Studio Album · No. 25
Planet Earth Songwriting Credits by Prince
Produced by Prince
Holds writing credit on 10 of 10 tracks
Authorship Breakdown 10 / 10 documented
Scored across the 10 tracks with documented writers, by whether Prince carries a lyricist or composer credit.
Share of the 10 tracks where a band member is credited, by role.
By the Numbers
Awards & Recognition 1
Planet Earth is written and produced entirely by Prince, his self-authorship intact across all ten tracks. The album is best remembered for its UK distribution: roughly 2.5 million copies were given away free with The Mail on Sunday newspaper, a covermount move that angered British retailers and led Sony BMG to decline a commercial UK release. Recorded between 2004 and early 2007, it pairs Prince's full-band funk and balladry with environmental themes on the title track. The ballad 'Future Baby Mama' later won Prince his final Grammy.
Released July 15, 2007, as Prince's thirty-second studio album, Planet Earth was distributed as a free covermount with The Mail on Sunday newspaper in the UK before its worldwide retail release, a distribution strategy that generated significant controversy within the music retail industry. Prince served as sole producer and wrote all tracks, credited to 'Prince & The New Power Generation' in the liner notes, and the recording featured New Power Generation veterans alongside Sheila E. and Revolution members Wendy and Lisa, as well as vocalist Bria Valente. The forty-five-minute album blends R&B, pop, funk, and rock in Prince's characteristic eclectic fashion, continuing the accessible style established on 3121 without a dramatic stylistic departure. Critical response was mixed, with Metacritic scoring it 65/100, Spin awarding 4.5 out of 5 stars, and Pitchfork dismissing it with a 4.8/10. Commercially it debuted at number 3 on the Billboard 200 with 96,000 first-week copies sold, and the track 'Future Baby Mama' earned Prince his final Grammy Award, for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance in 2008.