

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 ". Four such covers appeared on the album: " Betcha by Golly Wow!" (previously a hit for the Stylistics), " I Can't Make You Love Me" (previously a hit for Bonnie Raitt), " La-La (Means I Love You)" (previously a hit for the Delfonics) retitled "La, La, La Means 👁 Love U", and " One of Us" (written by Eric Bazilian, and previously a hit for Joan Osborne). He said that he had wanted to cover songs in the past, but was advised against it by Warner Bros. Prince previously collaborated with Bush on the song "Why Should I Love You", released on Bush's 1993 album The Red Shoes.Įmancipation marked the first album in Prince's career to include cover versions of songs written by other songwriters. "My Computer" is a collaboration with British art pop musician Kate Bush, featuring lyrics examining the burgeoning online dating scene and its implications on how romantic relationships can develop in the internet age.

A recording of the child's heartbeat is featured as part of the percussion in the song, "Sex in the Summer". The child, born in October 1996 (about one month before the album's release), suffered from Pfeiffer syndrome type 2, a rare skull disease, and died shortly after birth.

Prince wrote several songs and ballads dedicated to his wife, Mayte Garcia, and his unborn child, most of which appear on the second disc of the album. 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. It features Prince singing in his falsetto range and Rosie Gaines on backing vocals. "Jam of the Year" is the opening song on the album. ("White Mansion", "Slave", "Face Down") while also returning slightly to the "computer" theme he explored a decade earlier ("Emale", "My Computer"). He also freely commented on his fame and dealings with Warner Bros. With his newfound freedom, Prince experimented more openly with varying genres, including house and blues. as well as his marriage to Mayte Garcia, who became his wife on Valentine's Day earlier that year. Emancipation is something of a concept album, celebrating his release from Warner Bros.
