A psychedelic, pastoral departure from the stadium-funk of the preceding 'Purple Rain' era, 'Around the World in a Day' saw Prince embrace a more introspective, ornate pop sound. The album signaled a deliberate move away from the mainstream rock audience he had captured, leaning into the more experimental and spiritual inclinations that would mark much of his subsequent work.
- The album's cover art, featuring a carousel motif, was painted by Robert R. Johnson, who had previously worked with The Bangles.
- "Raspberry Beret" was the lead single, reaching number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.
- Prince introduced the album live in its entirety on the first leg of the Parade tour, which had begun in April.
Prince was a Minneapolis-based multi-instrumentalist and pop auteur known for his prolific output and genre-bending fusion of funk, rock, and R&B. In 1985, he was at a commercial peak following the blockbuster success of Purple Rain and its accompanying film.
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