Prince's pop life, song by song, in chronological order.
-
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.”
-
Father’s Song
Prince conceptualized Purple Rain during a period of estrangement from his father; yet the specter of John L. Nelson haunted the project from the beginning.
-
Wednesday
“Wednesday” is over so quickly that it may take a few listens for the grim desperation of its lyrics to register.
-
The Bird
A suitably ironic epitaph for the Time, Prince’s self-created rivals turned attempted usurpers.