Prince is a genius. Point blank hands down legendary great. He took on a role, plays it to the hilt is as freaky as a freak can get and all he while maintains his 'brand'. You either love or hate him but you have sung his songs and you have attempted to hit his falsettos and you have failed- and that's ok.
As with most genius Prince is also an arrogant weirdo. This too, is ok. The guy has a right to his opinion and a even call himself a name that is a picture- this is America, let the man be. So with Maroon 5 I found it surprising that Prince would actually bother to comment. I don't recall any comments when Julia Roberts sang "Kiss" in a bathtub or even when Tom Jones did a remake but here comes Prince with some snark for M5
In an interview with Billboard magazine, he says, “Why do we need to hear another cover of a song someone else did? Art is about building a new foundation, not just laying something on top of what’s already there.”
He goes on to say its ok in a live concert to do a cover he only has a beef with recording it. "Kiss" is a track on Maroon 5's album 'Overexposed'. Maybe Prince is just sick of seeing Adam Levine half dressed- Lord knows I am.
The cover is really rather lame. It sounds a bit like a Stevie Ray tribute band doing Prince in a shit bar in Oklahoma or something. Gone is its sex appeal replaced by the bitter after taste of draft beer and corn nuts. But then again that's what Maroon 5 is anyway, no? I understand Adam is a metro sexual hottie who the women swoon for (WHY?!) but honestly there are moves like Jagger and there are moves like get the fuck out of here.
I personally think that Prince was just trying to be coy. He didn't want to come right out and say 'what the fuck have you done to my tune'?! Performing it live means there could potentially be no longevity (thought with cell phone recordings and YouTube everything is forever).
The remake sucks, Maroon 5 is lame, Levine is annoying and Prince is a weirdo.