Description
Book SynopsisPrince's position in popular culture has undergone only limited academic scrutiny. This book provides an academic examination of Prince, encompassing the many layers of his cultural and creative impact. It assesses Prince's life and legacy holistically, exploring his multiple identities and the ways in which they were manifested through his recorded catalogue and audiovisual personae. In 17 essays organized thematically, the anthology includes a diverse range of contributions - taking ethnographic, musicological, sociological, gender studies and cultural studies approaches to analysing Prince's career.
Trade ReviewPrince and Popular Music interrogates how each changed the other, offering a spectrum of approaches to an iconographic and enigmatic presence who graced any number of vibrant culture scenes with 40 years of innovation and invention. The contributors to this book got the music, and they got the look. * Benjamin Halligan, Director of the Doctoral College, University of Wolverhampton, UK *
In a detailed examination of one of the most important and eclectic popular artists of all time, Alleyne and Fairclough curate a wide range of perspectives which detail music, aesthetics, representation and politics. This impressively comprehensive study is essential to any study of Prince but is also an important contribution to musicology, celebrity studies, American studies, issues of identity, gender, race and more. The significance of Prince is reflected in the significance of this book. * Robert Edgar, Associate Professor of Creative Writing, York St John University, UK, and co-editor of Music, Memory and Memoir (Bloomsbury, 2019) *
This collection from the first-ever Prince symposium offers a compelling look into a wealth of interdisciplinary research inspired by and devoted to a pop artist of rare depth and complexity. The diversity of scholarship herein is a fitting tribute to Prince’s opulent creativity and unbound persona. * Albin Zak, Professor of Music, University at Albany, USA *
Table of ContentsIntroduction Mike Alleyne and Kirsty Fairclough
Part One Sound and Vision 1. Baby, I’m a Star: Prince's
Purple Rain Jason Wood, Manchester Metropolitan University, UK 2.
Under the Cherry Moon: Prince as His Most Authentic Self
De Angela L. Duff, New York University, USA 3. Before the Rain, 1980-1984: How Prince Got 'The Look'
Casci Ritchie, Independent Scholar, UK 4.
Prettyman in the Mirror: Dandyism in Prince’s Minneapolis
Karen Turman, Harvard University, USA 5. The Sound of Purple: Prince and the Development of Minneapolis Sound
Maciej Smólka, Jagiellonian University, Poland Part Two Purple Performance and Presence 6. Glam Slammed: Visual Identity in Prince’s
Lovesexy Mike Alleyne, Middle Tennessee State University, USA, and Kirsty Fairclough, University of Salford, UK 7. For You: The Neglected Guitar Style of Prince
Michael Ugrich, University of South Dakota, USA 8. To Make Purple, You Need Blue: Prince as Embodiment of the Postmodern Blues Aesthetic
Tom Attah, Leeds Arts University, UK 9. 'Tears Go Here': Commemorating the Minneapolis Prince and the International Prince
Suzanne Wint, Independent Scholar, USA Part Three Gender 10. Re-Imagining Masculinity: Prince’s Impact on Millennial Attitudes Regarding Gender Expression
Natalie Clifford, Independent Scholar, USA 11. 'We Can’t Hate You, Because We Love You': A Look at Prince, Queerness, Misogyny and Feminism
Leah Stone McDaniel, Independent Scholar, USA, and Shannan Wilson, Virginia Union University, USA 12. "Flying Aboard the Seduction 747": Prince, Humour and Horizontal Erotics
Annie Potts, University of Canterbury, New Zealand 13. When Were You Mine?: Prince’s Legacy in the Context of Transgender History
Joy Ellison, Ohio State University, USA Part Four Politics and Race 14. Prince: Introduction of a New Breed Leader
Kamilah Cummings, DePaul University, USA 15. 'Microchip in Your Neck': Prince’s 'War'
Zack Stiegler, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, USA 16. Prince: Conscious and Strategic Representations of Race
Twila L. Perry, Rutgers University School of Law, USA 17. It’s All About What’s in Your Mind: The Origins of Prince’s Political Consciousness
Crystal N. Wise, University of Michigan, USA Index
