Prince's pop life, song by song, in chronological order.

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.”

“Manic Monday” has the hazy feel of a half-remembered dream–not least because its main melody directly echoes that of another dream song, “1999.”

Yet another example of how Prince’s musical palette had broadened–and of how Apollonia 6 just may be one of the brightest hidden gems in his catalogue.

A definitive move into a new, baroque phase of Prince’s musical evolution.