#1999 era

[princearchive]

[popculturebaby]

Sarah Jessica Parker and Chris Noth for Entertainment Weekly, 1999

[viiihouse]

"Darling, I know it's been a long time Since you've been satisfied I can tell by the look in your eyes You need it real bad You need it so bad, so bad

Baby, maybe if you're good girl I'll introduce you to my ride Don't you wanna come inside? Come on baby, I won't fly too fast, I've got so much class"

-Prince, International Lover

Another one of my favorite Prince songs. Particularly, one of my favorite sex songs by him (and in general). This song is a perfect demonstration of his genius when it comes to sexual metaphors and innuendo. I'm confident this man would have been able to liken sex to renovating a house and still make it erotic somehow had he still been alive today, and that's just one of the many things I love and appreciate about his artistry.

As soon as the song opens, before his vocals are even introduced, the backing track alone feels as though all inhibitions are slowly fading, as though the walls are slowly retracting between these two and we are entering a state of vulnerability.

"May I have this dance?"

This lyric establishes an isolation from the world around them. Quite literally, it paints a picture of a dance floor reserved for two. He only sees her and wants her to only see him in this moment.

"Darling, it appears to me That you could use a date tonight A body that'll do you right Tell me: am I qualified? Baby, I know it's hard to believe But this body here is free tonight Your very own first-class flight My plane's parked right outside, baby Don't you want to go for a ride?"

Maybe she's had some bad experiences, maybe she's picky about her partners, or maybe he simply feels she deserves better because he's so captivated by her. Either way, here he is promising her a night of passion with no strings attached, if she'll have him. Sincerely, her pleasure is his only priority and he doesn't want her to miss out on a positively beautiful experience that literally stands before her.

"I'm an international lover, yeah that's right Let me take you around the world I'll buy you diamonds and pearls Only if you're good girl"

The chorus promises her everything. This could be taken literally, but if we were to take this as another sexual expression, he's saying he'll do whatever she wants, whatever it takes, to please her sexually and, as illustrated in the third verse, is fully capable of doing so.

"Darling, I know it's been a long time Since you've been satisfied I can tell by the look in your eyes You need it real bad, you need It so bad, so bad Baby, maybe if you're good girl I'll introduce you to my ride Don't you want to come inside? Come on baby, I won't fly too fast, I've got so much class"

I highlighted this verse because I felt it encapsulated a vital theme in this song perfectly. Here, he expands on the first verse. Whatever the reason may be, she hasn't been satisfied in a long time and deep inside, she's desperate to be filled (emotionally or literally). He can see this in her eyes and probably from experience too. Gently, yet desperately himself, he pleads that he won't hurt her, he won't disappoint, he'd make it so good for her if she'd just accept his offer.

"Good evening. This is your pilot Prince speaking You are flying aboard the Seduction 747 And this plane is fully equipped with anything Your body desires If for any reason there is a loss in cabin pressure I will automatically drop down to apply more To activate the flow of excitement Extinguish all clothing materials and pull my body close to yours Place my lips over your mouth, and kiss, kiss, normally In the event there is overexcitement Your seat cushion may be used as a flotation device We ask that you please observe the "No Letting Go" sign I anticipate a few turbulence along the way We are now making our final approach to Satisfaction Please bring your lips, your arms, your hips Into the upped and locked position for landing Can you feel it? Can you feel it?"

My absolute favorite verse in this song and sexual Prince at his best, metaphorically speaking. This entire verse is the act of sex itself. I revel in his "announcement" every time I listen to this song, with all of its overt sexual innuendo, and find it quite clever that, true to his title as our pilot, he is guiding us through this sexual fantasy he's sending the listener off with as well. I'd especially like to direct your attention to the not-so-subtle allusion to them chasing their orgasm together in the last section. A powerful climax hits with that scream he belts out and the overflow of sexual pleasure follows soon after in the form of his vibrato. Brilliant.

"Welcome to Satisfaction Please remain awake until the aircraft Has come to a complete stop Thank you for flying Prince International Remember, next time you fly, fly the International Lover"

The outro depicts their afterglow literally and instrumentally, with both his vocals and the backing track coming down from their high and fading into a satisfying silence.

I really love this song because, while Prince has taken many different approaches to the topic of sex in his songs, I really appreciate how this song embodies sex itself. It's an entire sexual encounter that could be based in love or a simple one-night stand, but leaves everyone satisfied nonetheless either way.

As I briefly touched on with the intro, the composition really conveys a feeling of vulnerability, desperation, and desire. The desperation to sexually please is a familiar sound in Prince's songs and can be heard in songs like "Do Me Baby" from his Controversy album. It's quiet, yet passionate. His voice is the only thing filling that "silence" that hangs between the two as their sexual tension unfolds instrumentally.

His vocal prowess here is particularly exceptional, with this song being a popular example of his vocal range (especially for the time of its release) in his transitions from bass, to falsetto, and screaming throughout the song. His moaning, whining, panting, and fluctuations between seductive and pleading inflections convey his intense feelings to perfection, as though his sexual arousal seeping through every word is almost involuntary.

In addition to all there is to appreciate about the song itself, his live performances of this song are by far some of my favorites. His ad-libbed lines following the third verse like "Do you wanna kiss me, baby? Then stick your tongue out" or "I know where your G-spot is. You want me to show you?" along with his erotic shadow performance at the end only enhance the sexual experience that the song already offers.

There is much to appreciate about International Lover. From it's composition, instrumentals, vocals, and performance, it is truly a masterpiece among many in Prince's catalogue. The arousal and passion weaved into every facet of the song is infectious and easily invokes those feelings in its listener. The mood it carries of a sexual fantasy is also quite reminiscent of his later work, Space, for me. The 1999 era was definitely Prince in one of his top forms in my opinion, with the album featuring fantastic and unconventional numbers just like this one where the lyrics especially flourished. Many of my favorites belong to this album, but this song is definitely an all-time favorite.

[fionaapplerocks]

Fiona Apple photos by Kim Koleczek

[fragilepromise]

Kelis in Good Stuff, 1999

[opsbritney]

BRITNEY SPEARS Sometimes (1999)

[53v3nfrn5]

SONY: Recordable 74min. MiniDisc ‘Color Collection’ in ‘Sapphire’ (1999)

[dyingbuck]

true love

[schneiderenjoyer]

The reason the whole age discourse is confusing is that bluepoch keeps pulling shit like THIS.

[princearchive]

[fishareglorious]

for my comfort i'd like to think at one point after their reunion at the foundation the two shared a drink together in solemn silence for rayashki and just hugged and leaned on each other for a while.

[2001hz]

Left Eye (1999)

[y2kgyarubarbie]

🌺 Egoist SuperStyle Book 1999 Autumn/Winter

Models: Yoko Morimoto and Reiko Nakane

[opsbritney]

BRITNEY SPEARS (You Drive Me) Crazy (The Stop Remix!) (1999)

[popculturebaby]

Angelina Jolie and Winona Ryder behind the scenes of “Girl, Interrupted”, 1999 🖤

[hijinxx]

(Bojack voice) This is a song from the 80s! The DecAde which it cUrrently iS