Superstardom isnt what it used to be, but it can still bring us together

On April 21st, CBS aired Let’s Go Crazy: The Grammy Salute to Prince, a concert special recorded to commemorate the fourth anniversary of Prince’s death. Taped on January 28th, two days after the Grammys aired, the concert is immediately notable for being a throwback to our pre-pandemic world of live (at the time) entertainment. But our current public health crisis hasn’t just given Let’s Go Crazy a new layer of relevance; it also amplified its intended purpose: highlighting how there is truly no artist like Prince and precious few pop culture icons that can capture the imagination of so many.

By now, we’re used to the way pop culture has fragmented along with our interests. Brands are bigger than stars, and few franchises — most of them...

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