Around the World in a Day

Around the World in a Day is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the third release on which his backing band [The The Revolution (band)|Revolution (band)|the Revolution] is billed. It was released on April 22, 1985, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. Departing somewhat from the commercial sound of his previous release, the massively successful Purple Rain, the album instead saw Prince experimenting with psychedelic styles and more opulent textures. In compliance with Prince's wishes to "let the project be taken in its entirety before zeroing in on anything", the record company released the album with minimal publicity, withholding accompanying singles until almost a month after the album's release.
Around the World in a Day was released to mixed reception among crossover audiences after the success of Purple Rain, though it nonetheless sold relatively well and became Prince and the Revolution's second number-one album on the Billboard 200. Two of its four singles reached the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100: "Raspberry Beret" and "Pop Life". Following Prince's death, "Raspberry Beret" re-charted on the Billboard Hot 100 as a top 40 hit, reaching number 33. Around the World in a Day was certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 2, 1985. A remastered reissue was released on November 21, 2025.

Background

Recording for Around the World in a Day began in sessions dating back before that of Purple Rain. Following six months of touring behind that bestselling album, Prince returned to recording. An initial inspiration for the album's sound came in the form of a demo, recorded by David Coleman, the brother of Revolution band member Lisa Coleman, which would ultimately become the title track.
The album pursued a dense, psychedelic style that made use of unconventional instruments and cryptic lyrics. Its sound and album cover painting by Doug Henders drew numerous comparisons to the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album. Prince spoke in an interview about the album's sound and cover, denying inspiration from the Beatles:

Reception

Despite the muted promotion and its less commercial sound, the album still had two American top 10 hits, and went double platinum. Initial critical reception was mixed, but retrospective reviews are positive.
According to Prince, George Clinton was a fan of the album.
Greg Tate of Spin wrote, "Perhaps it's inevitable, given a career built as much on calculated mindfucking as mindblowing music, that Prince would choose to follow the best album of his career with the most bewildering, if not the worst."
In a positive retrospective review for Pitchfork, Alan Light described the album as "a brave and deeply personal project, exploring sounds and ideas that were almost shocking coming from a pop icon at his peak." Simon Price wrote for The Guardian that the album "always sounds better than you think it will, when you revisit."