It has been exactly one year since the legendary musician Prince has passed away. Like many other talented singers within his era, Prince created a legacy all in his own right.  I have love for groundbreaking singers like Michael Jackson, and respect for icon Madonna, but Prince created a new and distinctive sound in the 80’s that is duplicated today by many popular artists in the 21st century. Here is my list of songs that were inspired by Prince. I did not feel like they needed to be in order from worst to best because each song is brilliant in a Prince-inspired way!

Promise-  Ciara 

By far one of Ciara’s best songs. Miss CiCi sounded like the female version of Prince. From the falsetto singing, hypnotic beat,  and synthesizer singing in the background, the song still sounds amazing today, not feeling dated.

 Adorn- Miguel 

Miguel is basically the modern day Prince, so a song like this is right up his ally. From beginning to end, Adorn keeps up with appearances… including how bizarre the video is as well. Of course the vocals are on point.

Kiss It Better- Rihanna

Been waitin’ on that sunshine boy I think it need that back! 

Rihanna’s vocals on this song gives me life. There is strength, clarity, soul and passion burning out of Riri’s voice. The lyrics is straight to the point with no strings attached. The electric guitar and simple beat in the background all scream a classic Prince song making it a priceless moment for Bad Gal RiRi.

Rock The Boat- Aaliyah

Aaliyah was of course inspired by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, but from the lyrics, and innovative beats, the song sounds like something Prince would written and recorded sometime back. Either way (and unfortunately) this is one of the late singer’s signature songs.

Q.U.E.E.N. -Janelle Monae

This song is a little bit more political, adding the feminist tones to it. All the more reasons why the late legendary singer has inspired Janelle Monae. I just feel like adding Erykah Badu’s name to the list since she is feature on the song just because she is cool. He was also featured on her last album, Electric Lady. It may appear on this list…

Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart- Alicia Keys

I read once that when writing and producing the song, Prince was the inspiration for Alicia Keys. Clearly! This was her moment to impress, and I think she succeeded in that.

Climax- Usher

Many compare the song to something that The Weeknd would sing which is well deserved on his behalf, but first and foremost I feel like if Prince was time travelling to the 21st century… this song would have belonged to him. This is one of Usher’s most underrated songs, but clearly hard to sing, creating the “climax.” Pun intended.

Dance For You- Beyonce 

Another underrated song that also needs to be on this list. From the horns, to the electric guitar, to Beyonce’s eclectic vocals, she shows the world why she is Queen Bey.

Until The End Of Time- Justin Timberlake ft. Beyonce

If they ever released a video for this… I will keep you all thinking the what ifs. However, every time this song is played it becomes more of a classic. Beyonce does make the song much more interesting for some reason. Listen to it without her and you will see the difference.

Umbrella- Rihanna

You probably did not think twice before hearing this song. I see some inspiration here and Umbrella somehow compliments another song…Purple Rain. I’ll leave it there.

Cranes In The Sky- Solange

Solange is not only weird like Prince, but what they have in come (or a few things) is the soulfulness that they bring to each song. In the 90’s you saw the departure of what Prince usually sang that geared towards a new genre called Neo Soul.

Motivation- Kelly Rowland

Ms. Kelly had her moment to shine here and she did not fail to. The back drop of the beat sounds classic. Her performance at the BET Awards in 2011 was by far the best that year. Rowland was just killing it!

Really Love- D’ Angelo and The Vanguard

This live performance from D’Angelo and The Vanguard gets me speechless. He sounds just like the recorded version. When Prince passed away, I remember him paying tribute to the late singer. The passion and the falsetto voice reminds me a lot of Prince.

Untitled (How Does it Feel)- D’Angelo

I am keeping things PG-13 because you have to be a certain age to watch the actual music video, so there will be no complications in watching the video, but here is the album version of the classic. I do feel like the video overshadows the actual song. When actually listening to the song, the versatile vocals, crazy riffs and rafts from the electric guitar, and tone of the song breathes Prince’s name all over it. D’Angelo is one of my favourite male artists but Prince helped to inspired this sound.

Rocket- Beyonce

I not only see a Prince comparison, but of course D’Angelo’s Untitled song as well. Funny enough you don’t have to log in to view this. The modern day Prince, also known as Miguel co-wrote the song. Need I say more?

One In a Million- Aaliyah

It’s a classic falsetto slow jam, all the more to be inspired the legendary singer himself.

Do What You Want- Lady Gaga Ft. R.Kelly

This song is as Pop/R&B as Lady GaGa will ever get. The duo with R.Kelly may sound odd but they do create the musical magic needed. I needed to post a live performance to showcase the humour and talent shown from both of the genius artists.

Future Sex/Love Sound- Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake may sound more like Michael Jackson than any other artist, accept for The Weeknd. With that being said, not in this song. The production and vocals are leaning more towards Prince’s voice.

High For This – The Weeknd

Speaking of the singer; it is known that Scarborough native The Weeknd is a fan of Prince. So when you here the similarities… you will understand why I chose this song.

Two Weeks- FKA Twigs

Visually, the video reminds me of Aaliyah from Queen of The Damned, by sound there is a mix of Bjork and Prince along with comparing the lyrics. The singer needs to be showcased for her versatile talents. What better way to compare her to the late singer.

Pony- Ginuwine

The video is so bizarre which is one reason why it needs to be on this list. Timbaland’s production seems to have some inspiration by another creative genius but I won’t say who. Lastly, of course the movie Magic Mike brought more hype to the song, retaining the classic 90’s jam back into the limelight.

Redbone- Childish Gambino

Childish Gambino surprised me here. I knew he could sing and had some range, but not in a D’Angelo/Prince- falsetto range. This is a sound that’s inspired by the 70’s funk sound in which the earlier sound of Prince was formed. The song is always on repeat…

Give Em What They Love- Janelle Monae Ft. Prince

This had to be the last song on the list… it features the late singer. What I love the most, aside from Prince singing and playing his electric guitar, was the fact that Janelle Monae kept up with his energy. If you have not heard this song before and you are a fan of the singer, I advise you to replay it. It is by far one of my favourite collaborations in music. I can just imagine what Janelle must be thinking when she recorded the song with the legend and of course after when he passed away.