Sound: Prince tackles a confoundingly wide range of styles: rock (including a cosmic, fairytale-esque epic, a chugging, bluesy sing-along and a jangly, indie-minded reflection), r&b (including a sensual slow jam, a seductive rap serenade and a soft jazzy ballad), pop (snappy and bouncy) and funk (robust and smokin’).
Heavy Rotation tracks: none
Medium Rotation tracks: “Future Baby Mama”; “Resolution”; “All the Midnights in the World”
Recommended: Planet Earth is one of Prince’s least funky and soulful albums, instead rock and pop play a bigger role. His music pushes in intriguing directions that keep you on your toes, but he also revisits his bread and butter to let you know it’s Prince. His willingness to continually challenge himself musically is respectable, but a lot of Planet Earth feels silly and safe, lyrically speaking. And the constantly varying music can feel disjointed and even just bizarre in its eclecticism. He’s one of the most talented musicians of the last 50 years, but this is not one of his stronger albums.
Grade: B-

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