Prince (March 21 2006) 3121 - Album

3121 is Prince’s thirty-first studio album and his first to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 since 1989’s Batman. It marked a strong commercial return and featured the hit singles “Black Sweat” and “Beautiful, Loved & Blessed.”

RELEASE DETAILS

Artist: Prince

Label: NPG Records / Universal Records

Catalogue: B0006296-02

Format: CD

Country: Worldwide

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

Genre: Rock, Funk / Soul, Pop

Length: 53:42

THE STORY

A confident, eclectic album blending funk, rock, and soul with strong grooves and sensual ballads. Standouts include the lead single “Black Sweat,” the upbeat “Te Amo Corazón,” and the emotional “Beautiful, Loved & Blessed” featuring Támar.

CONTEXT & NOTES

3121 was released during Prince’s Musicology Live 2004ever tour era and tied into his residency at the house named 3121 Antelo Rd. in Los Angeles. The album title appears on the back of Prince’s jacket on the cover. It was a major commercial success and helped re-establish Prince in the mainstream.

TRACK LISTING (2006 Original CD)

1. 3121 — 4:31

2. Lolita — 4:06

3. Te Amo Corazón — 3:36

4. Black Sweat — 3:11

5. Incense And Candles — 4:05

6. Love — 5:46

7. Satisfied — 2:50

8. Fury — 4:02

9. The Word — 4:12

10. Beautiful, Loved And Blessed — 5:44

11. The Dance — 5:21

12. Get On The Boat — 6:19

Total Length: 53:42

THE “PURPLE TICKET” / “GOLDEN TICKET” EDITION

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.

SINGLES RELEASED

• Te Amo Corazón

• Black Sweat

• Fury (Europe only)

PERSONNEL Musicians Prince — all vocals and instruments (except where noted)

ADDITIONAL MUSICIANS AND BACKGROUND

• Támar — additional & co-lead vocals

• Candy Dulfer — saxophone

• Maceo Parker, Greg Boyer — horns

• John Blackwell, Cora Coleman-Dunham — drums

• Joshua Dunham — bass

• Sheila E. — percussion

• Renato Neto — Fender Rhodes

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Production

• Prince — producer, arranger, engineer

• Ian Boxill, L. Stu Young — engineers

• Mastering at Bernie Grundman Mastering

• Afshin Shahidi — photography

• Sam Jennings — design

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PACKAGING HIGHLIGHTS

• Iconic cover with Prince in silhouette against an orange background, large “3121” on his jacket (as shown)

• Initial releases included a Purple Ticket sweepstakes postcard

• Digipak with booklet

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CHARTS

• America

• USA: Billboard 200 | 8 Apr. 2006 | 1 | 16 weeks

• USA: Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums | 8 Apr. 2006 | 1 | 24 weeks

• Europe (selected)

• UK: UK Albums Chart | 1 Apr. 2006 | 9 | 4 weeks

• Germany: Top 100 Album-Chart | 7 Apr. 2006 | 4 | 11 weeks

Certifications

• RIAA (USA): Platinum – 25 Jun. 2004 (1 million)

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.

SOURCES Album liner notes, official discography, The Vault.