7 (Prince song)

"7" is a song by Prince and The New Power Generation, from the 1992 Love Symbol Album.[2] It was released in late 1992 as the third single from the album, and became the most successful in the United States. It features a sample of the 1967 Otis Redding and Carla Thomas duet, "Tramp".

For other uses, see 7 (disambiguation).
"7"
Single by Prince and The New Power Generation
from the album Love Symbol Album
B-side"7" (acoustic version)
ReleasedNovember 17, 1992
RecordedPaisley Park Studios, September 1991 to March 1992
GenrePop rock, psychedelic pop[1]
Length4:23 (7" Edit)
5:09 (Album Version)
LabelPaisley Park/Warner Bros.
Songwriter(s)Prince
Lowell Fulson (as Lowell Fulsom)
Jimmy McCracklin
Producer(s)Prince
Prince and The New Power Generation singles chronology
"My Name Is Prince"
(1992)		 "7"
(1992)		 "Damn U"
(1992)
Prince (UK) singles chronology
"My Name Is Prince"
(1992)		 "7"
(1992)		 "The Morning Papers"
(1993)
Music video
"7" on YouTube

"7" is composed of heavy drums and bass in an acoustic style. It has a distinct Middle Eastern style of music, and a Hindu reincarnation theme, and an opera-like chorus which features Prince's multi-tracked vocals. The lyrics have religious and apocalyptic themes. The song is ambiguous and can be interpreted in many ways, as the "7" mentioned in the chorus of the song refers to the Seven Deadly Sins. The song received positive reviews and peaked within the top forty of many of its major markets.

Critical reception

Andy Healy from Albumism picked the song as a "standout" from the album, noting its "glorious, eastern inspired mystical magic" with "the multitude of layered vocals and hypnotic groove." He added, "Not to mention the cryptic lyrics—is he signing about the seven deadly sins, the seven seals of Revelations, the seven major religions or the seven major record labels."[3] Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "You can never be too sure of what this Paisley dude will serve up next. This time, he concocts a stew of old and new flavors: retro-funk shuffle beats are countered by hip-hop-style scratching and topped with flower-child strumming and sitars. The hook is rousing and immediate, and should find a welcome home at several levels lickety-split."[4] Randy Clark from Cashbox stated, "This new single is an apocalyptic musical revelation done in the "Give Peace A Chance" mode, except the elaborate vocal arrangements have the well disciplined guidance of the funk-meister."[5] Alexis Petridis from The Guardian commented, "If you want evidence of Prince's unique, almost mystical, abilities, 7 is an intriguing place to start." He added, "At heart, the song is a rousing acoustic campfire singalong with lyrics of a spiritual bent, albeit a fairly baffling one. Deeply unpromising on paper, he somehow makes it work to striking effect, spooning on the harmonies and vintage sitar effects."[6] Rolling Stone noted that the singer "expanded his sonic palette" on the song, "tapping into tablas and sitars, widescreen multi-tracked vocals and a sample of Lowell Fulson's "Tramp"." They noted further, "Of course, given his out-there status at the time, Prince may have also been dabbling in numerology".[7]

Music video

The music video for the song was shot on February 27, 1992. It begins with Mayte whispering "imagine" in Prince's ear, in the position they are in on the single cover. A scene from 3 Chains o' Gold is shown as well. It features Mayte belly-dancing. The video set is pictured on the album cover, along with a still shot from the video. In the video, Prince symbolically "kills" incarnations of himself who are trapped inside glass chambers. There are little girls wearing yellow belly-dancing outfits almost identical to Mayte's and little boys wearing black outfits and eyebands identical to Prince's. Throughout the performance, the girls dance with Mayte and the boys dance with Prince. This video is also notable for Mayte dancing with a sword on her head, which she would later do in live performances; the video featured her playing the role she played in 3 Chains o' Gold as an Egyptian princess who befriends Prince and enlists his help to find the men who assassinated her father. The video, directed by Sotera Tschetter, was nominated for an MTV Video Music Award for Best R&B Video.

Chart performance

The most successful single from the album in the US, "7" was most successful on the Top 40 Pop/Mainstream chart, where it earned a No. 3 placement and peaked at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. It performed respectably on the Rhythmic charts (No. 19). However, it was less popular with R&B/Hip Hop radio, stalling at No. 61. On the Canadian RPM chart the song peaked at No. 12.

The single reached No. 27 in the UK, falling short of the success of the previous two releases, "Sexy MF" and "My Name is Prince", which had become top 10 hits.

Track listings
7" single / CD single
  1. "7" (LP version) – 5:13
  2. "7" (acoustic version) – 3:54
12" single
  1. "7" (LP version) – 5:13
  2. "7" (acoustic version) – 3:54
  3. "7" (After 6 Long Version) – 5:15
12" maxi-single / CD maxi-single
  1. "7" (LP version) – 5:13
  2. "7" (After 6 Edit) – 4:20
  3. "7" (After 6 Long Version) – 5:15
  4. "7" (acoustic version) – 3:54
  5. "7" (album edit) – 4:23
  6. "2 Whom It May Concern" – 4:01
US CD promo single[8]
  1. "7" (album edit) – 4:23
  2. "7" (After 6 Edit) – 4:20
  3. "7" (LP version) – 5:13
  4. "7" (acoustic version) – 3:54
  5. "7" (After 6 Long Version) – 5:15
  6. "7" (Mix 5 Long Version) – 4:56
  7. "7" (Mix 5 Edit) – 4:06

Charts and certifications

References
  1. http://ultimateclassicrock.com/prince-rock-songs/
  2. "Prince And The New Power Generation* - 7 at Discogs". Discogs.com. 2004-10-16. Retrieved 2011-09-07.
  3. Healy, Andy (October 12, 2017). "Prince's 'Love Symbol' Album Turns 25: Anniversary Retrospective". Albumism. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  4. Flick, Larry (November 28, 1992). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 89. Retrieved October 25, 2020.
  5. Clark, Randy (November 28, 1992). "Music Reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cashbox. p. 5. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  6. Petridis, Alexis (September 12, 2019). "Prince's 50 greatest singles – ranked!". The Guardian. Retrieved November 16, 2020.
  7. "25 Essential Prince Songs". Rolling Stone. April 15, 2020. Retrieved November 22, 2020.
  8. "Track Listing". Aprilsnow045.ueuo.com. Retrieved 2011-09-07.
  9. "Australian-charts.com – Prince and the New Power Generation – 7". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  10. "Ultratop.be – Prince and the New Power Generation – 7" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  11. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1748." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  12. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 9 no. 51/52. December 19, 1992. p. 44. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  13. "Offiziellecharts.de – Prince and the New Power Generation – 7". GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  14. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (12.–19. febrúar)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). 11 February 1993. p. 29. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 52, 1992" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Prince and the New Power Generation – 7" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  17. "Charts.nz – Prince and the New Power Generation – 7". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  18. "Swisscharts.com – Prince and the New Power Generation – 7". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
  19. "Prince: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  20. "Prince Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  21. "Prince Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  22. "Prince Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  23. "Prince Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  24. "Prince Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  25. "The RPM Top 100 Hit Tracks of 1993". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 2, 2020.
  26. "Billboard Top 100 – 1993". Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
  27. "American single certifications – Prince & The New Power Generation – 7". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved September 2, 2020. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH. 
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