The filthy song that secured Prince his record contract in 1978: “Streets into the future”
Prince was a master in the art of sexually-charged music with his suggestive lyricism and sensual live performances. This is something he instated early on and, equally, something that contributed massively to his enduring legacy.
Prior to the release of his debut single ‘Soft and Wet’, there were already rumblings about “the next Stevie Wonder”. At the age of 17, Prince had been an integral part of the high school group Grand Central Station with future Time frontman Morris Day when he caught the attention of Chris Moon, owner of Moon Sound Studios.
At 18 years old, Moon gave Prince unrestricted access to the studio, where he would record ‘Soft and Wet’ and later release it as a solo single in 1978. ‘Soft and Wet’ not only marked an impressive debut for Prince, but it also played a significant role in shaping his overall musical legacy.
With its explicit yet artful lyrics, ‘Soft and Wet’ captured attention and created a buzz around Prince as a provocative and boundary-pushing artist. The song’s sensual themes and Prince’s unabashed exploration of sexuality became recurring motifs throughout his catalogue, setting him apart from his contemporaries and establishing him as a fearless and influential figure in popular music.
Perhaps most importantly, however, the success of ‘Soft and Wet’ also caught the attention of Warner Bros Records, and the label immediately recognised his potential and signed him, providing the platform for Prince to develop his unique musical vision. While it was widely heralded as a powerful introduction to Prince’s artistry, not all reviews were glowing, however.
“If people would just listen to the music, they’d know where my head’s at.”
Prince
Marylou Badeaux, a staffer at Warner Bros, recalled the initial mixed reception of the song and its daring content, saying that “[radios] didn’t know how to handle it […] It didn’t fit within their conception of what R&B music was. The sound was very different from what he was coming up with. He was streets into the future.”
Part of what made Prince such a disruptive figure at the end of the 1970s was his refusal to fit neatly into the music industry’s existing categories. At a time when radio formats and record labels still heavily separated artists by race and genre, Prince envisioned a style that fused funk, rock, pop and new wave into something entirely fluid. That ambition confused some executives initially, but it also laid the groundwork for the crossover appeal that would later make him one of the biggest stars in the world.
His insistence on artistic control was equally unusual for such a young musician. Prince famously played nearly every instrument on his early recordings himself, obsessively shaping every detail of the sound in the studio long before he became known for his perfectionism. ‘Soft and Wet’ therefore represented more than just a provocative debut single. It announced the arrival of an artist determined to operate entirely on his own terms, regardless of how uncomfortable that made the industry around him.
This was also during a time when white artists were exclusively marketed to white audiences and black artists were marketed to black audiences – Prince, on the other hand, had demanded that the label understand that he would appeal to both. Therefore, initial ambivalence about his sound and image has been deemed nothing more than just unease at someone who so boldly attempts to rupture the status quo.
Following the release of ‘Soft and Wet’ and his debut album For You, Prince continued to refine his sound, incorporating elements of rock, funk, soul, and other genres into his music. He went on to achieve tremendous success with iconic albums like Purple Rain, Sign o’ the Times, and 1999, solidifying his status as a musical innovator and one of the most influential artists of his generation.
Prince’s legacy extends far beyond his musical contributions. He challenged societal norms, pushed artistic boundaries, and fearlessly expressed himself through his music, fashion, and performances. His ability to blend genres, his virtuosic musicianship, and his magnetic stage presence earned him a devoted global fan base and garnered critical acclaim.
But ‘Soft and Wet’ served as a powerful glimpse into Prince’s essence. It supercharged his presence as a major player and succeeded in breaking down racial, societal, and musical boundaries. After its release, press interviews were inundated with questions about Prince’s personal life, but he felt the art was capable of doing the talking, something that he made very clear when he told Bordeaux: “If people would just listen to the music, they’d know where my head’s at.”
