Prince’s *Diamonds and Pearls* was a major commercial success in 1991, but the article presents it as a turning point in his career. Beneath the album’s polished energy, it says, Prince was increasingly unhappy with Warner Bros Records, foreshadowing a public dispute that would shape the years that followed.

The album reached number two in the UK and number three in the US; its single ‘Cream’ became Prince’s fifth and final US number one. The article links the period after its release to his 1993 name change to a symbol and argues that, although he continued making music for decades, he never quite regained his earlier level of success. It describes *Diamonds and Pearls* as the close of an era rather than simply his last great record.