For the week ending March 11, 2006, "Black Sweat" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 60 (Prince's highest debut in years), and at number 83 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles and Tracks chart. It also debuted at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Sales chart, which tabulates both physical and digital sales.

The song's initial surge of 11,500 digital singles sales was prompted by a month-long promotion with iTunes, in which four consumers would win a private concert performance by Prince. "Black Sweat" was bundled with a second track from 3121, "Beautiful, Loved and Blessed". The song's lofty Hot 100 debut was attributed to this promotional tactic. As is typical with songs whose chart position is predominantly attributed to initial sales (with little or no radio airplay), "Black Sweat" dropped off the Hot 100 the following week.

"Black Sweat" debuted at number two on the Canadian Singles Chart for sales. The track was released March 27, 2006 in the UK, and charted relatively low at #43 on the UK Singles Chart, meaning Prince has not had a top 40 hit since the re-release of "1999" in (aptly) the year 1999. In Italy the single peaked at #24.

Overall, "Black Sweat" appeared on the pop charts in a number of countries in 2006, including the U.S., and went Top 40 on the charts in Greece, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, and Spain. In addition, the song was a hit on Japanese radio, staying at high rotation for several weeks on stations throughout the country.

DJ Rashida

Celestina Aladekoba

OldFriends4Sale said:

The song's initial surge of 11,500 digital singles sales was prompted by a month-long promotion with iTunes, in which four consumers would win a private concert performance by Prince.

So, I should know this, but ... did we ever hear any information about who those "4 consumers" were and when they got to see the private concert? I remember there being a party at his house with some celebrities and that some fans were invited to around that time (I think orger RDHull went to it, if I'm remembering correctly)...was that this "private concert performance"? Because there were supposedly 7 "golden tickets" in the CD version of 3121 that promised the same thing.

I guess being invited to a smallish concert/party would be pretty awesome, but if that was the actual prize then I will admit that it was not what I was imagining at the time. To me, a private concert means me and Prince. Otherwise, it's a concert with a small crowd. Or something like that.

Just wondering if we know anything about whether all of these winners were given the concert on the same night, or what.

The video is as minimalist as the song itself, presented in black and white. It consists of just one scene of a blank background and a 1970s-styled chair placed in the center. The video stars Prince and features Celestina Aladekoba (a dancer featured heavily in Jennifer Lopez's TV reality show, DanceLife), who is dancing seductively to the music, occasionally leaning over the chair as Prince sings. In a nod to the "Kiss" video, Prince humorously makes a disgusted expression when Celestina screams "like a white lady" (which is actually the keyboard riff). The video was directed by Sanaa Hamri.

BILLBOARD

While "Black Sweat" is too erratic, live instrumentation is celebrated as usual (saxman Maceo Parker graces "Get on the Boat").

—Clover Hope

ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
March 24, 2006

Frog Prince;
Once again, he fails to meet our great expectations.

PRINCE
3121
(Universal)

Only the new single "Black Sweat" does a laudable job of referencing O.G. Prince while still reminding the industry's young 'uns that he's got more mojo in just one of his meticulously plucked eyebrows than all of them combined.

-- Raymond Fiore

The video was directed by Sanaa Hamri/ سناء حمري‎)

Sanaa Hamri (Arabic: سناء حمري‎) is a Moroccan American music video and film director. She is one of the few prominent female film and music video directors.

Along with directing feature film and music videos, Hamri also directs television. Hamri has directed multiple episodes of "Nashville" Shameless" "Elementary" Desperate Housewives, Greys Anatomy and Men in Trees. Mariah Carey's live concert documentary, The Adventures of Mimi, and Prince's The Art of Musicology and Prince Live at the Aladdin Las Vegas were directed by Hamri.

Nothing to add, really, but this is my favorite Prince music video.

I loved everything about this song and video. GROWN UP & SMOKIN HOT.


::swoon::

[Edited 11/1/13 19:27pm]

I love this song, and my 7yo old girl had a crush on the video for a while, too. I cathced her in the bath tube once singing "I'm washing off a black sweat" and I almost choked. That song is real fun.

As I've mention before, 3121 was THE last Prince album that I've ever purchase. Even today, I still play Black Sweat in my regular rotation. This song should have been at least a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hip-hop/R&B charts & the Hot 100 singles charts for many weeks.

It should have been a bigger hit, it was an awesome reminder of Prince's former greatness.

Here is some info on that interesting piece of furniture

Standard Features
Leg: Claw shaped, polished cast aluminum
Dimensions Width: 50" Depth: 50" Height: 53"
Intellectual Property
US Patent: D418683
German Patent: 499 03 648.4
Benelux Patent: 30935-01
Italian Patent: pending
Press Articles
Music Video - Black Sweat by Prince-Mar 2006
Las Vegas Review Journal-Apr 2003
Newsweek-Feb 2003
Space-Jul 1999
Bauen-Apr 1999
Soma-Apr 1999
Box-Mar 1999
Houston Chronicle-Feb 1999
House Design-Jan 1999
Neue Rhein Zeitung-Jan 1999
San Francisco Chronicle-1999
San Jose Mercury-Jan 1998

OldFriends4Sale said: