💿 Musicology – CD Album: Apr. 2004

Musicology marked Prince’s return to major‑label distribution and his re‑emergence into the mainstream after several years of independent and online‑only releases. Following its initial rollout as a download and as a CD given to every attendee of the Musicology Live 2004ever tour, the retail edition arrived with full packaging and a CD‑ROM component featuring the “Musicology” video. Timed to coincide with Prince’s induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the album became one of the most visible and successful releases of his 2000s output. Released commercially on 20 April 2004,

🟣 The Story

Musicology was released during a pivotal moment in Prince’s career, bridging his independent NPG Music Club era with a renewed presence in mass media. The album’s rollout was unconventional: a download release, a tour‑giveaway CD, and later a fully packaged retail edition. Every concertgoer received a copy, a practice that later prompted Billboard to change its chart rules.

Sessions for the album span multiple years and studios, with some tracks dating back to 1997 and 1999, while others were recorded in 2002–2003. Despite touring with a cohesive band, most tracks are largely solo recordings, with select contributions from long‑time collaborators including John Blackwell, Candy Dulfer, Maceo Parker, and Clare Fischer.

The album produced three singles — “Musicology,” “Cinnamon Girl,” and “Call My Name” (promo only) — and achieved major chart success worldwide, boosted by Prince’s Hall of Fame induction and renewed media visibility.

🟣 Format: CD Album

Label: NPG Records –

Catalogue Number:

K 92560-51, Columbia – CK 92560

Released:

April 20, 2004

Edition Type:

CD, Album, Enhanced, Digipak

Disc Count:

1

🟣 Track List — CD 1

Musicology — 4:24

Illusion, Coma, Pimp & Circumstance — 4:46

A Million Days — 3:50

Life ‘O’ The Party — 4:30

Call My Name — 5:16

Cinnamon Girl — 3:57

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 — 3:34

Dear Mr. Man — 4:15

Reflection — 3:05

Musicology (Video) — 4:57

🟣 Writing Credits

• Prince — all tracks

🟣 Production Credits

• Produced by: Prince

• Additional Production:

• Remastering:

• Archival Restoration:

Engineering:

• Jess Sutcliffe — engineer (uncredited)

• L. Stu Young — engineer

• Joseph Lepinski — assistant engineer

Mastering:

• Bernie Grundman Mastering

• The Hit Factory

Photography:

• Afshin Shahidi

• Armour Photography

Design:

• Sam Jennings

• Jeremy Gavin

🟣 Key Highlights

• Retail CD released 20 April 2004 with full packaging

• Included CD‑ROM “Musicology” video

• First major‑label Prince album since 1999

• Tour‑giveaway CD triggered Billboard chart rule changes

• Worldwide chart success across US, Europe, and Pacific regions

🟣 Personnel

• Prince — all vocals and instruments

• Candy Dulfer — vocals, saxophone, horns

• Chance Howard — vocals

• Stokley — vocals

• Kip Blackshire — vocals

• Clare Fischer — string samples

• Rhonda Smith — vocals, bass

• John Blackwell — drums

• Maceo Parker — horns

• Greg Boyer — horns

• Ornella Bonaccorsi — spoken word

• Sheila E. — shaker

• Renato Neto — Fender Rhodes

🟣 Variants

• CD Album — Cardsleeve

NPG Records – none — US — 2004

• CD Album — Enhanced, Digipak

NPG Records – K 92560‑51, Columbia – CK 92560 — US — 2004

• CD Album — Promo, Card Sleeve

NPG Records – none — US — 2004

• CD Album — Enhanced, Longbox

NPG Records – CK 92560 — US — 2004

• U‑matic, Single, NTSC

NPG Records – W.O.#474272 — US — 2004

• CD Album — Reissue, Remastered, Digipack

The Prince Estate – 19075910012S1

NPG Records – 19075910012

Legacy – 19075910012 — US — 2019

• 2×LP — Limited Edition, Reissue, Purple

NPG Records – 19075910521

Legacy – 19075910521

The Prince Estate – 19075910521S1 — US — 2019

• 2×LP — Limited Edition, Reissue, Purple

NPG Records – 19075910521

Legacy – 19075910521

The Prince Estate – 19075910521S1 — US — 2022

(Packaging differences: cardsleeve promo, enhanced digipak, longbox edition, 2019/2022 purple vinyl reissues.)

🟣 Chart Performance

USA — Billboard 200

Peak Position: 3

Total Weeks: 26

USA — Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums

Peak Position: 3

Total Weeks: 38

Europe (selected):

Austria — #4 (12 weeks)

Belgium Flanders — #6 (24 weeks)

France — #7 (22 weeks)

Germany — #4 (12 weeks)

Netherlands — #3 (37 weeks)

UK — #3 (6 weeks)

Pacific:

Australia — #19 (5 weeks)

New Zealand — #25 (4 weeks)

Certifications:

USA — 2× Platinum

Canada — Gold

UK — Gold

Awards:

NAACP Image Award — Outstanding Album

Minnesota Music Awards — Best R&B Recording / Best National Recording

Juno Awards — Recording Engineer of the Year (L. Stu Young)

🟣 Context & Notes

• Album era: Musicology

• Production: Prince

• Sleeve notes: Sam Jennings / Jeremy Gavin

• Historical placement: Prince’s return to mainstream visibility

• Reissues: 2019 Sony Legacy reissue

• Archival notes: Early tracks date back to 1997–1999

🟣 Related Material

• Previous album: N.E.W.S. — 2003

• Next album: 3121 — 2006

• Associated singles: “Musicology,” “Cinnamon Girl,” “Call My Name”

• Associated tour: Musicology Live 2004ever

• Connected projects: Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction

🟣 Singles

• Musicology — 2004

b/w On The Couch

• Cinnamon Girl — 2004

b/w Dear Mr. Man (Live at Webster Hall) / United States Of Division

• Call My Name — 2004

(Promo‑only release — no physical B‑side)

🟣 Mini‑Timeline

✦ 1997 — “A Million Days” recorded

✦ 1999 — “If Eye Was The Man In Ur Life” recorded

✦ 2003 — Additional sessions at Metalworks Studios

✦ 20 Apr. 2004 — Retail CD released

✦ 2019 — Sony Legacy reissue

🟣 Glam Flashback

A royal return to the spotlight — Prince reclaiming the airwaves with funk, finesse, and full‑scale celebration.

#ReleaseChronicle #Prince #Musicology #2004 #NPGRecords #ColumbiaRecords

🟣 Sources

Primary reference sources: NPG Records, Prince Vault, Columbia Records, The Prince Estate, Discogs, Official Charts Company, Billboard, national chart archives, and archival documentation.

🟣 Copyright Notice

All magazine scans, photographs, album artwork, label designs, and original text excerpts referenced in this entry remain the property of their respective copyright holders. This Chronicle 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.