Prince's pop life, song by song, in chronological order.
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The Belle of St. Mark
While “Glamorous” sounded tailor-made for Sheila’s particular talents (even if it wasn’t), “Belle” is well-crafted but faceless, embodying the essentialist cynicism of the publishing imprint Prince used for his female side projects: “Girlsongs.”
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The Beautiful Ones
So intense is Prince’s performance that it has, quite understandably, fueled a decades-long debate over what–or who–might have inspired it.
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Irresistible Bitch
Whether or not Prince intended “Irresistible” as his tip of the hat to the burgeoning rap scene, he was happy to take credit for it in retrospect.
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Computer Blue
Prince’s portrayal of a sentient, lovelorn CPU tapped into contemporary anxieties that society’s dependence on computers would have a dehumanizing effect, with cold logic taking the place of feelings and empathy.