Xpectation was the Prince album initially released through the NPG Music Club in 2003.
Prince issued the album as an unannounced MP3 download to NPG Music Club members on New Year’s Day, 2003. It arrived without formal artwork and was released by NPG Records. The album is notable as Prince’s first instrumental album under his own name, built around jazz fusion and atmospheric ensemble playing.
The recording features Prince on keyboards and guitar, with contributions from drummer John Blackwell, bassist Rhonda Smith, saxophonist Candy Dulfer, and violinist Vanessa-Mae. All of the songs were written by Prince, and the album runs for roughly 41 minutes.
A common mix-up is N·E·W·S., another instrumental Prince album released in 2003. Xpectation came first, on January 1; N·E·W·S. followed later that year. Xpectation received a wider digital presence through the NPG Music Club’s Musicology Download Store in 2004, but its initial member release was in 2003.