April 21 will mark one year since the death of Prince, who has become an icon for many generations, impacting the music industry by defying gender, race and genre norms. His work cleared a path for new artists, new styles and a new idea of innovation in music and society. Prince created an image for himself that advanced the acceptance of nontraditional identities.
Prince Rogers Nelson was born in 1958, and he had grown up on music, with both of his parents being jazz musicians. When he was seven, Prince taught himself how to play the piano. By the time he was fourteen, he was able to play the drums and guitar, and he was a part of a band called "Grand Central" in high school. By the time Prince was 17, he had teamed up with aspiring manager Owen Husney, and he was not looking to be restricted by anything; it was suggested that Maurice White from "Earth Wind and Fire" produce Prince’s first album, but the young artist wanted full freedom and full control of his music, saying “Nobody’s going to produce MY first album.” Prince’s music was not confined to a single genre, as he combined elements of funk, pop and R&B to create somewhat of his own genre. No other artist could come close to what Prince was creating, because it was all his own.
Prince signed with Warner Bros. when he was 18, but he didn’t let that take control of his image within his music. Prince’s gender fluidity became apparent throughout all aspects of his musical career, including style, lyrics and performance. In the 1980s, with Prince’s fame growing, he began to show the world how to embrace androgyny. Prince made a statement to the world, emerging in eyeliner, high heels and tight, frilly, colorful outfits. He was ahead of his time, embodying both male and female aspects. He wanted a distinct image for himself.
Although Prince has passed, his lyrics will last forever, grounding his encouragement to challenge societal norms. In Prince’s song “Uptown,” from his 1980 album Dirty Mind, Prince sings “We don’t let society tell us how it’s supposed to be." Prince begged the question of his ethnic and gender identity in his song “Controversy,” with the lyrics “Am I black or am I white? Am I straight or am I gay?” No one can forget his direct assertion of his ambiguity, singing “I’m not a woman/ I’m not a man/ I am something that you’ll never understand” in his song “I Would Die 4 U.” Although there was no clear answer for how Prince identified sexually, it is clear that he was making a statement with his music: there doesn’t have to be a clear answer for any part of yourself— you determine your own self, even if it does not fit into the caged rules of societal norms.
After a feud with Warner Bros., in 1993 Prince changed his name to the unpronounceable “love symbol,” which is a combination of the male and female gender symbols. He says “Prince is the name that my mother gave me at birth. Warner Bros. took that name, trademarked it and used it as the main marketing tool to promote all of the music that I wrote.” Prince didn’t want his name to be associated with the mainstream fame that came with his music; he didn’t want to be labeled in any aspect.
Prince left such a strong legacy on audiences worldwide, and it was especially noticeable after his death. People, artists and audiences alike came together to honor and give thanks to a man who re-wrote identity rules. Barack Obama tweeted “'A strong spirit transcends rules,' Prince once said—and nobody's spirit was stronger, bolder, or more creative.” The world shed tears of purple, and many people (outside of the music industry also) showed their respects for Prince. NASA posted a photograph of a purple nebula in memory of Prince, and Frank Ocean, a contemporary singer who identifies as bisexual wrote: “He was a straight black man who played his first televised set in bikini bottoms and knee-high heeled boots, epic. He made me feel more comfortable with how I identify sexually simply by his display of freedom from and irreverence for obviously archaic ideas like gender conformity.”
Prince left an impact because he defied gender and music restrictions, appealing to audiences no matter their sexuality or what music they liked; because he was a combination of a little bit of everything, showing that there is not a certain way to live your life. He says “My father named me Prince because he wanted me to go further in the world, and that’s what I strive to do every day.” Prince was truly an artist. He didn’t let anything define him, and he didn’t let any of society’s rules stand in his way. He showed people how to embrace their own identity and appreciate the differences among others. His example of gender fluidity would push the world toward more honest, loving, and accepting ideas within society.
Many of Prince's songs comment on life and death. As Prince sings, "Sometimes it snows in April/ Sometimes I feel so bad/
Sometimes I wish that life was never ending/ And all good things, they say, never last." Although this song describes feelings after the death of a character in Prince's film "Under the Cherry Moon," it ironically fits the death of Prince. April is a time of Spring, sunshine and happiness, but sometimes it snows in April, and the world loses an icon.
However, Prince doesn't get hung up on the sorrow of death; he sings about living life to the fullest while we're here on this Earth. In his song "1999," Prince sings "Life is just a party and parties weren't meant to last," and "everybody's got a bomb, we could all die any day/ but before I let that happen, I'll dance my life away." In his song "Money Don't Matter 2 Night," he sings "If long life is what we all live for/ then long life will come to pass." In "Let's Go Crazy," he sings "We're all excited but we don't know why/ maybe it's cause we're all gonna die/ and when we do, what's it all for/ you better live now before the grim reaper come knocking on your door."
Even though Prince is gone, his music still lives, and we can take his advice; dance your life away and make the most of it before it's gone.
