Emancipation is the nineteenth studio album

Studio album

A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...

 by Prince

Prince (musician)

Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...

 (then known by the love symbol he created). The title refers to Prince's freedom from his contract with Warner Bros. Records

Warner Bros. Records

Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...

 after 18 years, with whom he had a contentious relationship. The album was Prince's third to be released that year (along with Chaos and Disorder

Chaos and Disorder

Chaos and Disorder is the eighteenth studio album by Prince . It was his final album of new material for Warner Bros. Records and was therefore produced as a collection of leftovers only put on record to fulfill contractual obligations...

and the soundtrack album of the Spike Lee

Spike Lee

Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American film director, producer, writer, and actor. His production company, 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, has produced over 35 films since 1983....

 movie, Girl 6

Girl 6 (album)

Girl 6 is a soundtrack album by Prince, released on March 19, 1996. The album is the soundtrack of the Spike Lee film of the same name. Girl 6 consists of mostly previously released songs from Prince and related artists such as The Family, Vanity 6, and The New Power Generation...

), making 1996 one of the most prolific years for material released by Prince.

Emancipation is also the first triple full-length original R&B studio (non-compilation) album ever released.

Overview

Emancipation is something of a concept album

Concept album

In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...

, celebrating his release from Warner Bros. as well as his marriage to Mayte Garcia, who became his wife on Valentine's Day earlier that year. With his newfound creative freedom, Prince experimented more openly with varying genres, including house

House music

House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...

, adult contemporary and blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

. Prince also freely commented on his fame and dealings with Warner Bros. ("White Mansion"; "Slave"; "Face Down") while also returning slightly to the "computer" theme he explored a decade earlier ("Emale"; "My Computer".)

"Jam of the Year" is the opening song on the album. It features Prince, singing in his falsetto range, and Rosie Gaines on backing vocals. It later became the name of the tour for the album, and a live version of the song was released as part of a single called "NYC Live" in 1997.

Prince wrote several songs and ballads dedicated to his child, most of which appear on the second disc of the album. Unfortunately, the child, born October - about 1 month before - the album's release, suffered with Pfeiffer syndrome type 2

Pfeiffer syndrome

Pfeiffer syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the premature fusion of certain bones of the skull , which prevents further growth of the skull and affects the shape of the head and face...

, a rare skull disease, and died shortly after birth. A recording of the child's heartbeat is featured as part of the percussion of "Sex in the Summer".

Emancipation marked the first album in Prince's career to include cover versions of songs written by other songwriters; Prince claimed that he had wanted to cover songs in the past, but was advised against it by Warner Bros. Four such covers appeared on the album: "Betcha by Golly Wow!

Betcha by Golly Wow!

Another cover version was released from Prince's 1996 album Emancipation. Prince had stated that he always wanted to release a cover version but his record company, Warner Bros. Records, had not permitted it...

" (previously a hit for The Stylistics

The Stylistics

The Stylistics are a soul music vocal group, and were one of the best-known Philadelphia soul groups of the 1970s. They formed in 1968, and were composed of lead Russell Thompkins, Jr., Herbie Murrell, Airrion Love, James Smith, and James Dunn. All of their US hits were ballads, graced by the...

), "I Can't Make You Love Me

I Can't Make You Love Me

"I Can't Make You Love Me" is a 1991 popular song, written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin and recorded by Bonnie Raitt on her Luck of the Draw album from that year. In August 2000, Mojo magazine voted "I Can't Make You Love Me" #8 on its The 100 Greatest Songs Of All Time list...

" (previously a hit for Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Lynn Raitt is an American blues singer-songwriter and a renowned slide guitar player. During the 1970s, Raitt released a series of acclaimed roots-influenced albums which incorporated elements of blues, rock, folk and country, but she is perhaps best known for her more commercially...

), "La-La (Means I Love You)

La-La (Means I Love You)

"La-La " is a 1968 song originally performed by The Delfonics. It was written by Thom Bell and William Hart and produced by Bell and Stan Watson....

" (previously a hit for The Delfonics

The Delfonics

The Delfonics are a pioneering Philadelphia soul singing group, most popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their most notable hits include "La-La ", "Didn't I ", "Break Your Promise," "I'm Sorry," and "Ready or Not Here I Come "...

) retitled "La, La, La Means I Love U", and "One of Us

One of Us (Joan Osborne song)

"One of Us" is a song written by Eric Bazilian and originally released by Joan Osborne. Released in March 1995 on the album Relish and produced by Rick Chertoff, it became a top 40 hit in November of that year.- History :...

" (previously a hit for Joan Osborne

Joan Osborne

Joan Elizabeth Osborne is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her song "One of Us". She has toured with Motown sidemen the Funk Brothers and was featured in the documentary film about them, Standing in the Shadows of Motown.-Biography:Originally from Anchorage, Kentucky, a suburb...

). Notably, Prince changed the chorus of "One of Us" from "What if God was one of us / Just a slob like one of us" to "...Just a slave like one of us".

The album is notable for its format: it consists of three discs, each containing 12 songs with exacly 60 minutes per disc. Prince insinuated to the press at the time that the number of songs, discs and length of the album had a connection with the Egyptian pyramids

Egyptian pyramids

The Egyptian pyramids are ancient pyramid-shaped masonry structures located in Egypt.There are 138 pyramids discovered in Egypt as of 2008. Most were built as tombs for the country's Pharaohs and their consorts during the Old and Middle Kingdom periods.The earliest known Egyptian pyramids are found...

.

Response

In the U.S., the album debuted at #11. Though not a major seller, it did sell over 500,000 copies, and being three discs, it was qualified to being certified double platinum (the RIAA certifies based on amount shipped rather than sold). The resulting Jam of the Year Tour was a major success (though ironically very few songs from Emancipation were included in the concerts, and the vast majority of the album's tracks remain unperformed), resulting in a significant comeback for Prince, after the commercial and critical disappointment of Chaos and Disorder

Chaos and Disorder

Chaos and Disorder is the eighteenth studio album by Prince . It was his final album of new material for Warner Bros. Records and was therefore produced as a collection of leftovers only put on record to fulfill contractual obligations...

from earlier that year.

Emancipation is the fourth best-selling triple album ever in the United States.

Disc 1

1. "Jam of the Year" – 6:09
2. "Right Back Here In My Arms" – 4:43
3. "Somebody's Somebody
   Somebody's Somebody
   "Somebody's Somebody" is a song from Prince's 1996 album Emancipation....
   
   " – 4:43
4. "Get Yo Groove On" – 6:31
5. "Courtin' Time" – 2:46
6. "Betcha by Golly Wow!
   Betcha by Golly Wow!
   Another cover version was released from Prince's 1996 album Emancipation. Prince had stated that he always wanted to release a cover version but his record company, Warner Bros. Records, had not permitted it...
   
   " – 3:31
7. "We Gets Up" – 4:18
8. "White Mansion" – 4:47
9. "Damned if I Do" – 5:21
10. "I Can't Make U Love Me" – 6:37
11. "Mr. Happy" – 4:46
12. "In This Bed I Scream" – 5:40

Disc 2

1. "Sex In the Summer" – 5:57
2. "One Kiss at a Time" – 4:41
3. "Soul Sanctuary" – 4:41
4. "Emale" – 3:38
5. "Curious Child" – 2:57
6. "Dreamin' About U" – 3:52
7. "Joint 2 Joint" – 7:52
8. "The Holy River
   The Holy River
   "The Holy River" is a song from Prince's 1996 album, Emancipation....
   
   " – 6:55
9. "Let's Have a Baby" – 4:07
10. "Saviour" – 5:48
11. "The Plan" – 1:47
12. "Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife" – 7:37

Disc 3

1. "Slave" – 4:51
2. "New World" – 3:43
3. "The Human Body" – 5:42
4. "Face Down" – 3:17
5. "La, La, La Means I Love U
   La-La (Means I Love You)
   "La-La " is a 1968 song originally performed by The Delfonics. It was written by Thom Bell and William Hart and produced by Bell and Stan Watson....
   
   " – 3:59
6. "Style" – 6:40
7. "Sleep Around" – 7:42
8. "Da, Da, Da" – 5:15
9. "My Computer" – 4:37
10. "One of Us
    One of Us (Joan Osborne song)
    "One of Us" is a song written by Eric Bazilian and originally released by Joan Osborne. Released in March 1995 on the album Relish and produced by Rick Chertoff, it became a top 40 hit in November of that year.- History :...
    
    " – 5:19
11. "The Love We Make" – 4:39
12. "Emancipation" – 4:12

Singles and Hot 100 positions

• "Betcha by Golly Wow!
  Betcha by Golly Wow!
  Another cover version was released from Prince's 1996 album Emancipation. Prince had stated that he always wanted to release a cover version but his record company, Warner Bros. Records, had not permitted it...
  
  " (#31 U.S. Airplay, #10 US R&B Airplay, #11 UK, #20 Australia)

1. "Betcha by Golly Wow!"
2. "Right Back Here in My Arms"

• "The Holy River
  The Holy River
  "The Holy River" is a song from Prince's 1996 album, Emancipation....
  
  " (UK CD 1) (#58 US Airplay, #19 UK)

1. "The Holy River" (radio edit)
2. "Somebody's Somebody" (edit)
3. "Somebody's Somebody" (live studio mix)
4. "Somebody's Somebody" (Ultrafantasy Edit)

• "Somebody's Somebody
  Somebody's Somebody
  "Somebody's Somebody" is a song from Prince's 1996 album Emancipation....
  
  " (Promo CD) (#15 US R&B Airplay, #19 UK)

1. "Somebody's Somebody" (radio edit)
2. "Somebody's Somebody" (album version)