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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Moonbeam Levels (The New Master)
If the 1999 album sounds like dance music from a cyberpunk future, then “Moonbeam Levels” sounds as if it’s been beamed in from an entirely different solar system: had David Bowie’s Ziggy Stardust character been a product of the early ‘80s instead of the early ‘70s, this is exactly the kind of song I’d imagine…
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Don’t Let Him Fool Ya
While it’s clearly a throwaway, I defy anyone to get through “Don’t Let Him Fool Ya” without at least a head bob and a smile.
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Lust U Always (“Divinity”)
Had “Lust U Always” come out on 1999, Prince may have forced the issue of music industry self-censorship two years early.