Two men who changed the meaning of masculinity have died within months of each other. Prince and David Bowie were iconic for more than just their music. They were fashion legends who showed young men and women that they did not have to conform to gender norms. Both stars encouraged their fans to be themselves regardless of what society told them. These two icons and sex symbols taught us lessons that we will remember long after their death.
1. Gender norms are bullshit.
Both David Bowie and Prince have smashed gender norms throughout their career. Wearing makeup, spandex, and Prince donning his iconic purple attire, they showed us that men do not have to conform to a certain look. Nothing was off-limits for these men in terms of fashion or their music. They embraced androgyny openly through their music, style, and as a part of who they were. Prince and Bowie redefined what a rockstar could be and showed that there is not one way to be a man.
2. Sexual people should not be shamed.
Sex appeal was a huge part of both men’s personality and stage presence. Prince is revered as being one of the sexiest performers of his time, with songs and whole albums dedicated to sex in addition to his voice, which could serenade just about anyone who heard him sing. Bowie and Prince celebrated their sexuality, and through their music, encouraged fans to embrace their own sexuality without being ashamed.
3. Be who you are unapologetically.
Prince and Bowie made it big on their own accord with their weird quirks and characters. They were new and weird when each of them made it big, and they wore their oddities proudly. Their talent stemmed from their refusal to be generic. Their music style was unconventional and adaptive. Both men became huge because they were different and inventive when it came to music.
4. Push limits.
When these two icons first hit the mainstream, jaws dropped. No one had seen musicians like this before: Boys with makeup and tights and crazy hair singing about outer space and sex. Needless to say, Bowie and Prince broke down walls and pushed limits when it came to their look and music style. Bowie taught us that we do not have to stick to one style or be the same person our whole lives. He changed his look with nearly every album he wrote, and each album has a sound and style of its own. Prince was always an unapologetic sex demon. His provocative lyrics paired with a voice that could go from singing a harmony into animalistic sex noises and proved that he was never ashamed to let his freak flag fly. Sex appeal was part of who he was, and no one had seen anything with like him before. And we will never see anyone quite like these two stars again.
These men did so much with their time on earth. Their legacy will live on in the hearts of their fans and those who looked up to them for guidance. Their music will continue to affect even if they are gone. Their songs, movies, style, and encouragement will last forever, and their mark on this world will never be broken. Both men loved their fans unconditionally and considered them before their passing. Bowie gave us "Blackstar" as a final goodbye, explicitly saying goodbye and forewarning us of his death in his featured song “Lazarus.” Prince spent his last few weeks ill from a severe flu, but that did not stop him from appearing at one last venue near his Paisley Park home. In his last appearance, he played the piano and guitar for his fans, and after addressed them saying, “Wait a few days before you waste any prayers.” Prince and Bowie cared about their fans and leave us with their memory and music forever. Though the Purple One and our Starman have left us, we can hold onto the biggest parts of them: The lessons we learned from them and the music that changed everything.
