| 3121 is the 31st full-length studio album by Prince. It was released worldwide in March 2006 (two years after the collections The Chocolate Invasion, The Slaughterhouse and C-Note, and the studio album Musicology).
Eight months after the album's release, Prince launched the Per4ming Live 3121 residency in Las Vegas, NV, USA; the setlist typically included a few tracks from the album, but was not designed to promote the album as such.
The initial release of the album contained a small postcard/flier for the later-aborted album by Támar, then-titled Beautiful, Loved And Blessed.
Recording process
Little is known about the recording sessions for the album. It is likely that initial tracking for most tracks took place between early 2005 and early, at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA or 3121 (Mulholland), West Hollywood, CA, USA. Some percussion overdubs on Te Amo Corazón took place at Insomnio Studios, Panama City, Panama in late June 2005.
An early configuration of the album compiled in late 2005 included two tracks that were removed before release: Streets Of Panama and The Morning After. Streets Of Panama remains unreleased, while The Morning After was included on the download version of the album Lotusflow3r (although not on the CD version of the album). This configuration did not include Fury or Beautiful, Loved And Blessed, indicating that they may have been recorded shortly before the album's release.
The album is the first to feature a band line-up including drummer C.C. Dunham and bass guitarist Joshua Dunham, who would continue to play with Prince until 2010. It also features significant vocal contributions from Támar Davis (credited as Támar), who Prince worked with heavily in 2005 and 2006, including touring with her as her guitarist on the 2006 Támar Tour.
Promotion
The album produced three commercial singles, Te Amo Corazón, Black Sweat (both of which preceded the album) and Fury (released in the UK only).
The initial release of the album included entry into the "Purple Ticket" sweepstakes, to win attendance at a private show at Prince's rented home known as 3121 (Mulholland), West Hollywood, CA, USA, for seven winners in the US (and smaller number worldwide); the show took place on 6 May 2006 (a.m.).
Prince performed on a few TV shows and awards shows performing songs from the album.
The album entered The Billboard 200 at number 1, giving Prince his first number 1 album on that chart since 1989's Batman (and his first not connected to a movie since 1985's Around The World In A Day). 3121 also reached number 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart.
On 26 Jun. 2006, the album was certified Gold by the RIAA, indicating 500,000 copies shipped in the USA.
| 
2004: C-Note ◄
