Planet Earth (Prince album)

Planet Earth is the thirty-second studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on July 15, 2007 by NPG Records and distributed by Columbia Records in the UK as a free covermount with The Mail on Sunday national newspaper. This was followed by the album's worldwide distribution. It features contributions from his newest protegée Bria Valente and former New Power Generation members Marva King, Sonny T, and Michael Bland, as well as Sheila E. and former Revolution members Wendy & Lisa.^[1] The album debuted at number 3 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 96,000 in its first week.

Release and promotion

On June 27, 2007, "Future Baby Mama" was leaked to the Internet via an American online radio station. The first single, "Guitar", was distributed in partnership with Verizon Wireless.^[2] During the week of September 3, 2007, Prince flew to Prague, and then Spain to film a music video for "Somewhere Here on Earth". The clip was released but it has only been played on the TV channel BET.

Initially, Prince came to an agreement with Columbia Records to distribute the record worldwide. Prince and Columbia had previously teamed up for the release of his Musicology album in 2004.^[3] However, Prince's management struck a deal with The Mail on Sunday to release Planet Earth as a free covermount CD with the July 15, 2007 edition of the paper. This move brought much criticism from UK record stores which resulted in Columbia refusing to distribute the album in the UK, though its release in the rest of the world remained unaffected.^[4]

Giving away albums for free was not new for Prince. In 2004, he gave free copies of Musicology to all concert goers during the tour of the same name.^[5] Similarly, the Planet Earth album was given away with tickets to his 2007 concerts in London. As a result of the decision by Sony BMG to not distribute the album in the UK, record store chain HMV announced it would stock the 15 July 2007 edition of The Mail on Sunday in lieu of the CD, admitting that "selling the Mail on Sunday next week will be the only way to make the Prince album available to our customers, which, ultimately, has to be our overriding concern".^[6] On July 10, 2007, several days before the official UK release through The Mail on Sunday, a low quality version (recorded from a stream) of Planet Earth was leaked onto the Internet.^[7] Prince forwent $4.6 million in licensing fees, but the promotion paid off with his subsequent sold out 21 show concert run at London's O2 Arena, earning him a gross of $23.4 million, and thus a $18.8 million profit.^[8]

Singles

"Chelsea Rodgers" is the second single from Planet Earth, and was released worldwide on August 6, 2007. The B-side is album track "Mr. Goodnight". A video was made using footage of the band's performance at London Fashion Week. It premièred on October 28, 2007.

"Somewhere Here on Earth" is the third single from the album. On the week of 3 September 2007, Prince flew to Prague, and then Spain to film a music video for the song.^[9] The full music video premiered on the BET Channel on February 12, 2008.

Reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	(65/100)^[10]
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[11]
The A.V. Club	B^[12]
Entertainment Weekly	B+^[13]
Los Angeles Times	^[14]
NME	6/10^[15]
Pitchfork Media	4.8/10^[16]
Rolling Stone	^[17]
Slant Magazine	^[18]
Spin	^[19]
The Village Voice	mixed^[20]

The album debuted on the US Billboard 200 at number three with 96,000 units sold in its first week. This is less than half of both Musicology and 3121.^[21] As of April 2015, the album has sold about 278,000 copies in America, with almost no promotion, with the exception of the Verizon Wireless ad for "Guitar". Although not released as a single, "Future Baby Mama" gathered radio airplay on American R&B radio and charted within the top 40 of Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. The song receives his last Grammy Award for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance at the 2008 Grammy Awards.

Planet Earth received generally positive reviews from most music critics, based on an aggregate score of 65/100 from Metacritic.^[10] In his consumer guide for MSN Music, Robert Christgau gave the album a three-star honorable mention (),^[22] indicating "an enjoyable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well treasure."^[23] He cited "Guitar" and "The One U Wanna C" as highlights and quipped, "Viva Las Vegas and later for Viagra -- but not never".^[24]

Track listing

All songs written and produced by Prince.

"Planet Earth" – 5:51
"Guitar" – 3:45
"Somewhere Here on Earth" – 5:45
"The One U Wanna C" – 4:29
"Future Baby Mama" – 4:47
"Mr. Goodnight" – 4:26
"All the Midnights in the World" – 2:21
"Chelsea Rodgers" (featuring Shelby J)– 5:41
"Lion of Judah" – 4:10
"Resolution" – 3:40

Charts

Chart (2007)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)^[25]	38
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[26]	11
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)^[27]	5
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)^[28]	20
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)^[29]	5
Dutch Albums (MegaCharts)^[30]	3
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)^[31]	14
French Albums (SNEP)^[32]	16
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)^[33]	7
Italian Albums (FIMI)^[34]	16
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)^[35]	9
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)^[36]	15
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)^[37]	35
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[38]	1
US Billboard 200^[39]	3

Release history

Country	Date
United Kingdom	July 15, 2007
Germany	July 20, 2007
United States	July 24, 2007

References

↑ "Columbia Snaps Up Prince's 'Planet Earth'". Billboard.com. June 12, 2007.
↑ "Prince Links With Verizon For New Single". Billboard.com. May 31, 2007.
↑ "Prince Reunites With Wendy & Lisa!". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on July 14, 2007.
↑ "Prince Album Drama". Yahoo! Music. June 28, 2007. Retrieved June 28, 2007.
↑ "Prince Free Album Causes BMG U.K. to Pull Distribution". singersroom.com. June 30, 2007. Archived from the original on July 2, 2007.
↑ Brook, Stephen (July 9, 2007). "HMV defends about-face over Prince giveaway". The Guardian. London. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
↑ "Planet Earth". Prince Vault. June 22, 2011. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
↑ O'Reilly, Terry (20 April 2013). "Loss Leaders: How Companies Profit By Losing Money". CBC Radio: Under the Influence. Retrieved 20 April 2013.
↑ "Expo40p14-15Prince" (PDF). fuji.co.uk. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 21, 2008.
1 2 "Planet Earth Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More at Metacritic". Metacritic. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
↑ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Prince: Planet Earth > Review" at AllMusic. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
↑ Hyden, Steven (July 31, 2007). "Prince: Planet Earth". The A.V. Club. Chicago: The Onion. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
↑ Willman, Chris (July 23, 2007). "Planet Earth (2007): Prince". Entertainment Weekly. Time (#945). ISSN 1049-0434. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
↑ Powers, Ann (July 24, 2007). "It's worth a visit to Prince's 'Planet'". Los Angeles Times. Tribune Company. ISSN 0458-3035. OCLC 3638237. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
↑ Martin, Dan (August 6, 2007). "Prince: Planet Earth". NME. IPC Media. ISSN 0028-6362. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
↑ Wolk, Douglas (July 23, 2007). "Prince: Planet Earth". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
↑ Sheffield, Rob (August 1, 2007). "Planet Earth". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. ISSN 0035-791X. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
↑ Henderson, Eric (July 24, 2007). "Prince: Planet Earth". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
↑ Light, Alan (September 2007). "The Ruler's Back". Spin: 121. ISSN 0886-3032. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
↑ Lewis, Miles Marshall (July 17, 2007). "Purple Drizzle". The Village Voice. New York. ISSN 0042-6180. Retrieved November 29, 2009.
↑ Hasty, Katy (August 1, 2007). "'NOW 25' Fends Off 'Hairspray,' Prince To Remain No. 1". Billboard. Prometheus Global Media. ISSN 0006-2510. Retrieved August 1, 2007.
↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG: Prince". RobertChristgau.com. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
↑ Christgau, Robert. "CG 90s: Key to Icons". Robert Christgau. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
↑ Christgau, Robert (October 2007). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
↑ "Australiancharts.com – Prince – Planet Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Austriancharts.at – Prince – Planet Earth" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Ultratop.be – Prince – Planet Earth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Ultratop.be – Prince – Planet Earth" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Danishcharts.com – Prince – Planet Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Prince – Planet Earth" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Prince: Planet Earth" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Lescharts.com – Prince – Planet Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Prince – Planet Earth" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Italiancharts.com – Prince – Planet Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Norwegiancharts.com – Prince – Planet Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Spanishcharts.com – Prince – Planet Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Prince – Planet Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Swisscharts.com – Prince – Planet Earth". Hung Medien. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
↑ "Prince – Chart history" Billboard 200 for Prince. Retrieved May 2, 2016.

External links

Planet Earth at Discogs
Planet Earth at Metacritic
The Once and Future Prince — By Jon Pareles
Album Review — By Vibe
Album Review at About.com
Purple Drizzle (Album review) from The Village Voice
Album Review at The Washington Post

Prince

Discography Albums Singles Videography Unreleased projects Awards and nominations Associates

Concert tours	Prince Tour Dirty Mind Tour Controversy Tour 1999 Tour Purple Rain Tour Parade Tour Sign o' the Times Tour Lovesexy Tour Nude Tour Diamonds and Pearls Tour Act I and II Interactive Tour The Ultimate Live Experience Love 4 One Another Charities Tour Jam of the Year Tour New Power Soul Tour Hit n Run Tour A Celebration One Nite Alone... Tour World Tour 2003 Musicology Live 2004ever Per4ming Live 3121 21 Nights in London: The Earth Tour 20Ten Tour Welcome 2 Live Out Loud Tour Hit and Run Tour Piano & A Microphone Tour

Filmography	Purple Rain Under the Cherry Moon Sign o' the Times Graffiti Bridge

Videography	Prince and the Revolution: Live Diamonds and Pearls Video Collection The Hits Collection 3 Chains o' Gold Rave Un2 the Year 2000 Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas

Video games	Prince Interactive

Stage productions	Glam Slam Ulysses Billboards

Associated companies	Paisley Park Records NPG Records

Related articles	The Revolution The New Power Generation 3rdeyegirl The Time Vanity 6 Apollonia 6 The Family Madhouse Mazarati John L. Nelson Mayte Garcia Manuela Testolini NPG Music Club Minneapolis sound Purplish Rain

Book:Prince

Prince albums

Studio albums	For You Prince Dirty Mind Controversy 1999 Purple Rain Around the World in a Day Parade Sign o' the Times Lovesexy Batman Graffiti Bridge Diamonds and Pearls Love Symbol Album Come The Black Album The Gold Experience Chaos and Disorder Emancipation Crystal Ball The Truth The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic The Rainbow Children One Nite Alone... Xpectation N.E.W.S Musicology The Chocolate Invasion The Slaughterhouse 3121 Planet Earth Lotusflow3r MPLSound 20Ten Plectrumelectrum Art Official Age Hit n Run Phase One Hit n Run Phase Two

Live albums	One Nite Alone... Live! One Nite Alone... The Aftershow: It Ain't Over! C-Note Indigo Nights

Remix albums	Rave In2 the Joy Fantastic

Compilation albums	The Hits 1 The Hits 2 The Hits/The B-Sides Girl 6 The Very Best of Prince Ultimate Prince 4Ever

The NPG albums	Goldnigga Exodus Newpower Soul

The NPG Orchestra albums	Kamasutra

Madhouse albums	8 16

Prince singles

1970s	"Soft and Wet" "Just as Long as We're Together" "I Wanna Be Your Lover"

1980s	"Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" "Still Waiting" "Sexy Dancer" "Bambi" "Uptown" "Dirty Mind" "Do It All Night" "Controversy" "Let's Work" "Do Me, Baby" "Sexuality" "1999" "Little Red Corvette" "D.M.S.R." "Delirious" "Automatic" "Let's Pretend We're Married" "When Doves Cry" "Let's Go Crazy" "Purple Rain" "I Would Die 4 U" "Take Me with U" "Paisley Park" "Raspberry Beret" "Pop Life" "America" "Kiss" "Mountains" "Anotherloverholenyohead" "Girls & Boys" "Sign "O" the Times" "If I Was Your Girlfriend" "U Got the Look" "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man" "Alphabet St." "Glam Slam" "I Wish U Heaven" "Batdance" "Partyman" "The Arms of Orion" "Scandalous!"

1990s	"The Future" "Thieves in the Temple" "New Power Generation" "Gett Off" "Cream" "Diamonds and Pearls" "Money Don't Matter 2 Night" "Insatiable" "Thunder" "Sexy MF" "My Name Is Prince" "7" "Damn U" "The Morning Papers" "Pink Cashmere" "Nothing Compares 2 U" "Peach" "Pope" (remix) "Come" "Letitgo" "Space" "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" "P Control" "Dolphin" "Endorphinmachine" "I Hate U" "Gold" "Dinner with Delores" "Betcha by Golly Wow!" "The Holy River" "Somebody's Somebody" "Face Down" "The Truth" "Extraordinary" "The Greatest Romance Ever Sold"

2000s	"U Make My Sun Shine" (with Angie Stone) "When Will We Be Paid?" (with Audio Stepchild) "Supercute" "The Work, pt. 1" "Days of Wild" "Musicology" "Cinnamon Girl" "Controversy (Live in Hawaii)" "S.S.T." "Te Amo Corazón" "Black Sweat" "Fury" "Guitar" "F.U.N.K." "Dance 4 Me"

2010s	"Extraloveable" "Rock and Roll Love Affair" "Screwdriver" "Fixurlifeup" "Breakfast Can Wait" "Pretzelbodylogic" "Fallinlove2nite" "Breakdown" "Clouds" "Baltimore" "Hardrocklover" "This Could B Us" "Free Urself"

Promotional singles	"When You Were Mine" "D.M.S.R." "Another Lonely Christmas" "Erotic City" "Hot Thing" "Trust" "Willing and Able" "Nothing Compares 2 U" "Pope" "Love Sign" (with Nona Gaye) "Come" "P. Control" "Dolphin" "Endorphinmachine" "Slave" "Somebody's Somebody" "Face Down" "The Rest of My Life" "5 Women" "It's About That Walk" "Baby Knows" "Man'O'War" "She Loves Me 4 Me" "Last December" "One Nite Alone... Live EP" "Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas" "Call My Name" "The Song of the Heart" "Beautiful, Loved & Blessed" (with Tamar Davis) "Chelsea Rodgers" "Future Baby Mama" "The One U Wanna C" "U're Gonna C Me"

Airplay-only songs	"International Lover" "Shhh" "Satisfied" "Better with Time"

Internet downloads	"One Song" "Cybersingle" "Bataclan" "Glass Cutter" "Live from Paisley Park" "Strange Relationship" (Live in Minneapolis) "Guitar" (original "demo" version) "Love" (acoustic version) "Rock and Roll Love Affair" (Remix 7) "Screwdriver" (Remix) "Boyfriend" (Demo) "That Girl Thang" "Live Out Loud" "Ain't Gonna Miss U When U're Gone" "Extraloveable Reloaded" "Menstrual Cycle" "Octopus Heart" "Groovy Potential" "The Sweeter She Is" "Something in the Water" (Paisley Park Rehearsal) "Da Bourgeoisie" "What If" "The X's Face"

Streams	"U're Still the One" "Xylophone" "In a Large Room with No Light" "Purple and Gold" "Cause and Effect" "Hot Summer" "Rich Friends" "Same Page Different Book" "Stare"

EP's	The Scandalous Sex Suite EP New Power Generation Remixes Gett Off Remix EP Cream Remixes My Name Is Prince Remixes 7 Remixes The Beautiful Experience Letitgo Remixes Space Remixes I Hate U Remixes 1999: The New Master The Greatest Romance Ever Sold Remixes Breakfast Can Wait

Other songs	"I Feel for You" "When You Were Mine" "Head" "Private Joy" "How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore?" "17 Days" "The Beautiful Ones" "Computer Blue" "Darling Nikki" "Baby I'm a Star" "4 the Tears in Your Eyes" "Sometimes It Snows in April" "Adore" "Don't Talk 2 Strangers" "I Can't Make U Love Me" "La, La, La Means I Love U" "One of Us" "Everyday Is a Winding Road" "A Case of U"

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