Studio Album · No. 27
MPLSoUND Songwriting Credits by Prince
Produced by Prince · Engineered by Richard Furch
Holds writing credit on 9 of 9 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 9 / 9 documented
Scored across the 9 tracks with documented writers, by whether Prince carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 9 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
MPLSoUND is the electronic funk disc of Prince's 2009 Target-exclusive three-disc release, sitting alongside the guitar-rock Lotusflow3r and Bria Valente's Elixer. Prince played nearly every instrument himself, a return to the one-man-band approach of his earliest records, with engineer Richard Furch recording and mixing. Rapper Q-Tip is the lone guest, contributing vocals to 'Chocolate Box.' The synth-driven, new-wave-tinged sound contrasts sharply with the live guitar rock of its companion disc.
Released March 24, 2009, as the companion piece to Lotusflow3r in a triple-album box set sold exclusively at Target stores, MPLSound was the funkier complement to the rock-oriented Lotusflow3r disc, both produced by Prince with Richard Furch handling recording and mixing. Prince wrote all tracks, recording primarily at Paisley Park Studios between 2004 and 2009, and the album blends funk, R&B, electronica, and hip-hop with a more club-oriented sensibility than its psychedelic rock counterpart. The disc features the promotional single 'Chocolate Box,' one of the strongest commercial moments of the overall box set release, alongside collaborations with dancers and vocalists from Prince's extended Paisley Park circle. Critics scored MPLSound at 62/100 on Metacritic, finding it a solid if inconsistent showcase of Prince's contemporary R&B production instincts, with some reviewers rating it the strongest of the three discs for its groove-driven focus. The combined box set debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 with 168,000 first-week copies.