Art Official Age Album UK: 2014

A Personal Digital Dreamscape

Prince’s Art Official Age was released on Vinyl and Compact Disc in Germany and much of Europe, on September 26, 2014, on September 29 2014 (UK)

and September 30, 2014 (USA) on Warner Bros./NPG Records

Co-produced/arranged/composed/performed by Prince and Joshua Welton (@JOSHUAWORLD) with 3RDEYEGIRL, this 13-track electro-funk/R&B journey—recorded/mixed at Paisley Park Studios—featured Lianne La Havas, Andy Allo, with Maya Washington’s art direction/photography, it peaked at No. 8 on the UK Albums Chart for 3 weeks and No. 5 on the Billboard 200 for 8 weeks. Issued in gatefold sleeve, on both formats.

Album Overview

Release Details:

Label: Warner Bros./NPG Records (Europe).

Formats: 2 x Vinyl LP, CD; digital.

℗ & ©: 2014 NPG Records, Inc. under license to Warner Bros. Recorded/Mixed at Paisley Park Studios. Strings arranged by Adi Yeshaya, produced by Michael B. Nelson.

Notes: Published by NPG Music Publishing.

European Release Formats and Track Listings

2 x Vinyl LP (Catalogue: 9362-49332-7):

Side A:

Art Official Cage (3:42)

Clouds (4:34)

Breakdown (4:04)

Side B:

The Gold Standard (5:53)

U Know (3:57)

Breakfast Can Wait (3:55)

Side C:

This Could Be Us (5:12)

What It Feels Like (3:54)

Affirmation I & II (0:40)

Way Back Home (3:05)

Side D:

Funknroll (4:08)

Time (6:50)

Affirmation III (3:28)

Packaging: Gatefold sleeve.

CD, Album (Catalogue: 9362-49333-0 / 9362493330):

Art Official Cage (3:42)

Clouds (4:34)

Breakdown (4:04)

The Gold Standard (5:53)

U Know (3:57)

Breakfast Can Wait (3:55)

This Could Be Us (5:12)

What It Feels Like (3:54)

Affirmation I & II (0:40)

Way Back Home (3:05)

Funknroll (4:08)

Time (6:50)

Affirmation III (3:28)

Packaging: Gatefold sleeve.

Europe (Warner Bros./NPG 9362-49332-7): Released September 26, 2014. Double vinyl, CD.

Production and Context

Co-Produced/Arranged/Composed/Performed by Prince/@JOSHUAWORLD with 3RDEYEGIRL. Recorded/Mixed by Prince, Joshua Welton, Chris James. Musicians: Prince (vocals/instruments), Joshua Welton (instruments), Ida Nielsen (Danish vocals/ bass on Funknroll), Lianne La Havas (vocals as Charlotte Ann Telepathy), Andy Allo (vocals), STRINGenius (strings), horn players (Gold Standard).

Art Official Age was Prince’s digital-era return, paired with Plectrumelectrum.

Personnel:

Musicians

Prince - all vocals and instruments, except where noted (assumed)

Joshua Welton - unidentified instruments

Ida Nielsen - Danish vocals on Art Official Cage

The Golden Hippie - background vocals on Art Official Cage

Stringenius - strings on Art Official Cage, Breakdown, The Gold Standard and Affirmation III

Lianne La Havas - vocals (as "Charlotte Anne Telepathy") on Clouds, Affirmation I & II, Way Back Home and Affirmation III

Andy Allo - background vocals on Breakdown, co-lead vocals on What It Feels Like and Time

Lynn Grissett - trumpet on The Gold Standard

Adrian Crutchfield - saxophone on The Gold Standard

Marcus Anderson - saxophone on The Gold Standard

Other unidentified hornplayers on The Gold Standard

Mila J - looped vocals (sampled from Blinded) on U Know

Other recording personnel from Blinded not known on U Know

Delilah - background vocals (as "Paloma Ayana") on Way Back Home and Affirmation III

Hannah Ford - drums on Funknroll

Ida Nielsen - bass guitar on Funknroll

Donna Grantis - guitar on Funknroll

H.C. I II III - unknown contributions

Production:

Prince - co-producer, co-arranger, mixer

Joshua Welton - co-producer, co-arranger, mixer

Chris James - mixer

Adi Yeshaya - string arrangements

Michael B. Nelson - string production

Maya Washington - art direction and photography

Singles Released and Chart Performance

Art Official Age spawned five singles:

Breakfast Can Wait (February 4, 2013).

The Breakdown (April 18, 2014).

Clouds (August 24, 2014).

U Know (September 18, 2014, MP3).

FunknRoll (September 18, 2014, MP3).

Album Chart Performance

Art Official Age charted internationally:

USA (Billboard 200): 5 (8 weeks)

USA (Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums): 1 (20 weeks)

USA (R&B Albums): 1 (25 weeks)

USA (R&B/Hip Hop Album Sales): 1 (20 weeks)

USA (Top Album Sales): 5 (6 weeks)

USA (Tastemaker Albums): 2 (4 weeks)

USA (Digital Albums): 3 (1 week)

USA (Vinyl Albums): 21 (1 week)

USA (Billboard 200 re-entry): 81 (2 weeks, May 14, 2016)

Canada (Billboard Canadian Albums): 21 (1 week)

UK: 8 (3 weeks)

Australia (ARIA Top 50 Albums): 15 (2 weeks)

Austria (Alben Top 75): 8 (3 weeks)

Belgium (Ultratop Flanders): 8 (17 weeks)

Belgium (Ultratop Wallonia): 18 (9 weeks)

Czech Republic (IFPI Top 100): 44 (5 weeks)

Denmark (Hitlist Album Top 40): 3 (3 weeks)

Finland (Top 50 Albums): 20 (2 weeks)

France (SNEP Top Album): 6 (5 weeks)

France (SNEP Top Album Physiques): 7 (5 weeks)

France (SNEP Top Album Téléchargés): 2 (3 weeks)

Germany (Top 100 Album-Chart): 18 (4 weeks)

Greece (IFPI Top-75): 26 (3 weeks)

Hungary (MAHASZ Top 40): 3 (5 weeks)

Ireland (IRMA Top 100): 8 (3 weeks)

Italy (FIMI/GfK): 9 (4 weeks)

Netherlands (Album Top 100): 4 (4 weeks)

New Zealand (Top 50 Albums): 17 (1 week)

Norway (VG-Lista Topp 40): 2 (3 weeks)

Poland (Oficjalna Lista Sprzedazy): 36 (1 week)

Portugal (AFP Top 30): 17 (1 week)

Spain (ProMusicae Top 100): 16 (4 weeks)

Sweden (GLF Top 60): 9 (1 week)

Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade): 4 (5 weeks)

Japan (Billboard Japan Top Album): 16 (4 weeks)

Japan (ORICON CD Albums): 6 (4 weeks)

Japan (ORICON World Albums): 1 (8 weeks)

Korea (GAON Domestic Albums): 61 (1 week)

Korea (GAON International Albums): 11 (2 weeks)

Legacy and Collectibility

Art Official Age is Prince’s digital-funk return, with Clouds and Breakdown fan favorites.

Streams on Spotify via reissues preserve the analog soul.

This LP is a must-have for Prince fans and 2010s R&B collectors.

Do you have Art Official Age in your vinyl stack? Which affirmation affirms you? Share in the comments!

Sources

Information is drawn from my personal knowledge and supplemented by web sources, including Prince Vault, Discogs, 45cat, AllMusic, Rate Your Music, Wikipedia, BBC Official Charts Company, Billboard Chart History and YouTube