Expanding the urban R&B and funk approach of his debut,
Prince is a considerably more accomplished record than his first effort, featuring the first signs of his adventurous, sexy signature sound. Although the album is still rather uneven, a handful of songs rank as classics. "I Wanna Be Your Lover" is excellent lite funk and "Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?" is a wonderful soulful plea, but "I Feel for You," a sexy slice of urban R&B with a strong pop melody, is the true masterpiece of
Prince, indicating the major breakthroughs of his next album,
Dirty Mind. [
Prince was re-released on LP in 2016.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine