Xpectation

Lore & Background

Previously unannounced, Xpectation was released as an MP3 download on New Year's Day, 2003 to members of the NPG Music Club with no formal artwork, only two weeks after the commercial release of his previous album, One Nite Alone... Live!. In 2004, it was released through the NPG Music Club's Musicology Download Store. The artwork by Sam Jennings was officially released in September 2015, when a digital lossless version was made available through music streaming service Tidal.

In Their Own Story

The lights in Studio B flickered low as the tape machine hummed. He leaned back, listening to the playback one last time before the session ended. 'Keep it for later,' he murmured, erasing the label from the reel. Decades later, a bootleg box set would bear that title, but the master tapes remained locked in the vault, guarding the secrets of what could have been.

Reader's Guide

All songs on Xpectation were written by Prince. The album features Prince on keyboards and guitar, John Blackwell on drums, Rhonda Smith on bass guitar, Candy Dulfer on saxophone, and Vanessa Mae on violin.

Did You Know?

• Xpectation was released as an MP3 download with no formal artwork.
• It is the first instrumental album released under Prince's own name.
• The album's artwork was not officially released until September 2015.