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 Walk
“The Walk” is the What Time is It? track that most resembles the style of its predecessor. It’s long: nine and a half minutes, to be exact, roughly halfway between the lengths of “Get It Up” and “Cool.” And, like “Get It Up” and “The Stick,” it moves at a sauntering pace, driven by an…
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International Lover
Prince’s wheedling, ebb-and-flow delivery is a master class in the art of the tease; drawing out every word with delicious anticipation, only removing his tongue from his own cheek for long enough to slip it in someone else’s.
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Dance to the Beat
“Dance to the Beat” feels tailor-made for live performances, giving Morris plenty of opportunities to exhort the audience with the title phrase while the lively synth and guitar riff provides some additional inducement.