Video hit Prince

Prince - The Most Beautiful Girl in the World

The Most Beautiful Girl in the World is a song by Prince from his 1995 album The Gold Experience.

It was his first release since changing his stage name to an unpronounceable symbol. With the consent of Prince's usual record distributor Warner Bros. Records, "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" was released by NPG Records and Edel Music and independently distributed by Bellmark Records, under the control and guidance of Chris France at Music Of Life as a one-off single.

The single was released in February 1994 in the UK and is still his only No 1 in the UK, and was shortly followed by an EP of remixes titled The Beautiful Experience that also charted at 18 in the UK national charts. The version that was released on The Gold Experience is a different mix of the song.

The original track is a slow-grooving ballad that serenades a beautiful woman, and was likely directed toward his soon to be fiancé Mayte Garcia, whom he later married on Valentine's Day, 1996. It is also claimed that Prince was inspired by actress Vanessa Marcil.

The song was played during the Miss America pageant in 1994, but not in full. It was widely advertised in news and trade magazines that a new song from Prince would be premiered on the pageant. The ads had Prince sitting in a chair with a hat pulled down over his face, and Mayte standing next to his chair. The song was later released on February 24, 1994. It again later appeared on The Gold Experience. The version on The Gold Experience is replayed. The drums are more crisp in the mix and there are slight instrumental changes. There are also added sound effects and instrumental breaks in the second version. The bridge is slightly more robust as well. The song is still based in light guitar, keyboards and live drums. Although most of the song is sung in falsetto with Prince reaching some extremely high notes, the bridge has him using his regular voice as well as a lower baritone range in parts.

The song was a worldwide hit and established Prince's ability to succeed commercially under his new name, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100.

It became his first (and to date, only) UK #1 single under any name as a performer. He did have two other UK #1s as a songwriter: the 1984 hit single "I Feel for You" by Chaka Khan and Sinéad O'Connor's 1990 cover of "Nothing Compares 2 U". Since 1994 the song has been his last top 5 hit on the Billboard Hot 100.

Plagiarism?

On December 5, 2007, Prince was sentenced on appeal from a ruling of the Court of Appeal of Rome (Italy) for plagiarism. The song was ruled identical to "Takin' Me to Paradise" by Raynard J, written by Bruno Bergonzi and Michele Vicino and published in 1983. The first instance of the case dated back to 2003.

The lyrics:

Could u be the most beautiful girl in the world?

Its plain 2 see ure the reason that God made a girl

When the day turns into the last day of all time

I can say I hope u are in these arms of mine

And when the night falls before that day I will cry

I will cry tears of joy cuz after u all one can do is die, oh

Could u be the most beautiful girl in the world?

Could u be?

Its plain 2 see ure the reason that God made a girl

Oh, yes u are

How can I get through days when I can't get through hours?

I can try but when I do I see u and Im devoured, oh yes

Whod allow, whod allow a face 2 be soft as a flower? oh

I could bow (bow down) and feel proud in the light of this power

Oh yes, oh

Could u be (could u be) the most beautiful girl in the world?

Could u be?

Its plain 2 see ure the reason that God made a girl

Oh, yes u are

And if the stars ever fell one by one from the sky

I know mars could not be, uh, 2 far behind

Cuz baby, this kind of beauty has got no reason 2 ever be shy

Cuz honey, this kind of beauty is the kind that comes from inside

Could u be (could u be) the most beautiful girl in the world?

So beautiful, beautiful

Its plain 2 see (plain 2 see) ure the reason that God made a girl

Oh yeah! (oh, yes u are)

Girl (could u be? )

U must be ... oh yeah!

(could u be? )

Ure the reason ... oh yeah