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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Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?
In hindsight, “Why You Wanna Treat Me So Bad?” sounds like pop/rock perfection; but, like many of Prince’s early “rock” songs, its unique blend of genres was ever so slightly ahead of its time.
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I Wanna Be Your Lover
From its opening snare crack, the song is an uninhibited groove, with a bright, pulsing keyboard and guitar hook that leaps from the speakers straight into your hips.
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With You
“With You” is the slow dance at homecoming no one asked for.