Prince naming his favourite artists in 2015

[Ladle Ghoulash 17,434]

6 hours ago, lil1th said:

Not Willard Smith being on the list.

I don’t even ride for her like that, but I feel like y’all haven’t heard anything she’s done since Whip My Hair and it shows 

 

[Ziggy 10,899]

8 hours ago, Killa said:

Tbh prince said back in 2003 that girl should use some piano or Guitar lessons tò really understand a bit more about music and music making. She had the potential etc. The Way that She seems to work on studio i think i might be right. Honestly can't understand why Someone Who puts so much effort in her music wouldnt put effort on herself this way. The sounds change, the test etc but more on the surface bit of we go really Deep to me her music input is basically

Freakum dress, im a diva, a gift from virgo on  and on and on. 

There are many talented writers that don't know theory. They usually end up knowing the basics along the way though. Its easier tò comunicate. Im sure Beyoncé knows what a minor chord or the dominant etc are. But can She properly go tò the piano and do a simple cadence. Those are tools that change your approach. Thats how you write like Roberta flack or burt bacarath. But yeah Shes talented and has a vision. 

I think you’re being insanely dismissive of what an expert vocalist would need to know. The way she sings some of those runs there’s no way she doesn’t have a VERY strong musical knowledge even if she’s not an instrumentalist. By that same logic I could tell any folk singer hey I think you could stand to study voice. Sure, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t absolutely incredible at what they do know and that knowing that well takes a TREMENDOUS amount of skill

[TheSine 6,139]

I got goosebumps while reading this for some reason. Prince is just too cool. Esperanza and Erykah are too.

[MayhemMonster 32]

ooh, more fun facts that you have. 

[lil1th 15]

8 hours ago, Ladle Ghoulash said:

I don’t even ride for her like that, but I feel like y’all haven’t heard anything she’s done since Whip My Hair and it shows 

 

I've heard most of her music, and I do like some of her newer stuff, but that interview was in 2015 and I don't think any of her music at that point was very good. 

[StrawberryBlond 14,342]

You can tell how old this list is based on those choices. Not all legends make the best predictions for who's going to be a big star or stick around, as you can see. I remember how Rita featured on one of his songs on his last album and at the time, I still don't know how she got that chance. Very few people snatch a Prince collab and she was only a few years into her career without a big US hit. There was a serious push at the time to make her a star and it just didn't work out and suddenly, all the hype just looked foolish. Prince never seemed like the type to say he loved an artist because he was told to promote them, though, so I don't know what this gushing was based on. Rita doesn't even write the majority of her own songs so why would be be impressed?

14 hours ago, OliviaRodrigoStan said:

He literally praised her to the heavens. I remember an interview where he talked about her, and called her "a force of nature" . 

Now people see her as a meme, but back then, she was marketed to be the next Rihanna, so in context, it made sense. She was believed to be the next big thing.

As a Brit, I remember that time well. She has multiple #1's and top tens here in her day, back when we had that ridiculous pre-order system for singles so that low-level artist with small fanbases were debuting at the top after months of pre-order accumulations. Her debut album was always being reduced to £4.99 on itunes to get people to buy it. Around the same time Cheryl Cole was also being hailed as the second coming with a massive hype machine behind her. At one point, both of them actually held the joint record of most UK #1's by a British female artist, along with Geri Halliwell. All 3 of them are has-beens now. What a weird moment in pop history. 

[Economy 48,226]

19 hours ago, Future Lovers said:

You could turn around and ask this question about any artist? Some artists mean a lot to people and connect with people in a way that maybe you don't understand. But you not understanding it doesn't make that connection and adoration people have for someone any less valid. 

You've gotta realize that Beyonce for over 25 years has been a constant beam of hope for one of the most marginalized group of people on the planet: black women. She has worked hard to get where she is and she has done it completely on her own in the face of unbelievable obstacles over the years. And she's done it while being very unapologetically feminine and unapologetically black. 

She has uplifted women in her work and used her very large platform to showcase black art. Not just her own, but other black artists from all different walks of art be it music, dance, or something else. 

That has inspired countless people over the years, and it has made her work and her career mean something really deep to people. Deeper than I think anyone who isn't effected by that could ever really understand. Her acclaim and her fame comes majorly from people recognizing the importance of what she does for culture, and especially the importance of her work to people who really need to see someone who is like them demonstrating that it's possible to be that girl even when day after day the world keeps trying to stop it from happening. 

There is really nobody out here right now as famous as Beyonce who is doing this much to uplift women of color and showcase the power of black art, and there hasn't been for quite a long time now. 

Ok fair points. I can at least agree shes an iconic symbol of inspiration to many

 

Purely from an artist and talent perspective. In my opinion shes still overrated. Not because she isnt really good, but because shes made out to be the mother of all critical acclaim and i dont think shes quite at that level

 

But thats my opinion

 

Edit: meant to include @Ziggy in reply as well 

Edited yesterday at 03:24 AM by Economy

[Ziggy 10,899]

20 minutes ago, Economy said:

Ok fair points. I can at least agree shes an iconic symbol of inspiration to many

 

Purely from an artist and talent perspective. In my opinion shes still overrated. Not because she isnt really good, but because shes made out to be the mother of all critical acclaim and i dont think shes quite at that level

 

But thats my opinion

 

Edit: meant to include @Ziggy in reply as well 

Yeah I mean it’s totally subjective! But I think why Prince specifically would like her tracks with a lot of Prince’s qualities as a person and artist. I mean, real probably meets real when he sees her really sing. We don’t think about it bc she makes it look easy but there’s a lot of stuff going on musically when she’s singing I could easily see him being like ok she’s that b— plus this interview was after self titled which at that point imo was her best album

[mightyriverz 2,080]

i'd like to see him quoting Cher as in "NOT MADONNA"

[Smother Em Eh 7,052]

I’m surprised Rita Ora out of all Artists of our time were one of his favorites. Like she’s the last one I think would be a LEGEND’s fav. Rita is just there she’s not like a MPG like Gaga, Nicki, Lana, Katy, Taylor etc. 

Edited yesterday at 05:26 AM by Smother Em Eh

[50 Ft Queenie 4]

No Stevie Nicks??    After he made those amazing synths in stand-back