Through a modern lens, we can see Prince’s name change as an act of reclamation. However, questions of who controls identity are commonplace today. If you were born a Todd, you stayed a Todd, so to speak. This idea was decidedly not mainstream at the time. You’re allowed to define yourself, and there’s power in that act. Prince’s work pointed to the agency you gain when you take control of your own identity. Some thought it was a cheap move to get out of his contract, but there’s more to it. He dropped letters altogether and famously settled on Ƭ̵̬̊ (it’s the closest I could get without downloading the official TAFKAP font). The first salvo in his war with Warner was The Name Change. Warner Bros., his longtime label, didn’t like that one bit. Prince wanted to release them as he saw fit. In the early ’90s, the notably prolific Purple One had over 500 songs in the vault. This journey was so far ahead of its time that many still don’t comprehend how fully Prince presaged the modern music industry - and society today. Unsatisfied with the confines of major labels and the corruption of the system, he embarked on a journey of creative freedom and innovation. Sure, variables in the equation changed - tastemakers came and went, physical formats evolved, and demographics shifted - but the system held.īefore anyone did surprise releases, bundled records with phones, or snuck out of contracts thanks to “video albums” (Oh, Endless!), Prince bucked trends and blazed those trails. It was carefully timed to maximize exposure, chart position, and ticket sales. Labels meticulously crafted an album cycle to squeeze every penny out of a record. For decades, musicians at the top of the food chain all operated pretty much the same way. Modern superstars like Beyoncé, Frank Ocean, Jay-Z, and Future release albums when they want and how they want.

Prince discography in order