Blackstar Rising and the Purple Reign
The Sonic Afterlives of David Bowie and Prince
Published on 14. April 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
520 pages
978-1-4780-3330-1 (ISBN)
Description
Blackstar Rising and the Purple Reign is the first critical anthology dedicated to exploring the legacies of two pop music icons who died within months of one another in 2016: David Bowie and Prince. Daphne A. Brooks brings together an extraordinary array of writers, artists and scholars including Greg Tate, Jack Halberstam, Kara Keeling, Eric Lott, and Ann Powers to offer fresh insight into how Bowie and Prince each fundamentally changed pop culture as two musicians who emerged at the intersections of modern movements surrounding race, gender, sexuality, and art. Featured alongside these pieces are interviews with trusted collaborators of Bowie and Prince such as D.A. Pennebaker, Sheila E., and Marie France, giving vital insider context to the impact both artists had on pop culture and the complexities of their repertoires, politics, and private lives. This work is essential reading for any fan of two of the most formidable and eminent figures in pop culture history.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
North Carolina
United States
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
59 illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 31 mm
Weight
839 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-4780-3330-1 (9781478033301)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Daphne A. Brooks
Blackstar Rising and the Purple Reign
The Sonic Afterlives of David Bowie and Prince
Book
approx. 04/2026
Duke University Press
€144.10
Not yet published
Person
Daphne A. Brooks is William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Black Studies, American Studies, Women', Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and Music at Yale University. She is the author of Liner Notes for the Revolution and Jeff Buckley's Grace, as well as Bodies in Dissent, published by Duke University Press.
Content
Introduction
“Dearly Beloved,” “Give Me Your Hands”: Toward a (Rock and Roll) Commons / Daphne A. Brooks 1
“Adore”: A Map to the Chapters, Meditations, Conversations, and a Spirited Round of Karaoke / Daphne A. Brooks 35
Part I. “Punch a Higher Floor”: David Bowie, Prince, the Utopian, and the Spiritual
1. This Is What It’s Like When Starships Cry: A Cosmic Soliloquy on the Warp-Driven Vessels Christened Bowe and Prince / Greg Tate 53
2. Am I Nowhere Now? Hoping for Utopia in David Bowie’s Lazarus / Tiffany Naiman 61
Critical Karaoke Interlude I
Farah Jasmine Griffin: Prince, “Nothing Compares 2 U” 74
Matthew Frye Jacobson: David Bowie, “Space Oddity” 77
3. “This Thing Called Life” (After Prince and Bowie): On Blackstars and Purple Rain / Kara Keeling 80
4. Not Quite Dying: Late Bowie / Eric Lott 92
5. “Adore,” Alternative / Ashon Crawley 101
Critical Karaoke Interlude II
Gayle Wald: David Bowie, “Starman” 113
Richard Yarborough: Prince, “Housequake” (All-the-Way-Live Version) 116
Part II. “Station to Station”: Traversing Cities and Borders with Bowie and Prince
6. Heroes Across the Border / Josh Kun 123
7. Riding in Cars with Prince / Van My Truong 129
Critical Karaoke Interlude III
Gustavus Stadler: Prince, “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” or, Could / Be the Most Beautiful Girl in the World? 137
Daphne Carr: David Bowie, “I’m Afraid of Americans” (Nine Inch Nails V1 Mix) 140
Nicole R. Fleetwood: Prince, “Darling Nikki” 144
8. Queer Nightlife Autopoiesis: A Self-Guided Downtown Bowie Walking Tour / Shane Vogel 147
9. “There Will Be No Death”: Prince’s Afterlife in Minneapolis / Emma BalÁzs and Kristen Zshomler 160
10. From the Depot to Uncle Sam’s: Minneapolis, Clubs, Album-Oriented Rock, and Prince in the Seventies / Michaelangelo Matos 175
Critical Karaoke Interlude IV
Kathryn Lofton: David Bowie, “Modern Love” 186
Sonnet Retman: Queen and David Bowie, “Under Pressure” 189
Part III. The Black Album: Bowie, Prince, and the Art of Sonic Experimentalism
11. David Bowie and the Texture of Guitar Experimentlism / Michael E. Veal 193
12. Mapping Prince’s “Erotic City” / Jason King 203
Critical Karaoke Interlude V
Gayle Wald: Prince, “Pop Life” 218
Matthew Frye Jacobson: Prince, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” 221
13. His Magical Instruments: An Interview with Donny McCaslin / Maureen Mahon 224
14. New Waves, Shifting Terrains: Prince’s and David Bowie’s Transatlantic Crossovers / Alexander G. Weheliye 231
15. Young Americans: A Heat Rocks Podcast Conversations / Lynell George, Oliver Wang, and Morgan Rhodes 244
Critical Karaoke Interlude VI
Christine Bacareza Balance: Prince, “Soft and Wet” 252
Andreana Clay: David Bowie, “Golden Years” 256
Part IV. “Oh! You Pretty Things”: Spectacular Bowie, Spectacular Prince-Visual and Performance Politics
16. David Bowie Is . . . A Curatorial Adventure / Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh 261
17. Like David Bowie / Jonathan Flatley 273
Critical Karaoke Interlide VII
Daphne Carr: Prince and the New Power Generation, “7” 289
Emly Lordi: Prince, “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore” 292
18. “He Lives . . . the Clothes”: A Conversation with Prince Costume Designer Marie France / Jacqueline Stewart 295
19. “I Was Dreaming When I Wrote This”: Prince and Black Social Dreaming / Tavia Nyong’o 316
20. “Like a Poem”: An Interview with D.A. Pennebaker on Filming David Bowie / Matthew Frye Jackson 334
Critical Karaoke Interlude VII
Karen Tongson: David Bowie, “China Girl” 345
Andreana Clay: Prince, “If I Was Your Girlfriend” 348
Part V. “Rebirth of the Flesh”: Adventures in Intersectionality with Bowie and Prince
21. Trans* Bowie . . . Trans* Prince / Jack Halberstam 353
22. Prince as Revolutionary Mother: Creativity, Kinship, Collaboration, and Care, from Meshell Ndegeocello to Janelle MonÁe / Francesca T. Royster 369
Critical Karaoke Interlude IX
Gustavus Stadler: David Bowie, “Girl Loves Me” 385
Kathryn Lofton: Prince, “When You Were Mine” 388
23. “I Am Something That You’ll Never Understand”: Facing the Strange with Bowie and Prince / Ann Powers 391
24. “You’ve Got to Go In”: An Interview with Sheila E. / Alexandra T. Vazquez 405
25. Blackstar, Bright Star, Not a Gangstar: Black Feminist Imaginaries Through Bowie and Prince / Daphne A. Brooks 420
Part VI. OutrÉ Outro: “Where Are We Now?”
Critical Karaoke Interlude X
Michelle Habell-PallÁn: David Bowie, “Let’s Dance” 459
Oliver Wang: Prince, “Kiss” 464
26. Fun Fun Fun: Having a Good Time with Prince and Duke / Greil Marcus 467
Acknowledgments 477
Sound and Vision Playlists
L’Rain 479
Kimbra 481
Meshell Ndegeocello 483
Contributors 487
Index 497
“Dearly Beloved,” “Give Me Your Hands”: Toward a (Rock and Roll) Commons / Daphne A. Brooks 1
“Adore”: A Map to the Chapters, Meditations, Conversations, and a Spirited Round of Karaoke / Daphne A. Brooks 35
Part I. “Punch a Higher Floor”: David Bowie, Prince, the Utopian, and the Spiritual
1. This Is What It’s Like When Starships Cry: A Cosmic Soliloquy on the Warp-Driven Vessels Christened Bowe and Prince / Greg Tate 53
2. Am I Nowhere Now? Hoping for Utopia in David Bowie’s Lazarus / Tiffany Naiman 61
Critical Karaoke Interlude I
Farah Jasmine Griffin: Prince, “Nothing Compares 2 U” 74
Matthew Frye Jacobson: David Bowie, “Space Oddity” 77
3. “This Thing Called Life” (After Prince and Bowie): On Blackstars and Purple Rain / Kara Keeling 80
4. Not Quite Dying: Late Bowie / Eric Lott 92
5. “Adore,” Alternative / Ashon Crawley 101
Critical Karaoke Interlude II
Gayle Wald: David Bowie, “Starman” 113
Richard Yarborough: Prince, “Housequake” (All-the-Way-Live Version) 116
Part II. “Station to Station”: Traversing Cities and Borders with Bowie and Prince
6. Heroes Across the Border / Josh Kun 123
7. Riding in Cars with Prince / Van My Truong 129
Critical Karaoke Interlude III
Gustavus Stadler: Prince, “The Most Beautiful Girl in the World,” or, Could / Be the Most Beautiful Girl in the World? 137
Daphne Carr: David Bowie, “I’m Afraid of Americans” (Nine Inch Nails V1 Mix) 140
Nicole R. Fleetwood: Prince, “Darling Nikki” 144
8. Queer Nightlife Autopoiesis: A Self-Guided Downtown Bowie Walking Tour / Shane Vogel 147
9. “There Will Be No Death”: Prince’s Afterlife in Minneapolis / Emma BalÁzs and Kristen Zshomler 160
10. From the Depot to Uncle Sam’s: Minneapolis, Clubs, Album-Oriented Rock, and Prince in the Seventies / Michaelangelo Matos 175
Critical Karaoke Interlude IV
Kathryn Lofton: David Bowie, “Modern Love” 186
Sonnet Retman: Queen and David Bowie, “Under Pressure” 189
Part III. The Black Album: Bowie, Prince, and the Art of Sonic Experimentalism
11. David Bowie and the Texture of Guitar Experimentlism / Michael E. Veal 193
12. Mapping Prince’s “Erotic City” / Jason King 203
Critical Karaoke Interlude V
Gayle Wald: Prince, “Pop Life” 218
Matthew Frye Jacobson: Prince, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” 221
13. His Magical Instruments: An Interview with Donny McCaslin / Maureen Mahon 224
14. New Waves, Shifting Terrains: Prince’s and David Bowie’s Transatlantic Crossovers / Alexander G. Weheliye 231
15. Young Americans: A Heat Rocks Podcast Conversations / Lynell George, Oliver Wang, and Morgan Rhodes 244
Critical Karaoke Interlude VI
Christine Bacareza Balance: Prince, “Soft and Wet” 252
Andreana Clay: David Bowie, “Golden Years” 256
Part IV. “Oh! You Pretty Things”: Spectacular Bowie, Spectacular Prince-Visual and Performance Politics
16. David Bowie Is . . . A Curatorial Adventure / Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh 261
17. Like David Bowie / Jonathan Flatley 273
Critical Karaoke Interlide VII
Daphne Carr: Prince and the New Power Generation, “7” 289
Emly Lordi: Prince, “How Come U Don’t Call Me Anymore” 292
18. “He Lives . . . the Clothes”: A Conversation with Prince Costume Designer Marie France / Jacqueline Stewart 295
19. “I Was Dreaming When I Wrote This”: Prince and Black Social Dreaming / Tavia Nyong’o 316
20. “Like a Poem”: An Interview with D.A. Pennebaker on Filming David Bowie / Matthew Frye Jackson 334
Critical Karaoke Interlude VII
Karen Tongson: David Bowie, “China Girl” 345
Andreana Clay: Prince, “If I Was Your Girlfriend” 348
Part V. “Rebirth of the Flesh”: Adventures in Intersectionality with Bowie and Prince
21. Trans* Bowie . . . Trans* Prince / Jack Halberstam 353
22. Prince as Revolutionary Mother: Creativity, Kinship, Collaboration, and Care, from Meshell Ndegeocello to Janelle MonÁe / Francesca T. Royster 369
Critical Karaoke Interlude IX
Gustavus Stadler: David Bowie, “Girl Loves Me” 385
Kathryn Lofton: Prince, “When You Were Mine” 388
23. “I Am Something That You’ll Never Understand”: Facing the Strange with Bowie and Prince / Ann Powers 391
24. “You’ve Got to Go In”: An Interview with Sheila E. / Alexandra T. Vazquez 405
25. Blackstar, Bright Star, Not a Gangstar: Black Feminist Imaginaries Through Bowie and Prince / Daphne A. Brooks 420
Part VI. OutrÉ Outro: “Where Are We Now?”
Critical Karaoke Interlude X
Michelle Habell-PallÁn: David Bowie, “Let’s Dance” 459
Oliver Wang: Prince, “Kiss” 464
26. Fun Fun Fun: Having a Good Time with Prince and Duke / Greil Marcus 467
Acknowledgments 477
Sound and Vision Playlists
L’Rain 479
Kimbra 481
Meshell Ndegeocello 483
Contributors 487
Index 497