He revolutionized music, masculinity, and sexuality. He was an icon and now it’s time to say goodbye.
His discography is one of the most unique and diverse that we’ve ever had the pleasure of listening to. From Purple Rain to Little Red Corvette to Cinnamon Girl he delivered each song with incredible flair and immeasurable talent. He created music that would last for generations and he made sure that, though they might try, no one could ever try to take it from him. He performed with so much intensity that other artists have been trying to emulate for decades. Every song, every album, and every show took us on a journey through his mind. It was like watching him explore the realms of his talent in an IMAX theatre. But Prince’s music isn’t the only legacy that he leaves behind to be passed down from generation to generation, he also leaves us his creativity and his wisdom.
When he reminded us at the 2015 Grammy Awards that, “Albums still matter. Like books and Black lives, albums still matter” he also reminded us that he is and will always be more than just a music icon. He told us that he had friends that are gay and that they studied the Bible together. He was outspoken, he was mesmerizing, and he didn’t care what people thought of him. From the way he casually rocked lacy outfits and four inch heeled boots, to his perfectly styled curls and finger waves; his carefree attitude and ambiguous sexual identity was what drove his female audiences wild.
But it wasn’t just the women who looked at him and sighed, it was also all of the men who watched him perform in crop tops and false lashes. To them he wasn’t just enticing women with his “softness” but he was changing the definition of masculinity. For black men, he inspired them to explore things that they normally wouldn’t. How could it be that Prince– this thin, short man was always surrounded by beautiful women? It was just who he was. There was never any secret method to his madness, only the fact that he was unapologetically himself.
His music changed lives but, his outfits changed perspectives. And it wasn’t just the outfits, oh no, it was the way he wore them! The effortlessness that he walked on those stages with is what made everyone wonder– why haven’t we seen this before? Except, we had. We’d seen it with Bowie and we’d seen a glimpse of it with James Brown but with Prince it was different. Black men didn’t do that. They didn’t walk onstage in lace jumpsuits or wear earrings and headscarves, but Prince did so that kind of made it okay. Those perfectly timed high notes and screams, the gyrating and bare chests; all of it combined with jaw-dropping ensembles deemed him fashionable and courageous. Women aspired to be with him and men wanted to be him. He brought something new to the table not only with his music but just with who he was. He was this mystery man that exuded confidence and sexual prowess.
After Prince, masculinity would never be the same and neither would the way the music industry viewed androgynous people. He proved that you could be sexy, cool, and also not be the typical definition of a male artist. He let the world know that all of the other stuff, the excess, wasn’t important. What mattered most was the music, and he never let anything get in the way of that. He rolled his eyes at artists he disliked, he smirked when someone said something he thought was funny, and he tilted his head in a way that made you rethink your whole life but most of all, he sparked something in people. All he wanted was for people to pay attention to what they listened to and who they listened to. He wanted them to pay attention to the lyrics, to the music and what went into them. He wanted people to understand that there was no standard anything for an artists, and that the ability to put out music that will speak to millions is all an artist wants. And luckily before he died, he got all of that.
In the decades that we have had the privilege of listening to and learning from Prince, I can honestly say that we have lost a legend. We will never forget the infamous Super Bowl XLI performance when it seemed that it hadn’t just rained by chance, but that Prince had called up to the heavens and said, “This is what I need from you tonight.” It’s strange talking about him in this way; like Prince is gone from the world for good. I don’t much like it. Deep down however, I know that he has left us with something no one, try hard as they might, can ever take away.
Rest in Power Prince.
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