They both saw it coming. Prince resisted, Bowie adapted. A radical withdrawal or a lucid prophecy — two paths, one uncomfortable truth.
Prince & Bowie – Two Visions, One Warning
🟣 Prince: the digital resistance
In the ’90s, Prince fought for control of his music. After a fierce conflict with Warner Bros., he dropped his name. Literally. He stopped calling himself Prince, signed records with a symbol, and wrote “slave” on his cheek. No gimmick — it was war.
In 1998, he released Crystal Ball, a self-produced box set. Not in stores. It could be pre-ordered online via Love4OneAnother.com. If enough orders came in, it would be pressed. If not, digital only. Prince was building Bandcamp before Bandcamp existed.
In 1999, at the Yahoo! Internet Life Awards, he gave a speech that sounds prophetic today. Watch the video.
“Use the computer, but don’t let the computer use you. You’ve all seen Matrix. The battlefield is the mind, the prize is the soul.”
Shortly after, he withdrew his music from platforms. He said: better to disappear than be devalued. For years, Prince simply didn’t exist to those discovering music via Spotify.
🚀 Bowie: the prophet of dematerialization
Bowie never hid. He changed skin, name, shape. Always looking ahead.
In a 1999 BBC interview with Jeremy Paxman (watch here), he stated:
“Music is going to become like running water or electricity.”
Already in 1998, he had launched BowieNet, his own ISP. It wasn’t just for fans — it was a statement: if this is the future, I want to enter it first.
His albums reflect this fracture. In Outside, Earthling, Reality, there are avatars, networks, digital ghosts. Bowie didn’t say “no.” He said: “I’ll play, but I’ll rewrite the rules.”
🧩 Two visions, one same question
Prince and Bowie never appeared together publicly. They never collaborated. But they seem like two sides of the same mirror.
- Prince refused the rules.
- Bowie rewrote them from within.
Both still challenge us today. Not out of nostalgia. But because the problem hasn’t gone away — it’s just more silent. And more convenient.
🔚 Conclusion
Prince is gone. So is Bowie. Their music returned to all platforms. Playlists, tributes, trending tags. But few truly heard what they were trying to say.
This wasn’t just about streaming rights or formats. It was about asking:
“What’s left of the music, if nothing’s left of the artist?”
Today, everything is available. But what are we really choosing?
📚 Verified Sources
- Prince – Crystal Ball: PrinceVault
- Yahoo! Awards Speech: YouTube
- David Bowie – BBC Interview: YouTube
- BowieNet – Personal ISP: Wikipedia
Support Dancity
Our project is independent and non-profit.
If you enjoy what we do, you can support us with a small donation.
This article was produced with the support of AI tools, used for content organization and textual optimization. The sources, ideas and materials come from the archive and activity of the Dancity Association.
