having the first single coming out two weeks after the album is another balls up by the promotion behind prince, it will kill the sales of the single which could have made a big impact if it had been handled properly, i also think prince didnt give sony enough time to get the single out to radio which didn't help but i wish he would just do it right for once.
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Not in Australia

Musicology single will drop first on Monday the 19th (with some stores getting their stock out on Sunday the 18th)

Then one week later Monday the 26th, the Musicology album will be released (same situation with the Sunday, however that is Anzac day and only some stores will be opening from 1pm to about 5pm. Monday is a public holiday and store trading hours will vary)

blackboab said:

hey, genius, doesn't it make more sense to maximize sales of the album, and for him and the label to turn a profit selling a full-length album (for which he's actually getting paid, by the label, and through the publishing on 12 songs) rather than on a 2-track loss-leader of a single?

the UK and its ridiculous obssession with its singles chart

hey dumbnuts, its singles that normally create demand for albums, thats how most people buy albums, they hear a song on the radio and then go and buy the album. prince has been out of the publics gaze for years so you get a single out BEFORE the album to create interest...

with mag covers, tv performances, sell out shows to rave reviews and a video on heavy rotation, i don't think a single is necessary. it wouldn't hurt sales but i think most peeps would just as soon buy the full length anyway.

blackboab said:

yes, but since 90% of the population are only interested in the 1 song at this point, there's no reason for them to buy the album if the single comes out first. nobody, except the record store makes money off of singles. not the label, not the artist. they're loss-leaders, and profits will be maximized if the first option people have to buy is the album, rather than the single. more people will buy the album this way than if the single came out first. i mean, if the single came out first, what reason would most people who like the song have to buy the album when it comes out? none. they've already got the song they like, and they couldn't really give a damn whether or not his album is any good.

Sony probably seeks to capitalize on the current Prince craze while playing down the fact that "Musicology" is a weak single that might turn people off buying the album. It might actually be a pretty clever move.

blackboab said:

Well the song has already been released to radio, so that's not much of an issue.

As far as the general public goes, buying a single at the wrecka stow ain't nearly as important as it used to be in an age where if you just want one song all you gotta do is find it on Kazaa, itunes, napster, etc...

Universaluv said:

I haven't bought a single since "I Hate U" was released as a US single, but I've bought plenty of albums since then. Singles just don't make sense anymore unless there's a good B-side that's not on an album.