Prince (February 21, 2006) Black Sweat - Single

A stripped‑back electro‑funk blast powering the 3121 era

RELEASE DETAILS Date: February 21, 2006 (digital) / March 27, 2006 (physical) Catalogue: B0006371-11 (12") Format: Digital Single, 12" Single, CD Single Country: United States (worldwide rollout)

A-Side: “Black Sweat” B-Side: “Beautiful, Loved And Blessed” (unique single version)

THE STORY Released digitally on February 21, 2006 and physically in late March, “Black Sweat” was the second single from Prince’s album 3121. A taut, minimalist electro-funk track with sharp beats, falsetto vocals, and skeletal synths, it marked a return to the raw, stripped-back style of Prince’s mid-1980s work. The B-side featured a slightly different version of “Beautiful, Loved And Blessed” (originally intended for Támar’s album). The single was tied to the “Purple Ticket” promotion, where purchases entered fans into a contest to win entry to a private Prince performance.

CONTEXT & NOTES “Black Sweat” became one of the signature songs of the 3121 era, showcasing Prince’s continued mastery of minimalist funk. The digital-first release strategy reflected Prince’s growing embrace of online distribution in the mid-2000s. While modest on US charts, the single performed stronger in parts of Europe.

TRACK LIST

Digital Single

1. Black Sweat – 3:11

12" Single (US) (B0006371-11) A. Black Sweat – 3:11 B. Beautiful, Loved And Blessed – 5:18

CHART PERFORMANCE

 US Billboard Hot 100: Peak No. 60 US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles: Peak No. 82 UK Singles Chart: Peak No. 43 Spain: Peak No. 17 Netherlands: Peak No. 29 Latvia: Peak No. 25

PERSONNEL

• Prince – vocals, all instruments, production

PACKAGING HIGHLIGHTS

• Digital download with Purple Ticket contest entry

• Standard 12" and CD single formats

• No picture sleeve for most editions

RELATED MATERIAL

• 3121 (2006 album)

• Támar – Beautiful, Loved & Blessed project

• Planet Earth (2007 album)

For other relevant posts, see the tags at the foot of the page.

SOURCES Prince Vault • Sleevographia2 • Discogs • Billboard / Official Charts

COPYRIGHT NOTICE All single artwork, photographs, logos, and original text excerpts remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This entry is a transformative, non-commercial archival summary created for historical documentation and educational reference. No ownership of the original material is claimed or implied.

ARTIST — Prince

ARTIST CATEGORY — Prince Singles ARTIST ITEM — Black Sweat (Single) ARTIST ATTACHMENT — Universal Records / NPG Records

ARTIST YEAR — 2006