Talk:96 Months

Studio album or compilation?

I think it's worth discussing whether or not this is a studio album or a compilation. Firstly, the citation used on the page to prove it's a studio album is a Facebook post which just calls it an 'album', not a 'studio album'. An 'album' can just be a compilation. Secondly, sites such as Billboard and DJ Mag have called it a compilation, and I can see their reasoning. There is zero new content on this album, it is just a collection of previously released singles.

The Wikipedia page for 'Compilation album' states that it is an "album [that] comprises tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one performer or by several performers." Now, the songs on this album are clearly from separate recording sessions - Calvin did not record all 17 of these tracks in 2015 - so I think this counts as a compilation.

Secondly, I also feel attaching "single from 96 Months" to every single on this page is again a bit much, and is probably just Wikipedia folk trying to tie as many releases together as possible. 96 Months was probably only conceived of as a quick cash-grab promotional album a few months ago at best, and at no point while recording "How Deep is Your Love", "This is What You Came For" or "One Kiss" did Calvin know that they would eventually be placed on this album. In fact, the page for the album infobox states that only singles released during the "marketing and promotion of the album" should be included, which means the only single with the right to appear in the infobox is "Free".

I think the most damning piece of evidence to prove that this is a compilation is the title of this page. "96 Months". It took eight years to make all of this, and you're saying across the entirety of those eight years, Calvin knew every step of the way that these singles were destined for this album?! Tedster41 (talk) 07:58, 24 August 2024 (UTC)

Various sources have described the album as a compilation. Aside from the Billboard and DJ Mag already linked above, the editorial description written by Apple Music describes it as "a "greatest" hits by any other name". Though promoted by Sony (cited in article) as a studio album, all but one of its tracks are previously released material. It has all the characteristics of a typical singles compilation, so it would be inaccurate to exclusively categorise it as a studio album. (Note: categorising it as a greatest hits album would be inaccurate, since the album's theme is "singles that did not previously belong to an album".) More time is needed to determine if this is a studio album, but it is currently promoted as his 7th studio album so that's what we'll put in the meantime.

For the singles, it is correct that "only singles released during the "marketing and promotion of the album" should be included". Hence, only "Free" should be listed in the album's infobox. "96 Months" should also not be indicated in the infobox for the previously released singles, same situation as "Never Really Over" and "Harleys in Hawaii" for Katy Perry's Smile.

TL,DR: On top of being a studio album, 96 Months should also be categorised as a compilation album (note: not greatest hits album), and previously released singles (except "Free") are not be listed as supporting singles for the album. Theknine2 (talk) 13:38, 28 August 2024 (UTC)

@Tedster41: I don't know if you simply didn't watch the video linked on the article or you're deliberately trying to misrepresent what it says to readers who can't be bothered to click on the link, but it literally says on screen at six seconds into the video "THE SEVENTH STUDIO ALBUM". This is a Sony Music video from an arm of the record label corporation who put the album out describing it as a "studio album". If anything is a "damning piece of evidence", it's Harris's own record label calling it his seventh studio album. For the record, I'm fine with the current categorisation of it as both a studio and compilation album, because we have sources (primary and secondary) stating both. Ss112 10:41, 31 August 2024 (UTC)

@Tedster41: 3–2 votes in favour of something is literally not a consensus—it's certainly not a clear one whatsoever. If nobody else joins the discussion, then you just don't have consensus, full stop. Ask for more input at a WikiProject, seek a third opinion at a relevant noticeboard, or failing all that, move on and respect WP:BRD. Ss112 19:08, 24 September 2024 (UTC)