Prince and the Revolution, “Darling Nikki” | Controversial Tunes 😈🎶

On the 4^th edition of Controversial Tunes (2022), we explore the controversy behind the song, “Darling Nikki” by Prince and the Revolution. 

B

ring on the controversy! Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 is a column that provides background information and insight into songs that raised eyebrows and totally stirred the pot.  The records that grace Controversial Tunes are old and new alike, with all genres of music welcome.  On the 4^th edition of Controversial Tunes (2022), we explore the controversy behind the song, 🎵 “Darling Nikki” by 🎙 Prince and the Revolution.

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Theme & Lyrics ✍

So, would it be far-fetched to say that we could blame 🎙 Prince for the RIAA’s parental advisory explicit lyrics sticker? No, it would NOT be far-fetched – make that a HELL NO! The Purple One was a risqué artist back in his heyday, trending much more conservative in the aughts before his untimely death in 2016.  The song that was a proponent for that warning sticker placed on albums that Tipper Gore fought for was 🎵 “Darling Nikki”.  I’d argue it’s the infamy of this non-single from 💿 Purple Rain that earns it a degree of attention.

“Darling Nikki” is sexual from the get-go.  Prince describes Nikki as “a sex fiend.”  Woo! Of course, that’s not enough to raise eyebrows alone. It was what The Purple One caught her doing that changed the game forever: “I met her in a hotel lobby / Masturbating with a magazine.” My, my, my! Even in today’s age, the m-word isn’t necessarily a ‘go-to lyric.’  To make it even worse, Prince specifically highlights female masturbation, something even more taboo.  This lyric, folks, is why “Darling Nikki” is deemed so controversial. Of course, there’s more sexual references involved but none as ‘scandalous’ as masturbation.

“I can’t tell you what she did to me

But my body will never be the same

Her loving will kick your behind

Oh, she’ll show you no mercy

But she’ll sure enough, sure enough

Show you how to grind.”

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Final Thoughts 💭 

What more is there to say? 🎵 “Darling Nikki” is tailor-made for Controversial Tunes 😈🎶. Prince pushed and pushed the envelope, so, honestly, it’s no surprise one of his songs is responsible for a censorship movement, essentially.  The thing is, there’s far more explicit records in The Purple One’s collection than “Darling Nikki,” but we’ll save those for future editions of Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 😉.

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🎙 Prince and the Revolution • 💿 Purple Rain • 🏷 NPG / Warner • 🗓 1984
Prince and the Revolution, “Darling Nikki”: Controversial Tunes 😈🎶 No. 4 (2022) [📷: Brent Faulkner, cottonbro, Darkmoon_Art,  TheDigitalArtist, inna mikitas, Isabela Catão, Jonathan Nenemann, The Musical Hype, NPG, Pexels, Pixabay, Tazz Vaughn, Victoria Borodinova, Warner, zzzvector]

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