shifted nightly, mixing deep cuts, 3121 tracks (“Lolita,” “Black Sweat,” “Satisfied,” “Get On The Boat”), and surprise guests.

The residency functioned as the live extension of the 3121 universe — purple lighting, silhouette‑driven visuals, Latin‑infused arrangements, and the same graphic language seen throughout the album’s merch. Many of the era’s clothing designs, posters, and promotional items were sold or debuted during this run, making the residency a central hub for 3121‑era collectibles.

🟣 Sources

Prince Vault

Discogs verified catalogue entries

Billboard and RIAA archives

Sam Jennings interview / design notes