Tag: Music

Listened 1988 studio album by Prince by Contributors to Wikimedia projects from Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

Lovesexy was released on May 10, 1988. It came in wake of The Black Album being scrapped.

After Prince became convinced that the album was “evil”, he ordered it to be withdrawn a week before its release date. It was replaced with the album Lovesexy, a brighter pop-oriented album with elements of religious affirmation.

Source: Wikipedia

It was the first album not engineered by Susan Rogers and the first to be recorded primarily in the new Paisley Park Studio, bringing with it a cleaner more digital sound.

Although it captures the times, Prince was also pushing back, releasing the original CD as a single continuous 45-minute track. He wanted listeners to experience the album as a whole, rather than skipping to the hits.

When Lovesexy hit the charts, the late ’80s pop landscape was a mix of hair metal, synth-pop, and the rise of “New Jack Swing.” It peaked at No. 11 deeming it a commercial disappointment. Other albums charting in 1988 included:

  • George Michael: Faith
  • Def Leppard: Hysteria
  • Tracy Chapman: Tracy Chapman
  • Guns N’ Roses: Appetite for Destruction
  • Bobby Brown: Don’t Be Cruel

In contrast, UK charts were more focused on the rise of the acid dance culture and pure bubblegum pop, with Stock Aitken Waterman dominating. This contrast in environment actually meant that Lovesexy was better appreciated abroad, peaking at No.1.

In contrast to the minimalist approach of earlier works, where songs were stripped back, Lovesexy is dense, with numerous layers. This in part this was only possible because digital control (the SSL computer and SMPTE sync) allowed Prince to master the analog chaos of having too many tracks. Previously, Prince would have had to bounce tracks to a stereo track to achieve the same levels of layering.

Lovesexy also introduced Prince’s new backing band, The New Power Generation (NPG), which is often referenced throughout the tracks. For Prince, this group was as much a philosophy as it was a particular group of musicians.

Eye No

Musically, “Eye No” opens with an ethereal, psychedelic wash of synths and spoken word that sets a theatrical tone – a “manifesto” of sorts before the funk erupts. Once the groove settles, it is driven by a rubbery, melodic bass-line and signature plucky guitar stabs that mirror the rhythmic precision of the “New Jack Swing” era. Although Prince achieved this precision primarily through live performance layered over rigidly programmed LinnDrum patterns, rather than relying on the automated ‘swing’ functions of newer sequencers, such as the MPC60. The song’s climax is an extended, celebratory jam featuring a “party atmosphere” of layered voices, eventually dissolving into a dense horn buildup and a transition filled with ambient room chatter, signalling the communal nature of the “New Power Generation.”

Lyrically, this is the formal introduction of the “Spooky Electric” mythology, representing the ego and the dark temptations of the world. Prince uses the song to draw a hard line in the sand: he says “no” to the nihilism, drugs, and alcohol that characterised The Black Album era, and “yes” to a higher spiritual calling. It is an exuberant rejection of the “beast” in favour of divine love.

The reason my voice is so clear
Is there’s no smack in my brain

Alphabet St.

Musically, driven by a lean, choppy guitar riff and prominent slap bass, “Alphabet St.” is a masterclass in the “groove over structure” approach. Rather than traditional verses and choruses, the song breathes as a continuous rhythmic exercise where instruments and vocal ad-libs enter and exit the mix like a choreographed street battle. The second half shifts into a high-energy rap by Cat Glover, further cementing the track’s connection to the late-80s hip-hop and breakdance aesthetic.

Lyrically, on the surface, the lyrics flirt with Prince’s classic eroticism – metaphors for “going down” and the “Tennessee plate” abound. However, within the Lovesexy context, it represents the physical joy of the “Alphabet,” a metaphorical journey from A to Z where the goal is to find “the sky” (heaven) through a liberated, guilt-free expression of love and attraction.

Glam Slam

Musically, “Glam Slam” highlights the “maximalist” aesthetic through a sharp contrast between a melodic, almost sugary synth line and a distorted, doodling guitar that wanders across the stereo field. The mid-song key change acts as a structural pivot, piling on layers of rhythm guitar and dense vocal harmonies. It concludes with a bizarre, avant-garde synth solo that showcases the experimental freedom Prince felt while working in the newly completed Paisley Park Studio A.

The lyrics are a kaleidoscopic swirl of psychedelic imagery, famously referencing “butterflies on legs.” While it utilizes the classic “wham, bam, thank you ma’am” trope, the song elevates the physical act of love to a cosmic, “glamorous” event. It captures the feeling of being overwhelmed by the beauty of a partner, seeing them as a manifestation of a higher, “Lovesexy” reality.

Anna Stesia

Musically, “Anna Stesia” begins with a stark, “tinny” piano motif that provides a cold, minimalist foundation before being swallowed by a deep bass and drum groove. As the track progresses, Prince allows the arrangement to “collapse” or unravel, moving away from pop structures into a sprawling, ambient soul-epic. The outro is a massive, multi-tracked vocal chant – “God is love, love is God” – that builds into a wall of sound, eventually returning to the haunting simplicity of the opening synth phrase.

Lyrically, a clever play on “anesthesia,” the lyrics depict Prince as a man numbed by loneliness and “fake” lust. He seeks a “liberator,” initially appearing to find it in a woman named Anna Stesia, but the song undergoes a mid-track conversion. By the finale, the “temporary state of unconsciousness” is replaced by the permanent wakefulness of religious devotion, as he pleads for God to “liberate” his mind.

Dance On

Characterized by a restless, syncopated drum pattern that refuses to settle, “Dance On” utilizes a call-and-response structure between Prince’s vocals and sharp musical “stabs.” The primary guitar features a harsh, industrial distortion – likely a Boss HM-2 or similar heavy metal pedal – that gives the track a jagged edge in a similar way to “Darling Nikki”. The chorus provides a brief “major key” reprieve, flavoured by a fairground-style organ that adds a touch of surrealism to the otherwise aggressive funk.

Lyrically, this is the album’s most overtly political moment, addressing the urban decay of Detroit and the systemic “power structures” that foster violence instead of production. Prince posits dance and music not as escapism, but as a revolutionary alternative to “jacks who vandalise.” It is a plea to trade the gun for the groove, suggesting that rhythm is a more potent tool for social change than aggression. It feels similar to “Uptown”, but also different.

Lovesexy

Musically, The title track features a bright, clean-yet-crunchy guitar tone that shares the rhythmic “snap” found in pop-rock crossover hits of the era, usually produced with the move to direct input, rather than microphoning the amplifier. The song follows Prince’s trope of extending into an instrumental jam, but takes a strange turn into a “vocal morphing” section. Through pitch-shifting and manipulation, Prince’s voice slides between masculine and feminine registers, aurally representing the “androgynous” nature of the soul. I am not sure how he achieved this, but it is definitely unique.

Lyrically, “Lovesexy” is the ultimate definition of his new philosophy – a state where sex is a holy, “dripping” ecstasy. The lyrics are thick with innuendo, such as the “race cars burning rubber” in his pants, yet they are framed by the “Gimme Shelter” style urgency of “just a kiss away.” It suggests that the peak of physical sensation is where one finally touches the divine.

When 2 R in Love

Musically, a stark contrast to the maximalism of the rest of the album, this ballad is a minimal, “lights down low” production driven by soft keys and a steady, understated beat. Originally intended for The Black Album, its inclusion here provides a moment of calm. The layering of delicate strings and horns creates a lush, intimate space that harks back to his early 80s “Quiet Storm” R&B influences.

The lyrics are an intimate play-by-play of a couple in a state of total union. It covers the spectrum of intimacy – from talking and emotional connection to explicit sexual acts – without the religious metaphors found elsewhere on the record. It serves as the “physical” heart of the album, showing what it looks like when two people actually achieve the state of being “Lovesexy.”

I Wish U Heaven

Musically, “I Wish U Heaven” is built on a foundation of a constant, driving drum groove and a palm-muted, crunchy guitar rhythm. The plucky, “cold” synth sounds in the second verse evoke a robotic, Kraftwerk-inspired precision, likely a result of Prince’s experimentation with the Fairlight CMI sampler. The song’s brevity and “short” sonic transients give it a modern, almost programmed feel compared to the sprawling jams elsewhere on the album.

Lyrically, it is perhaps the most straightforward and “pure” song on the record, the lyrics are a simple, benevolent wish for a past lover’s happiness. There is an absence of bitterness or regret; Prince has reached a spiritual plateau where he can genuinely wish someone “heaven” regardless of their shared history. It is the sound of a man who has found peace.

Positivity

The album closes with a grounded, repetitive groove centred around a metallic, xylophone-like percussive hook. The song structures itself around a bluesy call-and-response between the horns and guitar, allowing for various “movements,” including a rap and spoken word segments. The track eventually circles back to the ethereal, swirling strings heard at the album’s start, bringing the listener full circle in a “long ebb and flow.”

Lyrically, “Spooky Electric” returns one last time as a warning against the “beast” of negativity. While “Positivity” is the central refrain, it functions as a synonym for “Lovesexy” – a state of being that requires constant vigilance and a refusal to give in to cynicism. The song serves as a final sermon, urging the listener to hold onto the light even after the record ends.

Lovesexy feels like a definitive document of Prince’s attempt to reconcile the sacred and the profane. While the merging of sex and divinity was a theme he explored as early as Dirty Mind, 1988 marked a shift from rebellion to redemption. In this era, sexuality was no longer a tool to shock the listener, but a “New Power” meant to elevate them. To be “Lovesexy” was to reach a state where the ecstasy of the flesh and the ecstasy of the spirit were recognized as the same divine energy—a liberated, guilt-free expression of love that served as the ultimate antidote to the “Spooky Electric” within.

The central conceit of the album – a battle between God (good) and evil (the Devil, personified as “Spooky Electric”), which largely seems to be an internal struggle – is introduced early on in the record. “Lovesexy” as a concept is never really made clear, but it seems to be a state of spiritual well-being that merges love of God and connection with humanity via sexuality. Fortunately the album is good enough that the listener need not worry about trying to untangle Prince’s typically inscrutable sexual/spiritual philosophies. It’s merely a framework for a collection of songs that stands today as arguably the most fascinating of his career.

Source: Prince’s “Lovesexy” album revisited: 25 years later by Chris Gerard

Ultimately, Prince’s career was a constant cycle of territorialising and deterritorialising. Like John Banville, who wrote each new book to “get it right[1],” Prince used Lovesexy to build a complex new world of mythology, only to move beyond it the moment it was finished.

  1. John Banville on BBC Bookclub: “I know there are failures on every page and I am tormented by that. That is why I write another book, so that I can get it right.” ↩

Listened https://twinkledigitz.bandcamp.com/track/do-it-rightly from twinkledigitz.bandcamp.com

Prince-esque party number about how lefties and righties should find common ground to unite against billionaire, arsehole overlords! Simplistic perhaps , but we’re all being manipulated by them!! First single from second album GOLDEN CHEESE EMPORIUM due for release, October(ish) 2026!

Do it Rightly | Twinkle Digitz

If Sign o’ the Times was the cousin of What’s Goin’ On, then Do It Rightly feels like second cousin twice removed, but still definitely part of the family, sitting at the table of love, civility and popping Venn bubbles.

We’re all  just squirrels try to make our nut
While these few  weasels try to steal all the cheeselz

Listened https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sign_o%27_the_Times from en.wikipedia.org

Sign o’ the Times is the ninth studio album by the American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was first released on March 31, 1987, as a double album by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records.[2] The album is the follow-up to Parade and is Prince’s first solo album following his disbanding of the Revolution. The album’s songs were largely recorded during 1986 to 1987 in sessions for releases Prince ultimately aborted: Dream Factory, the pseudonymous Camille, and finally the triple album Crystal Ball. Prince eventually compromised with label executives and shortened the length of the release to a double album.

Sign o’ the Times – Wikipedia by Sign o’ the Times – Wikipedia

Sign o’ the Times was released on March 30, 1987. It arrived as a double album, a bold move at a time when the industry was leaning toward shorter, pop-friendly hits.

Other major albums on the Billboard 200 released in 1987 included:

  • U2: The Joshua Tree (The undisputed heavyweight of ’87)
  • Bon Jovi: Slippery When Wet
  • Beastie Boys: Licensed to Ill
  • Whitney Houston: Whitney (released shortly after)
  • Fleetwood Mac: Tango in the Night

It was Prince’s ninth album and the first ‘solo’ album since Controversy after disbanding The Revolution. Prince subsequently played almost every instrument on the album himself, although there are still remnants of The Revolution sprinkled throughout.

The album actually went through many ideas and iterations. It included pieces from three discarded projects (Dream Factory, Camille, and Crystal Ball).

in early 1987 he picked the best bits from all of them, and assembled a double album that took diversity to new margins, bubbling over with ideas and bouncing between sex and religion, between Joni Mitchell and Sly Stone, via searing funk, coy ballads, rap, prog and the obligatory drum machine. It was the perfect rock’n’soul interface, a record of vaulting ambition, whose music still encompassed an extraordinarily varied range of styles, including soul, psychedelia, electro, rockabilly and rock – yet again making a virtue of eclecticism. As ever he appeared to be wrestling with the twin pillars of carnality and spirituality that had defined his career, yet with a new kind of music – naked funk, skinny R&B. Some of the songs were so bare they didn’t sound finished.

Source: Shiny and New: Ten Moments of Pop Genius That Defined The 80s by Dylan Jones

Unlike the reverb-heavy 80s pop of the time, much of the album (especially the title track) is startlingly sparse and “dry.” In part, this was made possible by the Fairlight CMI “clean” digital samples. Just as 1999 was the album that announced the LM1, this album feels like the album that announced the Fairlight CMI. It is almost as if he traded the “drum machine era” for the “sampler era”.

Here is my notes on each of the tracks:

Sign o the Time

Musically, it’s incredibly stark and “dry.” It certainly lacks the lushness of the ‘Minneapolis Sound’ associated with 1999. The main characters are the repetitive LM1 drums and bass pattern that is contrasted with the guitar that breaks things up in a similar way to say ‘Darling Nikki’. The song was built up using the Fairlight CMI, including the classic orchestra hit.

To track the song in the studio, Prince laid down an LM-1 and live drum/percussion mixture, and covered it with the Fairlight, and a few other elements, including his voice, which was when the song took a dramatic turn, according to Rogers. “When the vocal was done saying what it had to say, that’s when the guitar could take over for the vocal and say the same thing the vocal said, but with short melodic phrases.”
He tracked several guitar parts, but like many of his songs, he over-recorded for the track, including extra background vocals, sound effects, and additional drums, but when he mixed the track, he eliminated most of the unnecessary sounds because they likely distracted from the message.

Source: Prince and the Parade and Sign O’ the Times Era Studio Sessions by Duane Tudahl

Lyrically, sobering “state of the union” address covering the AIDS epidemic, the crack-cocaine crisis, and the threat of nuclear war. It is a explicit political statement literally comes from Prince and Susannah paging through the LA Times and Minneapolis Star Tribune. Tadahl describes it as the cousin to Marvin Gaye’s ‘What’s Going On’.

“What’s Going On,” “Sign O’ The Times” contains Prince’s own reflections on society, and similar to Gaye, the solution he offers to solve the problems of the world are to focus on love and the relationships of the heart. With the exception of “The Cross,” Prince doesn’t try to match the weight of the title track and instead relies on a variety of topics including sex, joy, relationships, and what some people refer to as “experimental” songs.

Source: Prince and the Parade and Sign O’ the Times Era Studio Sessions by Duane Tudahl

Play in the Sunshine

Musically, a frantic, high-energy pop-rock explosion. We have guitar, drums, keys, xylophone (Fairlight?) It acts as the “light” to the title track’s “dark,” featuring manic drums and layering. The song then morphs into a hazy outro where the feel drops out.

Lyrically, a hedonistic plea to ignore the world’s problems for just one day and focus on feeling good, ignore enemies, find a four leaf clover, play in the sunshine, have fun. Coming after the political opening track, this feels like 1999 all over again?

Housequake

Musically, I am reminded of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘King Kunta’ with that rhythmic, “stomp-and-clap” funk and the high-pitched, distorted vocal delivery. Prince introduces his “Camille” persona to command a fictional dance craze. It’s pure, boastful James Brown-style showmanship.

Lyrically, it is all about a brand new groove, the ‘Housequake’.

The Ballad of Dorothy Parker

Musically, ‘Ballad of Dorothy Parker’ has a famous “underwater” sound. A power outage during the session caused the console to record at a lower voltage, resulting in the warm, murky, lo-fi texture. The song involves a layer of keys, drums and slap bass.Vocally, the lyrics are layered creating this multifaceted Prince, a voice that is in more than one place at once.

Lyrically, a dreamy, surreal story about a brief encounter with a waitress who shares the name of the famous poet. It’s subtle, witty, and surprisingly platonic.

It

Musically, it’s driven by a relentless, industrial-leaning Fairlight beat. It feels claustrophobic and tense, with a pulsing bass synth. Listening to this, I am always reminded of Sabrina Carpenters “House Tour”.

Lyrically, An obsessive, singular focus on “it” (sex). The lyrics are repetitive and primal, mirroring the mechanical nature of the beat.

Starfish and Coffee

Musically, it’s whimsical “Sgt. Pepper-era” psych-pop. It features backwards drum loops and a nursery-rhyme melody built on top of a repetitive piano chord pattern.

Lyrically, a charming story about an eccentric schoolmate named Cynthia Rose. It celebrates being “different” and seeing the world through a surreal lens.

Slow Love

Musically, this track turns the lights down, but still has the horns blowing. It’s a classic, orchestral soul ballad that sounds like it could have been written in the 1960s. Feels like early Prince, pre-1999, just bigger.

Lyrically, a straightforward, sensual plea to take things slow and savour the moment.

Hot Thing

Musically, the synth and slap bass almost have industrial vibes, something off NIN Pretty Hate Machine, but not the horns. The song progressively lets loose into a heavy funk jam, with the addition of a distorted guitar.
Lyrically, An unapologetic “club track” about pursuing a beautiful woman. It’s the sonic equivalent of neon lights in a dark basement.

Forever in My Life

Musically, driven by a basic drum loop, a little like Tina Turner in its rhythmic simplicity. Prince is singing with himself, using a delayed vocal effect that creates a “round” or “canon” feel. It is broken up at the end with the introduction of an acoustic guitar, that structurally reminds me of Peter Gabriel.

Lyrically, one of his most sincere declarations of commitment. It’s a spiritual “marriage proposal” song, likely written for Susannah Melvoin.

U Got the Look

Musically, a high-gloss, “crunchy” pop-rock duet with Sheena Easton. It features heavy distortion on the drums and a very radio-friendly hook, not to be confused with Roxette’s ‘The Look’.

Lyrically, a playful, flirtatious back-and-forth about fashion, attraction, and the “war” between the sexes. First time I listened i thought the lyrics were kruchiev, I think I wantcha.

If I Was Your Girlfriend

Musically, it’s deeply weird. Slow, funky, and features the pitch-shifted “Camille” voice over a sparse, eerie beat. We get spoken word Prince too.

Lyrically, one of his most complex songs. He wonders if his lover would be more open with him if they were platonic female friends instead of a romantic couple.

Strange Relationship

Musically, it features a bouncy, Indian-influenced percussion loop (sitar-like synths) that contrasts with the heavy lyrical content.

Lyrically, a brutal look at a toxic, co-dependent relationship where the protagonist admits, “I only want you when you’re gone.”

I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man

Musically, a straight-up power-pop anthem. It’s catchy, guitar-driven, and ends with a surprisingly long, bluesy guitar solo. Reminds me in part of ‘Manic Monday’.

Lyrically, A narrative about a woman looking for a rebound and the narrator turning her down because he knows he can’t be the stable partner she actually needs.

The Cross

Musically, it starts as a quiet, acoustic folk song and builds into a massive, distorted wall of “stadium rock” sound, reminiscent of a religious epiphany.

Lyrically, a deeply spiritual track about finding hope and salvation in the afterlife. It’s Prince’s version of a modern gospel hymn. I feel that it sits with ‘The Ladder’ from Around the World in a Day.

It’s Gonna Be a Beautiful Night

Musically, a 9-minute live funk party. It’s a massive jam session featuring a full horn section and a complex, call-and-response structure. The initial idea was captured during a soundcheck/concert at Le Zenith in Paris on August 25, 1986, during the Parade tour and is significant as it features The Revolution before Prince disbanded the group shortly afterwards.

Lyrically, mostly celebratory chants and “house party” vibes, including the “Transmississippirap” recorded over the phone and Wizard of Oz references.

Adore

Musically, a masterclass in quiet-storm R&B. It features lush vocal harmonies, a slow-burn tempo, and those iconic, punctuating horns and Rhodes Organ.
Lyrically, a “holy grail” love song. It’s an ultimate declaration of devotion, famously featuring the line about “smashing his most prized possessions.”

A mash of ideas and concepts, it feels like the title track ‘Sign O’ The Times’, as with ‘Kiss’, is somewhat misleading. It teases the idea of a highly political album. Yes there are politics (everything is political in the end), however it is not overt like the opening track. Dylan Jone’ suggests that the album is a sign of the times of what is happening in the world and Prince’s own life:

Sign O’ the Times is certainly austere, a panoramic picture, almost, of what Prince thought was happening around him, and of course what was happening in his own head.

Source: Shiny and New: Ten Moments of Pop Genius That Defined The 80s by Dylan Jones

On such thing on Prince’s mind is his relationship with Wendy Melvoin’s sister Susannah:

Although the Revolution is only mentioned in passing (with the exception of “It’s Gonna Be A Beautiful Night”) and the overwhelming contributions of Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman are minimalized, the album is an acknowledgement about his relationship with Wendy’s sister Susannah, as she either sang on or influenced more than half of the songs, including his most heartfelt love songs on the album “Forever In My Life,” “Adore,” and “If I Was Your Girlfriend.” The Melvoin twins and Lisa’s presence are felt through the entire collection.

Source: Prince and the Parade and Sign O’ the Times Era Studio Sessions by Duane Tudahl

Others talk about the ‘experimental’ nature of the album, however I find all of Prince’s albums experimental, especially once you go beyond the hits. For me, Prince is always about exploring the new. I think the biggest experiment was releasing an album so long, and it was meant to be longer.

Read David Bowie by Dylan Jones

Now in paperback, the “ultimate oral history” (Billboard) tracing the life of superstar David Bowie through the words of those who knew him, loved him, worked alongside him, and made unforgettable music with him

By turns insightful and deliciously gossipy, David Bowie is as intimate a portrait as may ever be drawn. It sparks with admiration and grievances, lust and envy, as the speakers bring you into studios and bedrooms they shared with Bowie, and onto stages and film sets, opening corners of his mind and experience that transform our understanding of both artist and art. Including illuminating, never-before-seen material from Bowie himself, drawn from a series of Jones’s interviews with him across two decades, David Bowie is an epic, unforgettable cocktail-party conversation about a man whose enigmatic shapeshifting and irrepressible creativity produced one of the most sprawling, fascinating lives of our time.

David Bowie by Dylan Jones – Penguin Books Australia by David Bowie by Dylan Jones – Penguin Books Australia

Dylan Jones’ oral history of David Bowie, which creates a tapestry of perspectives and contradictions. I wrote a longer response here.

Continue reading “📚 David Bowie – A Life (Dylan Jones)”

Listened 1986 studio album / soundtrack by Prince and the Revolution by Contributors to Wikimedia projects from Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

Parade was released on March 31, 1986. It was the soundtrack to the second film staring Prince, Under the Cherry Tree.

Under the Cherry Moon is a 1986 American romantic musical comedy-drama film directed by Prince in his directorial debut. The follow-up to his 1984 film debut Purple Rain, it stars himself along with former The Time member Jerome Benton, Steven Berkoff, Kristin Scott Thomas (in her feature film debut) and Francesca Annis. Although the film underperformed both critically and commercially at the time of its release, winning five Golden Raspberry Awards and tying with Howard the Duck for Worst Picture, its associated soundtrack album Parade sold over a million copies and achieved platinum status. Since Prince’s death in 2016, several contemporary critics have also revisited the film and now consider it a cult classic.

Source: Wikipedia

It was Prince’s eigth album and the last to feature his band, The Revolution. Other major albums on the Billboard 200 released in 1986 included:

  • True Blue by Madonna
  • So by Peter Gabriel
  • Pretty in Pink soundtrack
  • Top Gun soundtrack
  • Different Light by The Bangles
  • Control by Janet Jackson

Although the film was deemed a failure, the album charted at number 3 on the pop chart and at number 2 on the R&B chart. It was certified Platinum by the RIAA just months after its release, eventually selling over two million copies in the US and millions more worldwide.

Parade marked a radical departure from the “Minneapolis Sound” (heavy synths and Linn drums) that Prince had pioneered. It featured lush cinematic strings and genre-blending, weaving together psychedelic pop, jazz, French chanson, and gritty funk. All in all, it proved Prince was an “artist’s artist” who would prioritised his evolving vision over repeating a successful formula.

On a side note, the turn to ‘authentic’ instrumentation with the strings by Clare Fischer seemed to be common in the mid-1980’s, as Dylan Jones’ captures in a comment from Jon Savage:

The Eurythmics made a couple of terrific pop records, and then they went all authentic and started making really shit records. As soon as those groups stopped making synth pop, they all turned to shit. It was really embarrassing when Tears for Fears, who had made a couple of pretty good synth records, started going all authentic.

Source: Sweet Dreams – The Story of the New Romantics (Dylan Jones)

Here is my notes on each of the tracks:

Christopher Tracy’s Parade

Musically, Prince cut a ten‑minute opening suite in one day, moving from song to song playing drums, laying down bass, adding piano and guitars, beginning with a song called ‘Wendy’s Parade’, which was eventually changed to ‘Christopher Tracy’s Parade’ as the new movie idea took shape. Sonically, the song begins with an electronic feel that sounds like YMO, but it does not take long to announce a theatrical, cinematic sensibility, with Clare Fischer’s strings heightening that feel. It has something of a Magical Mystery Tour vibe.

Lyrically, it introduces the character of Christopher. The “parade” can be considered as framing his life as spectacle.

New Position

Musically, ‘New Position’ is a dry funk workout that immediately follows ‘Christopher Tracy’s Parade’ in that initial ten‑minute suite. The groove is spare but restless: LM1 drum punch, steel drum (a gift from Susan Moonsie) and all manner of Fairlight noises.

Prince first used a IIx model on the Parade album. Prince asked his engineer “Cubby” Colby to acquire the $70,000 keyboard [approximately $200,000 in 2026] for the sessions. It was first used for overdubbing the opening suite on the album (“Christopher Tracy’s Parade”, “New Position”, “I Wonder U”, “Under The Cherry Moon”).

Source: Fairlight CMI IIx

Lyrically, the song involves Prince making the case for a literal and metaphorical “new position” as a fix for boredom within the relationship, bridging Dirty Mind‑style frankness with a more playful, Euro‑cabaret tone.

I Wonder U

Musically, this track is a trippy affair reminiscent of his foray into psychedelia on Around the World in a Day. It was the third track cut in the initial session, with a rather of keyboard, piano, and synth flute sounds. Lisa & Wendy’s background vocals were so central that Prince turned them into the lead.

Lyrically, it’s skeletal and dreamlike, more an impression of obsession than a narrative.

Under the Cherry Moon

Musically, this track is built around piano, light percussion and later, Fischer’s strings, it sounds like a 1930s chanson beamed into 1986. James Campion describes it as a callback to the Great American Songbook:

A callback to Cole Porter and the Great American Songbook, “Under a Cherry Moon,” a piano number he’d been playing on tour.

Source: Revolution by James Campion

Lyrically, it romanticises the film’s setting so that the song functions as both a diegetic cabaret piece, as well as a narrative foreshadowing of a doomed affair.

Girls & Boys

Musically, this song has a driving beat, rubbery bass, sax and strings. It’s Parade’s most straight‑up groove track, but with the off‑kilter horn stabs and chant‑like vocals that keep it odd.

Lyrically, the French spoken‑word section and call‑and‑response flirtations expand the album’s pan‑European, pan‑sexual atmosphere—desire cutting across gender, language and class.

Life Can Be So Nice

Musically, this tracks tumbling drum intro, driven string, and harpsichord‑like keyboard line align with his picture of Parade as “pop confections” with jagged rhythmic edges.

Lyrically, it presents a competing take on domesticity, with joy and claustrophobia jostling together.

Venus de Milo

Musically, this tracks is essentially a chamber piece for piano and strings, like a short romantic interlude from an old TV soap or film.

Mountains

Musically, the LM1 clearly makes a statement with the stomp. We again get the short keys bouncing off the rhythmic guitar and chord progression brought in by Lisa Melvoin. The horns then come in during the chorus almost as a call and response. James Campion describes this as a ‘Greek chorus’:

Elevating into one of Prince’s most majestic choruses, held aloft by BrownMark’s rumbling bass, Leeds and Bliss first underscore the double-time sung pre-chorus before powering sharp horn blasts to answer the multitude of voices. Acting as a brass Greek chorus, they boost the track with a sound Prince had previously captured with vocals or keyboards.

Source: Revolution by James Campion

Vocally, we get all Prince’s variants, the low, the falsetto. This is also backed up. In the bridge we get a reminder of James Brown with ‘On the One’. The song ends with a strange jazz interlude where the song changes key or something only to hit again with the arrival of percussion. I imagine that there might have been longer live versions where the ending was drawn out.

Lyrically, it’s a faith‑in‑love anthem, where mountains are obstacles that can be moved by collective love and belief. I am reminded of ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’.

Do U Lie?

Musically, with the piano, double bass, brushes on the drums and strings, this track feels like a track from the 1930’s. The main vocal is in constant conversation with the backing vocals. It is a significantly different feel.

Lyrically, it’s playful but barbed, interrogating fidelity in a theatrical manner. It explores that space between truth and disguise.

Kiss

Musically, this song feels stripped back compared to the rest of the album. It has drums, a repetitive synth line and the vocals. The vocals are often doubled with a clear contrast made between the rigid and free. Something missing from Mazarati’s demo of the track. The guitar is used sparingly with a small part in the verse, particularly after the solo, the classic phrase at the end of rhe chorus is something that Prince brought to the track. In the Strong Songs episode, Kirk Hamilton touches on the blues origins to the song and describes the feel as ‘tiny fury’.

Lyrically, it is hyper‑sexual, funny, and oddly moralistic.

Anotherloverholenyohead

Musically, there is slap bass and a clear groove, this track is dirty. We get the strong presence of the backing vocals to add emphasis. The song also features the Roland G-707 synthesiser guitar:

Later in the planning of the final album sequencing Prince spent considerable time on “Anotherloverholenyohead,” an unctuously alliterative nod toward Sly and the Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)” that modified keys and time signatures and featured the otherworldly whine of the Roland G-707 electric guitar. Despite attacking it with his usual zeal, Prince found the instrument difficult to keep from spastically shifting pitch annoying engineer Susan Rogers so much she referred to it as “that piece of crap.”

Source: Revolution by James Campion

Lyrically, the song is about a past lover with Prince justifying why they really need him.

Sometimes It Snows in April

Musically, this track is a slow ballad built around piano and acoustic guitar. I’d love to hear Matt Corby cover it. Vocally, the intensity is sustained through the piano and vocals. Again the backing vocals in the chorus ensure that things remain on task when Prince engages in a dalliance. Such a simple song it is amazing how it holds the tension for so long through subtly.

Engineer Peggy McCreary later noted that the recording of “Sometimes It Snows in April” was so perfect it was the only track on Parade that was never tinkered with thereafter, complimented only by Clare Fischer’s melancholy strings.

Source: Revolution by James Campion

Lyrically, mourning a death in April that echoes Prince’s own Minneapolis winters. It can also be considered as a goodbye to The Revolution before everything fractured.

I read that “Kiss” served as a means of listening to the rest of the album/soundtrack. Personally, I found it as an outlier to the rest of the album. I am not sure if it is because it was the only track that I really knew? James Campion suggests that it is the rightful descendant of Dirty Mind.

Parade is simply a chronological marvel of creativity wrapped in pop confections, funk workouts, and psychedelic meandering. It is understandable Prince chose a black-and-white cover—beyond underlining his Jazz Age movie theme—positioning Parade as the rightful descendent of Dirty Mind, another record that challenges and cavorts, teases and enrages, confuses and enlivens.

Source: Revolution by James Campion

Watched 2020 film by Bill Benz by Contributors to Wikimedia projects from Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

The Nowhere Inn is a 2020 American mockumentary psychological thriller–comedy film directed by Bill Benz from a screenplay by Annie Clark in her film debut and Carrie Brownstein. It stars Clark, Brownstein and Dakota Johnson.

I had no idea what to expect from The Nowhere Inn, I am still not sure after watching it. There is something about St. Vincent where I feel both captivated by the theatre (see the Austin performance as an example) even if it leaves me even more confused about who the real St. Vincent is.

Like David Bowie, she uses fashion, hair, and stage production as a suit of armour. In the film, when “Annie” tries to be normal, she’s mocked for being uninteresting. It suggests a tragic trade-off: to be a captivating artist, you have to sacrifice the “real” you to the persona.

Apparently the film was actually born out of a real documentary attempt. When they realised a standard tour documentary was going to be “boring,” they decided to blow up the genre entirely and turn it into a psychological thriller. But then again, who would know?

Watched https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_and_the_Revolution:_Live from en.wikipedia.org

Prince and the Revolution: Live is a live concert video by Prince and the Revolution. Released after the Purple Rain Tour was complete, the video is a recording of the March 30, 1985 concert at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, New York. The concert was also broadcast live throughout Europe as the final act of the 15th “Rock Night”, an all-night show of four concerts staged by West German public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk as part of its Rockpalast series that was simulcast by the Eurovision network of European TV stations.[2]

Prince and the Revolution: Live – Wikipedia 

I am exhausted just watching this recording. It is a strange experience to watch a concert and how they can provide a deeper appreciation for what you hear. I had the same experience with Talking Heads.

Watched https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kjlh from bbc.co.uk

David Bowie’s spectacular two-hour show from Glastonbury 2000, shown in full for the first time on television. Featuring familiar hits including Ashes to Ashes, Starman and Let’s Dance.

BBC Music – Glastonbury, 2000, David Bowie 

Not sure why I was unaware of this performance and its history, but I came upon it watching the documentary Bowie: The Final Act. It must have been a strange experience for promoters as nobody knew which Bowie would turn up. Clearly a Bowie willing to lean into his legacy. I really love the sound of the songs and the modern tinge that a number of them get, especially ‘Let’s Dance’. Also could not help laugh about the Laryngitis comment only to be smoking a cigarette next moment.

Watched https://iview.abc.net.au/show/bowie-the-final-act-2025 from iview.abc.net.au

By the 1990s, critics wrongly thought Bowie was creatively exhausted. His albums flopped and promoters couldn’t give away tickets. But what followed was the most remarkable artistic resurrection in music history.

Bowie: The Final Act (2025) : ABC iview by Bowie: The Final Act (2025) : ABC iview

Although the title, Bowie: The Final Act, gives the suggestion that it focuses on his final album, instead it reviews Bowie’s lengthy career with the end in mind. Subsequently, it jumps around and addresses various aspects of his career, before discussing his ‘final act’, Black Star, and lasting legacy. It was certainly interesting going back and listening to the album again.

Bowie is a fascinating topic. I remember watching Moonage Daydream, although there are elements that cross-over, sometimes it feels like this documentary is about a different person. It was interesting reading through the reviews collected in the Wikipedia page. Although I enjoyed the documentary enough, I felt that Ed Power’s captured some of my frustrations and confusions.

In The Telegraph, Ed Power gave 2/5 stars, writing: “A decade on from his death, the story of David Bowie’s last years is reduced to a haphazard highlights reel in the underwhelming David Bowie: the Final Act … After starting with Blackstar, the film quickly loses focus, hopping across Bowie’s career in fits and starts. It lingers inordinately on his critically panned Tin Machine project, jumps back to his final concert with the Spiders from Mars at Hammersmith Odeon in 1973, then pings forward to his mid‑1990s drum‑and‑bass phase (likewise loathed by critics). … Amid the zigzagging, the film at least lines up some impressive interviewees.”

Bowie: The Final Act – Wikipedia 

I stumbled upon Bowie: The Final Act via ABC iView.

Watched https://www.criterion.com/films/33621-moonage-daydream from criterion.com

An ecstatic voyage through the creative and spiritual universe of David Bowie, Moonage Daydream is a fittingly unclassifiable tribute to the shape-shifting rock iconoclast and his singular sound and vision. Exploding the conventions of the music documentary, director Brett Morgen remixes dazzling, never-before-seen footage of the artist throughout his career, reveling in his otherworldly presence while revealing the restless philosophical inquiry that guided his myriad metamorphoses. Graced with soulful narration by Bowie, this immersive audiovisual head rush transmits the essence of a phenomenon that cannot be explained—only experienced.

Moonage Daydream (2022) | The Criterion Collection by Moonage Daydream (2022) | The Criterion Collection

Part documentary, part experience, Moonage Daydream provides more than a recount of the life of David Bowie. In particular, it brings in various archival material to support the story.

We’ve seen trippy documentaries before, but Morgen seems to have created this movie to be rock ‘n’ roll. That’s part of its colliding-image irreverence. Watching “Moonage Daydream,” there are essential facts you won’t hear, and many touchstones that get skipped over (in the entire movie, you’ll never even see an album cover). But you get closer than you expect to the chilly sexy enigma of who David Bowie really was.

Source: ‘Moonage Daydream’ Review: Brett Morgen’s Kaleidoscopic Head-Trip Meditation on Who David Bowie Was by Owen Gleiberman

Continue reading “📺 Moonage Daydream”

Read https://www.jamescampion.com/revolution-prince-the-band-the-era/

Revolution – Prince, the Band, the Era explores the creative and historical significance of the bands that made Prince the Prince that he would become in our imagination. It will also dissect how these distinct groups of disparate personalities, races, creeds, and gender came together as a unique springboard to some of the most stirring, cross-pollinating, and memorable pop music of a generation. From its design, hours of grueling rehearsals and image makeovers, studio machinations, and ground-breaking performances, the Revolution became the canvas from which Prince would paint his masterpieces.

Revolution – Prince, the Band, the Era – jamescampion.com 

Revolution: Prince, The Band, The Era argues that the usual “solitary genius” story about Prince only explains half of his greatest decade. Campion reframes the Purple Rain era as the story of a community: Prince & the Revolution and the orbit of side projects that became his laboratory. I carved out a longer response here.

I listened to the book via Spotify.

Continue reading “📚 Revolution – Prince, the Band, the Era (Jane Campion)”

Watched https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/19/simple-minds-everything-is-possible-review-documentary from theguardian.com

ere’s a very straightforward music documentary about Simple Minds – the story of five working-class lads from Glasgow who started a band in 1977, and by the mid-80s were stadium rockers up there with U2. “The most iconic and influential Scottish band in history,” is how the film’s promotional material describes them. (Fans of the Jesus and Mary Chain, the Bay City Rollers and the Waterboys may take umbrage.) Today, only frontman Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill remain of the original lineup – and miraculously they’re still mates. And when Kerr says sweetly that their friendship is one of his greatest achievements, it looks like he really means it.

Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible review – a straightforward portrait of unpretentious rockers | Film | The Guardian

For a long time, I thought that Simple Minds only had one song, “Don’t You”, the lead song from The Breakfast Club. I discovered in Simple Minds: Everything Is Possible that it was not even their song. The documentary brings together a number of voices to tell the story of Simple Minds. Although it was both informative and interesting, what I find strange and frustration about these simplistic recounts is that they often sweep aside years and decades in a minute or two without saying anything. I recognise that a lot of people probably do not care for the later years, but if that is the case why include them?

I stumbled upon this via SBS On-Demand.

Watched https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Making_Sense from en.wikipedia.org

Stop Making Sense is a 1984 American concert film featuring a live performance by the American rock band Talking Heads.[3] The film was directed by Jonathan Demme and executive produced by Gary Kurfirst, the band’s longtime manager. The film was shot over four nights in December 1983 at Hollywood’s Pantages Theatre while Talking Heads were on tour promoting their 1983 album, Speaking in Tongues. Stop Making Sense includes performances of the early Talking Heads single, “Psycho Killer” (1977), through to their most recent hit at the time, “Burning Down the House” (1983). It also includes songs from the solo career of frontman David Byrne and by Tom Tom Club, the side project of drummer Chris Frantz and bassist Tina Weymouth.

Stop Making Sense – Wikipedia

I rewatched Stop Making Sense after stumbling upon this on SBS On-Demand. I watched it a few years ago after Kurt Hamilton did an episode of Strong Songs on it. Two things that I do not feel that I appreciated in my first watch was the frenetic energy throughout. I was also left wondering about how groundbreaking the stage projections must have been? It is easy to watch those sorts of things now and take it all for granted.

Listened https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Around_the_World_in_a_Day from en.wikipedia.org

Around the World in a Day is the seventh studio album by American recording artist Prince, and the third release on which his backing band the Revolution is billed. It was released on April 22, 1985, by Paisley Park Records and Warner Bros. Records. Departing somewhat from the commercial sound of his previous release, the massively successful Purple Rain (1984), the album instead saw Prince experimenting with psychedelic styles and more opulent textures. In compliance with Prince’s wishes to “let the project be taken in its entirety before zeroing in on anything”, the record company released the album with minimal publicity, withholding accompanying singles until almost a month after the album’s release.[9]

Around the World in a Day – Wikipedia 

Around the World in a Day was released on April 22, 1985. It was the seventh studio album of Prince’s career and the second to officially credit his band, The Revolution. Other major albums on the Billboard 200 at the time included:

  • No Jacket Required by Phil Collins
  • Like a Virgin by Madonna
  • Songs from the Big Chair by Tears for Fears
  • Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits
  • Whitney Houston by Whitney Houston
  • No Jacket Required by Phil Collins

Despite Prince’s request for minimal promotion (he initially didn’t want any singles or videos released), the album was a major success. It spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and eventually sold over 2 million copies in the U.S.

The album is widely regarded as Prince’s “Psychedelic” record. He moved away from the heavy synth-rock of Purple Rain and toward a lush, kaleidoscopic sound. By following his biggest commercial success with an experimental, “hippie-influenced” record, Prince established himself as an unpredictable artist who would never be pigeonholed. Lyrically, he added more spiritual and political depth.

Interestingly, Prince recorded much of this album before the peak of popularity around Purple Rain:

I think the smartest thing I did was record Around the World in a Day right after I finished Purple Rain. I didn’t wait to see what would happen with Purple Rain. That’s why the two albums sound completely different.”

Source: Rolling Stone

This reminded me of Nicolas Godin from Air discussing how they never actually played Moon Safari properly live at the time, because by the time it was released they had sort of moved on.

Here is my notes on each of the tracks:

Around the World in a Day

Musically, the opening track has a Middle Eastern feel. This is produced by the percussion, the zither? in the chorus, and the fluid mono-synth, Arp Omni?, that allows it to capture non-typical scales. As an opening number for a new album, this feels like a statement that things will be different. There is something of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s and the ’60s to this track. The “Middle Eastern” flair was heavily influenced by Wendy Melvoin’s brother, Jonathan, and Lisa Coleman’s brother, David, who both played Middle Eastern percussion on this track.

Prince wants to take us on a journey. One could interpret the references to a “trip” as being about LSD and drugs, but more likely it is about a spiritual trip. Either way, the lyrics set a completely different feel – an inner retreat in response to fame and stardom. It is possibly about undoing everything. With references to “red, white and blue” and “purple ladder,” it makes links to other tracks in the album and sets it up the idea of a concept album.

Paisley Park

Musically, the LinnDrum is front and center, creating the driving groove throughout “Paisley Park.” Bits come and go, but the driving groove is there from start to finish. There are layers of guitar creating a “wall of sound.” The use of distortion also creates a washed-out sound. Although there are synths, they are in the back of the mix, often serving to fill out the sound. The count-in reminds me of Bruce Springsteen, but I’m not sure why. I could almost imagine this track fitting sonically on Bowie’s Scary Monsters. It feels like a carnival. The violin solo at the end is Wendy and Lisa’s father, session musician Mike Melvoin, adding to that “baroque pop” feel.

This song is part narrative – the freaks, the woman whose husband passed unforgiven, the man stuck paying taxes – and part description of a place within all of us: “Paisley Park.” Prince noted that “Paisley Park is in everybody’s heart (Prince: “Paisley Park is in everybody’s heart. It’s not just something that I have the keys to. I was trying to say something about looking inside oneself to find perfection. Perfection is in everyone. Nobody’s perfect, but they can be. We may never reach that, but it’s better to strive than not.”) With mentions of parks, children, freedom, seesaws, happiness, and forgiveness, Prince is painting a positive picture with a dark undertone – anchovies? As a song, we are again taken to a “place” as we were taken “Uptown.” I wonder if this song is trying to talk itself into existence; speaking hope in a world (Reagan era) that feels hopeless.

Condition of the Heart

Musically, this is a ballad. It takes almost 3 minutes for the singing to begin. The song is driven by the piano and supported with percussion (finger cymbals, timpani?) and synths. The lyrics are also layered, with different voices breaking off to be “the one,” but always seemingly snapping back. Note, the intro is one of Prince’s most complex solo piano performances. He famously recorded this in one take at Sunset Sound, improvising much of the rubato opening.

The song explores different “conditions of the heart.” The first verse talks about the whims of writing to a lover in Paris; the second, a lover who left for an Arab prince; the third, the memories of past lovers. The chorus also makes mention of daisies—a symbolic move on from the violets of “When Doves Cry.”

Raspberry Beret

A bit more upbeat with a driving beat and another count-in. The keyboards and strings are again placed front and centre. We also get contrast between Prince and the female backing singers. First demoed in 1982, it feels like it is written in the same vogue as “Little Red Corvette” and could easily have been on 1999. However, the use of cello, which gives it that “chamber pop” feel, that separates it from the synth-heavy 1999 era.

The song is a It is a picaresque tale of falling in love or lust. It recounts a story where the speaker is working a “do-nothing” job when a girl walks in wearing a second-hand beret. He then talks about taking her on a ride to a farm and having sex.

Tamborine

Jazzy drums and a tight bassline; it feels similar to “All the Critics Love U in New York.”

The song discusses the different ways Prince plays with the “tambourine,” a thinly veiled metaphor for genitalia and masturbation.

America

Faster beat with slap bass and an urgent feel. The guitar line in the chorus behind the word “America” reminds me of Jimi Hendrix playing “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Verse lyrics are short and choppy, contrasted with the long, drawn-out phrases in the chorus. We also get the return of spoken-word elements at the end, though not the usual “sweet whispers” of his earlier albums. As a side note, there is also a 12-inch version of this song which is over 20 minutes long and features a massive jam session that showcases The Revolution’s live chemistry.

Prince critiques the mid-1980s United States and worries about nuclear war and communism. This is not the first album to explicitly call out political matters (see “Ronnie, Talk to Russia” on Controversy and “Free” on 1999), but there is something different about “America.” Prince is critiquing a society of “haves and have-nots” in both capitalist and communist systems.

Pop Life

“Pop Life” brings back the slap bass and a funky beat, but not quite like “early” Prince. This track balances the sharpness of the bass/drums with smooth pop strings. There is a strange rioting sample at the end, with some conjecture that it was taken from the infamous 1981 Rolling Stones support set where the crowd turned on him. Note: the unique “honky-tonk” feel of the track comes from the Fairlight CMI synthesizer samples.

The song describes how Prince was unhappy with the life of a star and the intrusions it brought—loss of privacy, heightened criticism, and negative influences—even before becoming a “mega superstar” after Purple Rain. Biographer Ian Thorne refers to this album as Prince’s “post-success isolation blues,” using “Pop Life” as the primary example of that ennui.

The Ladder

A slow jam reminiscent of “Purple Rain.” It is driven by the drum, bass, and guitar, supported by saxophone, backing vocals, and keys. The second half is almost like a vocal solo with Prince screaming over the main phrase of the backing vocals.

This track is about looking for a “ladder”—a higher purpose beyond “Sin-a-plenty.” It’s about finding something to disperse life’s anxieties, whether they be self-worth or loneliness. Finding the ladder is about accepting a spiritual path or “God.” I am reminded of Lorde’s “The Path” when listening to this; both artists respond to fame by looking for something greater.

Temptation

The beginning features a guitar delay effect. It uses drums, bass, dirty guitar, and live brass in the chorus. Much like “Darling Nikki,” the guitar and vocals play off each other. The second half changes feel, with acoustic drums replaced by a drum machine and the tinkling of a guitar, while Prince carries out a spoken narrative.

Prince discusses sexual temptation and “Purplectricity”—a return to the lust prevalent in his earlier music—before closing with a scripted conversation with God about the difference between sex and love.

For me, this album comes back to the deterritorialisation in Dirty Mind. Around the World in a Day reveals an artist attempting a radical deterritorialization of his own fame. If Dirty Mind was a “desiring-machine” rupturing sexual codes, this album is an effort to escape the “striated space” of the Purple Rain mega-phenomenon—a fixed identity that threatened to box him in. By creating “Paisley Park,” Prince constructs a Body without Organs (BwO) in the form of a “smooth space” where the restrictive “organs” of society—taxes, grief, and rigid morality—cease to function. The tension between “Temptation” and “The Ladder” mirrors the Deleuzian struggle between the “empty” BwO of pure, destructive consumption and the “full” BwO of creative spirituality. Ultimately, the album serves as a deliberate “decoding” of the pop-star image, as Prince retreats inward to find a “plane of consistency” that transcends the material success of “Sin-a-plenty.”

Replied to https://switchedonpop.com/episodes/2026-pop-predictions (switchedonpop.com)

It’s a brand new year, and what better way to ring it in than with the second annual Switched On Pop bingo? Like last year, Charlie, Nate, and Reanna polish their crystal balls and play Popstradamus, each throwing out eight outlandish pop predictions for the coming months. This time, there’s piano ballads, cover songs, and what Charlie calls the impending “death of auto-tune.”

2026 Pop Predictions: big beat, animated avatars, and Bruno Mars — Switched On Pop

Charlie, Nate, and Reanna predict a revolt against AI in 2026. They even suggest that albums might even start coming out with certified ‘100% Human’ label. I agree with their sentiment, I just wonder what a ban on AI actually means? I presume their point is songs that a fully produced via a prompt, but what about the place of AI in the mix? The support around lyric writing? Within the effects units? Within the recording? And processing? Producing support material? Personally, I am intrigued by those who double-down on AI’s uncanny nature as a point of inspiration of what it actually means to be human. Well that is how I interpret such things as Twinkle Digitz’ ‘It’s Autonomous Thomas’.

On a side note, I just wanted to flag the fear of synths and drum machines from over forty years ago as captured in Dylan Jones’ book Sweet Dreams: 

When Barry Manilow toured the UK in January, he used synths to simulate the orchestral sounds of a big band, after which the union passed a motion to ban the use of synths, drum machines and any electronic devices ‘capable of recreating the sounds of conventional musical instruments’. They were particularly concerned about the possible effect on West End theatrical productions, imagining orchestra pits full of ‘technicians’ instead of musicians.

Source: Sweet Dreams – The Story of the New Romantics (Dylan Jones)

Bookmarked https://strudel.cc/workshop/getting-started/ (strudel.cc)

With Strudel, you can expressively write dynamic music pieces.
It is an official port of the Tidal Cycles pattern language to JavaScript.

Getting Started 🌀 Strudel 

Using code to make music on the fly. What I like is that it makes the decisions explicit.

Replied to https://pitchfork.com/features/the-most-anticipated-albums-of-2026/ (pitchfork.com)

A band’s first new album in five decades, a sequel to a dancefloor classic, a superduo’s official debut. It may be the first week of January but we already have a big slate of records to kick off 2026. Some, like Charli XCX’s Wuthering Heights soundtrack, have confirmed dates, tracklists, and already-unveiled singles. Others, like Lana Del Rey’s Stove (formerly known as Lasso and The Right Person Will Stay), continue to keep us guessing. And then there’s Beyoncé’s all-but-confirmed-though-who-really-knows-when-it’s-coming Act III. You can find it all—plus additional releases by Lucinda Williams, Morrissey, Gorillaz, Bill Callahan, and more—in our rundown below.

The 55 Most Anticipated Albums of 2026 | Pitchfork 

My most anticipated album for ‘2026’ is Twinkle Digitz’ follow-up to 2025’s self-titled release as teased on Instagram. So as Pitchfork (and every other site that I read) will not share the excitement, here is my attempt:

Will Hindmarsh spent years refining the Twinkle Digitz blueprint for his 2025 debut, but the wait for a sequel looks to be much shorter.

Will Hindmarsh spent years refining the Twinkle Digitz blueprint for his 2025 debut, but the wait for a sequel looks to be much shorter. He has shared snippets of a follow-up on Instagram promising more electro-pop bangers in 2026. However, one thing always seems certain is that although there are all the usuals – groovy bass, banging drums, kaleidoscopic synthesiser sounds –  the magic that comes out of the alchemist’s cauldron is always a surprise, especially when the quill pen is involved.

On a side note, I am also left wondering who writes these predictions and whether they are really written by record companies themselves? Here I am reminded of Audrey Watters’ quip that the best way to predict the future is to issue a press release.

I don’t agree at all with the famous saying by computer scientist Alan Kay that “the best way to predict the future is to build it.” I’ve argued elsewhere that the best way to predict the future is to issue a press release.

The History of the Future by Audrey Watters

Listened 1984 studio/soundtrack album by Prince and the Revolution by Contributors to Wikimedia projects from Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.

Purple Rain is the sixth studio album by the American singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Prince. It was released on June 25, 1984, by Warner Bros. Records as the soundtrack album to the 1984 film of the same name. Purple Rain was musically denser than Prince’s previous albums, emphasizing full band performances, and multiple layers of guitars, keyboards, electronic synthesizer effects, drum machines, and other instruments. Much of the album has a grandiose, synthesized, and psychedelic substance to the production and performances.

Purple Rain (album) – Wikipedia 

Released on June 25, 1984, Purple Rain was the soundtrack to the semi-autobiographical film of the same name. It stayed at number 1 on the Billboard 200 for 24 consecutive weeks – from August 4, 1984, to January 18, 1985. Other albums at the time included:

  • Heartbeat City by The Cars
  • Born in the U.S.A. by Bruce Springsteen
  • She’s So Unusual by Cyndi Lauper

Purple Rain represented Prince at his commercial peak. It transformed him into a global icon.

It was the first album to officially credit Prince’s backing band, The Revolution. Although the band was a part of 1999, they were not recognised in the same way. Socially, the album provides a synthesis of electronic elements with organic instrumentation.

What is interesting is that it was not necessarily straight up pop album. It actually became infamous for the risqué lyrics that were picked up by Tipper Gore that led to Parent Advisory stickers on records. Questioned about this later in his life, Prince spoke about ‘looking for the ledge’:

“When you’re 20 years old, you’re looking for the ledge. You want to see how far you can push everything. As an artist I went there just to find it. And then you make changes. You know, 30 years ago—there’s a lot of things I don’t do now that I did 30 years ago. And there’s some things I still do.”

Source: 6 surprisingly normal moments from Prince’s Arsenio Hall takeover by thecurrent.org

What is amazing is that this is not Custard giving the kids some anchovies, this was one of the biggest artists in the world. I wonder if the algorithm would still allow this?

Let’s Go Crazy

The track opens with a liturgical organ “sermon,” creating a sense of ritualistic space, possibly a wedding? [1] This atmosphere is abruptly shattered by a sharp, consistent snare hit that ushers in a high-energy groove defined by distorted guitars and soaring keyboards. The arrangement builds toward a frenetic, iconic guitar solo that pushes the tempo into a celebratory frenzy.

Operating as an “end of the world” anthem, Prince urges listeners to resist the “de-elevator” (a metaphor for the Devil or depression) and the various “pills” of the world that weigh the soul down. Instead of succumbing to darkness, he exhorts the audience to find salvation through joy and “going crazy.” The song serves as a spiritual call to action, framing hedonism and faith as two sides of the same coin?

Take Me with U

This track features a compelling contrast between its disjointed, percussive intro/bridge and the fluid, melodic main groove. Notably, it introduces full string arrangements, a departure from the synth-heavy textures typical of the era. Prince employs meticulous production touches, such as the rhythmic drum fills that mimic a literal “pounding heart.”

Performed as a duet with Apollonia Kotero (originally written for Vanity 6), the song is a direct expression of mutual devotion. While Prince’s signature innuendo is present, it feels more romantic and understated here than on other tracks. He also revisits the motif of “mansions,” a recurring symbol of status in his songwriting, further grounding the track in his personal mythology.

The Beautiful Ones

The song begins with a “cold” atmosphere, driven by gurgling synthesizers and a stark drum machine, which is then balanced by sharp, staccato keyboard layers. These melodic textures feel like an early precursor to the more polished sound of Prince’s 1991 album Diamonds and Pearls. As the track progresses, the initial subtlety is overtaken by an explosion of distorted guitar, percussion, and Prince’s legendary, raw vocal screeches.

Presented as an agonizing conversation, the lyrics find the narrator demanding a choice from his love interest. He asks whether she will choose the “beautiful one” (his rival) or him. It is a song of extreme vulnerability and desperation, capturing the moment of romantic insecurity just before it turns into full-blown obsession.

Computer Blue

With its angular guitars and feedback-heavy intro, the song initially evokes the post-punk energy of Gang of Four, Oingo Boingo, or TFS. This “robotic” and rigid structure eventually gives way to a complex, multi-part suite. The song oscillates between raucous, aggressive guitar solos and a “smoother,” more melodic section, suggesting a hybrid of several different instrumental and lyrical versions edited together into one long-form groove.

The imagery here is more abstract and cryptic, referencing water, righteous love, and lost connections. While the term “computer blue” is never explicitly defined, it serves as a metaphor for a cold, digital loneliness or a futuristic state of emotional despair.

Darling Nikki

This track is built on a slow, tight yet loose groove that feels remarkably disciplined despite its subject matter. The drums, bass, and keys hold the structure together, while the guitar sporadically threatens to overwhelm the mix, eventually erupting at the song’s climax. The track ends with a jarring, reversed vocal sample and an a cappella section that creates an eerie, otherworldly conclusion, which is fact is a godly message in reverse.

A narrative piece, the song tells the story of “Nikki,” a character whose uninhibited sexual passion (specifically masturbation) made the song a target for Tipper Gore and the PMRC. It remains one of the most famous examples of Prince’s willingness to push the boundaries of pop lyrics, ultimately leading to the “Parental Advisory” sticker era.

When Doves Cry

The production is famously unconventional for a 1980s pop hit due to the total absence of a bass line. Prince reportedly stripped it away after realizing the track felt too “conventional” with it included. The result is a bare, stark arrangement that highlights the synthesized percussion and the intricate, layered vocal harmonies.

Written specifically to match the parental and romantic turmoil of the Purple Rain film, the lyrics paint a vivid picture of a relationship disintegrating under the weight of inherited trauma. Prince compares the psychological patterns of his parents to his own love affair, capturing a sense of longing and the “cold” reality of a missing connection.

I Would Die 4 U

The track is defined by a frenetic pace, driven by rapid-fire hi-hats (played on keyboard in the film) and a simple, pulsing bass line. Unlike Prince’s earlier work where the bass might have “slapped” with funk-forward aggression, the approach here is more streamlined and synth-driven. Toward the end, a fluid rhythmic guitar line joins the chorus, adding a sense of momentum and resolution to the arrangement.

Prince adopts the persona of a Messianic figure, using heavy biblical and religious imagery to promise salvation and protection. Like ‘Let’s Go Crazy,’ the song functions as a spiritual manifesto, declaring that he is neither “a woman nor a man” but a messenger here to offer ultimate sacrifice and love.

Baby I’m a Star

Flowing directly from ‘I Would Die 4 U,’ this track maintains a high tempo but shifts the focus to a pulsing bass line and agile keyboard work. The structure features several “breakout” moments – reminiscent of the extended jams in ‘Computer Blue’ – where the band takes over. It echoes the self-assured energy of his earlier hit ‘I Wanna Be Your Lover.’

This is a pure statement of arrival and confidence. The lyrics assert the singer’s inevitable stardom and offer that same radiant energy to the listener. It is the sound of an artist who knows he has conquered the world, serving as the ultimate “victory lap” on the album.

Purple Rain

The tempo drops significantly for this massive, “cigarette lighter” power ballad. The arrangement is dense and organic, utilizing drums, bass, piano, and full strings to build a monumental wall of sound. The track functions as a dramatic call-and-response between Prince’s soulful lead vocals and his emotive, crying lead guitar.

Each verse is directed at a specific group in “The Kid’s” life: his parents, his love interest Apollonia, and his bandmates. The “purple rain” itself represents a kind of cleansing apocalypse—a desire to be with a loved one and guided by faith as the world ends. It is a song of forgiveness, reconciliation, and transcendence.

Maybe it is the case with everything in life, but there was so much to this album that I never picked up when I first heard it years ago. In particular, I was left intrigued by the argument that Purple Rain is a christian album.

  1. Although not quite the same, I was reminded of The Weeknd’s Dawn FM listening to this beginning. ↩

Bookmarked https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1999_(Prince_album) (en.wikipedia.org)

1999 is the fifth studio album by the American singer-songwriter and musician Prince, released on October 27, 1982, by Warner Bros. Records. It was his first album to be recorded with his band the Revolution; however, the band properly debuted in the following album, Purple Rain. 1999’s critical and commercial success propelled Prince to a place in the public psyche and marked the beginning of two years of heightened fame via his following releases.[8]

1999 (Prince album) – Wikipedia by 1999 (Prince album) – Wikipedia

Released on October 27, 1982, 1999 was Prince’s fifth album. Other albums out at the time included Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Lionel Ritchie’s self-titled debut and Men at Work’s Business as Usual.

Although many of the elements had been there in previous albums, 1999 is considered as defining the blueprint for the “Minneapolis Sound” where they are all brought together. With this album, he combined the minimalist attitude of Dirty Mind with the digital precision of Controversy. This sound characterised by a sparse, electronically-driven funk built on synthesisers, such as the Oberheim OB-Xa, and programmed drums using the Linn LM-1, mixed with Prince’s unique vocal style and electric guitar work.

Although Prince continued to write and record most of the songs, 1999 was the first record to recognise the backing band, The Revolution, in a number of tracks.

Stylistically, the album is seen as a foundation in ‘electro-funk’, with the commitment to electronic instrumentation across the board. It also continued Prince’s exploration of long-form tracks designed for clubs. Although he had dabbled with longer tracks on Controversy, 1999 truly embraces this change, extending the record across two discs. Prince did not wait for the remixer, he put the extended versions straight on the album. This is a far cry from Dirty Mind, which did not go much beyond 30 minutes. (It is interesting to think about this alongside Dua Lipa’s release of ‘extended versions’ of all her tracks on Radical Optimism.) Though it needs to be notes that these extended versions were more than just remixes, with long drum intros and outros, they are more cinematic, continuing to add more ingredients right up until the end of the track.

“1999”

Lyrically, the title track speaks to a feeling of apocalyptic dread and Cold War paranoia, particularly the fear of nuclear proliferation that was very present in the early 1980s (the Reagan years). Prince’s response to this dread was not despair, but rather a hedonistic call to “party like it’s 1999.” The song presents a blend of existential fear and sexy, escapist funk. There is also a dream-like element to the track; it is not just a call to party, but a surrealist vision that balances the dread of the Cold War with a hazy, subconscious optimism, combining several voices into one core message.

In the podcast series released in conjunction with the release of the deluxe version of 1999, Bobby Z recounted the origins of the track:

“Bobby Z: We were traveling on the road, and there was a hotel sign, and it said, ‘Free HBO.’ That was a big deal. So everybody got to their room, turned on HBO, and there was an HBO documentary about Nostradamus and the prediction of the end of the world – 1999! 1999. And we’re all blown away by this thing. You could feel it in the hotel rooms. They were just glued to the TV. So, of course, like normal people do, the next day the water cooler talk is, ‘Did you see –’ And for Prince, he had written this song. So there explains the difference between mere mortals and Prince. We’re all going wow, and then he just embodied the whole thing with ‘1999’ the next day.”

Musically, the track builds on the concept of “the one.” In 70s disco, the bass might walk all over the place, but in ‘1999,’ Prince often strips the bass down to just the pumping F. On top of this, there is the classic synth chord sequence and drum machine holding steady. Around all this, there is the rhythmic guitar and additional synth lines coming in and out, which adds to the feel of “the one,” as well as the incorporation of samples and vocal morphing. Interestingly, the chorus puts a hold on “the one,” which only accentuates it more when it hits again.

“Little Red Corvette”

Lyrically, this is one of those tracks that you know melodically and through all the hooks, but it has much more going on when you stop and consider the details. It features references to a “pocket full of horses” and “pictures of the jockeys,” alongside a playful confusion between metaphors—the ‘Little Red Corvette’ who is also a limousine: “I say the ride is so smooth, you must be a limousine.” As explored in the Press Rewind podcast, the song also touches upon the cost of fast living.

Sonically, the verse is somewhat subdued, with the bass stripped out almost entirely. This leaves the Oberheim synth chords and the Linn drum beat to create a sense of suspension, a technique similar to Go-Go Sapian’s ‘SexxxKiss’. Prince uses rising tension to contrast the “thin and high” verses with the “thick and wide” chorus, emphasised by the harmonies of the choir sound to add weight to the main refrain. It feels like a song that was built outward from the strength of its chorus.

“Delirious”

Lyrically, ‘Delirious’ is an exploration of the ways a girl makes Prince feel, including having a “stupid look on my face.” Automotive metaphors return to support the narrative, with discussions of driving, breaking, and stalling. Sonically, the song is defined by the “Gallop”: a steady, rockabilly-influenced shuffle. It doesn’t “reset” on “the one” because it is designed to maintain a nervous, high-energy forward momentum. The track serves as a constant reminder of the Jitterbug.

“Let’s Pretend We’re Married”

This track moves closer to Euro-disco or Techno-pop. The Linn LM-1 kick drum acts as a relentless hammer, creating a “level” stream of energy designed for a frantic dance floor rather than emphasizing “the one” with a bass-stab or vocal reset. The driving pulse is reminiscent of Dirty Mind, but more upbeat. While the song initially seems to be about living a life of marital bliss without the legal commitment, by the end, it shifts to a space between sex and God, as if Prince is caught between two conflicting states of mind.

“D.M.S.R.”

Lyrically, “Dance, Music, Sex, Romance” is a sex-positive track that fits the album’s theme of partying. It acts as the “Uptown” of 1999, where Prince preaches an “everything is free” philosophy, including lyrics such as “go to the restaurant in your underwear.” This freedom focuses on collective unity while maintaining individuality, shown through references to various backgrounds. Prince also clarifies he is there for the good time rather than the awards, though the song ends with an air of ambiguity as it closes with a call for help—perhaps suggesting too much DMSR. Sonically, this is considered a tribute to James Brown’s style; every few bars, the synth-horns and bass “slam” back into the root note to satisfy the brain’s need for a home base.

“Automatic”

In “Automatic,” Prince explores love and emotions as mechanical and addictive, portraying himself as helpless and equating her absence with death. The bridge introduces a “human” break from the robotic responses: “I pray that when you dream, you dream of how we kissed | Not with our lips, but with our souls.” The ending captures the contradiction between the pleasure of being together and the pain of torture. Sonically, it is an example of “robofunk,” with synths that sound like Gary Numan meeting Kraftwerk. “The one” is used here to ground long, experimental jams; without that reset on the first beat, a nine-minute track like this would feel like it’s floating away.

“Something in the Water (Does Not Compute)”

Lyrically, Prince portrays a character trying to understand why his lovers mistreat and reject him. Because he views himself as cute, smart, and having “good legs,” the cruel treatment “does not compute.” His only explanation is that there “must be something in the water” these girls drink, rather than acknowledging an entitled attitude where “no” is not an option. Sonically, the rhythm is “Linear Funk,” driven by a frantic, high-frequency hi-hat and snare pattern where “the one” is almost ghost-like, emphasizing the character’s mental frustration.

“Free”

Lyrically, “Free” explores concepts of personal liberty and spiritual awakening. The song’s ambiguity allows for multiple entry points, including sociopolitical interpretations. Sonically, it is a traditional anthem/hymn following a standard pop-rock meter with emphasis on the backbeat (beats 2 and 4). With this change of pace, the relentless LinnDrum is replaced by traditional drums, keys, and guitar, serving as a distinct contrast to the other tracks on the album.

“Lady Cab Driver”

Lyrically, Prince is in a cab with a female driver who lives in a mansion and is “driving” him in more ways than one. This leads to a bridge where each “thrust” is for a particular grievance—politicians, the greedy, the creator, and those without sex. The absurdity of the situation suggests Prince is dreaming again, with the driver acting as a spiritual guide. Sonically, much like “Automatic,” the track uses “the one” to ground a long experimental jam. Additionally, the vocalization of “lady” in this track evokes the feel of the French House track “Lady (Hear Me Tonight).”

“All the Critics Love U in New York”

This song is a tongue-in-cheek look at New York culture and the art of the critic. It suggests that as long as you look the part—wearing the right clothes and frequenting the right clubs—the critics will embrace you regardless of the “soul” in the music. Sonically, the track has a skeletal groove where the hi-hat is the lead instrument. By pushing the kick drum to the back of the mix, Prince creates a “detached” feeling, parodying New Wave music that “doesn’t have a beat.”

“International Lover”

Lyrically, we return to classic Prince, using flying as a metaphor for sex. The track is equal parts sexy and silly, particularly with the pilot dialogue. Sonically, this is a 6/8 time blues-ballad where the song is driven by a “swinging” triplet feel—it’s about the “sway” rather than the “slam.” This track earned Prince his first-ever Grammy nomination, as the industry recognized that despite the “silly” pilot persona, the vocal technique behind it was world-class.

Thematically, 1999 functions as a political response to the tensions of its era, framing the act of partying not as mere hedonism, but as a deliberate reaction to a world where there is little else one can control. It signals a significant shift in Prince’s songwriting; while earlier albums focused on the direct, physical desire for a partner, this record delves into more complex human foibles and existential anxieties – from the “robotic” nature of modern connection to the power dynamics of rejection. Ultimately, the album is more “on edge,” trading pure romance for a blend of global crisis and psychological depth.

Replied to Hottest 100 of 2025 – triple j (triple j)

Listen on Saturday January 24th as we count down the Hottest 100 songs of 2025 – as voted by you.

Australia’s biggest music countdown. Every year, we ask you to vote for the top 10 songs that soundtracked your year. From the bangers, to the ones you had on repeat in your headphones, and everything in between. We tally up all your votes, and count down the tracks that made the cut in one hell of a listening party at the end of January.

Source: Hottest 100 of 2025 by ABC Online

It is interesting to look through various dumps of tracks of the year, such as NPR’s NPR Music’s Best Songs Of 2025. What intrigues me is that they rarely include the tracks that stood out to me. Although Triple J’s Hottest 100 is not really aimed at me (not one of my artists are in the Top 50 played artists), I enjoy the challenge associated with reflecting upon the new music I have heard. Here then is my list:

Dancing in My Dream by Twinkle Digitz

I bet last night you didn’t sleep, because you were dancing in my dreams.

‘Dancing in My Dream’ is Will Hindmarsh’s attempt at eighties synth-pop track. Lyrically, it is built around the popular belief in Japan that:

If you can’t sleep at night, it’s because you are awake in someone else’s dream.

This cinematic track tells a tale that balances between being awake and asleep in the same vein as Prince’s ‘1999’. This ambiguity – anchovies – plays out lyrically with the play between ‘my’ dream and ‘the’ dream, as well as the closing quip that, “We all know what it means when your dancing in my dreams.”

Fairyland Codex by TFS

Yeah, the whole world’s at death’s door now
And they’re picking at the lock
But rent ain’t getting any cheaper
So who you really helping?

‘Fairyland Code’ is a change to the usual TFS recipe of chaos effects and angular intensity, it is a meandering acoustic track that paints a picture of a broken world, “a village in hell”, where everyone just getting by. Although the themes do not directly match, I felt that this tracks captured something of the sombre, dystopian mood of Tim Winton’s novel Juice and I could imagine it serving as the end-credit song of an imagined filmic adaptation.

An Absent Lover by Davey Lane

Couldn’t catch a conscience if it slapped you in the face

‘An Absent Lover’ was the track that stood out when I saw Davey Lane live. I love the upbeat feel and the chorus just hits. Musically, it also keeps on moving and changing. In part, it reminds me of Primal Scream’s ‘Swastika Eyes’. However, I am sure that with Lane’s tapestry of influences (listen to Lane’s interview on the Trusty Chords podcast), that the references go back further than that.

How Bad Do U Want Me by Lady Gaga

But I got a tattoo for us last week
Even good boys bleed
How bad, bad do you want me?

On hearing ‘How Bad Do U Want Me’, I joked with my daughter that this is the best Taylor Swift track this year, maybe Lady Gaga’s Version? With its nod to Yazoo’s ‘Only You’ and the ‘U’ in the title (hello Prince?), this track definitely captures a vibe. I must admit, Mayhem has grown on me over time.

Peripheral Lover by Gordi

Don’t you make me your peripheral lover, no
I wanna be there in the middle

This is another classic dynamic songs with the quiet verse which builds to huge chorus with big vocals, big drums and a clear message. It feels like one of those songs which starts with the chorus and builds around that.

Kidding by Meg Washington

I believe in the future
I am strong
You were kidding
You werе kidding, only kidding all along

Musically, ‘Kidding’ is blissful pop, epitomised by the wash of drums and synths in the chorus. However, as with so much of Washington’s music, it always feels like there is more just beneath the surface.

Meg openly shares about the track, “Kidding is about deciding to reframe your own story. It’s about letting go of a common ideal and creating your own context, the masterful feeling of being yourself on purpose. It’s the first song I’ve ever written with stuttering in the lyrics.”

Source: Press Release

Live Forever by Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory

Who wants to live forever?

‘Live Forever’ opens Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory’s self-titled album. It feels like it sets a statement, something meditative. Really, the tracks revolves around the question, who would want to live forever? Sonically, I love how this track builds with the blend of synths. In some ways, this track feels like an instrumental with the vocals serving to build out the soundscape. On a side note, this serves as this years ‘Jake Webb’ link of the year, with the album produced by Marta Salogni who mixed Triage.

Cirkl by Lindstrøm

Although I do not necessarily subscribe to playlistification of modern music, there is music that relates to particular situations. For example, I listen to a lot of electronica when plogging. A particular highlight this year was Lindstrøm’s Sirius Syntoms. I love how Lindstrøm’s music ebbs and flows, but never quite repeating. I think that what made this album interesting for me was also listening to a lot of Yellow Magic Orchestra at the same time, which gave it historical context. Another highlight was Legowelt’s Synths Below Sea Level.

In Love With a Memory by Sasami

All I need is to know what you want from me
We can’t go on just living in love with a memory
All of me is yours if you catch me as I go
If we only go backwards then we’ll never know

‘In Love With a Memory’ explores being in love with a memory, a ‘supercut of us’, and moving on. What I love about this song is the way in which the lyrics and the music match up, in particular the way the chorus provides a filter over it all. This is also the first pop song I have ever seen performed with a French horn solo.

FOSAGAWI by Arseless Chaps

Welcome to the land of FOSAGAWI
A nation state with a private army
Of malingerers and dolts and skivers
Influencers and think tank divers
Wherever you are, they’re one just near
With the loudest voice in the bosses ear

‘FOSAGAWI’ the acronym “for full of shit and getting away with it”. This dancefloor banger is the cathartic track that I need. I was even lucky enough to see Davey Lane guest in performance as a part of the album launch. The track epitomises Damian Cowell and Tony Martin’s skill in capturing the everyday. In some ways this track serves as a playlist palette cleanser, a reminder that at the heart of it we are all “full of shit” at the end of the day, just some get away with it I guess?

There have been two books that have left me thinking about music this year: Mood Machine – The Rise of Spotify and the Cost of the Perfect Playlist by Liz Pelly and Listen – On Music, Sound and Us by Michel Faber. It was interesting thinking about these while reflecting on my top tracks. As I listen to music predominantly on Spotify, I was left thinking about what the algorithm would make of my choices and what it says about me? Big choruses? Long meandering broods? Not sure. What I am sure of is that it is all somewhat arbitrary in the end.