Prince: Cinnamon Girl Single (2004)

A Post-9/11 Funk Protest

The single was released in multiple formats. On September 28 (US) November 8, 2004, UK and European CD single came out featuring four tracks: "Cinnamon Girl" (Album version), "Dear Mr. Man" (live at Webster Hall), "United States of Division" (previously only available as a download), and an MPEG video of the "Dear Mr. Man" performance. Two weeks later, a similar single was released, excluding the video. In November of that year, Prince's NPG Music Club online store offered an Enhanced CD that included the audio track, its music video, the lyrics, and a five-minute segment of interviews and behind-the-scenes footage.

Overview

Released as the second single from the album Musicology. The A-side’s anti-war message and Prince’s falsetto peaked at No. 43 on the UK Gallup Singles Chart for.

Available in enhanced CD, promo CD, CD-R, 12-inch promo vinyl, and VHS formats, it’s a bold statement from Prince’s comeback era.

Reception

Upon its release, the music video faced criticism from some sources, while others offered praise. The New York Post suggested it "might be the most tasteless video ever," and political commentator John Gibson accused Prince of "causing trouble" during a Fox appearance. Conservative commentator Michelle Malkin described the video on her blog as "a washed-up pop star's crass exploitation of post-9/11 race-card-playing by Arab-American apologists for terror." The president of the Jewish Community Relations Council of Minnesota commended the video's "anti-harassment message" but criticized the bombing scene, labeling it "misguided and offensive" and stating, "Her frustration is understandable. The violence is not."

Conversely, Rolling Stone music editor Joe Levy contended that the video's context was significant, as the song acknowledges the hate Arab Americans faced after 9/11. Rana Abbas, deputy director of the American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee's Midwest chapter, described the video as "shocking, but in a good way," commending Prince as "the first major recording artist to address the prejudice and issues" Arab Americans encountered post-9/11. Prince chose not to comment publicly on the video, with his publicist informing CBS News that "he prefers that people make up their own mind." Nonetheless, Harder defended the video, highlighting to CBS News that it concludes without violence, and telling Billboard that "Kids are seeing real death and war on television. Kids are smarter than people think and know what’s going on in the world... The main motivation is to get people to talk about it." In August 2005, Jake Coyle, writing for the Associated Press, asserted that the video "should win" the award for Best R&B Video at that year's VMAs, describing it as "the only genuinely thought-provoking video" of the past year.

Single Overview

1: “Cinnamon Girl” (3:56, Prince)

Written and produced by Prince. A funky protest song with Middle Eastern influences and lyrics about a girl caught in post-9/11 prejudice.

2: “Dear Mr. Man (Live at Webster Hall)” (4:14, Prince)

Live recording from Webster Hall, New York.

3: “United States Of Division” (6:18, Prince)

4: Bonus studio track.

Video: “Dear Mr. Man (Live at Webster Hall)” (4:14)

Enhanced CD video track.

Release Details:

Label: Columbia Records (UK & Europe).

Notes: ℗ & © 2004 Columbia Records. Artwork and track listing differ between North American and European versions.

UK/Europe Variants:

CD, Single, Enhanced (COL 675142 2):

Cinnamon Girl (3:56)

Dear Mr. Man (Live At Webster Hall) (4:14)

United States Of Division (6:18)

Video: Dear Mr. Man (Live At Webster Hall) (4:14)

CD, Single, Promo (SAMPCS 14203 1): Cinnamon Girl (Album Version) (3:56)

CD-R, Promo (none): Cinnamon Girl (3:56) (UK 1-track promo CD-R in clear PVC sleeve with white title insert card. Not for production.)

Vinyl, 12", Promo (XPR 3781): with a 3-sheet info pack (see1st page).

A. Cinnamon Girl (Album Version) (3:56)

B. Musicology (Album Version) (4:26)

VHS, Promo (none): (Betacam-SP, Advance, PAL, dated 3 Nov 2004.)

Cinnamon Girl (4:04)

Have you snagged this Prince protest single in your collection? Does “Cinnamon Girl” spice your playlist? 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 YouTubeh