Why did Prince's 1999 rebrand and "Little Red Corvette" succeed on MTV?

Prince’s New Romantic look and purple trench coat for 1999 were designed for the TV age, and MTV’s 1981 launch was perfect timing. Little Red Corvette became his first single to reach the Billboard top 10, partly thanks to MTV exposure — though the channel was initially reluctant to promote black music. The video broke that barrier.