Mini-LP

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A mini-LP or mini-album is a short record album or LP, usually retailing at a lower price than an album that would be considered full-length. It is distinct from an EP due to containing more tracks and a slightly longer running length. A mini-LP is not to be confused with the Japanese CDs issued in a "mini LP sleeve" or "paper jacket".

Contents

Its running time is shorter than the typical album but longer than a single album. [1] It is sometimes synonymous with extended play, especially in East Asia music market. [2] However, some music distributors may classify mini albums with 7 or more songs as an album. [3] In the United States, The Recording Academy's rules for Grammy Awards state that an album must comprise a minimum total playing time of 15 minutes with at least five distinct tracks or a minimum total playing time of 30 minutes with no minimum track requirement. [4] In the United Kingdom, the criteria for the UK Albums Chart is that a recording counts as an "album" if it either has more than four tracks or lasts more than 25 minutes. [5]

East Asia music market

In South Korea, a mini album (Korean : 미니앨범) is a promotional term for a release that having less budget, synonym of extended play. A release that having expensive budget (excluding music video production cost) is called "full album", synonym of studio album. [6] [7] [8] Actual mini-LP is also called a full album, although only having 6-7 tracks. For example, Face by Jimin. This is also applied to Japanese releases by South Korea artists.

In some cases, artists have used the chronological placement of a mini album in their discography as part of the title of the release. For example, 2NE1 1st Mini Album and Taste of Love: The 10th Mini Album (note that both albums are EPs, not actual mini-LP).

History

Mini-LPs became popular in the early 1980s with record companies who targeted consumers who were reluctant to buy full-length and full-priced albums. [9] Several mini-LPs had been released in the late 1970s, including John Cooper Clarke's Walking Back to Happiness , which used the 10-inch format. [10] The format was usually 12-inch or 10-inch vinyl, with a playing time of between twenty and thirty minutes, and around seven tracks. [11] They were often used as a way of introducing new acts to the market or as a way of releasing interim albums by established acts between their main albums. [9] Epic Records introduced the 10-inch Nu-Disk format in the early 1980s (an example being Cheap Trick's 1980 release Found All the Parts ), but they found it difficult to merchandise, and 12-inch mini-LPs became more common. [9] Notable mini-LPs of the early 1980s included U2's Under a Blood Red Sky , which reached number 2 on the UK Albums Chart in 1983, [12] and The Honeydrippers' Volume 1 , which reached number 4 on the Billboard 200 in 1984. [11] [13]

Independent record labels often released mini-LPs by artists before releasing full-length albums. In 1987, 4AD took this approach with both Pixies Come on Pilgrim debut and the second album by Throwing Muses, The Fat Skier . [14]

In 1997, Aphex Twin released the Come to Daddy EP, which he considers to be an album/mini-album rather than an EP. It reached number 37 on the US Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart. [15]

In 2018, Kanye West spearheaded an effort to release five mini-albums from five different artists in five weeks. He led the release of Daytona by Pusha T, Ye by Kanye West, Kids See Ghosts by Kids See Ghosts (a project consisting of Kanye West and Kid Cudi), Nasir by Nas and K.T.S.E. by Teyana Taylor. [16]

Other examples include King Crimson's Vrooom (1994), Robyn's Body Talk Pt. 1 and Pt. 2 (2010), Young Ejecta's The Planet (2015) and Yes' From a Page (2019), with more recent examples including Itzy's Born to Be (2024), Hannah Grae's Hell Is a Teenage Girl (2023) and Nothing Lasts Forever (2024), and Exotic Birds of Prey by Shabazz Palaces (2024). [17] [18] [19] [20] [21]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Single (music)</span> Release with one to three tracks

In music, a single is a type of release of a song recording of fewer tracks than an album or LP record, typically one or two tracks. A single can be released for sale to the public in a variety of physical or digital formats. Singles may be standalone tracks or connected to an artist's album, and in the latter case would often have at least one single release before the album itself, called lead singles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Extended play</span> Musical recording longer than a single but shorter than a full album

An extended play (EP) is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 15 to 30 minutes. An EP is usually less cohesive than an album and more "non-committal".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double album</span> Audio recordings spanning two units of a medium

A double album is an audio album that spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically either records or compact disc. A double album is usually, though not always, released as such because the recording is longer than the capacity of the medium. Recording artists often think of double albums as being a single piece artistically; however, there are exceptions, such as John Lennon's Some Time in New York City and OutKast's Speakerboxxx/The Love Below . Since the advent of the compact disc, albums are sometimes released with a bonus disc featuring additional material as a supplement to the main album, with live tracks, studio out-takes, cut songs, or older unreleased material. One innovation was the inclusion of a DVD of related material with a compact disc, such as video related to the album or DVD-Audio versions of the same recordings. Some such discs were also released on a two-sided format called DualDisc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Album</span> Collection of audio recordings

An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), vinyl (record), audio tape, or digital. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records (78s) collected in a bound book resembling a photo album; this format evolved after 1948 into single vinyl long-playing (LP) records played at 33+1⁄3 rpm.

<i>Drukqs</i> 2001 studio album by Aphex Twin

Drukqs is the fifth studio album by the British electronic music artist and producer Richard D. James under the alias of Aphex Twin. It was released in October 2001 through Warp Records. It is a double album that includes a variety of sharply contrasting styles, from meticulously programmed beats inspired by jungle and drum and bass, to classical-type piano and prepared piano, ambient, and electroacoustic pieces. It features the piano composition "Avril 14th", one of James's best known recordings.

<i>26 Mixes for Cash</i> 2003 compilation album by Aphex Twin

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">CD single</span> Music single in the form of a compact disc

A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc (CD). Originally the CD single standard was an 8 cm (3-inch) "mini CD" (CD3); later on the term referred to any single recorded onto a CD of any size, particularly the 12 cm (5-inch) "full-size" disc (CD5). From a technical viewpoint, a CD single is identical to any other audio CD. The format started gaining popularity in the early 1990s, but quickly declined in the early and mid 2000s, in favor of digital downloaded singles and CD albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LP record</span> Vinyl analog sound storage discs

The LP is an analog sound storage medium, specifically a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of 33+1⁄3 rpm; a 12- or 10-inch diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a vinyl composition disk. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire US record industry and, apart from a few relatively minor refinements and the important later addition of stereophonic sound in 1957, it remained the standard format for record albums during a period in popular music known as the album era. LP was originally a trademark of Columbia and competed against the smaller 7-inch sized "45" or "single" format by RCA Victor, eventually ending up on top. Today in the vinyl revival era, a large majority of records are based on the LP format and hence the LP name continues to be in use today to refer to new records.

<i>Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2</i> 2015 EP by Aphex Twin

Computer Controlled Acoustic Instruments pt2 is an extended play record by the British electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 2 January 2015 on Warp. It is meant as a companion piece to his fifth studio album, Drukqs (2001).

<i>Cheetah</i> (EP) 2016 EP by Aphex Twin

Cheetah is an extended play record by the electronic music artist and producer Aphex Twin. It was released on 8 July 2016 on Warp. The name is a reference to Cheetah Marketing, a British manufacturer of microcomputer peripherals and electronic musical instruments in the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Itzy</span> South Korean girl group

Itzy is a South Korean girl group formed by JYP Entertainment. The group consists of five members: Yeji, Lia, Ryujin, Chaeryeong, and Yuna. Itzy is recognized for their "teen crush" concept and explore themes of independence and self-love in their music.

<i>Itz Icy</i> 2019 extended play by Itzy

It'z Icy is the first Korean extended play by the South Korean girl group Itzy released on July 29, 2019, by JYP Entertainment. "Icy" was released as the lead single from the EP. The physical release is available in two versions: IT'z and ICY.

<i>Itz Me</i> 2020 EP by Itzy

It'z Me is the second Korean extended play by the South Korean girl group Itzy released on March 9, 2020, by JYP Entertainment. It features 7 tracks, including "Wannabe", the lead single from the EP. The physical release is available in three versions: IT'z, ME and WANNABE. It is their first Korean material since the release of It'z Icy in July 2019. It'z Me features a collaboration with Dutch DJ and electronic music producer Oliver Heldens. It was produced by Galactika, Oak Felder, Oliver Heldens, earattack, Shim Eunji, Collapsedone, Jin by Jin, SOPHIE and KASS. Musically, it is a K-pop record that contains influences of dance, hip hop and rock.

<i>Neverland</i> (WJSN EP) 2020 EP by WJSN

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<i>María</i> (EP) 2020 EP by Hwasa

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<i>Not Shy</i> 2020 EP by Itzy

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<i>Savage</i> (EP) 2021 EP by Aespa

Savage is the first extended play by South Korean girl group Aespa. The EP was released by SM Entertainment on October 5, 2021, and is available in three versions—P.O.S, Synk Dive and Hallucination Quest. It contains six songs, including the lead single of the same name.

<i>Checkmate</i> (EP) 2022 EP by Itzy

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<i>Gold</i> (Itzy EP) 2024 EP by Itzy

Gold is the ninth extended play by South Korean girl group Itzy. It was released by JYP Entertainment on October 15, 2024, and contains 11 tracks, including the singles "Gold" and "Imaginary Friend" and five tracks from Born to Be (2024) re-recorded as a quintet. The EP marks the return of Lia to group activities following her health-related hiatus.

References

  1. ↑ "미니앨범? EP앨범? 제대로 알고 듣자-!!". 한국콘텐츠진흥원 상상발전소. 4 May 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2021.
  2. ↑ SuperM: The 1st Mini Album - SuperM | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic , retrieved 4 July 2021
  3. ↑ [&] by LOONA , retrieved 4 July 2021
  4. ↑ "Recording Academy™ to Transition to Online Voting for the 60". grammy.com. 14 June 2017. Archived from the original on 5 April 2019. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  5. ↑ "Rules For Chart Eligibility – Albums" (PDF). The Official UK Charts Company. January 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 June 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2007.
  6. ↑ Benjamin, Jeff (8 July 2024). "The 20 Best K-Pop Albums of 2024 (So Far): Staff Picks". Billboard. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  7. ↑ https://dailytrojan.com/2023/05/31/non-stop-k-pop-k-pop-and-u-s-release-frequencies-just-arent-the-same/
  8. ↑ "7 Types of Kpop Albums: Ultimate Guide for New Fans - Cute Frog Creations". 11 June 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2024.
  9. 1 2 3 Grein, Paul (1982) "Retailers, Labels Predict Greater Role for Mini-LPs", Billboard , 30 October 1982, p. 1, 67
  10. ↑ Gimarc, George (2005) Punk Diary: The Ultimate Trainspotter's Guide to Underground Rock 1970-1982, Backbeat Books, ISBN   0-87930-848-6, p. 215
  11. 1 2 Strong, Martin C. (2002) The Great Rock Discography, 6th edition, Canongate, ISBN   1-84195-312-1
  12. ↑ U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky, Chart Stats, retrieved 15 December 2009
  13. ↑ Denberg, Jody (1985) "Dancing in the Streets", Texas Monthly , December 1985, p. 198
  14. ↑ Strong, Martin C. (2003) The Great Indie Discography, Canongate, ISBN   1-84195-335-0
  15. ↑ "Aphex Twin Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
  16. ↑ Shah, Neil (18 June 2018). "Shorter, Better, Faster, Stronger? Kanye West Tries Minialbums". Wall Street Journal. ISSN   0099-9660 . Retrieved 18 September 2018.
  17. ↑ "Hannah Grae announces mini album, Nothing Lasts Forever". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 5 February 2024.
  18. ↑ "SHABAZZ PALACES SHARES "MYTHS OF THE OCCULT (FEAT. JAPREME MAGNETIC)" A NEW TRACK FROM EXOTIC BIRDS OF PREY". Sub Pop Records. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  19. ↑ "Review: Body Talk". Pitchfork. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  20. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 31 December 2023. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
  21. ↑ "ITZY's New Mini-Album 'Born to Be' Has Arrived: Stream It Now". Billboard. Retrieved 9 February 2024.
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