Courtesy of HipHop-n-more.

Let me take you back to Tuesday, September 30, 2014. I woke up from a tumultuous dream and realized the date was one that signified an important birth that will be remembered and celebrated in musical history. You may be thinking: “Jack, what’s the big deal? In the saturated music world provided by the World Wide Web, isn’t music being released constantly? Why would September 30th be any different?”

Reader, I completely understand your thoughts. It’s tough to stand out any more. In recent times, only a few artists have really made a splash with their album releases. Beyonc̩ did it at the end of 2013 with her self-titled masterpiece’s surprise release, and D’Angelo sure did it with Black Messiah, ending his long-time silence of releases. However, on September 30, the Purple One himself released not one but two albums. Yes, Prince released PLECTRUMELECTRUM through his new three-woman rock band 3RDEYEGIRL, as well as ART OFFICIAL AGE through his own monicker. The Minnesota legend built up contrast between these releases, with one exploring his well-known crossover between rock and funk, while the other was more experimental in classic Prince fashion. The latter album, ART OFFICIAL AGE, takes innovative chances, a scarce quality in today’s expansive musical world.

This concept album begins by dropping us into a scene: Prince wakes up to the delicate voice of Lianne La Havas, alerting him that he has been frozen in suspended animation for about 45 years. The world he becomes a part of is quite different from 2014 with the riddance of words like “me” and “mine,” as well as verbal communication as a whole. This newfound home provides Prince with an almost transcendental place in the world, as described by La Havas in “affirmation III.”

But even with such an elaborate concept, Prince’s music stays the focal point of the album, pushing past the boundaries of genre and traditional time periods. This album has just as much of ’80s-tinged, Purple Rain-era rock ballads found in “The Breakdown,” while more modern-styled tracks “ART OFFICIAL CAGE” and “FUNKNROLL” embrace casual air horn usage and wild trap-influenced drops scattered throughout. The album even delves deep into the funky side of His Royal Badness. “THE GOLD STANDARD” features a contagious, groove-inspiring rhythm that will move everyone to the dance floor. If you were to classify these tracks by genres, they would be hopping all over the place; however, collectively, the album is a fluid listen and transitions well between different musical styles.

Okay, now let’s get honest and personal. This album takes me on an emotional roller coaster ride. Just as it transitions between genres, ART OFFICIAL AGE moves through different emotions and feelings, almost like a movie. Let’s take the beginning of the album for a spin. Here is what happens to me each time that I listen: I begin by aggressively dancing — then I am stuck in a trance-like, awestruck sway — which I follow with unusually large tears flowing down my face in shock from the pure beauty. These emotions bubble up due to only three songs from the 13-track album. The listening experience that ensues when taking on this work of art is a full-fledged, spiritual involvement that will likely inspire new religions, schools of thought, and shrines hidden away in bedroom closets.

With Prince’s long-lived legendary career, it may be easy to throw ART OFFICIAL AGE in a pile with the other 30-plus Prince albums neatly stacked up in your closet (obviously ordered by release date). But for me, this album is a singular testament to Prince’s style, embracing innovation while keeping his musical soul filled with funk and crazy guitar rifts.