"Emancipation" was a significant release in Prince's career, marking his creative and professional liberation after parting ways with Warner Bros. Records, a label with which he had a tumultuous relationship for nearly two decades. Released on November 19, 1996, the album was a triple-disc set that showcased Prince's remarkable productivity and versatility. The title, Emancipation, reflected his newfound freedom, and the album's release, along with his subsequent tour, symbolized a fresh phase in his career after years of contractual and creative constraints.
The album stands out for its sheer scale, with a total of 36 tracks, each disc clocking in at precisely 60 minutes. It was a bold move, especially given the challenging commercial landscape of the late 1990s, when albums with such length were rare. Prince had always been known for his genre-defying work, and Emancipation was no exception, offering a wide-ranging exploration of R&B, soul, rock, pop, and even elements of gospel and classical music.
One of the more notable aspects of Emancipation was its inclusion of cover songs. Prince, who had always written and produced his own material, was finally able to release covers of songs that had influenced him over the years. These included "Betcha by Golly Wow!" (a hit for The Stylistics), "I Can't Make You Love Me" (originally by Bonnie Raitt), "La-La (Means I Love You)" (a Delfonics classic), and "One of Us" (originally by Joan Osborne). In typical Prince fashion, however, he made some bold changes to these songs, including altering the lyrics of "One of Us" to reflect his own spiritual and philosophical views, turning the original's "What if God was one of us" line into "What if God was one of us / Just a slave like one of us."
Despite its ambitious nature and his return to his own label, Emancipation had a mixed reception commercially. In the U.S., it debuted at number 11 on the charts and went on to sell over 500,000 copies, but it was not the commercial breakthrough that many had expected, especially following his previous work in the 1980s and early '90s. However, the sheer volume of material did ensure that it found a dedicated audience, and the album was certified double platinum due to the triple-disc format.
While the album may not have had the same commercial success as his 1980s peak, Prince's Emancipation was still a creative triumph, offering listeners an expansive body of work that demonstrated his ability to evolve and experiment. The album's scope, mixing intimate ballads, social commentary, funk, and rock, made it an essential part of Prince's discography, one that illustrated his desire to remain artistically free, uninhibited by the restrictions of his past label.
The Jam of the Year World Tour that followed in support of Emancipation was also a major success, although very few songs from the album were included in the setlists. The tour marked a strong comeback for Prince after the commercial disappointment of Chaos and Disorder, and helped to re-establish his position as one of the most influential and innovative artists of his time. Despite the relative obscurity of Emancipation in mainstream circles, the album remains a testament to Prince's artistic freedom and his desire to push the boundaries of music.
