Reviews (page 11 of 14)
I hadn't heard any of it before. Some good songs in there
It has a wide range and i really enjoyed it a lot! Songs went smooth and I enjoyed the first listen a lot! (3.5/5.0)
This is not my genre of music but I can really appreciate the breadth in what Janelle has done an amazing job at creating many unique and distinct sounding songs in this album. Do I like the songs? Eh, not so much, but I do appreciate them. I did like Come Alive (War of the Roses) a decent amount. 3/5 stars.
Listened to about 4 songs. Pretty good.
So much diversity on this album that it’s hard to find a throughline. It opens with a great rap piece (Dance or Die) and migrates through some really smart R&B (Locked Inside), though it’s hidden under a too standard pop melody and production. Then we’re on to what might be a Bond theme (Sir Greendown) + some very proper-sounding British torch songs (Oh, maker). Symphonic pieces are mixed in with tunes that give Pharrel (Tightrope) & Outkast a run for the money. Definitely hear some of Bowie’s influence, which is well applied. It’s a lot. But, Monáe is so talented, her delivery is so energetic, and the production is generally so interesting, that it makes me want to stick with it and understand what she’s up to. It’s a high 3, verging on a 4 — but I might come back to this and raise the score.
Great Production and Concept
Very interesting concept. Wasn’t expecting the intro to lead into such an energetic trip. Enjoyed it. Didn’t resonate with it as well as some people appear to have, I guess it’s slightly out of my usual style. It’s fun to spot all the different and eclectic styles/genres throughout. Make The Bus was like an R&B, psychedelic Bowie track. I liked Neon Valley Street. Can’t imagine listening to it by choice, but if it was on I could listen happily.
It was extremely pleasant, I loved the production on it but there isn’t a moment that I can point to where I said that it really enjoying this. Overall, I would say that this album is a tad unfocused and didn’t really major in anything.
Fun album, started stronger then fizzled
Couple interesting ones but a lot of missed opportunities. Feel like cold war was so close to being a great song
The ArchAndroid is a case of good ideas with mixed execution. There was mostly the idea of combining a couple of music genres with a pop touch like R&B, Opera, and even somewhat of a metal influence in Come Alive. Most of the time, these ideas worked pretty well with the songs being catchy and Monae generally having a similar energy to a lot of the R&B artists from the 60s and 70s. But other times, the songs could either be boring, annoying or (in a rare case) both. I guess this is somewhat expected of an album that is over an hour long but it still remains an issue for me. All in all, The thing i can say about this album is that there is good and there is bad. Best Song: Tightrope Worst Song: Mushrooms & Roses
Odd and a hard listen. "Dance Or Die" and "Wondaland" were likeable. I was looking for the Metropolis and futuristic buzz...sort of there. This effort could have benefited from editing. A sauna with gummies listen? Snuff out!
Random mix of genres and random features but quite unique and flows well in some parts, others not as much but overall was a solid 6/10
I've listened to enough Afro/Soul-Funk to know that I can only really enjoy about 25 minutes of it. But I can see both the inspiration and the novelty of this album. But Suite II Overture was my favorite part and it was obviously the only non-pop-funk song on the album lol
Bra album, kräver vidare lyssning men många bra låtar
Interesting concept for an album. I got tired of her voice after a while, though. Still, it was a cool experience but, I don’t think I’ll be listening to this again.
This was not some Beyoncé sound a like crap album. Janelle is a really talented singer. The music has some cool jazz / R&B elements to it. Thought I would hate it. It wasn’t bad at all 1001 album worthy: Yes - 29/49
A fresh take on RnB. I like she is trying new things, even if it doesen't always quite work.
I've always kinda liked Janelle Monae, I've never listened to this album though, pretty excited to check it out. This is pretty cool, reminds me of Lauryn Hall quite a bit. There haven't been a ton of tracks that have stood out in a big way to me, but overall it's been pretty good. I'm pretty impressed with how varied the songs are, quite a few different vibes going on.
Creative style and weave. Mellow enough but this didn’t really knock my socks off…
It’s really hard to cross pollinate genres without sounding forced. And to do it across a single album is even more difficult. That is the biggest strength here. Janelle does a great job interweaving genres that most likely don’t belong together by injecting some modern production and themes as connecting tie-ins throughout. The Fritz Lang Metropolis nod is cool, but outside of a few really good songs, this one is overall just too long and did not rise to the level I expected. Still, very impressive for someone in their mid 20s.
Nice vocals. Interesting variety of songs and styles. I appreciated the guitar solos. Come alive was prob most memorable for me. Make the bus was annoying. A couple songs brought that bass and I liked that. Where the fuck did 57821 come from? Felt so random. That’s a review…BaBopByeYa.
I’m a fan of Janelle Monáe and expected to like this more than I did. Some solid tracks and cool mixing of genre but ultimately didn’t make it to great status IMO. I suspect we may see more from her on this assuming Dirty Computers shows up. Also shout out to what has to be the best artist page on Apple Music. If you know you know… 3.5/5
Interesting and varied music, even though the lyrics aren't really my thing.
The new age synth electro genre is not my thing. It’s not terrible I’m just not into it.
Few catchy remarks but probably needs to be heard a few times to get into the swing of it.
She's a massive talent, incredible voice and vocal range and a great songwriter..The production is just a bit too slick for me. Not my cup of tea.
An interesting album with so many influences. A couple of standout tracks but the majority of tracks couldn't stick in my memory.
Impressive and varied debut album. Ends up a bit of a mixed bag but still a nice listen
Uno de los mejores trabajos de R&B contemporáneo. Janelle Monáe nos lleva a través de un recorrido sonoro hipnotizante, mostrando todas sus capacidades creativas con pistas de diferentes tintes, un poco Rock n' Roll, un poco electrónica y un poco de ambos. Recomendado, pero no sé si imprescindible.
Interesting ! Idk what to think… I can’t see the Metrópolis influence. But i really liked the third part more than the other two. 3 stars for me, good album, not essential
A real mixed bag for me. Some absolute bops and then some songs that just... I guess that just aren't for me? Wouldn't listen to the whole thing again.
“Refreshing” not a cookie cutter album, but infuses sounds to make something new.
Some good tracks on this, but a long album
i am pleasantly surprised by this album! it definitely helped to listen to it knowing it was a concept album and had a movie/story to it. janelle’s voice is absolutely incredible! “come alive (war of roses)” is def an example of that. great song. 3.8/5
Enjoyable album, but not particularly remarkable IMO.
3.5
Not my thing, but major props for having a unique vision and trying something different. Too long by half.
I had high hopes for this one but it was just ok? No stand out tracks that I would revisit and I’m not sure I would want to listen to this in its entirety again. Very talented though and I do like how ambitious of a debut album this is. It just isn’t for me.
Es ist ein Album, das zweifellos viele beeindruckende Momente bietet mit einer Mischung aus verschiedenen Genres und Stilen ist, die manchmal überwältigend sein kann. Die Highlights des Albums sind sicherlich die kraftvollen Tracks wie “Tightrope” und “Cold War”, die Monáe’s außergewöhnliches Talent und ihre kreative Vision zeigen. Diese Songs sind energiegeladen und fesselnd, und sie heben sich deutlich hervor. Jedoch gibt es auch Schwächen. Die Vielfalt der Stile und die komplexe Struktur des Albums können dazu führen, dass es sich manchmal chaotisch und überladen anfühlt. Die Übergänge zwischen den Songs sind nicht immer nahtlos, was den Hörfluss stört.
eh ok
Cold war och Tightrope är bra men övriga albumet känns inte lika bra som annat jag har hört av henne.
First time listen. Big production, quite high concept. Bit better than expected. Faint praise.
There are moments on this album that I enjoy, but I felt like it was too chaotic
Gewoon goed album maar wel groot contrast tussen eerste 6 a 7 nummers en de rest van het album. Het album begint heel sterk maar verliest gaandeweg steeds meer zijn charme tbh. Niks ten nadele van de artiest verder, misschien ligt het gewoon niet in mijn straatje. Of net niet in de juiste mood om ernaar te luisteren. Een lage ***1/2 afgerond naar beneden.
A lot of this was pretty good, a pretty interesting take on pop music. Janelle Monae felt like the sort of artist you get on Jools Holland a lot, somebody doing a quirky take on a well established genre, and the sort of thing I like well enough at the time but would never seek out. The album was bloated full of nonsense, could have been about half the run time. The shorter, snappier songs were the better ones in general. Not too sure how I feel about it, I think it might warrant another listen as long as I skip the dull bits. Probably a 3.5., closer to a 3 at the moment.
Parts of this were very good and avante garde - very much an 'artist', and other parts were rather tame (Say You'll Go is as bland an R&B-based love song as you can get). Cold War was great, and I knew Tightrope from various adverts. Really clear voice. Production not over-done. Feels like a really strong 3, let down by the inclusion of a few too many boring songs.
I had heard Tightrope on the radio or whatever. Quite pop-ish to me but there was some good moments in the album.
Really fun album. I first heard the song Tightrope on a K-Mart commercial which lead me to finding out who Janelle Monae was.
It didn’t really resonate with me, but it’s definitely a quality album. It has a lot to offer and every track sounds unique and different.
Very differant, was hit or miss and felt very disconnected, but the originality and unique songs made some of them a banger. Overall I think its strengths in the songs outweighs the negatives, and I adore some of the songs, low 7 high 6,
Quite an eclectic, soulful and unique record. Oh, Maker and Come Alive were my favourites.
Sounds a lot like ambient store music, or restaurant music, or music that would go in a big box office movie that I don’t want to see. Vocals are beautiful, tonally, some fun guitar riffs in the background but I have no idea of the structure of any of these songs are and I find that I just want to skip to the next song/turn it off. There are a lot of different styles blended in and I think that to me, is very overwhelming.
I expected to really dislike this album, but I didn't. However, the best and worst thing I can say is that it just sounds like a lost Outkast album that Monae found and recorded her own way... but I don't think it is as good as "The Love Below," and I'd rather listen to that every time. I might give this a 3.5 stars, because she is trying for something, but it just doesn't hit enough for me or impress me enough to really say I'd add this to my library or listen to again.
Meh. Not for me.
Totally new artist for me so I had no expectations going in. It is certainly not my usual style, but it’s not bad, I really liked Dance or Die & Tightrope. I’m not going to run out and buy the album but I could see those songs ending up on a playlist or something like that.
Before listening: I have definitely heard some Janelle Monae but don't really have an opinion beyond that I vaguely optimistic abut the listen. Four songs in: I liked the classical intro and the idea behind the album, the music is sometimes just vaguely poppy soul but with more interesting lyrics. Nine songs in: Yeah still feel pretty good about the album as a whole but really haven't heard a song yet that I think really stands out
It's decent. I'm not mad at this. I can see the influence it has on music I listen to.
A fun and varied album. It’s no Death in Vegas but has some of that feel.
I’m not sure how I feel about this, but I do know that I am tired of popular music, especially hip hop and other stuff along those lines, starting an album with something orchestral or such. Like they’re trying to portray a certain cultured-ness. And then popping them back in later. All while littering the rest of the album with profanity and ugliness. It was interesting once or twice, but I’ve now come across it far too many times for it to be original. Granted, the rest of this album stays away from the gutter, but the played out trope is there. As for the rest of the album, she obviously has a good voice, especially on the songs that didn’t over-auto-tune her, whether intentionally or otherwise. But a lot of it I just got tired of halfway through. I wouldn’t intentionally listen to this again, but might not rush to shut it off either. Still, I feel the only reason it’s on this list of essential listens is to sprinkle something more contemporary, regardless of deserving a spot, because it doesn’t.
Klassikko, jolla kovia kappaleita, mutta myös liian taiteellista tavaraa.
A bit like yesterday, this probably should be a 3.5. Have seen her a few times and she’s been incredible to watch, but I rarely choose to listen to the records, as good as this one undoubtedly is. Best track - Tightrope
Interesting album, definitely unique. None or the songs in particular really stood out to me, but if I could retroactively lower my rankings to put this one above the other ones we've listened to so far, I would.
Pretty chill and catchy tunes, pleasant listen.
Enjoyable if unremarkable. No big swings and misses, which I feared. But no real hits, although "Cold War" gets close.
Pretty indifferent. If I heard this album again, I probably wouldn’t recognize any songs.
3.5☆/5 10.11.2024
Ok
как обычно не большой фанат рнб и сложновато когда начинают кричать, но в целом (наверно потому что разнообразно) не так скучно
Not for me personally but like the transition between songs
Good just not me
Qobuz 44/16. Really good recording, electro funk not my thing but enjoyed this.
Good album.
It was ok. I liked some of what I listened to but I don’t think I’d buy it.
Her voice is great and fits the varied song styles. Production was great. I just don’t feel the need to listen again.
Liked her in glass onion, not so much in this album
This was different and fun. Would revisit
It is funny to me that I don’t really think that I’ve ever listened to that much Janelle Monae music. I associate her so much more with acting so music from her has been a blind spot. However, after listening, I don’t think that my thoughts behind that weren’t true. This album had some fun spots but otherwise was an uneventful listen
There was some songs I could really jam to and was very excited where the album was heading. Then, I thought the album was over and Spotify changed albums, yet to my surprise, it was the same.
The song Tightrope is very good, the rest is just kind of mid and something I wouldn't purposely listen to again
Surprisingly decent. Never ever listened to her stuff. Kind of gave me a lady gaga vibe
Pretty good. Nice.
***a wide variety of sounds and songs, some pleasant, some not. An ok album
Listened Before? N Well, this is the best album of the week so far.... which isn't saying much. I did kind of enjoy it but it's just more modern hip hop. She does have a great voice and a somewhat unique take but it's not anything I'll listen to again. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Cold War
Not sure if I like this Some heavy borrowing
Funky background music but not particularly my genre, 6/10
Quite an intriguing album. Each track different in musical tone and tempo and style. At times I could detect strains of Sparks, The Scissor sisters and even flashes of Bowie here and there. One track the guitar sounds were very reminiscent of The Isley Brothers distinctive sound. Overall thought it was quite good.
6/10
Feel this one needs repeated listens to truly appreciate…. Liked the concept and will revisit….
Some tracks were great others not so good but overall it was an easy entertaining listen so 3*
怪叫
Never heard any of it, but wasn't bad.
Great voice. She’ll always be the chick who sang on that Fun. song.
Ikkje dumt
First of all this album was way too long. I do like Janelle's voice though Some of the songs just don't mesh together well. Seemed like she got caught up in trying to mesh different genres and it went off the tracks.
Different, but good!!
This album might lack synchronicity at times but the concept and and attempt for instrumental variation is there with some really deep cuts! Her voice shines! I would have thought this was a 80’s album with how conceptual it is. More of 3.5 for me
Meh. was not as good as my group hyped
Genre hopping always risks incoherence, but this album has enough of a narrative through-line concept (always a risk in and of itself) and a clearly consistent voice & overall aesthetic that it ties together the eclectic pallette it's drawing from. It dabbles in hip hop, neo-soul, prog, punk, synth pop, psychadelia, smooth jazz, monastic folk, and intergalactic funk, but it's produced and sequenced in a way that these are smooth and emergent segues rather than disjunctive leaps. JM is comfortable and confident as a performer across all of this. There aren't any big standout catchy songs and despite the genre variety it is a bit samey tonally for 70 minutes - you're meant to absorb it one go for the story I guess, but the rock opera thing is always a chore.
generic pop. inoffensive but I would not say this is a must listen album.
Pretty good, love the rnb aspect of it, the pop not so much. Still good for the most part tho, and love the big boi feature 3.25
Halfway through
pretty cool
Not normally my type of music but I really did enjoy this.
interesting...
The ArchAndroid is a huge album in the vein of Bowie and Prince. Based in R&B but so much more. Side A is really good, Side B veers into the conceptual. A valiant effort but the double album is too long. Tighten it up, the concept could still come through 6.0/10
Interesting.
Better than I expected, sometimes mildly interesting.
I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time, but have never really listened to any albums. This one makes me think that Beyoncé ripped half of lemonade from this album.
Some nice music
3.5
Pretty solid for a pop album!
Special!
Should have been the album with Make Me Feel on it
She was better in Glass Onion
Interesting. Not amazing, but interesting and good. 3/5
An enjoyable album, but probably not something I would listen too again. I was kind of surprised that this album had some very good guitar solos. 3.5 (rounding down because the last 1/3 drops the ball)
Overbloated with interludes, but the up tempo pop numbers are a good time!
This was a good album. I hadn’t heard her before.
I had high hopes based on other reviews but for me, it’s no better than ok. Can definitely see why someone might like it but it’s not for me.
I absolutely love the seamless way that the songs on this album transition between each other. I wasn't initially impressed with this album after listening to the first couple of songs, but it has definitely grown on me as I've continued.
Too much concept and not enough funk.
Very light hearted pop album with african rythmn, rap, and r&b genre crossovers. Was a fun listen for sure. Not much for me to fixate on, but it was good.
I remember finding Monae's sound fresh when this album came out, but have struggled with her failure to evolve in the decade+ since. Some of her worst instincts on this record - that make it less consistent and way less fun than it should be - are now most of her output. Ideas are everywhere all at once, underdeveloped and pounded into hooklessness by overstuffed and cringey production. Imagine if everyone song on this album was as tight as "Cold War"?
This album was kinda all over the place for me. It felt a little long, too many experiments into different genres and and at one point I felt like she tried too hard. But then at the same time I felt like she was arranging for cinema, telling a story which maybe just didn’t get. Overall I was impressed with her voice and musicality. I think I need to listen to it more and the album will grow in me. Wonderland was a delightful song if I had to choose one off the 18 track album.
Not much to say.. a bit too long, I like the concept but didn’t do much for me. Not my fav Janelle Monae
Highlights: Cold War, Tightrope, Wondaland
New discovery for me. Not terrible, but doubtful to revisit
Pretty voice
Low key funky vibe
I loved this album when I came out and listened to it over and over, but it's been about a decade since my last listen. Undeniably ambitious but unsatisfying, somehow feels like it runs longer than its hour duration. I wanted this relisten to be more enjoyable than it was.
As a 2010 release, this has to be one of the newest songs on the list. Should be interesting. Looking at the Wikipedia entry is interesting. There are at least 3 writers for each song, and as many as 5. (With the exception of “Make The Bus”, a collaboration with that song’s writer). So it is very collaborative. That carries over to behind the scenes, with over 1/2 dozen folk in mixing, mastering, production, and 4 credited arrangers. And, oddly, 2 wardrobe people and a costume designer. But again, a very collaborative effort. So how is it? Within the context of “current” pop, it is really good. It is very polished, smooth and shiny. Solid beats throughout. Janelle the more rap sections aren’t my favorites, but that works as a stand alone statement for me. Mona’s gives a solid vocal performance, without much excessive auto tuning. There’s a variety of moods and directions, which is refreshing. The wiki article is full of themes like playful, fun, lively. And that’s fine, especially for “pop”. I kind of liked this, it has some nice moments, and some really nice ones. Only a couple I didn’t care for. I may have to listen again, even though I’ll never love the 2010s soundscape. Very solid 3, not enough to round up.
sehr vielseitiges Progressive-Soul-Album der Schauspielerin 3,5
75/100
i know im not the biggest pop fan but fuck man this is so boring. it sounds cool and all but that doesnt make me enjoy it much. gets a low 5/10 because its produced so well and the ideas are interesting.
up beat, up tempo, not usually what I'm into, but this is not bad, maybe even good.
You see, it’s not bad pop music. Just not my cup of tea.
Janelle Monáe is one of those artists I wish I could like more than I do. She has such a unique sound, a real past-present-future scenario, and is a literal protégé of Prince, but I only admire her work instead of truly loving it. So I admire this but don’t especially vibe. C+
Did not expect these sounds - very creative… listened in background so no songs stood out
Surprisingly good. High 3.
The backing tracks are great. She has a gorgeous voice when singing softly. Not sure she/the producers are doing her any favors trying to make her a power singer. She ends up sounding reedy. The lyrics are cringe-inducing; both when she's going universal-political and when she keeps it personal. That said, it's pretty easy to ignore cringe-inducing personal lyrics because pop music is somehow geared for personal statements. When an artist goes for the political, they better work really hard to nail the lyrics. Abbie Lincoln, Marvin Gaye and Chuck D. managed it. Janelle hasn't. The backing tracks are great though. I wish I could listen to the album without the vocal buses.
Another unknown album to me. I've never heard of Janelle before. "ArchAndroid" is good but not great. It just sounds like other albums from that period. I like its style most of time. I'll give it 3 stars.
Étonnement intéressant.
Very dynamic pop, I liked it.
Look, usually with concept albums I can kinda take it or leave it. This I'm kinda in the middle with it. I didn't really love it, but that's not really through any fault of its own. She's got a great voice and the songs are really well made. It's just the whole dystopian cyborg thing that just doesn't really do it for me. I dunno, it sounds good but really didn't do anything for me, and the lyrics are kinda weird on some of the songs (which didn't really surprise me). Again, just kinda middle of the road for me.
This was a unique combination of genres and an interesting listen.
Target store music
Well - a lot better than I was expecting - gave this a few listens and there is a lot to like. Plenty of variety and very polished. A bit too safe but she's clearly a talent.
Not bad
2024-03-29...
A very versatile r'n'b, soul, psychedelic album by Janelle Monáe. I appreciate the different styles on the album but it is also the weakness of it because all these songs don't flow together that well. It is more like a compilaction of songs rather than a complete album (perhaps it doesn't help that it's very long, almost 70 minutes). It's difficult to rate something like this. Individually many of the songs would be a 4, but as a whole, the album is more like a 3.5/3 for me.
OK so I can definitely see how this is a great album. I can see the potential and maybe later I will be able to fully appreciate it. Until then it is a strong 3. Fav songs: - Cold War - Mushrooms and Roses - Tightrope - Tightrope
Different. Got Disney movie soundtrack vibes…
Just ok.
After the first couple of tracks, I was ready to write this off as another generic R&B/rap album, then it started doing some interesting things and turned into quite an ambitious and impressive sounding album. It goes into some unexpected territory. Mushrooms & Roses sounds like an homage to Crimson & Clover. 57821 sounds sort of Simon and Garfunkel-ish. Lounge singing. It's got it all. I didn't like everything she tried here, but A for effort. Favorite tracks: Tightrope (except the Big Boi part), Oh, Maker, and one other I can't remember the title of.
I don't know anything about this album, but it sounds like one with high production effort. It's very theatrical, there are operas in the background, just a lot of bells and whistles. Maybe it's all above my head, but it doesn't seem musically special to me, and I'm not compelled to listen again. Maybe there's some takeaway here on modern music production, that it's overly commercialized, but I'll leave that to someone who has more insight.
it's a really cool and refreshing sound. however after listening two times it didn't hook me enough to ever want to hear again (although I'm sure my Spotify algorithm won't respect this wish), so I guess I can't rate it higher than 3.5 stars. still, it's a great album
Love tightrope of course. But this whole album is lovely.
Very electric blend, I like that several tracks are continuous.
Iets van beyonces net niet zo leuke zusje, beetje boring
The album was neat. I'm gonna check out more
There are some real bangers on this album like Cold War and Tightrope. I like the various styles on the album and the ambition Janelle has with the album I think the album is too long at times and the back half of the middle kind of drags on. I can see myself listening to some songs again but probably not the whole album. I do appreciate albums like this though since I wouldn't have known about it without this generator.
I think with some fine tuning you could make this album great. Removing some of the tracks and tightening up the runtime could make this much more re-listenable. I thought parts of the album were amazing and would be super happy to see her in person.
This tasted like a Neon Gumbo of Mushrooms & Roses.
it's cool but her voice isn't my favorite
Bara nokkuð geggjuð, ekki viss um að það séu mörg lög sem færu á bestast en klárlega þess virði að hlusta aftur
Over all enjoyed. Not quite a 4 but very close… 3.8.
It’s fun but I won’t seek it out again
Really interesting album. It runs the gambit of musical styles and influences. That being said, I didn't think she did anything that was particularly memorable. I kept fluctuating between thinking she had a really good and sub par voice. Overall, not a bad listen, wasn't a drag to get through, but likely won't be returning to this one.
Ok
Gear: Moondrop Variations Mix: spaßig, modern und hochwertig Musik: fantastisches Konzept von einer sympathischen Künstlerin (mit belanglosem Pop-Anteil) Wertung: 🤖🤖(🤖)/5 (inkl. +1 für "Wondaland")
I was wary when I saw this was a "concept album," but I was pleasantly surprised. Still not my thing, but not bad.
more is more
It was finnneeee
I enjoyed this lots more than I was expecting. It's a diverse album, with lots of musical ideas and approaches and there are some real high points, but I don't find it works enough as an album to get four stars from me. Very much enjoyed getting to know it though!
Quite good, nothing i want to go back to but still pretty good. Some tracks are worse than others and some stand out from the rest.
Dance or die 👍 Faster👍 Cold War 👌 Tightrope 👌 Neon valley street👍 This album kept me entertained. Beautiful voice accompanied by a well put together instrumental portion in my opinion. Well thought out and smooth transitions. I don’t see myself listening to this album regularly tho.
I really want to like this more than I do! It's super creative and there's a lot of neat elements. Unfortunately, most of the songs just kind of land in the "eh" department and didn't stick out to me. I think this is a very neat endeavor though, and it wasn't boring to listen to - just not my jam. Fav tracks: 57821, Neon Valley Street, Suite II Overture
Great album, she has an amazing voice
Torn on this one. The project is dope, but I don't hear anything that would make me want to come back to it. This is listed low on the popular albums on Spotify, so I may dive into the newest/popular one to see. Still awesome though.
It was aight
This album is too slow for me. But I really liked 'Cold War' and 'Give Life'. Overall all good. But I don't listen to anything other than Cold War and Come Alive.
Well now, this is pretty cool. Creative, vibrantly weird arrangements with a stylistically far ranging, time traveling sensibility. Quality is a little uneven from song to song, and I have hard time believing most listeners have patience for every song on the album. Still, it was great fun to listen to. I wish we had more contemporary artists as willing to take these kinds of creative risks. Fave Songs: Neon Valley Street; Oh, Maker; 57821; BabopbyeYa; Dance or Die; Sir Greendown
Pretty good actually.
This was a nice surprise, I like her later work but hadn't heard this one.
I was pleasantly surprised by this album. I had made an assumption that this was just another rap album, but was blown away by her voice and talents combined with catchy beats. I want to study the lyrics further.
The Archandroid is Janelle Monae's ambitious debut album. She combines soul, funk, pop, and rap in elaborately orchestrated songs. Monae has a great voice, and her songs are of a remarkable range. The Archandroid is a concept album which contains a story about an android in the future. For the range, the complexity, and the elaborate concept, I tried to love this album, but I couldn't muster it. The songs are scattered, and all feel like revisions of songs of other pop artists. For me, the sum did not add up to something greater than all of the parts.
This album is excellently performed and produced. Janelle Monae is a great talent. Still, it came across as very robotic. It was clearly a performance and not an experience. Plus, many of the tracks just did not slot together at all.
Manche Lieder super
She’s had an interesting musical arc and I’ve liked Dirty Computer since it came out about 5 years ago. Much like her other stuff, this is a very nice easy listen that falls just short of absolutely great. Solid and unique but not wildly amazing. This is one of many musical works to be largely inspired by the movie metropolis from like 100 years ago. Another musical trilogy that shares the name and inspiration is the metropolis EP series by the M Machine. A must listen
I loved the first track and thought I was in for an amazing treat. I did enjoy the album but I think the first track lulled me into a promise that it just didn’t deliver. I’ll listen to it again and perhaps some of her other albums. Her thoughts on androids are quite interesting!
I think I enjoyed it
I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this one and was pleasantly surprised.
I get it, you can sing girl. Great instrumentals and vocals tho, issa vibe COMO PONGO UN 3.5
Beautiful and creative artist
Quite enjoyed it
Interesting concept, but not for me. Slightly too long.
Not really my thing, but I always appreciate when an artist commits to the bit
Ambitious and I enjoyed it but it didn't really grab my attention. Don't think I will be listening regularly.
Surprisingly good, shockingly 2010
I have not heard this album or artist before. The songs were definitely different from what I normally listen to. Some songs that stood out to me were: Cold War, Wondaland, and Make the bus. I could listen again to try and get into it more but as of now, it wasn’t my vibe.
This album had a lot going on. There are some really high highs - Janelle has a great rapping and singing voice and some of the songs are modern pop bops that check all the pop boxes. But the lows are low - lots of ambitious thematics that don't quite hit the mark.
Kinda enjoyable
The first four tracks seem to be recorded all in one take, which is impressive given the amount of energy they have. Cold War was really cool, almost had a drum track like OutKast. Then I saw Big Boi on the next track and it made sense. This is supposed to be all part of her android metropolis story, which I guess makes sense but the analogy isn’t very strong. This is good but I just don’t see myself coming back to it. The target audience seems to be theater kids.
Lots of effort but not my cup of tea, or whisky.
3/5 - Okay nvm I like this LOL. I think the first half was just kind of meh for me, but once I really got into the psych rock and other rock elements of the album, I was kind of blown away. It's really impressive that Janelle Monae has a range like this. Some of the album though, I was just pretty bored. It felt like I was a bored kid in 2010 listening to the radio in the car. But I get that like...Janelle Monae's album and production style probably INFLUENCED what was on the radio at the time. So yeah, I get why this album is in the top 1001 albums you need to listen to. I'm assuming it's era-defining. I was bored for a lot of it though.
I really liked this album when it first came out and more importantly it first introduced me to Janelle Monae as a solo artist and not just part of the dungeon family. While the album is good about showing her range and talent. It's kind of scattered and I don't get back to the whole thing, only select songs.
Liked this a lot, especially the variety of types of music employed. If it had been 20 minutes shorter it would have probably rated a 4. I quite like her in her movie roles — e.g., Hidden Figures, Glass Onion.
(3.5) I’m not a huge R&B guy, but I did enjoy this one a lot more than I was expecting. I thought the production on this album was really solid and I liked the sci-fi concept. I think the highlight of the album for me personally was “Tightrope,” which featured Big Boi. There weren’t really any tracks that I disliked and overall this was a solid album. I could see myself rating this higher after revisiting in the future.
This was an interesting album. Started off pretty cinematic. Turned into some Megan Trainor-type songs. Overall I dug it, some songs better than others. May revisit.
Interesting one. Pretty enjoyable.
This was interesting and kind of what I expected as I am familiar with a couple of Janelle Monae songs which are usually kind of retro and different. It’s good stuff but doesn’t really do it for me. Listens: 1 Fave Track: Cold War Rating: 3
So… with no expectations of what was to come, I was pleasantly surprised by this. There’s a huge scope of styles on show including futuristic blends of pop, jazz, funk, r&b and hip hop topped with the sweetest soul vocals. Unlikely to be a regular listen for me, but I enjoyed it nonetheless
6.3
This was a pretty good vibe. First time listening to electric lady music. I’d listen again.
It’s monotounous, might be good if you like it in that case.
fun and brand new for me! looking forward to listening to more of her stuff.
ok but a bit boring to me
Justo ok
Not my kind of music
The lady can sing! This goes everywhere from rap to what passes as a jazz standard, from a band arrangement to an orchestral accompaniment, from a lead guitar solo to a violin solo, from an R&B vocal to an ethereal chorus sound. The two overtures were good. The last two songs I especially enjoyed. I must admit, this was a very interesting listen. I might even listen to it again.
Listened to cold war and tight rope. I feel like she has the type of music that I’m not mad if it comes on, but for some reason I would never seek out or listen to religiously.
Fresh take of combined genres.
This is basically every genre of music in one. Enjoyable listen, great voice and vibes.
Production quality was great-lots of string ensembles etc. that said a little to whimsical in lyrics and presentation. 3/5
3/5. For an R&B album to be anywhere on this list for me is impressive alone. I actually liked this album and thought the voices and instrumentation was fantastic.
Not bad, well made
Evolutionary Fugees. Good soul, probably good hip hop? Good sound, likely not for me. May revisit sometime.
It was okay.
Wouldn’t be mad if more pop sounded like this
Artsy album with wide variety of styles
The album's got a smooth flow like a musical, 꿀떡꿀떡 들썩들썩 on the ears
This album is good but weird. It feels a little chaotic to me, but I don't dislike it. The Spotify radio that started after had some less chaotic but similar-sounding songs that I also liked, such as: * https://open.spotify.com/track/2rByGzndD0TKPWDXOdF2hg * https://open.spotify.com/track/6buvtBWRzgXoyj5tlen0jK * https://open.spotify.com/track/0oDQjpCMDxJpV3oFMAbWZJ They've both got this pop-jazz/pop-blues sound. The album also reminded me of Iniko - two songs from them: * https://open.spotify.com/track/4RLHj4aXHBZIWPBsXqEGgO * https://open.spotify.com/track/4ztdjZ2t7BVo5DLIFQBdJh
Almost finished it! Just missed the last two songs. I liked all the instruments? Faster and Cold War were my favorite songs.
I like Janelle and her beats, but the music gets a bit repetitive. Enjoyed the back end of the album.
What a weird record. Tight Rope and Come Alive are wonderful tracks for example, but those are mixed in some generic sounding ones like Locked Inside. Overall, however, it is a well crafted album, creative and with wonderful performances.
There are lots of positives here. She has the look, the ambition of sound and image, I liked the diversity of musical styles and her voice is good. But the album felt about 50% too long and sounded like someone still trying to break through the external facade to reveal her true self. I think there is a classic album in her future, but this wasnt it.
"Cold War" is the only standout for me. Janelle Monáe is talented and the dedication to craft is top-notch. Nothing else stuck with me though, and I wasn't eager for a relisten.
Okay
Surprised by the variety, it’s all over the place so not all of it hits but some of it is interesting
Pretty good, but I probably wouldn't listen to it again.
Pretty ok.
It's so good. I was not expecting it to be this good. But other albums that have gotten a 4 are just absolutely amazing. This is super good. But not absolutely amazing. Still so good though.
Really good production, most songs not really my style, but saved a couple of good ones
That's no doubt she's talented but this music wasn't for me. I got bored halfway through
A real stunner for a debut. Super cool and so much fun to be had.
bueno!! good representation of their discography i think
Standouts: Sir Greenhouse, Oh Maker, Cold War, Tightrope, Mushrooms & Roses, 57821, 3.5
Coco Chanel said take one thing off..
Fine, idk
hmm, another unheard album for me. Artwork looks like its gonna be Soul/R&B. Was not expecting it to open with a classic orchestral piece lol. oh wow, just noticed the runtime, is a long one for sure; just under 70 minutes. Smooth lyrics for how fast paced it feels, good production, a TON of musicians listed on this project damn. The two singles on this album sound veryyy '2000s' to me; kinda like a hoppy trance beat over motivational feminine 'fight song' vibes. I liked the start of this album, but mannnn I am not a fan of these anchor songs.... they are very artificial and def drops my score. Well made album, but def not my thing, not really a fan when contemporary crosses the line pretty far into traditional rock; I like them separate but I just don't think they mix well. I liked the songs that were "low-key" and following the 1920s futuristic theme.
Pretty cool
This was... unexpected, to say the least. It's the first 21th century record on my list, and it's an R&B/Soul concept album about futuristic dystopia. What caught my attention was how diverse and extravagant this one was in terms of music and genre. From fast-paced pop fun of tracks like "Dance or Die" and "Tightrope" to ballads like "Sir Greendown" and "Oh, Maker", from short orchestral instrumental "Suite II Overture" to a 9-minute grand finale "BabopbyeYa", this album's sheer scope and ambition is remarkable. That said, although Suite II flows very nicely and is well paced, Suite III can feel like an extra or bonus rather than a continuation of a single record. That is probably intentional, but it does loses me when trying to listen to it top to bottom. Highlights are the aforementioned "Dance or Die", "Locked Inside" (great chorus and song structure that never lets one lose focus), "Oh, Maker" (again, unpredictable song structure and key change), and "Wondaland" (just a fun and cute little track). Overall, it was an adventure that really showcases how talented this woman is, but is at times hard to swallow fully.
Interesting 3 stars
Some epic moments worth another listen
Interesting pop concept album with some trippy moments like backwards audio, but not super compelling.
This is clearly cool and interesting. But I like music that fits some life situation or feeling. This is too all over the place and crazy to feel that way. So I'll never listen to it again. That's my problem with avant-garde records. I recognize them as cool but they make me feel nothing. Still better than lots of stuff though so I'll go 3.
Jag förväntade mig nån tidigt 2010-tal pop-schlock som skulle få mig att vilja dö, men albumet var faktiskt mycket bättre än så. Några låtar kan jag faktiskt säga att jag gillar. Resten av låtarna vibar jag inte riktigt lika mycket med, men de har alltid nåt nytt att säga vilket hindrar det från att bli tråkig/ointressant. Jag blev ofta imponerad av sångarens färdighet. Älskar vocal slides. Locked Inside var kul. Låter som nån mario kart låt Cold War var banger. Hög energi. Come Alive (War of the Roses) var bara helt okej, men den var ändå märkvärdig. Värsta spooky halloween skeleton castle mr oogie boogie vibes man får. Make the Bus, Wondaland och BaBopByeYa var kankse lite roliga, men förtjänar inte några egna kommentarer
Pretty solid, catchy, enjoyed, rated is as 3 because it is a first album so I can't compare it to anything. Loved the storyline and worldbuilding and her voice is amazing.
3.5 demasiado largo
I admire the ambition on this and there’s some good tracks, but a few too many fall short
Decent open Gives me R&B Age of Adz vibes Some interesting songs, some more poppy I'm not fussed at. Of Montreal one was great Wondaland decent
Suite II Overture NR Dance or Die 3/5 Faster 4/5 Locked Inside 4/5 Sir Greendown 2/5 Cold War 5/5 Tightrope 5/5 Neon Gambo 2/5 Oh, Maker 4/5 Come Alive 3/5 Mushrooms & Roses 3/5 Suite III Overture NR Neon Valley Street 5/5 Make The Bus 2/5 Wondaland 3/5 57821 3/5 Say You'll Go 3/5 BaBoyByeYa 3/5 Average: 3,38 Innovative album, really liked some songs. Others just weren't my cup of tea
Futuristic Funk/Jazz. A lot of the tracks blended together seamlessly and made for an interesting listen. Standout track for me was Make The Bus.
Some of this was okay but it wasn’t really my style.
Unique sound, spans multiple genres, don't like a couple songs. But overall ok.
Esperaba más después de ver que alguien que también usa esta web lo compartió como uno de los grandes descubrimientos. Suena bien y me ha gustado que sea muy ecléctico al mismo tiempo que eso me ha despistado ya que pensé que era un disco conceptual. En cualquier caso me guardo Faster y Cold War y lo mismo lo escucho más adelante. Dudo entre 2 y 3 estrellas pero seré benévolo.
SO -- Cold War, Tightrope, Locked Inside, Wondaland
I really like Janelle Monae. I love her style and her ambition/ But overall this just leaves me a bit cold and I’m kinda disappointed. 3.5
Not my cup of tea
Pleasantly surprised. Never thought I would be very into a "pop/soul" album, but the song writing is top notch.
Don’t really know what’s going on here
Agradável sem empolgar.
No es mi rollo pero es impresionante la diferencia de géneros conviviendo en un mismo álbum. Dance or Die y Faster favourites. Me salte un par de canciones pq hay géneros que no me gustan y por ejemplo Come Alive se la pasa gritando media canción. Disney vibes tbh. 5/10 teniendo en cuenta que no me curre entender la letra.
Lovely but not my taste
Eigenlijk best een episch album dit man. Ken haar alleen van zo’n nummer van Fun. Volgens mij. Ik vond Cold War echt een lekkere banger
Ihan kiinnostavasti monipuolista poppista, mutta ei oikein noussu ykskään biisi myöskään helmeksi. 3/5
I have never heard a single note from this album, or even from the artist. It was not clear what genre he would like to play, but it was almost everything: classical, jazz, rock, country, disco, musical, pop, hip-hop, new-new-wave. But whatever style prevailed within a song, sooner or later they all became inevitably swamped by the upper edge of mediocre commercialism. Despite the professional musicians, the perfect sound and the brilliant vocal skills, this is a mediocre album that can be completely forgotten in a week. It's probably destined to be, I wouldn't have lost much if it had stayed out of my life.
Lots to enjoy here, even if perhaps stretched a bit thin by the end. Monae delivers some great vocal performances, but the runtime by the end for me didn’t quite have it all there for every track. Three and a half. Fave track: Cold War
Not bad. Fait changement du brit pop. Rien de fou, mais ecoute agréable. 6.5/10
Dit is niet helemaal mijn muziek dus ik vind het lastig om dit op waarde te schatten. In de eerste helft hoor je vooral iemand die wil bewijzen dat ze hetzelfde kan doen als Beyoncé, Kelis en Outkast. Redelijk hoog tempo. In de tweede helft besluit ze dat dit een te klein hokje is en wil ze graag laten merken dat ze ook nog andere artiesten kan nadoen. En dat bedoel ik niet eens denigrerend, want ze kan het wel allemaal. Ook heeft het af en toe iets wat me aan kinderfilms doet denken. Dat Mika-achtige. Kleine zeemeermin, Wizard of Oz. Laatste track is een verschrikkelijke musical. Niet slecht, maar gewoon niet voor mij. Een milde 3.
Hit and miss songs. Too much filler. Gv. Good voice. 7/10
The second half has some good stuffs. I like the rock elements and how more experimental it was. It was, however, an overproduced and over-polished album overall.
Ikkje dumt
65/100
🐍
better than I thought actually.
3.5
Interesting and unusual, although it didn't speak to me
C+ Suite II Overture - 3 Dance or Die - 2 Faster - 3 Locked Inside - 3 Sir Greendown - 3 Cold War - 3 Tightrope - 3 Neon Gumbo - 2 Oh, Maker - 3 Come Alive (War of Roses) - 3 Mushrooms & Roses - 4 Suite III Overture - 3 Neon Valley Street - 3 Make the Bus - 3 Wondaland - 3 57821 - 3 Say You’ll Go - 3 BabopbyeYa - 3 Janelle Monae is pretentious af. I intentionally left the accent off your name you self-centered snob.
Interesting and intriguing album.
it was all right for what it was memorable lyric: "I'm shaking like a schizo"
Not exactly something I would listen to normally, but it did catch me by surprise in a good way. Pretty upbeat and groovy, although a bit too much on the pop side. Missing a bit for a 4/5, but it’s a solid 3.5/5 (that I wish I could rate)
3.5
Heard it before?: No Enjoy it?: Yeah, it was something a bit different. Favourite song: Track 9 - Oh, Maker
Many good grooves but the high concept songs made the album uneven
This was a fun listen, an interesting theme and some great guest appearances. Love Janelle's voice, however the mix seemed a little too vocal forward. Still a stellar project from my hometown pop sensation.
Janelle seems like she's just great at everything she does. The album was a large endeavor and hit all over on the spectrum of music genres, which works well for a movie soundtrack but not as well as an album only to sit down and digest. In the end, I thought it was really cool and I'm glad I listened to it.
i liked some songs and hated some songs, only one was great, otherwise was very unpredictable. felt like all genres
3/5