Xpectation

{{use mdy dates|date=April 2016}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Xpectation

| type = studio

| artist = Prince

| cover = Prince xpectation 250-.jpg

| alt =

| released = January 1, 2003

| recorded = Autumn 2001{{Cite web |url=https://medium.com/@craig_walmsley/the-top-10-prince-albums-you-ve-never-heard-of-19ffd44c2bd6 |title=The Top 10 Prince Albums You've Never Heard Of. |last=Walmsley |first=Craig |date=November 24, 2015 |website=Medium.com}}

| studio = Paisley Park, Chanhassen, Minnesota

| genre = {{hlist|Jazz fusion|instrumental{{Cite web |url=https://www.stereogum.com/1685960/prince-albums-from-worst-to-best/franchises/counting-down/attachment/xpectation-2/ |title=Prince albums from Worst To Best: 8: XPectation (2003) |last=Shoup |first=Brad |date=June 25, 2014 |website=Stereogum}}}}

| length = 40:53

| label = NPG

| producer = Prince

| prev_title = One Nite Alone... Live!

| prev_year = 2002

| next_title = N·E·W·S

| next_year = 2003

}}

{{Music ratings

|rev1=The Guardian

|rev1score={{rating|3|5}}{{cite news |title=Prince: every album rated – and ranked |date=2016-04-22 |newspaper=The Guardian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221202021415/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/22/prince-every-album-rated-and-ranked |archive-date=2022-12-02 |url-status=live |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/apr/22/prince-every-album-rated-and-ranked}}

}}

Xpectation (subtitled "New Directions in Music By Prince") is the twenty-sixth studio album by American recording artist Prince. It was released on January 1, 2003, by NPG Records. It is the first instrumental album released under Prince's own name.{{Cite web |url=http://diffuser.fm/prince-xpectation/ |title=Prince Goes Instrumental with 'Xpectation': 365 Prince Songs in a Year |last=Giles |first=Jeff |date=January 8, 2018 |website=Diffuser.FM}} Previously unannounced, it 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!.{{Cite web |url=https://www.princeestate.com/albums/xpectation |title=Prince Discography Annotated: Xpectation |website=PrinceEstate.com}}

In 2004, Xpectation was released through the NPG Music Club's Musicology Download Store.{{Cite web |url=https://www.inverse.com/article/14899-the-5-best-underrated-prince-albums-from-lovesexy-to-xpectation |title=6 Great and Totally Underrated Prince Albums |last=Cook-Wilson |first=Winston |date=April 27, 2016 |website=Inverse.com}} The artwork by Sam Jennings{{Cite web |url=https://samjennings.com/work/portfolio/xpectation-cd/ |title=Xpectation Artwork |website=Samjennings.com}} was officially released in September 2015, when a digital lossless version was made available through music streaming service Tidal.