Album: Art Official Age

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2014: Plectrumelectrum All Prince Albums All Related Artists Albums 2015: Hitnrun Phase One
Art Official Age

Art Official Age album artwork

Album details


Released: 26 September 2014 (Germany and much of Europe)
29 September 2014 (UK)

30 September 2014 (USA)

Length: 53:14
Label(s): NPG Records, Inc. under exclusive license to Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Studio(s): Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA

Charts, Certifications & Awards


Charts
iTunes
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
USA: 25 Aug. 2014 3 43 (days)
Canada: 26 Aug. 2014 20 22 (days)
Brazil: 1 Oct. 2014 18 7 (days)
Australia: 26 Aug. 2014 11 15 (days)
UK: 26 Aug. 2014 3 28 (days)
Germany: 26 Aug. 2014 7 36 (days)
France: 26 Aug. 2014 2 39 (days)
Spain: 26 Aug. 2014 3 25 (days)
Italy: 26 Aug. 2014 3 33 (days)
 
America
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Canada: Billboard Canadian Albums ? Oct. 2014 21 1
USA: The Billboard 200 18 Oct. 2014 5 8
USA: Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums 18 Oct. 2014 1(1) 20
USA: Billboard R&B Albums 18 Oct. 2014 1(1) 25
USA: Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Album Sales 18 Oct. 2014 1(1) 20
USA: Billboard Top Album Sales 18 Oct. 2014 5 6
USA: Billboard Tastemaker Albums 18 Oct. 2014 2 4
USA: Billboard Digital Albums 18 Oct. 2014 3 1
USA: Billboard Vinyl Albums 13 Dec. 2014 21 1
USA: The Billboard 200 14 May 2016 81 R 2
R indicates re-entry of an album that had already charted.
 
Europe
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Austria: Alben Top 75 10 Oct. 2014 8 3
Belgium: Ultratop Flanders 4 Oct. 2014 8 10
Belgium: Ultratop Wallonia 4 Oct. 2014 18 7
Czech Republic: IFPI Hitparáda Albums Top 100 Week 40/2014 44 5
Denmark: IFPI Hitlist Album Top 40 10 Oct. 2014 3 3
Finland: Top 50 Albums Week 40/2014 20 2
France: SNEP Top Album 11 Oct. 2014 6 5
France: SNEP Top Album Physiques 11 Oct. 2014 7 5
France: SNEP Top Album Téléchargés 11 Oct. 2014 2 3
Germany: Offizielle Deutsche Top Albums 10 Oct. 2014 18 4
Greece: IFPI Top-75 Album Sales Week 40/2014 26 3
Hungary: MAHASZ Top 40 Album 10 Oct. 2013 3 5
Ireland: IRMA ChartTrack Top 100 Albums 2 Oct. 2014 8 3
Italy: FIMI/GfK Album Music Charts 5 Oct. 2014 9 4
The Netherlands: Album Top 100 4 Oct. 2014 4 4
Norway: VG-Lista Topp 40 Albums Week 41/2014 2 3
Poland: Oficjalna Lista Sprzedazy 13 Oct. 2014 36 1
Portugal: AFP Portugal Albums Top 30 Week 40/2014 17 1
Spain: ProMusicae Top 100 Albumes 5 Oct. 2014 16 4
Sweden: GLF Top 60 Albums 10 Oct. 2014 9 1
Switzerland: Schweizer Hitparade 5 Oct. 2014 4 5
U.K.: UK Albums Chart 11 Oct. 2014 8 3
 
Asia
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Japan: Billboard Japan Top Album 8 Oct. 2014 16 4
Japan: ORICON CD アルバム Albums 5 Oct. 2014 6 4
Japan: ORICON 洋楽アルバム World Albums 5 Oct. 2014 1(1) 8
Korea: GAON 종합 Domestic Albums Week 43/2014 61 1
Korea: GAON 국외 International Albums Week 43/2014 11 2
 
Pacific
Country: Chart Entry Date Peak Position Weeks in Chart
Australia: ARIA Top 50 Albums 12 Oct. 2014 15 2
New Zealand: Top 50 Albums 6 Oct. 2014 17 1
Certifications
This album has not received any certifications in the USA
Awards
This album has not received any awards in the USA

Singles released


Breakfast Can Wait
b/w None
The Breakdown
b/w None
Clouds (Europe promo only)
b/w None

See also


Plectrumelectrum
(Album)
 
Art Official Age is the 37th full-length studio album by Prince. It was released 4 years after the previous album 20Ten, and on the same day Plectrumelectrum, his 36th full-length studio album (in collaboration with 3rdEyeGirl) was released. Prince worked heavily with Joshua Welton on the album, and Welton received co-producer credit on the album.

The album was made available for pre-order on iTunes USA as well as on a dedicated Warner Bros Records website on 25 August 2014.

A 2 LPs vinyl version was released late November 2014. It had been made available for pre-order by Warner Australia, France (Fnac), UK (Amazon), Germany (Amazon) and the USA in late august.


Sessions and compiling

Most of the songs on Art Official Age were recorded between late 2013 and Summer 2014 at Paisley Park Studios, Chanhassen, MN, USA. Some of the tracks were recorded earlier : Breakdown, What It Feels Like and Time (first recorded between Fall 2011 and early 2012) and Breakfast Can Wait (from late 2012).


Promotion

The album produced two commercially-released single so far: Breakfast Can wait and Breakdown (which preceded the album). Clouds was made available as a promotional single also. The tracks Clouds and U Know were also made available with album pre-orders.

The album reached number 1 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums chart, number 1 on the Billboard R&B albums chart, and 5 on The Billboard 200. It also entered the main charts in Europe, Australia and Japan, reaching top 5 positions in Denmark, France, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and the Netherlands and top 10 positions in Austria, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the United Kingdom.



Track listing
CD LP

The compact disc and digital versions are the original issue.

  1. Art Official Cage (3:41)
  2. Clouds (4:34)
  3. Breakdown (4:04)
  4. The Gold Standard (5:53)
  5. U Know (3:56)
  6. Breakfast Can Wait (3:54)
  7. This Could Be Us (5:11)
  8. What It Feels Like (3:53)
  9. Affirmation I & II (0:40)
  10. Way Back Home (3:05)
  11. Funknroll (4:07)
  12. Time (6:49)
  13. Affirmation III (3:27)

Side A:

A1 Art Official Cage (3:41)
A2 Clouds (4:34)
A3 Breakdown (4:04)

Side B:

B1 The Gold Standard (5:53)
B2 U Know (3:56)
B3 Breakfast Can Wait (3:54)

Side C:

C1 This Could Be Us (5:11)
C2 What It Feels Like (3:53)
C3 Affirmation I & II (0:40)
C4 Way Back Home (3:05)

Side D:

D1 Funknroll (4:07)
D2 Time (6:49)
D3 Affirmation III (3:27)

All songs written by Prince.



Personnel
Musicians


Production


Thanks
  • None



Releases
LP, CD, Cassettes and Other versions
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

USA CD 545612-2 with sticker
► See more  ► See more 
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2
Mexico CD tba
Brazil CD tba
Argentina CD 9362493330 with sticker
EU CD 9362-49333-0 with sticker
EU CD 9362-49333-0 promo with 2 stickers
EU LP x2 9362-49332-7
South Africa CD WBCD 2330
Japan CD WPCR16127 with OBI strip, booklet & sticker
Japan CD WPCR16127 promo with OBI strip, booklet & sticker
Taiwan CD 9362-49333-0 with OBI strip & sticker
Australia CD 9362493330 with sticker
Australia LP tba

Variants, Special Editions and Reissues
Country Format Cat. Number Comments Front Back Label 1 Label 2

USA Digital 24 Bits
USA Digital MP3
USA LP tba

Some of the above images courtesy of Discogs.com

 

 
Additional Information

Promotion (at time of release) Trivia

  • On 25 August 2014, the album release was officially announced on Good Morning America broadcast. For the occasion, all off the Time Square digital billboards had been rented to promote the album, and showed various versions of the artwork.
  • Digital banner space was rented on iTunes to promote the album in France. Double sided promotion posters and pin buttons were distributed to retailers in the USA.
    USA Retail promotion poster   USA Retail promotion pin button   iTunes France digital promotion banner
  • In the London underground digital billboard spaces were rented from September 11 onwards. UK Press adverts were published in Mojo and Q Magazines (November editions).
  • In major cities around the world, a street poster campaign promoted the album from release date onwards.
  • A contest was organized in France by Warner and several media to enable fans to attend the listening party set on 25 September 2014.
  • Pre-order bundles were made available at € 12,99 / £ 9,99 (CD+MP3) and € 9,99 / £ 7,99 (MP3, WAV)
  • When the album was first announced and made available for pre-order, track timings were only available for some tracks: Clouds, Breakdown, U Know, This Could Be Us and Funknroll.

References
  • Preorder(s)
Warner Bros Records; Art Official Age Website; iTunes USA
  • Press:
Prince announces two brand new studio albums (Press Release)
Prince announces details of two studio albums by Harriet Gibsone (The Guardian: 25 August 2014)
Prince Amps Up Funk and Soul on Two New Albums This Fall by Kory Grow (Rolling Stone: 25 August 2014)
Prince Set to Release First Solo Album in Four Years by By Ashley Lee (The Hollywood Reporter) (Billboard: 25 August 2014)
Prince streams two new albums on Spotify – listen by Lisa Wright (NME: 29 September 2014)
  • Releases:
Discogs: Art Official Age master release
2014
Plectrumelectrum
All Albums All Related Artists Albums 2015
Hitnrun Phase One