The Prodigy Personality Type
English electronic dance music group
The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured MC and vocalist Maxim, dancer and vocalist Keith Flint, dancer and live keyboardist Leeroy Thornhill, and dancer and vocalist Sharky, until 1991. They are credited as pioneers of the breakbeat-influenced genre big beat, which achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s. Howlett's rock-inspired drum rhythms infused with electronic rave music beats/breaks were combined with Maxim's omnipresent mystique, Thornhill's shuffle dancing style, and Flint's later modern punk appearance. The Prodigy describe their style as electronic punk.The band emerged during the underground rave scene and achieved early success in 1991 with their debut singles "Charly" and "Everybody in the Place", which reached the UK top five. After their debut album Experience (1992), the band moved from their rave roots and incorporated techno, breakbeat, and rock influences on their follow-up, the critically-acclaimed Music for the Jilted Generation (1994). The band reached their commercial and critical peak with their third studio album The Fat of the Land (1997), which went to No. 1 in 16 countries including the UK and the US, and spawned the UK number one singles "Firestarter" and "Breathe". The album's third single, "Smack My Bitch Up", was a UK top ten hit and generated considerable controversy over its suggestive lyrics and music video. In July 2022, the band completed their first tour since 2019, and their first since Flint's death, also in 2019.
