Prince: His Spiritual Rebirth

In this episode of The Violet Vault, host Ava Cyr explores the remarkable story behind Prince’s 1988 album Lovesexy, a record born from one of the most dramatic artistic decisions in music history. After abruptly canceling the release of The Black Album—despite hundreds of thousands of copies already being pressed—Prince retreated to Paisley Park Studios and emerged just seven weeks later with a completely different vision. Ava examines how Lovesexy transformed themes of darkness and negativity into a celebration of faith, redemption, love, and personal growth, while highlighting standout tracks like “Anna Stesia,” “Alphabet St.,” and “Positivity.” The episode also covers the album’s controversial artwork, its innovative continuous-listening format, the ambitious Lovesexy Tour, and the lasting legacy of a project that showcased Prince’s willingness to reinvent himself and follow inspiration wherever it led.

Transcript

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The first time Ava Steer heard Prince was the day he passed. At 12 years old, she sat in her room listening to Purple Rain, and something in her changed. Now, years later, that moment lives on through the Violet Vault, a podcast exploring Prince's legacy, his music, and the world he created. Join Ava Seer as she opens the vault. One story, one era, one purple mystery at a time.

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Hello and welcome back to the Violet Vault. I'm your host, Ava Seer, and as promised, this will be the second episode for the week. Since last week I was unable to record due to a cold. But as I stated in the last episode, which if you already haven't listened to it, please go take a listen because it will make this episode a lot more sense. But as I said, these two episodes make sense to release back to back because that's what really happened in the late 80s. So let's dive back into our purple journey. In December 1987, Prince did something almost unimaginable. He canceled an album that was already pressed, packaged, and ready for release. Half a million copies of the Black album were reportedly sitting in warehouses when Prince suddenly ordered them to be withdrawn. And to record executives, it seemed insane. To Prince, it was almost necessary. And what happened next was even more remarkable. Instead of releasing a dark, aggressive funk record, Prince disappeared into his newly built Paisley Park studios and emerged just seven weeks later with something completely different. A record filled with spirituality, redemption, hope, and an unusual message from one of pop music's most igmatic stars, choose love over darkness. And this is the story of Prince's 1988 album, Love Sexy. So by the end of 1987, Prince was one of the most successful artists in the world. He had already released classics like 1999, Purple Rain, Around the World in a Day, Parade, and Sign of the Times. But yet, despite his success, he appeared to be at a crossroads. The dark energy of the black album no longer reflected where he wanted to be, artistically or spiritually. So Prince later described the black album as a product of negativity. Whether the turning point came from a spiritual awakening, a personal revelation, or simply a change in artistic direction, the result was the same. He abandoned the project and immediately began another. And that new project was Love Sexy. So released on May 10th, 1988, Love Sexy was recorded at Paisley Park Studios in an astonishing seven-week burst of creativity. Most of the album was performed by Prince himself, although key collaborators including Sheila E, Bonnie Boyer, Dr. Fink, Eric Leeds, Atlanta Bliss, and Ingrid Chavez contributed to the record's unique sound. But this wasn't simply another Prince album. It was designed as an experience. On the original vinyl release, songs flowed together almost seamlessly. Early CD editions even went further. The entire album appeared as a single, uninterrupted track lasting more than 45 minutes. And Prince wanted listeners to experience Love Sexy as a journey rather than a collection of individual songs. And as you could tell if you've listened to some other episodes previously, you know that Prince did this with many of his albums. And to me, it feels more like a musical journey rather than just a regular album. I think all the songs tie together, and it really is like Prince having a revelation within this album. And the album then opens with I know. It's a joyful declaration that immediately introduces the record's central themes, which are faith, optimism, and resistance to negativity. And throughout the album, Prince explores the battle between good and evil, temptation and redemption, fear and love. The songs are filled with references to God, spiritual growth, and personal transformation. Unlike the cynical humor of the Black album, Love Sexy reaches towards something uplifting. So take Anastasia, for example. Many fans and critics consider it the emotional centerpiece of the album, and it's personally one of my favorite songs on the album itself. And the song begins in a place of struggle and vulnerability before it builds towards a moment of spiritual revelation. And it's one of the most personal recordings Prince ever made, in my opinion. And then there's Positivity, the album's closing track, which obviously he made it very obvious that this was a clear detachment from the Black album. And it's a seven-minute long song, and it serves most of the mission statement for the entire project. Prince encourages listeners to reject cynicism and embrace a more hopeful outlook. And the message sounds simple, but in the context of what had just happened with the Black album, it feels deeply intentional. And of course, this was still Prince, and an even deeply spiritual Prince couldn't resist making people dance. The album's biggest hit was Alphabet Street. It was built around a playful groove, funky guitar work, and inventive wordplay, and it became a worldwide top 10 hit and introduced many listeners to the new direction Prince was taking. And something that's fascinating about Alphabet Street is that it contains one of the strangest footnotes in Prince's history. So in the music video, Prince inserted a brief message telling fans, don't buy the black album, I'm sorry. It's very quick frame, but if you slow the video down on YouTube, you can find it pretty easily. But you know, for people paying attention, it was basically just Prince publicly distancing himself from the record that he had just buried. But then there was also the album cover of Love Sexy. And as usual, Prince wasn't interested in subtlety. As you know, the black album was just a plain black sleeve. This album cover was completely different. And the cover featured Prince almost completely nude, and it was a white background, and he's posed among flowers in this kind of surreal, almost mythical image. And some retailers actually refused to stock it, and others just wrapped the album to hide the artwork because they found it so provocative. The controversy surrounding the album cover generated headlines, but it also reinforced the album's themes of innocence, vulnerability, and rebirth. And ironically, after replacing the completely black and mysterious packaging of the black album, Prince delivered one of the most visually striking covers of his career. Commercially, though, Love Sexy produced mixed results. In the United States, it peaked at number 11 on the Billboard 200, and it became Prince's first studio album since controversy not to make the top 10. But internationally, the story was very different. The album reached number one in the UK and several other countries, and European audiences embraced both the record and the ambitious tour that followed. And oh my gosh, what a tour! If you ever have the chance to go watch the footage on YouTube, I highly recommend. I hope the estate will release it someday. It is amazing. But the Love Sexy Tour featured one of the most elaborate stage productions Prince ever attempted. There were fountains, a basketball hoop, a full-size replica of a Ford Thunderbird, and it was just a massive theatrical set. And some of the most imaginative costumes you've ever seen at a Prince concert. The production was so ambitious that it became legendary. And for many people outside the United States, the Love Sexy Tour became their defining Prince concert experience. Over the years, Love Sexy has become one of the most fascinating albums in Prince's catalog. And it usually isn't the first Prince album that new listeners discover. I mean, most people often point newcomers towards Purple Rain or Sign of the Times or 1999. But among dedicated Prince listeners, Love Sexy has developed a reputation as something special. Its dense arrangements, spiritual themes, and seamless flow reward patience. And perhaps that's pretty fitting. Because Love Sexy wasn't created as a commercial calculation. It was created as a response. A response to doubt, darkness, temptation, and a moment when Prince decided he needed to change direction. When we look back at Prince's career, Love Sexy stands as one of his boldest artistic statements, in my opinion. Not because it sold the most copies or because it produced the most hits, but because it represented transformation. And it's the sound of an artist rejecting one version of himself and embracing another. A record born directly from one of the most dramatic decisions in music history. And more than three decades later, it remains a reminder that Prince's greatest gift wasn't simply writing songs. It was his willingness to follow inspiration wherever it led, even when it meant throwing away an album, starting over, and betting everything on new vision. So thank you so much for listening today, and I hope you enjoyed both of the episodes this week and maybe you learned a little something new. I'm your host, Ava Seer, Peace and Be Wild.

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The Violet Vault is hosted by Ava Seer, celebrating the sound, style, and spirit of Greeks. Subscribe wherever you find your podcasts. And follow the Violet Vault on Instagram and Facebook for new episodes and bonus stories.