Prince's pop life, song by song, in chronological order.
With “Doves” now on deck for his next single, Prince was in the market for a suitably killer B-side–a role “17 Days” would fill with aplomb.
“Gigolos” plays out like an inverse of “International Lover”: where that song allowed Prince to take his seduction routine less seriously, this one offers his protégé a moment of pathos, all while keeping tongue planted firmly in cheek.
“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…
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.