Allanya said:

No! [img:$uid]http://www.theroot.com/content/dam/theroot/blogs/the_grapevine/2016/04/all_of_the_greatest_prince_gifs_you_could_ever_need/tumblr_n9qvk8570x1r3s3a3o1_500.gif[/img:$uid]

[Edited 4/29/16 8:12am]

Thank you for that pic, Prince has absolutely summed up my feelings on this.

Uptown Funk was such a blatant, uncredited Prince rip-off that it made me lose any interest in Bruno. He's not in the same league.

limoncello said:

Uptown Funk was such a blatant, uncredited Prince rip-off that it made me lose any interest in Bruno. He's not in the same league.

This. And the fact that the title to this thread made me sick in the mouth a little...

Allanya said:

No! [img:$uid]http://www.theroot.com/content/dam/theroot/blogs/the_grapevine/2016/04/all_of_the_greatest_prince_gifs_you_could_ever_need/tumblr_n9qvk8570x1r3s3a3o1_500.gif[/img:$uid]

[Edited 4/29/16 8:12am]

I love Bruno, he's fun. But he's as origial as Lenny Kravitz which means not very. We won't see this torch again - Bruno can't make something we've never heard before.

And after while, even Prince couldnt make things we'd never heard before, but for a time thats exactly what Prince did: create music we'd never heard before.

Thats what taking the torch would mean. And just NADA, nope, Bruno isnt it.

Allanya said:

Only one Prince.

emesem said:

100% agree and you guys are missing what I'm trying to say. TTD touched on in his essay. Its one thing to be influenced by your heroes and predecessors. Its another to be inspired to try go beyond them.

I agree that Bruno is mostly a VERY VERY VERY GOOD nostalgia act. But the talent is undeniably there and I'd rather see these guys try and fail spectaculary than stay in their lanes and collect checks.

32 is a baby to me so age is not a factor. I think he has the base influences to make a kind of music that can be seen to have grown up in the same petrie dish as Prince.

But hell for all we know the "next" Prince could come out of country music or from Japan. What do we know.

I hear ya emesem. If there's a torch to be taken there's nothing stopping him from doing it but himself. Time will tell.

Ugh no. Bruno is a Michael-Prince-James Brown wannabe.

If someone ever gets close -i doubt it- should be someone original who wants to do something new, unique and doesn't follow anyone else footsteps.

#NeverBruno.

[Edited 4/29/16 9:26am]

SquirrelMeat said:

Im a Bruno Mars fan. From early. I ENJOY seeing his performances. He is a true ENTERTAINER, and great on the stage. He is and will NEVER be the musician Price was. TO see a great show..sure defiitely check out a BM concert. He will never be Prince.

The links have been broken now to some degree.

Prince and mj , to have two people in the 80's who followed in and exceeded the footsteps of those before them , james brown , miles davis etc etc...that was huge luck and good fortune, to have TWO in a decade and beyond.

So understandly, since then there hasn't been a solo male performer in that realm and instead carbon copies or very good performers but nothing more. Prince and mj were on another level in similar and different ways.

They could absorb, talk to , watch and see performers from 60's , 50's , and before. They had the past present and future in their make up and to suggest anyone around now is worthy of carrying that on is wrong. There are many talented performers, but even though james brown called usher the new god son, prince nor mj passed on the torch because there really wasn't anyone on their level or even close.

the link has been broken and anyone who comes around with the same drive, originality, skill , look etc will not only be a rare occurence but they will not be around at the same time as prince and mj now so it will never be the same.

Prince was the last great showman imo and now that is that. No passing of the torch is possible.In a way i'm glad it ended with prince although i really thought he could've surpassed the bar james brown set as a solo performer in his 70's. I thought prince could've raised that bar too.But alas.

Bruno will get hisown torch! Prince's torch is for him alone. {No disrecpect to Bruno Mars, but really}

Bruno is, from what I have researched a singer and dancer, why would you think he could even be seen in the dark shadows that Prince's torch shines, let alone be able to hold that torch? I can understand a comparison of Bruno to MJ but for the life of me, at a total loss to the comparison to Prince. Prince never carried a torch, Prince was the torch, the flame and the fuel, Bruno like the rest of us is just a witness of the light.

OldFriends4Sale said:

Takes what torch?

Exactly, what torch is there to take? The 80s Prince torch? The 90s slave Prince torch? The sexual Prince torch? The Mpls sound torch?

.

This isnt about having "the new Prince". They tried that with Terence Trent D'Arby, and that didn't work out so well. It killed his career, and certainly disrespect a man still very much alive and making music in the twin cities.

.

Bruno Mars is no more taking Prince's torch, than Ne-Yo or Jason Derulo or any other lollipop is going to take MJ's throne. Is anyone still waiting on the next Whitney? The next Freddie? Anyone breathing down Aretha's neck? Hell, in that case who is the next Elvis??? Cuz that dude's been gone for how long now? Has anyone taken the Beatles torch?

.

All those folks, dead or alive, have their place in music, like them or not. But no one will e-v-e-r step into a legend's shoes.

meagemini2 said:

No apologies here - but there will not be another to pick up the torch. I can't even imagine. There was no one like him - think about it - one that writes, arranges, produces, sings and PLAYS on his albums. Really? Who else does that? I just don't see anyone of that caliber. Guitarists? yes. Singers? yes. Producers? Yes. Writers? yes. But all those things in one? Come on. No one even close. And I haven't even mentioned film, philanthropy, activist and entertainer yet? Peace and Love.

Jacob Collier is only 21 years old and wrote, produced, arranged, played all the instruments, and sang all the vocals on his debut album. He even made and edit his first music video. He's working with MIT to create equipment that would allow him to play multiple instruments and vocals in a live setting. As far as film, philanthropy, activist and entertainer, he's not there. But you never know.

Cee lo, Andre.

Badu. The Internet.

The torch has gone out.

There is no torch to pass.

Lianachan said:

meagemini2 said:

Oh dear god no.

Bruno Mars is so rubbish, that I'm not even going to waste time writing anything further....

.

YASS!

Jimmy Jam was on TV after Prince's death saying how he thinks that Bruno Mars is the closet thing we have to Prince and MJ, as far as making songs that are universally liked.

I tend to agree with him.

Bruno has the right charisma and swagger, but is not Prince.