✦ Emancipation - Album: Sept. 2019

Escape
Sep 12, 2019
3 min read

Updated: Feb 12

Originally released in 1996 in CD and cassette formats only, O(+>’s landmark triple‑album Emancipation was reissued on September 13, 2019, in multiple new physical editions. This reissue marked the very first time the album had ever been released on vinyl.

✦ FORMATS (2019 REISSUE)

• 6 × Vinyl LP, Album, Limited Edition, Reissue, Purple, 150‑gram

• Box Set, 3 × CD, Album, Reissue, Digipak

• 3 × CD, Album, Reissue, Blu‑spec CD2 (Japan‑only)

✦ CONTEXT

Emancipation was originally issued on November 19, 1996, as a 3‑CD, 36‑track set — a bold declaration of artistic freedom following Prince’s departure from his Warner Bros. contract. The 2019 reissue brought the album back into circulation with upgraded packaging and, for the first time, a full vinyl presentation across six LPs. The purple vinyl edition became a centrepiece of the 2019 Legacy/NPG reissue campaign, offering fans a premium archival version of one of Prince’s most ambitious projects.

✦ SIGNIFICANCE OF THE VINYL RELEASE

The 2019 edition marked the debut of Emancipation on vinyl — a long‑awaited moment for collectors. The album’s original 3‑hour runtime required a six‑disc configuration, making it one of the most expansive vinyl sets in Prince’s catalogue. The reissue preserved the original sequencing: three thematic “sets,” each exactly 60 minutes long, reflecting Prince’s fascination with structure, numerology, and artistic symmetry.

✦ DESIGN NOTES — EMANCIPATION (2019)

The cover art retains the iconic imagery of the 1996 release: the Love Symbol breaking free from chains against a dramatic sky, with raised fists symbolising liberation. The 2019 editions add a purple hype sticker highlighting key tracks (“The Holy River,” “Somebody’s Somebody,” “The Love We Make,” “Emancipation”) and Prince’s celebrated covers (“Betcha By Golly Wow!,” “Can’t Make U Love Me,” “One of Us”). The imagery reinforces the album’s central theme: creative freedom reclaimed.

✦ LEGACY

The 2019 reissue reaffirmed Emancipation as one of Prince’s most significant late‑career statements — a sprawling, joyful, deeply personal work celebrating autonomy, marriage, and artistic rebirth. Its first‑ever vinyl release introduced the album to a new generation of listeners and cemented its place within the broader Legacy/NPG archival programme.

TRACK LISTINGS

LP 2019

Side 1:

Jam Of The Year (6:09)

Right Back Here In My Arms (4:33) 1

Somebody’s Somebody (4:43) 2

Side 2:

Get Yo Groove On (6:31)

Courtin’ Time (2:46)

Betcha By Golly Wow! (3:30) 3

Side 3:

We Gets Up (4:17)

White Mansion (4:47)

Damned If Do (5:20)

Side 4:

Can’t Make U Love Me (6:37) 4

Mr. Happy (4:46) 5

In This Bed Scream (5:40)

Side 5:

Sex In The Summer (5:56)

One Kiss At A Time (4:40)

Soul Sanctuary (4:41) 6

Side 6:

Emale (3:37)

Curious Child (2:57)

Dreamin’ About U (3:52)

Side 7:

Joint 2 Joint (7:51) 1

The Holy River (6:55)

Let’s Have A Baby (4:07)

Side 8:

Saviour (5:48)

The Plan (1:46)

Friend, Lover, Sister, Mother/Wife (7:37)

Side 9:

Slave (4:51)

New World (3:42)

The Human Body (5:41)

Side 10:

Face Down (3:16) 1

La, La, La Means Love U (3:58) 7

Style (6:40) 8

Side 11:

Sleep Around (7:41) 9

Da, Da, Da (5:15) 10

My Computer (4:36)

Side 12:

One Of Us (5:19) 11

The Love We Make (4:38)

Emancipation (4:12)

CD Digi Pak

Disc 1: