| Plectrumelectrum | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Prince and3rdeyegirl | ||||
| Released | September 26, 2014 | |||
| Recorded | 2013–2014 | |||
| Studio | Paisley Park,Chanhassen, Minnesota, US | |||
| Genre | Funk rock | |||
| Length | 44:00 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
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| Prince chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Plectrumelectrum | ||||
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Plectrumelectrum is the thirty-sixthstudio album by American recording artistPrince, and the only to feature his backing band3rdeyegirl.[1] It was released on September 26, 2014 byNPG Records under a renewed license toWarner Bros. Records.[2]Plectrumelectrum received generally positive reviews from critics.
Prince released the albumArt Official Age simultaneously.[3]
According to Randall Roberts of theLos Angeles Times,Plectrumelectrum is arock album with lyrics and sound effects characteristic of Prince's "noble weirdness" and "sense of humor".[4] Abigail Covington ofThe A.V. Club said that "it takes a no-nonsense approach tofunk and for the most part plays near the shallow shores of rock 'n' roll's enormous waters."[5]Rolling Stone reviewer Jon Dolan described the record as "a set of exploratoryfunk-rock jams".[6]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [7] |
| The A.V. Club | A−[5] |
| Chicago Tribune | [8] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [9] |
| Entertainment Weekly | B+[10] |
| The Guardian | [11] |
| Los Angeles Times | [4] |
| Q | [12] |
| Pitchfork | 3.8/10[13] |
| Rolling Stone | [6] |
Plectrumelectrum received generally positive reviews frommusic critics. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received anaverage score of 61, based on 18 reviews.[14]Q magazine said that "the sound of [Prince] working with a lean combo is so refreshing, and a welcome first in his mammoth catalogue."[12] Kyle Anderson ofEntertainment Weekly felt its hooks and band dynamic make it a better album thanArt Official Age.[10] Neil McCormick ofThe Daily Telegraph wrote that "the rock format appears to have concentrated him on songwriting basics."[9]
In a less enthusiastic review forThe New York Times,Jon Pareles wrote thatPlectrumelectrum is limited by its "rigorous, deliberately retro back-to-basics mandate" because Prince is better at synthesizing styles together rather than reproducing them.[15]Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote in his review forAllMusic that the album does not try anything new, but called it "a quiet thrill to hear Prince spar with worthy partners, as he does throughout this record."[7]
The album debuted at number eight on theBillboard 200 and sold 26,000 copies in its first week.[16] In its second week of sales, the album dropped down to number 47 on the chart, selling 7,000 copies, bringing total sales to 33,000 copies.[17]
All tracks are written byPrince except "Plectrumelectrum", written by guitaristDonna Grantis, arranged by Prince.[18]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Wow" | 4:28 |
| 2. | "Pretzelbodylogic" | 3:26 |
| 3. | "Aintturninround" | 3:02 |
| 4. | "Plectrumelectrum" (instrumental) | 4:51 |
| 5. | "Whitecaps" | 3:43 |
| 6. | "Fixurlifeup" | 3:12 |
| 7. | "Boytrouble" (featuringLizzo and Sophia Eris) | 3:53 |
| 8. | "Stopthistrain" | 3:41 |
| 9. | "Anotherlove" (adapted from original song byAlice Smith, Rebecca Jordan, and Reginald "Syience" Perry) | 4:16 |
| 10. | "Tictactoe" | 3:38 |
| 11. | "Marz" | 1:48 |
| 12. | "Funknroll" | 4:12 |
| Chart (2014) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA)[19] | 33 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[20] | 11 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[21] | 29 |
| Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[22] | 8 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[23] | 9 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[24] | 13 |
| Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[25] | 6 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[26] | 21 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[27] | 31 |
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[28] | 8 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[29] | 15 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[30] | 8 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[31] | 11 |
| USBillboard 200[32] | 8 |
| USTop Rock Albums (Billboard)[33] | 1 |
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