Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known m… Read Full Bio ↴Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958 – April 21, 2016), more commonly known mononymously as Prince, was an American singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer. The recipient of numerous awards and nominations, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest musicians of his generation. He was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona; his wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams; and his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, R&B, rock, new wave, soul, synth-pop, pop, jazz, and hip hop.

Born and raised in Minneapolis, Prince signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 19, soon releasing the albums For You (1978) and Prince (1979). He went on to achieve critical success with the influential albums Dirty Mind (1980), Controversy (1981), and 1999 (1982). His sixth album, Purple Rain (1984), was recorded with his new backing band the Revolution, and was also the soundtrack to the film of the same name in which he starred. Purple Rain garnered continued success for Prince and was a major commercial achievement, spending six consecutive months atop the Billboard 200 chart. The soundtrack also won Prince the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score. After disbanding the Revolution, Prince released the album Sign o' the Times (1987), widely hailed by critics as the greatest work of his career. In the midst of a contractual dispute with Warner Bros. in 1993, he changed his stage name to the unpronounceable symbol logo. Hollow circle above downward arrow crossed with a curlicued horn-shaped symbol and then a short bar (known to fans as the "Love Symbol") and was often referred to as The Artist Formerly Known as Prince (or TAFKAP) or simply The Artist.

After signing with Arista Records in 1998, Prince reverted to his original name in 2000. Over the next decade, six of his albums entered the U.S. top 10 charts. In April 2016, at the age of 57, Prince died after accidentally overdosing on fentanyl at his Paisley Park home and recording studio in Chanhassen, Minnesota. He was a prolific musician who released 39 albums during his life, with a vast array of unreleased material left in a custom-built bank vault underneath his home after his death, including fully completed albums and over 50 finished music videos. He also released songs under multiple pseudonyms during his life, as well as writing songs that were made popular after being covered by other musicians, most notably "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor and "Manic Monday" by the Bangles. Estimates of the complete number of songs written by Prince range anywhere from 500 to well over 1,000. Released posthumously, his demo albums Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018) and Originals (2019) both received critical acclaim.

Prince sold over 100 million records worldwide, ranking him among the best-selling music artists of all time. His awards included the Grammy President's Merit Award, the American Music Awards for Achievement and of Merit, the Billboard Icon Award, an Academy Award, and a Golden Globe Award. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Rhythm and Blues Music Hall of Fame in 2016, and was inducted twice into the Black Music & Entertainment Walk of Fame in 2022.

Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_(musician)

Studio albums
For You (1978)
Prince (1979)
Dirty Mind (1980)
Controversy (1981)
1999 (1982)
Purple Rain (1984)
Around the World in a Day (1985)
Parade (1986)
Sign o' the Times (1987)
Lovesexy (1988)
Batman (1989)
Graffiti Bridge (1990)
Diamonds and Pearls (1991)
Love Symbol (1992)
Come (1994)
The Black Album (1994)
The Gold Experience (1995)
Chaos and Disorder (1996)
Emancipation (1996)
Crystal Ball (1998)
The Truth (1998)
The Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale (1999)
Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic (1999)
The Rainbow Children (2001)
One Nite Alone... (2002)
Xpectation (2003)
N·E·W·S (2003)
The Chocolate Invasion (2004)
The Slaughterhouse (2004)
Musicology (2004)
3121 (2006)
Planet Earth (2007)
Lotusflow3r (2009)
MPLSound (2009)
20Ten (2010)
Plectrumelectrum (2014)
Art Official Age (2014)
HITnRUN Phase One (2015)
HITnRUN Phase Two (2015)

Posthumous releases:
Piano and a Microphone 1983 (2018)
Originals (2019)
Welcome 2 America (2021)

Prince also released two albums credited to Madhouse, three albums credited to the New Power Generation, and one credited to the N.P.G. Orchestra:

Madhouse:
8 (1987)
16 (1987)

The New Power Generation:
Goldnigga (1993)
Exodus (1995)
Newpower Soul (1998)

The N.P.G. Orchestra:
Kamasutra (1997)

For Serbian singer Princ, please use Princ.

New Power Soul
Prince Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

New, New Power Soul

Hey man, what happened to the band man?

Yeah nigga, that's what I'm talking about, ha ha ha ha
Yeah, go on, go on, yeah
Hey, hey, what happened to the horns though man?
Alright y'all, what's up with that shit?

They're about to leave, that's it, that's it

Yeah, well hey, play me some of them 45's you got over there
Hey man, I ain't leaving

Uh, ooh

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Prince's song "New Power Soul" are a reflection on the current state of music and its changing landscape. The opening lines are Prince seemingly talking to his band members, expressing his frustration with the current state of music and wondering what happened to the traditional band structure. The use of the word "nigga" may raise some eyebrows, but it's important to understand the context in which it is used. Prince was known for breaking down racial barriers in his music and often used slang as a way to connect with his audience.

As the song progresses, Prince starts to get more upbeat, telling his band members to keep playing and joking around with them. The line "what happened to the horns though man?" is a reference to the declining popularity of brass instruments in popular music. By the end of the song, Prince is fully embracing the new direction in music, singing the chorus "New Power Soul" with enthusiasm.

Overall, the lyrics to "New Power Soul" can be seen as Prince's way of embracing change and adapting to the new trends in popular music while still holding on to his roots.

Line by Line Meaning

New, New Power Soul
Introducing a new and powerful type of soul music.

Hey man, what happened to the band man?
Asking why the band is not performing as expected.

Yeah nigga, that's what I'm talking about, ha ha ha ha
Expressing excitement and enthusiasm for the music.

Yeah, go on, go on, yeah
Encouraging the band to keep playing.

Hey, hey, what happened to the horns though man?
Questioning the absence of the horn section in the music.

Alright y'all, what's up with that shit?
Expressing frustration and disappointment over the absence of the horns.

They're about to leave, that's it, that's it
Explaining that the horn players are about to stop playing and leave.

Yeah, well hey, play me some of them 45's you got over there
Asking for the DJ to play some records from their collection.

Hey man, I ain't leaving
Asserting that the artist is not leaving the party or event.

Uh, ooh
An expression of excitement and anticipation for the upcoming music.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LLOYD SONNY THOMPSON, MICHAEL A. BLAND, MORRIS K. HAYES, PRINCE ROGERS NELSON, TOMMY ELM

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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