As a teenager in the 80s, I feel like we didn’t spend much time contemplating someone’s sexuality or race. We just loved his vibe and his music. He was one cool cat.
Right? Weidrly, I feel like there's more open racism now than when we grew up. Maybe not, but it just feels like everything is much more racial these days.
Prince was that dude who could come to the party in makeup and high heels and leave with EVERYBODY’S girl. Also the first song I ever heard of his was “Controversy,” which asked the question: “Am I Black or white? Am I gay or straight?” In the end he was just a sexy MFer, period.
I remember people did question his sexual orientation, but he kept on and then most people “got him” and realized he was straight as a gate (not that it matters). He was a true ladies man.
Prince would best you in a game of hoops and steal ur girl in one afternoon . Prince was as straight as they came . U can’t believe u are even questioning Prince . Nobody has ever questioned his sexuality in the 80’s
Nobody gave a boo about his feminine side. He was just Prince, made great music and is still the only man who can steal your girl while wearing high heels and eyeliner
Prince is a level of sexy that transcends gender/sexuality. Does it matter if he is straight, gay, bi or fluid? He's beyond all that labeling bullsquash.
… and seriously, it makes no difference what the sexuality or gender label is. Americans always want to segment and classify and separate and define a person and then judge them for stepping outside of the norms. Prince, George Michael, Boy George, Annie Lennox, Tracy Chapman, and Michael Jackson, among others, were all saying in their styles, hair, makeup, and non conforming dance movements- or lack thereof-that it doesn’t matter; what matters is Art and Music and Talent. Just let people be who they are and get to know them. Prince was Prince and everyone thought he was hot/talented/unique. When it comes down to it, we All are too, in some way. Get to know the person bc the labels don’t mean a thing.
I’m a mid-50’s white guy and my high school years were when Prince got really famous. I never once thought he was gay and all my friends who were girls thought he was hot. I can tell you that EVERYONE, white or black, thought the guy was a musical genius and loved his songs. I never got around to seeing him live, I always figured I’d do it one day but then he died and I realized I better start seeing people I want to when I get a chance. You probably won’t understand how big a star Prince was to my generation.
Totally agree (mid-50s white girl here lol). Back in the day there was a lot of homophobia in society, unfortunately, but perhaps as a reaction to that (perhaps not), a lot of the male '80s popular music artists had a rather "feminine" or "gender-bending" aesthetic, for lack of a better word, that probably grew from the 70s with David Bowie, etc. You had Boy George, George Michael, Adam Ant, so many others---lots of make-up, lots of feathered hair, etc. As a teenage girl, however, it made no difference to us at all. For instance, I had a huge crush on Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran---take a look at a photo of him from 1984 and you'll get what I'm saying lol.
I second that emotion. Class of ‘88 Prince was sexy af, we all agreed. He knows how to make a woman feel; puts that motion in the ocean. No one thought he wanted to be in the bedroom with anyone other than all of us women. We loved watching him dirty dance with a sense of humor. He was so much more than just what you see; one song, one dance, one desirable stare, one video - was not enough and we never got too much. I’d suggest his Purple Rain performance at the a Super Bowl Half-time show to see more of who he is.
Prince loved the ladies and the ladies loved him. He was definitely straight, even married, but you have to understand that in the 80s when Prince got big, androgyny was the look and style. Prince always had a very specific style and look that morphed through the years, but he always wore makeup and he was ALWAYS a very sensuous performer. On top of being a musical genius, Prince was really a pretty down to earth dude, considering how freaking famous he was...and still is.
Prince, from a woman’s point of view, is VERY sexy!! He used to intimidate men. There’s something about him and his aura. The man has swag, he has style, and he LOVED women!! He was also very mysterious. Every interview I’ve ever seen where a woman is talking to him, he makes them giggle and blush. He had the “IT” factor.
As a woman (and I don't speak for all of us) but I didn't think anything of it at the time. Things were a lot more laid back then. Prince was hot af & he could do whatever the heck he wanted. His confidence in just being his eccentric self just made him hotter imo.
He was/is/will always be one of the sexiest men who ever lived. I am 58, saw him in concert 3 times, and he definitely was a ladies man. We didn’t look at things through the same lens as people do today. Women loved him and men wished they could be him. You are overthinking things.
When Prince was releasing these videos, he was viewed as flamboyant and avant garde - but also incredibly sexy and not someone you would want to get close to your woman! 😉😄
Prince has a song lyric "I'm not a woman, I'm not a man, I am something that you'll never understand". Even his symbol name was a mix of masculine and feminine. He had an alter ego who was female and would often write from the female perspective and also gave a lot of opportunity to female artists and musicians, having them in his band and also writing songs for them. He identified as straight, and genderwise viewed himself as embodying characteristics across gender lines. He wasn't afraid to have feminine mannerisms, clothing items or to move in suggestive ways. Women just wanted him all the more for that. He was viewed as a sort of exception at the time where I don't recall him getting hate for it. People would just be like 'oh, that's just Prince.' He was his own thing and didn't care what people thought of him. Because of that level of confidence, he pulled it off and people really didn't mess with him. They were too busy making a big deal about everything MJ was doing and tearing him down to bother Prince at all. It's hard to believe for people sometimes, but there isn't a correlation between gender expression and gender identity and sexual orientation. They are all different dimensions and people can come in many different combinations of those. Prince demonstrates that beautifully.
I agree with a lot of what you said but wanted to touch on the song lyrics “I’m not a woman, I’m not a man, I’m something that you’ll never understand” from I Would Die 4 U. It’s not a song about Prince…it’s about the Messiah and us believing that He would die for us. Prince was brought up very religious although he had his struggles with the good-bad limits (especially in his younger years) like most people.
Did you just say you never see Prince dance?!?! Ok you really need to go down the Prince rabbit hole!☔️💜💜💜💜💜fyi all us ladies were and still are hot for Prince.. the 80’s were very different.. very common for the men to wear makeup.
Brother: Prince did not give a single fuck about what people thought about him. With one exception. He wanted his props on his guitar ability. He got it after joining an all-legend line up paying tribute to George Harrison by joining them on stage. The song is , “ Whike my Guitar Gently Weeps.”. Watch it and know why. Prince was a virtuoso guitar player.
The real deal is Prince cause he is considered today a pain in the ass for all die hard guitar players that Prince outplays as kidsplay and a pop icon for all music diversity. People and industry compared him to MJ for the sake of MJ on one hand of course, dissing Prince other monstrous abilities as whole musician / guitarist bandleader / songwriter on the other. Prince gave the industry the finger and mostly the rocker heads for dissing him out as the most underrated and today everybody claims they didnt know. The guy flooded the musical world with music of profound / prolific type that compare cant stand since the mid 70's and everybody today has second thoughts. In my opinion Prince should be compared to Hendrix, James Brown and Dylan. Prince laughs to us and he is definately right to call us slaves in musical world. He was a true revolutionaire. For him music/art has no boundairies.
By the time this song came out, Prince was already established as a superstar with quirks. And was accepted as such. On his first national tour (opening up for Rick James) he came out in black bikini bottoms and fishnet stockings. And certainly blew some minds. But as mentioned below, Prince was sex, plain and simple. And as his popularity grew, his sexuality wasn't mentioned; Prince loved women. And everyone loved Prince.
The dancer is Monique Mannen. Prince identified as straight, never promulgated intimate songwriting or personal relationships with men, and no men have ever come forward to allege intimacy with him.
Prince beat Mozart, he mastered over 14 instruments by age 17, he could dance, sing any note, rap, he wrote, arranged, performed ALL his music, including wrote hits for other artists, he has covered almost every genre, Metal, Punk rock, hip hop, pop, r&b, soul, jazz, blues, country, ambience, classical, techno, house, disco, instrumental. The Multi-Genre God. He could play anything, and your favorite artists have been deeply influenced by him. Corey Taylor, Whitney Houston, Steve Vai, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Lil uzi vert, H.E.R. , Paul Mccartney, all worship Prince to just name a few. Prince recorded his first 2 albums at 16 all by himself, all instruments, lyrics, arrangement, composition & vocals were all by him. He was such a prodigy, that music executives wanted proof, they would fly across country just to see if he could really play all instruments, because it was so unheard of. Prince has over 50 official released albums and when he passed, they found over 10 thousand unreleased Prince music in his vault. He then came into the business and was the FIRST to fight for artists rights, and he WON. He would write "slave" on his cheek and go to meetings protesting against the industry. Prince was also the first artist to sell his music on the internet. You are talking about the most talented artist we will ever see.
This was just who Prince was.... in the 80's... We had Prince, Boy George, George Michael, INXS, & all the hair bands where men had long hair & wore makeup all the time. And so many other artists. They tap into that feminine side, whether gay or not to create great music😊 Prince was everything! And for me & most women I know, when a man hits them high notes it just does something 🤤😍
Prince was just sexy. But the high notes didn’t do it for me. Opposite but the sound he made at 5:15 does. I like the low notes. One reason I love Elvis. When he does Suspicious Minds part when he goes to the ground and sing/sounds super low. 👍🏻 Or both is good and I think sometimes it’s very clear to women when a man can (can no doubt) show her a very good time. 😊
No question about what team he was playing on. My wife loved this man, and even managed to drag me to one of his concerts. Amazing performer for sure, and he could have left with any wife or girlfriend he wanted in that crowd. Great reaction!
Little Red Corvette. No one ever really knew!!! The line in this song "WOMEN, not girls, they rule my world." " Act your age -not your shoe size mama - and maybe we could do the Twirl." And you "gotta NOT talk dirty mama if you want to impress me- you can't be too flirty: I KNOW how to undress ME". I love what he does with his voice range too! He was just so gorgeous and really into health...but GOD rest his soul, we miss him.
to answer your question about how people felt about him having a feminine qualities as well as masculine qualities... this was the 80s and that shit just didn't matter to us. he was incredibly amazingly unimaginably talented and had charisma and style and that's what was most important
Prince wrote all his music, as well as hits for other performers. He played 27 instruments. At the age of 19 when he got his first contract, he insisted on being the producer and they accepted. He was an Artist of the highest order. He was a Genius and he left us way too soon and I miss him. May he rest in peace.
Prince was Prince. Period. His confidence was incredibly powerful. Everyone felt it and everyone was in awe and respected that man's talent. He was truly one of a kind and people, both men and women, were attracted to that. There will never be another like him.
Certainly, his flamboyance and the way he dressed made some people question his sexuality, but Prince was very much straight and had many women. It’s like they used to say, Prince is the only guy who can walk in the joint wearing heels and makeup and steal your girl.
Classic! As a lifelong follower and admirer of his music and artistry... he has never had any relationships with men ever come to light. He very much loved the ladies. But he was closer to what is now called gender-fluid. He said on many occasions that he was a true Gemini, he had 2 personalities inside and at least one was female. He was not afraid to let that energy be a part of him, but his sexuality... he was very heterosexual. Good case in point when people explain that gender and sexuality are not the same thing. But growing up as a gay man, he did show me you don't have to be afraid to be whatever is inside you. Important life lesson.
I am a born blue collar kid at 62 who loved classic rock. The Rolling Stones The Who in particular. Prince was a game changer for me once I met different people in college. He’s super talented and opened my eyes to new music 🎶
I'm such a fan/fam, even 8 years after his passing, I have a "Love Symbol" on the back of my car. Prince was a genius. Passed way too soon. The way I remember it, anyone over 30 when Prince came out were terrified of him. Anyone under 30 thought he was incredible. He played up the "controversy" (see said song by him). He was very very private, so most of us didn't know much about his life unless you bought books, records, and went to his concerts. No internet back then. He was so loathed by "adults," they started the Parental Warning Stickers on albums because of Prince (and a few others). That just meant we tweens/teens had to sneak around to hear his albums or watch his movies. However, I heard the spirituality in his music, so I even wrote a term paper in seminary about the religion in his songs (up to 1993). Saw him live 5x.
Decades ago I had a UPS driver "Dave" who delivered to the warehouse I worked at, and I don't think there was a day that went by he didn't sing Princes praises. It really was borderline obsession, as I've enjoyed many artist and bands, but never talked about them at length with co-workers or random people I came in contact with. And while I never got to Dave's level of being a Prince fan, I did finally come to understand how amazingly talented he actually was. He can play so many instruments and not just play them, but use them at a high level of mastery. He was a once in a generational artist, and to see any of his live stuff, was to know his greatness. His performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for George Harrison's induction is the stuff of legend.
Prince danced in a few videos but he danced all the time in live performances. There's really good dancing in his Thieves in the Temple video. Sadly, it was the dancing in heeled boots that led to the hip pain that led to prescription drug issues that led to his death.
He wasn't gay he loved the ladies I remember when his son was born and passed away right after birth he just doesn't what he wants I loved him when I was growing up one of a kind artist
34 years I have spent time with this song and I always thought it was ‘ain’t no particular SOUND I’m more compatible with’ and tbh that never made sense. That it’s SIGN is a revelation. Nice review and ty for this!
I had the good fortune to see Prince live from the 80s on. Prince is one of the few artists who's live performances made you forget the original songs for days. Check out "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night" live. It speaks for itself!
Never saw him dance like this? He was known for his dancing, as well as his mastery of 26 instruments as well as an out of this world overall dynamic entertainer! Definitely redefined what a man's man was and is! We never questioned his sexuality at all!
I was about 16 when this came out. I remember my boss at the time bought this while at lunch and brought it back to work with him (back then it was an actual vinyl album). He was Italian-American, from Collinwood, Cleveland (Italian-Irish gang wars happened here when he was in school, and it was a tough neighborhood in general, so so us he was hard as nails). I made some joke about such a tough guy buying this song and he just looked at me coolly and said "this song is sexy as hell".
Back in the day, I had a friend who was a HUGE Prince fan and went to as many concerts as possible. She said they’d always check out local clubs (especially Jazz) afterwards because Prince was known to randomly show up for improv jam sessions. That’s just how much he was into music. An all around musician and performer Like other comments, in the 80s people began to dress androgynously, but no one really questioned ones sexuality. Males were considered as men and female as women… The majority of women considered Prince Intriguing and irresistibly sexy. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized how tiny he was because all the females in his videos and movie were also exceptionally small and his boots were always stacked.. I’m 5’3 and he was only 5’2!😮
I think perhaps certain artists like Prince & Bowie enjoyed keeping people guessing by remaining somewhat ambiguous. Like, they found it amusing how important their sexuality was to some.😅
80s was a time of some men experimenting with the idea of femininity and women with their masculinity, without it necessarily being about sexuality. The 80s saw a lot of pre-existing conservative socio-political boundaries being pushed, especially in the UK with Thatcherism, and the Punk movement continued its expression of anti-establishment values, seen in fashion as much as it was heard in music. Of course, not every member of the public was pushing boundaries and the traditional masculine and feminine gender roles of everyday working people still remained and difference wasn’t always accepted in reality. But if you were a singer, say, and your talent was as overwhelmingly undeniable as Prince’s, people were like ‘who cares if he’s this, that or the other, he’s a genius!’ It’s the fans that emulated their idols’ styles that were more likely to face adversity, especially in small towns. There are lots of UK films and TV shows that show this social split in attitudes. I think the movie Billy Elliot did a pretty damn good job of it - if you haven’t seen it, I recommend it. It’s got a wicked soundtrack to boot.
When I was in 7th grade it was all about The B52s, The Clash and The Kinks vs. AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin and then Rap like the Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC going into the early 80's
Prince was just next level....everyone understood he was above regular "rules" and understood even in heels and eyeliner, he could steal your woman if he chooses to!😂❤❤❤RIP THE LEGEND THAT WAS PRINCE 🤴 ❤🙏❤
No one cared if he was gay. Ladies loved him...guys loved him. I never heard anyone say, "oh he's gay." He was just such a great performer and is missed.
I was wondering if you’d get to more Prince. So glad you have!!! Prince was definitely straight but in touch with his own femininity and loved to push boundaries. He did not care what people thought or said about him. You should check out the song Controversy because it speaks to some of that. Would love for you to do more Prince reactions. I recommend the live version of America. For more boundary pushing, check out I Wanna Be Your Lover/Head from the Detroit show on the Parade tour.
The Girls just thought he was sexy, he had the most beautiful women that he went out with and a couple he married, he was 100 % Straight! Check out all the women he's been with on you tube!
Not only did he wear makeup and heels, but he was a small man, short and skinny. But no one came close to him when it came to sex appeal! It didn't matter what type of guy you were into, Prince was one of them. He makes this old lady feel like I'm 16 again. lol Just want to dance and watch him dance, and pretend he's singing to me.
Back in the day he revolutionized the idea of artists being paid properly and championed owning one’s own work. He changed the music industry in favor of artists. This dude could out dance, out sing, out perform, and out play every cat in the same room. He was simply just a once in a lifetime type of talent. This talent came with many downfalls like he was a bit of a recluse as he was normally a shy and timid person but on stage he was hurricane force to be believed. He gave such effort to music and his craft that it took a large toll on his body. Music was his life and thankfully he shared that with us. Sadly in the end he was in a lot of pain physically from such wear on his body. If you never saw him live in action you truly missed out on one of the most musically gifted artists of the last 100 years. You can go deep down the rabbit hole that is Prince. It will be a journey well worth it.
I have a different recollection from the 80s: there was always speculation that Prince was gay, and he was well aware of it. But it was mostly men who were quick to label him gay. Paradoxically, most women were too enamored with Prince to be questioning his sexual orientation. But that speculation followed him like a shadow for about 30 years into his career. I don’t think the public really backed up off of that perception until Prince had reached his early 50s, and he had gone through two marriages, (plus numerous high-profile, romances with beautiful women over the years). As a female, I think most of us (women) inherently knew which half his audience he was working so hard-and very successfully-to seduce. But there literally wasn’t any other artist aside from Prince who was so tapped into the female gaze and who catered to the ladies the way he did. Women understood it implicitly; most guys just didn’t get it. But they gave Prince a pass because his songs were FIRE 🔥 and his skills as a singer, musician and entertainer commanded a certain respect. And you are not wrong. Prince most definitely had a an inner feminine energy (and that b***** was fierce!). Wendy Melvoin, Prince’s guitarist in the mid 80s, I think explained it best when she said he had an raging lesbian. Living inside of him. (People who knew him closely over the years have repeatedly confirm that he was straight.) Even his singing on a few of his earlier ballads was frequently mistaken for a female. But people didn’t love those songs any less for it. They were beautiful and he sounded like an angel. Plus Prince could also ooze masculinity from his pores, so there was something there for straight guys to identify with from time to time. .
I was born the same year as Prince 1958. He was a straight man! He was very much loved. My favorite artist, musician, vocalist, dancer, fashion icon👏🏽 A beautiful man and a kind soul! All man 💪🏽 You need to check out the Charlie Murphy Rick James stories about hanging out with Prince.
People never questioned him or cared. He was sexy period. He clearly said he's not a woman or man and not something anyone can comprehend. We loved him for him.
In the 80s when I was young we firmly believed that labels were for clothes, not for people, but nowadays everyone wants to label themselves with increasingly precise labels and fight to death to stay labeled the way they want, and that is very sad and alienating.
I have been in the reactions to Prince songs (especially the naughy ones) rabbit hole all night. So weird how he shocks the hell out of these youngins. For us, it was just Prince! RIP Legend. Cannot believe he's gone.
In the 70’s and 80’s, society was just tougher, thicker skin. People did what they wanted, acted how they wanted, and just dealt with stuff. I’m not saying it was easy for gay people, but anytime you buck the norm it’s going to be shocking and gather criticism. Heck, today some people are afraid to talk about politics for fear of retribution. It was a different time. Even if prince was gay, it wouldn’t have scared his fans away. Freddy Mercury, George Michael, Rob Halford…no one really cares. Is the music good?
So right and thanks for saying this. Good music is good music and should be appreciated. All of those men mentioned above were amazing, speaking as a straight 66 year old woman. I could have cared less is they liked men or women, did their music make me move or feel moved? Yes!
4:19 😂😂😂😂😂 maaannnn Prince is just Prince the whole world was in love 💕 with him ...truely androgenous in his style...a genius in every sense of the word...love Prince💜💜💜💜💜💜
As a teenager in the 80s, I feel like we didn’t spend much time contemplating someone’s sexuality or race. We just loved his vibe and his music. He was one cool cat.
Right? Weidrly, I feel like there's more open racism now than when we grew up. Maybe not, but it just feels like everything is much more racial these days.
We really didn’t. He was tiny, weird, sexy, incredibly diverse and we wanted to either be like him or be with him.
And those were the best times ever!
so right!
Truth
Prince was that dude who could come to the party in makeup and high heels and leave with EVERYBODY’S girl. Also the first song I ever heard of his was “Controversy,” which asked the question: “Am I Black or white? Am I gay or straight?” In the end he was just a sexy MFer, period.
Period. RIP SMF
💯! walks out with your girl and all you can do is nod and say "yep, makes sense".
Truth! ❤
This! Yes, makeup and heels and take your girl if he wants to, that was Prince!
Word.
The ONLY man that can walk into a room in high heels, feathers and Make-up and NOBODY questions his Immense Masculine Sexuality.
So true and when he spoke…So male.
Precisely!
FACTS
Yessss
Actually Prince followed in the footsteps of Evils, Liberace & Glam Rockers.
I don’t think anyone questioned his sexuality. He was just hot.
If the 80's had a kissing booth with Prince and Magnum PI in it, there would be more straight guys in Prince's line than gay guys in Magnum's.
I think Prince was one of those you'd call confident about his sexuality. He could wiggle and jiggle whatever kind of sexy there is.
I remember people did question his sexual orientation, but he kept on and then most people “got him” and realized he was straight as a gate (not that it matters).
He was a true ladies man.
Prince could steal your girl in a pair of 4 inch heals and a belly shirt anytime he wanted💯☑️☑️☑️
Prince would best you in a game of hoops and steal ur girl in one afternoon . Prince was as straight as they came . U can’t believe u are even questioning Prince . Nobody has ever questioned his sexuality in the 80’s
Prince was just Prince. I grew up in the 80s and I never heard anyone question his sexuality.
True. Anyone who has heard him play a solo, knows he was guitarosexual. Only that matters.
Nobody gave a boo about his feminine side. He was just Prince, made great music and is still the only man who can steal your girl while wearing high heels and eyeliner
Yes!
😂😂
Amen ❤😂😊
Prince is a level of sexy that transcends gender/sexuality. Does it matter if he is straight, gay, bi or fluid? He's beyond all that labeling bullsquash.
… and seriously, it makes no difference what the sexuality or gender label is. Americans always want to segment and classify and separate and define a person and then judge them for stepping outside of the norms. Prince, George Michael, Boy George, Annie Lennox, Tracy Chapman, and Michael Jackson, among others, were all saying in their styles, hair, makeup, and non conforming dance movements- or lack thereof-that it doesn’t matter; what matters is Art and Music and Talent. Just let people be who they are and get to know them. Prince was Prince and everyone thought he was hot/talented/unique. When it comes down to it, we All are too, in some way. Get to know the person bc the labels don’t mean a thing.
I’m a mid-50’s white guy and my high school years were when Prince got really famous. I never once thought he was gay and all my friends who were girls thought he was hot. I can tell you that EVERYONE, white or black, thought the guy was a musical genius and loved his songs. I never got around to seeing him live, I always figured I’d do it one day but then he died and I realized I better start seeing people I want to when I get a chance. You probably won’t understand how big a star Prince was to my generation.
Totally agree (mid-50s white girl here lol). Back in the day there was a lot of homophobia in society, unfortunately, but perhaps as a reaction to that (perhaps not), a lot of the male '80s popular music artists had a rather "feminine" or "gender-bending" aesthetic, for lack of a better word, that probably grew from the 70s with David Bowie, etc. You had Boy George, George Michael, Adam Ant, so many others---lots of make-up, lots of feathered hair, etc. As a teenage girl, however, it made no difference to us at all. For instance, I had a huge crush on Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran---take a look at a photo of him from 1984 and you'll get what I'm saying lol.
I second that emotion.
Class of ‘88
Prince was sexy af, we all agreed.
He knows how to make a woman feel; puts that motion in the ocean.
No one thought he wanted to be in the bedroom with anyone other than all of us women.
We loved watching him dirty dance with a sense of humor.
He was so much more than just what you see; one song, one dance, one desirable stare, one video - was not enough and we never got too much.
I’d suggest his Purple Rain performance at the a Super Bowl Half-time show to see more of who he is.
Prince loved the ladies and the ladies loved him. He was definitely straight, even married, but you have to understand that in the 80s when Prince got big, androgyny was the look and style. Prince always had a very specific style and look that morphed through the years, but he always wore makeup and he was ALWAYS a very sensuous performer. On top of being a musical genius, Prince was really a pretty down to earth dude, considering how freaking famous he was...and still is.
prince was bi 🎉 check out the song controversy
@@fnlmhm dabbling doesn't mean that is what you are.
Never saw him as gay...just hot. Prince is his own category, never will be another like him.
Never...ever...not a homophope...but Prince always turns this girl on! The SEXIEST!
Prince was Mr Steal your girl while wearing heals … the man is an OG
Prince, from a woman’s point of view, is VERY sexy!! He used to intimidate men. There’s something about him and his aura. The man has swag, he has style, and he LOVED women!! He was also very mysterious. Every interview I’ve ever seen where a woman is talking to him, he makes them giggle and blush. He had the “IT” factor.
I saw Prince 3 times and there is nothing better than watching his shows💜💜💜 Prince was Sex on a Stick. Not gay😂😂
Yes Sex on a Stick !! He was the polar opposite of “Gay”… Prince hit Alllll the ladies . All 5”4 of him !
How did people feel about Prince? He was one of the most revered singers ever. People LOVED him more than they loved life itself.
And one of the best guitarists...underrated.
Calm down, man.
As a woman (and I don't speak for all of us) but I didn't think anything of it at the time. Things were a lot more laid back then. Prince was hot af & he could do whatever the heck he wanted. His confidence in just being his eccentric self just made him hotter imo.
He was/is/will always be one of the sexiest men who ever lived. I am 58, saw him in concert 3 times, and he definitely was a ladies man. We didn’t look at things through the same lens as people do today. Women loved him and men wished they could be him. You are overthinking things.
When Prince was releasing these videos, he was viewed as flamboyant and avant garde - but also incredibly sexy and not someone you would want to get close to your woman! 😉😄
Shout out to Wendy Melvoin rocking the guitar!
Prince has a song lyric "I'm not a woman, I'm not a man, I am something that you'll never understand". Even his symbol name was a mix of masculine and feminine. He had an alter ego who was female and would often write from the female perspective and also gave a lot of opportunity to female artists and musicians, having them in his band and also writing songs for them. He identified as straight, and genderwise viewed himself as embodying characteristics across gender lines. He wasn't afraid to have feminine mannerisms, clothing items or to move in suggestive ways. Women just wanted him all the more for that. He was viewed as a sort of exception at the time where I don't recall him getting hate for it. People would just be like 'oh, that's just Prince.' He was his own thing and didn't care what people thought of him. Because of that level of confidence, he pulled it off and people really didn't mess with him. They were too busy making a big deal about everything MJ was doing and tearing him down to bother Prince at all. It's hard to believe for people sometimes, but there isn't a correlation between gender expression and gender identity and sexual orientation. They are all different dimensions and people can come in many different combinations of those. Prince demonstrates that beautifully.
I agree with a lot of what you said but wanted to touch on the song lyrics “I’m not a woman, I’m not a man, I’m something that you’ll never understand” from I Would Die 4 U. It’s not a song about Prince…it’s about the Messiah and us believing that He would die for us. Prince was brought up very religious although he had his struggles with the good-bad limits (especially in his younger years) like most people.
Did you just say you never see Prince dance?!?! Ok you really need to go down the Prince rabbit hole!☔️💜💜💜💜💜fyi all us ladies were and still are hot for Prince.. the 80’s were very different.. very common for the men to wear makeup.
Brother: Prince did not give a single fuck about what people thought about him. With one exception. He wanted his props on his guitar ability. He got it after joining an all-legend line up paying tribute to George Harrison by joining them on stage. The song is , “ Whike my Guitar Gently Weeps.”. Watch it and know why. Prince was a virtuoso guitar player.
He was AMAZING in that tribute!!!
And one of best guitarist ever...! If not the best!
Rolling Stone magazine asked Eric Clapton who the best guitar player in the world is. Eric said "I don't know, why don't you go ask Prince"
The real deal is Prince cause he is considered today a pain in the ass for all die hard guitar players that Prince outplays as kidsplay and a pop icon for all music diversity. People and industry compared him to MJ for the sake of MJ on one hand of course, dissing Prince other monstrous abilities as whole musician / guitarist bandleader / songwriter on the other. Prince gave the industry the finger and mostly the rocker heads for dissing him out as the most underrated and today everybody claims they didnt know. The guy flooded the musical world with music of profound / prolific type that compare cant stand since the mid 70's and everybody today has second thoughts. In my opinion Prince should be compared to Hendrix, James Brown and Dylan. Prince laughs to us and he is definately right to call us slaves in musical world. He was a true revolutionaire. For him music/art has no boundairies.
By the time this song came out, Prince was already established as a superstar with quirks. And was accepted as such. On his first national tour (opening up for Rick James) he came out in black bikini bottoms and fishnet stockings. And certainly blew some minds. But as mentioned below, Prince was sex, plain and simple. And as his popularity grew, his sexuality wasn't mentioned; Prince loved women. And everyone loved Prince.
R.I.P. Prince. I miss you 😢
The dancer is Monique Mannen. Prince identified as straight, never promulgated intimate songwriting or personal relationships with men, and no men have ever come forward to allege intimacy with him.
Androgeny was very 'in fashion' in the 80s 💜💜💜
It was....
yes, it was@@christikirk7265
He was so sexy in his day! All the women loved him.
Prince is art in motion, he's very expressive. Gotta love it.
He was straight
Like 6 o'clock...
Definately...
Prince beat Mozart, he mastered over 14 instruments by age 17, he could dance, sing any note, rap, he wrote, arranged, performed ALL his music, including wrote hits for other artists, he has covered almost every genre, Metal, Punk rock, hip hop, pop, r&b, soul, jazz, blues, country, ambience, classical, techno, house, disco, instrumental. The Multi-Genre God. He could play anything, and your favorite artists have been deeply influenced by him. Corey Taylor, Whitney Houston, Steve Vai, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Lil uzi vert, H.E.R. , Paul Mccartney, all worship Prince to just name a few.
Prince recorded his first 2 albums at 16 all by himself, all instruments, lyrics, arrangement, composition & vocals were all by him. He was such a prodigy, that music executives wanted proof, they would fly across country just to see if he could really play all instruments, because it was so unheard of. Prince has over 50 official released albums and when he passed, they found over 10 thousand unreleased Prince music in his vault. He then came into the business and was the FIRST to fight for artists rights, and he WON. He would write "slave" on his cheek and go to meetings protesting against the industry. Prince was also the first artist to sell his music on the internet. You are talking about the most talented artist we will ever see.
He was a hell of a basketball player, too! We lost him too soon.
Yea he can rap too Prince and Ll cool J , Luther Vandross, Salt & Pepa and Whitney was all I listen too back then
Yessss !!! Prince 4ever💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜💜....
This was just who Prince was.... in the 80's... We had Prince, Boy George, George Michael, INXS, & all the hair bands where men had long hair & wore makeup all the time. And so many other artists. They tap into that feminine side, whether gay or not to create great music😊 Prince was everything! And for me & most women I know, when a man hits them high notes it just does something 🤤😍
Prince was just sexy. But the high notes didn’t do it for me. Opposite but the sound he made at 5:15 does. I like the low notes. One reason I love Elvis. When he does Suspicious Minds part when he goes to the ground and sing/sounds super low. 👍🏻 Or both is good and I think sometimes it’s very clear to women when a man can (can no doubt) show her a very good time. 😊
No question about what team he was playing on. My wife loved this man, and even managed to drag me to one of his concerts. Amazing performer for sure, and he could have left with any wife or girlfriend he wanted in that crowd. Great reaction!
Little Red Corvette. No one ever really knew!!! The line in this song "WOMEN, not girls, they rule my world." " Act your age -not your shoe size mama - and maybe we could do the Twirl." And you "gotta NOT talk dirty mama if you want to impress me- you can't be too flirty: I KNOW how to undress ME". I love what he does with his voice range too! He was just so gorgeous and really into health...but GOD rest his soul, we miss him.
to answer your question about how people felt about him having a feminine qualities as well as masculine qualities... this was the 80s and that shit just didn't matter to us. he was incredibly amazingly unimaginably talented and had charisma and style and that's what was most important
Prince wrote all his music, as well as hits for other performers. He played 27 instruments. At the age of 19 when he got his first contract, he insisted on being the producer and they accepted. He was an Artist of the highest order. He was a Genius and he left us way too soon and I miss him. May he rest in peace.
Prince was Prince. Period. His confidence was incredibly powerful. Everyone felt it and everyone was in awe and respected that man's talent. He was truly one of a kind and people, both men and women, were attracted to that. There will never be another like him.
Certainly, his flamboyance and the way he dressed made some people question his sexuality, but Prince was very much straight and had many women. It’s like they used to say, Prince is the only guy who can walk in the joint wearing heels and makeup and steal your girl.
He was not gay but saw Love & Sex in a spectrum of color and style 🔥🔥🔥🔥Lit💥
Classic! As a lifelong follower and admirer of his music and artistry... he has never had any relationships with men ever come to light. He very much loved the ladies. But he was closer to what is now called gender-fluid. He said on many occasions that he was a true Gemini, he had 2 personalities inside and at least one was female. He was not afraid to let that energy be a part of him, but his sexuality... he was very heterosexual. Good case in point when people explain that gender and sexuality are not the same thing. But growing up as a gay man, he did show me you don't have to be afraid to be whatever is inside you. Important life lesson.
I am a born blue collar kid at 62 who loved classic rock. The Rolling Stones The Who in particular. Prince was a game changer for me once I met different people in college. He’s super talented and opened my eyes to new music 🎶
🌸 we didn't care how feminine or how non feminine he dressed or how much makeup he wore or didn't wear....he was FANTASTIC
I'm such a fan/fam, even 8 years after his passing, I have a "Love Symbol" on the back of my car. Prince was a genius. Passed way too soon. The way I remember it, anyone over 30 when Prince came out were terrified of him. Anyone under 30 thought he was incredible. He played up the "controversy" (see said song by him). He was very very private, so most of us didn't know much about his life unless you bought books, records, and went to his concerts. No internet back then. He was so loathed by "adults," they started the Parental Warning Stickers on albums because of Prince (and a few others). That just meant we tweens/teens had to sneak around to hear his albums or watch his movies. However, I heard the spirituality in his music, so I even wrote a term paper in seminary about the religion in his songs (up to 1993). Saw him live 5x.
This is hubbys account, I am Sandra, I saw this man 3 times in concert, i was a fan from 83, he was all man, we never questioned, we just loved him.
Yes. All man, all day.
I loved "act your age, not your shoe size!".
Excellent reaction, fam. Prince was a once in a century artist.
Don’t forget he changed his name to a symbol because he didn’t want to be put in box or labeled.
Decades ago I had a UPS driver "Dave" who delivered to the warehouse I worked at, and I don't think there was a day that went by he didn't sing Princes praises. It really was borderline obsession, as I've enjoyed many artist and bands, but never talked about them at length with co-workers or random people I came in contact with. And while I never got to Dave's level of being a Prince fan, I did finally come to understand how amazingly talented he actually was. He can play so many instruments and not just play them, but use them at a high level of mastery. He was a once in a generational artist, and to see any of his live stuff, was to know his greatness. His performance at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for George Harrison's induction is the stuff of legend.
Prince danced in a few videos but he danced all the time in live performances. There's really good dancing in his Thieves in the Temple video. Sadly, it was the dancing in heeled boots that led to the hip pain that led to prescription drug issues that led to his death.
He wasn't gay he loved the ladies I remember when his son was born and passed away right after birth he just doesn't what he wants I loved him when I was growing up one of a kind artist
Check out Prince’s Super Bowl show. Simply. Epic.
34 years I have spent time with this song and I always thought it was ‘ain’t no particular SOUND I’m more compatible with’ and tbh that never made sense. That it’s SIGN is a revelation. Nice review and ty for this!
I had the good fortune to see Prince live from the 80s on. Prince is one of the few artists who's live performances made you forget the original songs for days. Check out "It's Gonna Be A Beautiful Night" live. It speaks for itself!
The girl with the vail is Carmen Electra, this is back when he was dating her.
Never saw him dance like this? He was known for his dancing, as well as his mastery of 26 instruments as well as an out of this world overall dynamic entertainer! Definitely redefined what a man's man was and is! We never questioned his sexuality at all!
80s R&B hit different this my shit back then Keith Sweat, Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Al b sure, Babyface, etc was my teenage 80s life
I was about 16 when this came out. I remember my boss at the time bought this while at lunch and brought it back to work with him (back then it was an actual vinyl album). He was Italian-American, from Collinwood, Cleveland (Italian-Irish gang wars happened here when he was in school, and it was a tough neighborhood in general, so so us he was hard as nails). I made some joke about such a tough guy buying this song and he just looked at me coolly and said "this song is sexy as hell".
Back in the day, I had a friend who was a HUGE Prince fan and went to as many concerts as possible. She said they’d always check out local clubs (especially Jazz) afterwards because Prince was known to randomly show up for improv jam sessions. That’s just how much he was into music. An all around musician and performer
Like other comments, in the 80s people began to dress androgynously, but no one really questioned ones sexuality. Males were considered as men and female as women… The majority of women considered Prince Intriguing and irresistibly sexy. It wasn’t until I was much older that I realized how tiny he was because all the females in his videos and movie were also exceptionally small and his boots were always stacked.. I’m 5’3 and he was only 5’2!😮
The first time I heard of Prince, in 79 he waas on Bandstand. I remember thinking whatever "it" is, this kid's got "it".
I think perhaps certain artists like Prince & Bowie enjoyed keeping people guessing by remaining somewhat ambiguous. Like, they found it amusing how important their sexuality was to some.😅
Prince was 5'2 with a 28 inch weight. It was a small man that will take your girl and leave you crying about it!!
It was back in the 80’s we didn’t question sexuality. We kept bedroom activities private! It just was not discussed as openly as it is now!
80s was a time of some men experimenting with the idea of femininity and women with their masculinity, without it necessarily being about sexuality. The 80s saw a lot of pre-existing conservative socio-political boundaries being pushed, especially in the UK with Thatcherism, and the Punk movement continued its expression of anti-establishment values, seen in fashion as much as it was heard in music. Of course, not every member of the public was pushing boundaries and the traditional masculine and feminine gender roles of everyday working people still remained and difference wasn’t always accepted in reality. But if you were a singer, say, and your talent was as overwhelmingly undeniable as Prince’s, people were like ‘who cares if he’s this, that or the other, he’s a genius!’ It’s the fans that emulated their idols’ styles that were more likely to face adversity, especially in small towns. There are lots of UK films and TV shows that show this social split in attitudes. I think the movie Billy Elliot did a pretty damn good job of it - if you haven’t seen it, I recommend it. It’s got a wicked soundtrack to boot.
When I was in 7th grade it was all about The B52s, The Clash and The Kinks vs. AC/DC, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin and then Rap like the Sugarhill Gang, Grandmaster Flash and Run DMC going into the early 80's
This song was HUGE!! ❤❤
Women LOVED the butt shaking!😊
Prince was just next level....everyone understood he was above regular "rules" and understood even in heels and eyeliner, he could steal your woman if he chooses to!😂❤❤❤RIP THE LEGEND THAT WAS PRINCE 🤴 ❤🙏❤
Prince just does Prince! I love HIM! He danced, sang, and performed to the beat of his own drum! NO APPROVAL NEEDED ❤❤❤❤
No one cared if he was gay. Ladies loved him...guys loved him. I never heard anyone say, "oh he's gay." He was just such a great performer and is missed.
We all loved Prince. Rock bands here covered his tunes. He could do it all...sing, dance and play the hell outta that guitar. Amazing entertainer!
PRINCE
THE PURPLE WONDER 💜💜💜
Shades of a dancing James Brown
🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺🕺
God the 80s were fantastic, in high school we absolutely never questioned that he was all for the ladies.
I was wondering if you’d get to more Prince. So glad you have!!! Prince was definitely straight but in touch with his own femininity and loved to push boundaries. He did not care what people thought or said about him. You should check out the song Controversy because it speaks to some of that. Would love for you to do more Prince reactions. I recommend the live version of America. For more boundary pushing, check out I Wanna Be Your Lover/Head from the Detroit show on the Parade tour.
Great explanation!
" Raspberry Beret " She walked in through the out door. " I just love that line.
The Girls just thought he was sexy, he had the most beautiful women that he went out with and a couple he married, he was 100 % Straight! Check out all the women he's been with on you tube!
Not only did he wear makeup and heels, but he was a small man, short and skinny. But no one came close to him when it came to sex appeal! It didn't matter what type of guy you were into, Prince was one of them. He makes this old lady feel like I'm 16 again. lol Just want to dance and watch him dance, and pretend he's singing to me.
Back in the day he revolutionized the idea of artists being paid properly and championed owning one’s own work. He changed the music industry in favor of artists. This dude could out dance, out sing, out perform, and out play every cat in the same room. He was simply just a once in a lifetime type of talent. This talent came with many downfalls like he was a bit of a recluse as he was normally a shy and timid person but on stage he was hurricane force to be believed. He gave such effort to music and his craft that it took a large toll on his body. Music was his life and thankfully he shared that with us. Sadly in the end he was in a lot of pain physically from such wear on his body. If you never saw him live in action you truly missed out on one of the most musically gifted artists of the last 100 years. You can go deep down the rabbit hole that is Prince. It will be a journey well worth it.
Prince is one of the sexiest men I have ever seen! ☮💜
I have a different recollection from the 80s: there was always speculation that Prince was gay, and he was well aware of it. But it was mostly men who were quick to label him gay. Paradoxically, most women were too enamored with Prince to be questioning his sexual orientation. But that speculation followed him like a shadow for about 30 years into his career. I don’t think the public really backed up off of that perception until Prince had reached his early 50s, and he had gone through two marriages, (plus numerous high-profile, romances with beautiful women over the years).
As a female, I think most of us (women) inherently knew which half his audience he was working so hard-and very successfully-to seduce. But there literally wasn’t any other artist aside from Prince who was so tapped into the female gaze and who catered to the ladies the way he did. Women understood it implicitly; most guys just didn’t get it. But they gave Prince a pass because his songs were FIRE 🔥 and his skills as a singer, musician and entertainer commanded a certain respect.
And you are not wrong. Prince most definitely had a an inner feminine energy (and that b***** was fierce!). Wendy Melvoin, Prince’s guitarist in the mid 80s, I think explained it best when she said he had an raging lesbian. Living inside of him. (People who knew him closely over the years have repeatedly confirm that he was straight.) Even his singing on a few of his earlier ballads was frequently mistaken for a female. But people didn’t love those songs any less for it. They were beautiful and he sounded like an angel.
Plus Prince could also ooze masculinity from his pores, so there was something there for straight guys to identify with from time to time. .
Prince....enough said!
Prince was one of a kind, and massively creative. A superb showman and entertainer.
Great reaction, again! Thanks Shon!
I love him. In the 80’s I wanted to marry him. I agree he’s just sexy, period. ❤. He was the original Magic Mike.
Lenny Kravitz ‘Are you gonna go my way’
Prince is straight. The vibe during this Era was the shit
I'm glad you found prince.
He didn't need the world to be happy. I like that sentiment.
Nobody questioned his sexuality. He's the only man ever who could wear all that makeup, heels, and stuff and still steal your woman
I was born the same year as Prince 1958.
He was a straight man! He was very much loved. My favorite artist, musician, vocalist, dancer, fashion icon👏🏽
A beautiful man and a kind soul! All man 💪🏽
You need to check out the Charlie Murphy Rick James stories about hanging out with Prince.
I think Prince’s Musical Genius superseded most people’s speculation about his sexuality. I think he felt it was no body’s business but his.
Prince could have ANY girl when he walked into a room 😜😭❤️
I have always loved this song and video.Prince putting his dance moves on and showing the ranger of his voice.
Prince - When Doves Cry - Little Red Corvette - 1999 - Let's Go Crazy - Electric City
He was short, wore heels and perfect eye liner and a musical genius who could entertain the Hell out of you.....he was HOT !!!
People never questioned him or cared. He was sexy period. He clearly said he's not a woman or man and not something anyone can comprehend. We loved him for him.
In the 80s when I was young we firmly believed that labels were for clothes, not for people, but nowadays everyone wants to label themselves with increasingly precise labels and fight to death to stay labeled the way they want, and that is very sad and alienating.
Baby, He was all man!!! He came to the table anyway he wanted. He was The Artist..!!!
I have been in the reactions to Prince songs (especially the naughy ones) rabbit hole all night. So weird how he shocks the hell out of these youngins. For us, it was just Prince! RIP Legend. Cannot believe he's gone.
He ain’t shaking it for the lads! It’s all for the ladies @!
In the 70’s and 80’s, society was just tougher, thicker skin. People did what they wanted, acted how they wanted, and just dealt with stuff. I’m not saying it was easy for gay people, but anytime you buck the norm it’s going to be shocking and gather criticism. Heck, today some people are afraid to talk about politics for fear of retribution. It was a different time. Even if prince was gay, it wouldn’t have scared his fans away. Freddy Mercury, George Michael, Rob Halford…no one really cares. Is the music good?
So right and thanks for saying this. Good music is good music and should be appreciated. All of those men mentioned above were amazing, speaking as a straight 66 year old woman. I could have cared less is they liked men or women, did their music make me move or feel moved? Yes!
All those slick moves by Prince in high heels 🔥
This is the first time I realized how small Prince was. I never noticed his height before this video. This is one of my favorites songs.
I think this has to be my favorite Prince song.. and I was so happy to see you reacting to this today cuz it's my birthday!!😊😊
4:19 😂😂😂😂😂 maaannnn Prince is just Prince the whole world was in love 💕 with him ...truely androgenous in his style...a genius in every sense of the word...love Prince💜💜💜💜💜💜
Prince was Prince . He loved women and they loved him . Still do . #peaceandststaywild