The ArchAndroid

Heb dit niet helemaal kunnen luisteren, maar ga het nog wel verder luisteren. Vond het wel gevarieerd en leuk eigenlijk.

This was a little too eclectic for my taste, feels the album is all over the place but I'm sure that's intended. I'm not a fan of R&B or hip hop but even so I could enjoy a few songs.

Too long, never caught my attention

Really nice.

Enjoyable R&B album with heavy pop influences that does lack more great songs though to warrant a fourth star

Sin mas

weird sounds, but has its moments. 3/5. I am grumpy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLeUvZvuvAs

The beginning was good, the rest not so much. I listened to a bunch other songs and it's ok I guess.

Not really my style, but there are some good bits there.

I mean this was alright. Some parts of some songs were good but this was way out there. 6/10.

The music on this thing is very pretty, and well produced. But Monae isn't the songwriter here that she would become on something like Dirty Computer, which I prefer to this.

Some great songs … Huge production and monster arrangements … not what i go to or want from an album … a Bind theme or three in there

Janells

Best album I've listened to all day.

Some massive bangers but the album genre/vibe consistency was chaotic

This album confused me, there was alot going on and it's a bit much after 18 tracks. Some great songs though and an excellent voice

Etwas wechselhaftes pop/r&b album mit einigen guten tracks und einem kohärenten konzept.

Wow, honestly I have to say I'm almost certain I would have never heard this album without this generator. there are some very cool and old-school reminiscent tracks, some interesting rnb ultimately very positive thus far. I knew it, a song reminded me of micheal jackson so much, I went on its genius page, it is sampling "rock with you"

Very top-heavy and overlong, but undisputable ambition. I'm glad there's someone like her pushing the boundaries in R&B/pop, but it doesn't always translate into something I want to listen to

A wonderfully charming alternative R&B album, mixed with soul and pop music, that gives 70 minutes of entertainment. I'm not sure how I missed this album being released in 2010, but every song has its own specific flavor in this delightful meal for your ears.

Really nice, easy listening. It’s probably not something I would have picked, but it was good.

Not my style, but at least it isn't a bad album. Maybe in the future i'm gonna give it another opportunity and see if my opinion change (I hope so)

3|18

I like the title of this album. Apparently there's some kind of storyline, so need to pay attention more than I did.

it was meh.

interesting combo of James Bond movie theme sound and dance pop and 70's soul. Didn't really catch my ear, but sounds innovative. 3/5

Different

a lot of sonic textures and cool ideas here, but they all whizzed by without anything sticking. Maybe it's a me problem?

Great voice, some songs were fun but overall not my style

Need more time with it. Some of it is good, some of it a pass

3/5

I've only ever heard good things about Janelle, but hadn't given her a listen until this album. I love sci-fi and the android theme throughout was so cool but this music really just didn't hit for me. Concept albums are supposed to convey one cohesive idea around a central story, theme, etc. but each song on here is so distinct that it really felt jarring instead of gelling for me. The biggest moment that threw me off was the transition form "Sir Greendown," which I loved, into "Cold War." It was so unsettling I kind of forgot I liked the song before it, and I found this repeated stylistic change from song to song throughout made me forgot what I had just listened to. The features definitely stood out to me. Loved Big Boi on the track and Of Montreal's weird ass freakiness is always welcome in my book. Her voice is incredible though and on songs like "Neon Valley Street" I found myself thinking about how pretty this song sounds. For me this was a great concept but the execution left a lot to be desired.

I liked it. I like Janelle Monáe, but it's not all my jam.

V

Didn't think this was going to be my thing but ended up enjoying it. Some tracks worked better than others but a very listenable record imo. Would give 3.5 if the rating system was different.

ok. pop

Soul post moderno. Cosas interesantes.

Much better than I expected

Good pop?

I really like the intro, I am a sucker for instrumental stuff. Faster and Oh, Maker are really good and I love them! I can really respect the talent and skill that went into this album. For me personally, I feel as though this is one of those albums where I can pick out one or two songs that I like to listen to and discard the rest. Another pet peeve of mine, though not limited to this album but more to music as a whole, is that songs like Faster can start out really good but lose their feel halfway through the song. However, I feel as though whether a song falls into this trap is strictly dictated by my personal taste. Still a good album though.

Cool, a concept album. Peppy, sort of sporadic, lots of layers, seemingly very well produced. There's a lot to digest but it's fun. Is this Nü Disco??

Not bad. Some good tracks in places

Cool idea around the album. Not my type of music tho

Trippy

It was weird, I think I need to listen to it more as I did like parts of it.

weird but cool

Really cool music, but it wasn't my style

Eclectic

I had really high hopes for this album. 7 tracks in, I was feeling pretty good about it. There was some real funky shit happening. The tracks were unpredictable albeit a little repetitive. We heard from Sir Lucious. Then it got weird. I waited for the funk to return, but it never really did. It ended up being slightly disappointing, like a dropped ice cream

Solid album.

Fine

Strange but has something about it.

I really liked this album. Poppy but nuanced enough to keep it interesting. Scoring into down on its ridiculous length.

2.5. As eclectic and weird as Janelle Monae has always seemed to me from the outside. Some of it I like and some of it I do not.

Bizarre album, feels to me like a bunch of songs thrown together, not sure if that is the intention/influential part. Top songs: Locked Inside, Tight Rope, Wondaland

Not for me

Debut album. Very high production values but to me meaningless pap. Good voice but not really memorable. Feels very much like a product. Highest rating song has the obligatory guest vocalist/rapper. Instantly forgettable.

I tried. I really tried. It's not for me.

Good Rap/crossover album from Janelle

I found this annoying

There are interesting and unique ideas here, but it ultimately holds no weight nor remembrance to me.

Мне это вообще не понравилось. Абсолютно не мой жанр музыки. Какой-то overproduced поп, который пытается выглядеть немного умным, но по факту унылейший... В общем, фигня

Best wel kut gewoon

Not my thing. Not completely terrible though. Glad I finally got a female, non-rock artist.

Not for me.

Honestly this is quite interesting for contemporary r&b album, however I don't like the production at all and her delivery is frequently quite boring, so just 2 stars, but could be worse. Seems to get better on the 2nd half so maybe 2.5 on RYM

Weird in a bland boring way

Not my cup of tea

There are so many ideas and experiments here. Every time I heard a new section, fresh with promise, I had the same anticipation fall over limply and amble into another melody-less fashion house ad backing track. It's like a name check of classic genre tropes, but without any substance or weight, a theater kid's idea of a grand concept. Which makes it so much worse because my god can this girl sing, and there are some amazing production and arrangements, on top of a reluctance to follow through on any musical ideas, it's a wildly inconsistent mix that legitimate makes some songs almost to harsh to listen to. If there is actually a theme here, musical or otherwise, it's not conveyed in any meaningful way. Style over substance, but the style has no substance.

INPUT = {"artist": "Janelle Monáe", "album": "The ArchAndroid"} LINEUP = {"men": 0, "women": 1} FEATURED_ARTISTS = {"men": 9, "women": 1} TOTAL_MEN = 9 TOTAL_WOMEN = 2 WOMEN_PERCENTAGE = 68 OUTPUT = "Score adjusted accordingly. 2/5"

not my style

Ee

#386 / 1089 Heard before? ❌ Revisit? ❌ It's pretty, too long and too sprawley. I appreciate the choice of themes, but the ludicrous scope of this project does not gel with me. This album has elements of classical music, basic pop, soul, probably some r'n'b, but at some point I simply lost interest in trying to figure any of that out. It became background and quite soon I realised it was interfering with my flow and I simply stopped it. I wanted to like it more, but alas, 'twas not to be. weak 3/5

Certainly not bad but not that special or interesting to me.

I love Janelle Monáe’s other albums but this one doesn’t do much for me

2.5

A couple of decent songs, and pretty in places, but too much filler. “Wondaland” is particularly poor. Oddly lightweight despite all the bombast

Perplexed how this is essential listening Fave track: Cold War

Ambitious sci-fi soul and orchestral pop built on funk grooves, symphonic arrangements, electronic textures, and dynamic, theatrical vocals unfolds in sweeping, genre-blurring movements. Listening feels like watching a futuristic opera where styles shift constantly but remain tied to a larger narrative arc. The result is inventive and engaging, though its scope feels overextended.

Un licuado multifruta

Interesting and different - yes, but, sadly, I did not enjoy it at all. Probably just not my thing, but still it was interesting to get to hear it.

Not my style

Surprisingly good! Very experimental. Just not really my style.

Me aburrió un poco

Le iba a poner un 3 hasta que he leido que lo comparaban a michael jackson y que salió en 2010. This shit mid as hell

She’s a big Prince fan and you can hear it in the music, for better and for worse. Pretty talented and I like that she went for something different but it just hopped around so much tonally it kind of lost me. I liked the song with Big Boi.2.4

Not really my style.

quite the maximalist album. i’ve enjoyed other stuff from janelle but this project feels a bit unfocused. some killer vocals tho.

2.5

Afrofuturism!

Some great songs but overall not for me

hahaha mmhmmmmm

With such a long and varied list of albums, it’s an inevitability that you’ll run into some you just aren’t compatible with. Hip-Hop simply isn’t my genre. I’ve come a long way in the last few years in regards to it, I actually listen to it in my shuffle, but not in any great quantity, and only really interspersed between other stuff. It is the antithesis to my natural habitat of metal. Even if I liked the genre, I’m not sure I would have liked this album particularly. The quality of music on display was strong certainly, and I found myself enjoying the initial tracks just fine, but 18 tracks is just bloat, especially with some of the songs making up that bloat. You could cut half an hour here and not lose anything of value, you could cut more with minor concessions. Half the runtime and you’ll double my enjoyment, if not the score.

There were a few cool songs on this album, but it didn't hold water as a concept piece, and the lyric quality was often really basic. She does have a great voice, though.

She has talent, no doubt. Just not my demographic. Tried to listen to it two times through, but couldn't make it the second time. 4.3/5 Top song Dance or die

Such amusing lack of depth from something that wants to be “conceptual” no less (and progressive, futuristic etc). Bonus penalty points for parts that sound like classical music, especially opening with Suite II Overture. Did you try to pretend you’re more elaborate or posh than you actually are?

ko da sam u slastičarnici. možda bih i dao trojku jer je raznovrsno i nije toliko bezveze, ima potencijalno fora dijelova, ali predugo je i jako mi je dosadno i tupo ovo bilo. bleh

I can hear talent and inspiration and effort, I just dont like most of it.

Ehhh, very pretty voice but still not for me

Bijzonder figuur die Janelle. Super poppy maar op één of andere manier wel weggebleven uit de echte mainstream. OOR heeft haar platen ook altijd hoog in de eindlijst staan. Zelfs een keer op 1 als ik het me goed herinner. The ArchAndroid vind ik eigenlijk niet zoveel aan. Gekke mix van stijlen. Sommige dingen klinken erg als 2010 Rihanna. Andere songs (zoals Make the Bus) zouden wat excentrieke/alternatieven moeten zijn maar spreken me niet echt aan. 5/10 Highlights Oh, Maker

No pop, no style. That's me. And this was just too poppy for my tastes. I'm sure it's very accomplished. The production doesn't hold back when throwing everything into the mix. But I'm afraid it's not for me.

Great potential and incredible voice, but the songs don't hold up.

Debated this one and gave it a couple listens. The highs are not that high and it’s way too long. Overall not for me.

Not my thing. Couple of decent tunes, but overall not something I'm gonna revisit.

Hmm...why is this 68 minutes long? Why does she rap like it's 1988? Ok this is actually quite varied and interesting. I'm not convinced it's actually good, though it's really hard to tell on first listen given the sheer amount of 'stuff' and ideas. It's an album that clearly takes multiple listens to adequately dissect, but I'm not sure I really want to invest the time to do so.

..

skjønner ikke at denne er her.

This just wasn’t for me. I don’t do well when a record isn’t coherent - I’m not of the opinion it makes someone “out there”; it makes them a bit flighty and confused in my book. There were all sorts of influences competing here - from traditional pop, to jazz, to the sort of thing the B-52s would have come out with. And it just didn’t work for me. “Tightrope”, however - excellent pop song.

Powerful voice, funky vibes (not sure if in a good way)... like futuristic 80s techno mixed with jazz. 2/5

Definitely a very impressively made and ambitious album, but I did find the theatricality and upbeat nature of the whole thing to be a bit too much. Maybe a weird thing to say but I'd much prefer this album as a video game soundtrack. Giving it 2 stars, maybe deserves a 3.

Ehhhh

Not for me

Really overproduced stuff that starts off sounding like sonic the hedgehog music (non-derogatory) before ascending to transcendent with Tightrope and then coming back down to Earth with tepid concept album filler. Really uneven, not a very coherent blend of styles. Listened to this in college and liked it more then but has really lost its luster as time passes over it. Favorite Tracks: Tightrope, Oh, Maker, Wondaland, 57821

High concept with some lovely vocals in places but just not engaging enough for me.

Not my cup of tea, interesting that all the songs were all together and it’s cinematic vibe was unique I just didn’t really enjoy it

Ful sm hotla da bi mi bil vsec ampak je tok stvari na kupu tak mess je vse skupi

Started off well enough but it went downhill from there. Well, at least for me. Not really my cup of tea.

Decent musicality backing a great vocalist producing tracks that I do not find entertaining - got a little Mariah Carey style wailing in there, but no writng of note.

eh, not my thing.

It’s really great occasionally but there is a bunch of misses on this album

Not my kind of vibe

10

Not sure how or why this is on this list tbh. Fairly dull and boring. Not to my taste personally, nothing to make it stand out as a decent album, no stand out songs, lyrics, music, anything.

Some very good-proto psych soul tracks and then some garbage of its era electropop music. Will probably get a higher score on more listens. 2.5

While it was refreshing to get some new music, it was not for me and the album was too long.

Not sure if it brought the right thing up, as what I got was scenes 2 & 3. But whichever, that's what I listened to. There were some good and some not good, but on the whole it's was sort of ok. Im sort of thinking I should give it a 3, but I want to give it a 2. Ill go with my gut and ....

Interesting at times, weird and annoying at other times. I did like the variations.

mwa

There were 3 or 4 songs on this that were very good and enjoyable. The other 87 songs were pretty cheesy. Like on fresh prince when Ashley launches her singing career. It reminded me a lot of that.

Synes der er god musical range på og nogle gode bangers også, men der er også bare noget som gør at jeg synes det falder fladt. måske er det fordi jeg lyttede til det som baggrundsmusik og på en dårlig dag. Det er det jo nok, men jeg har ikke tænkt mig at lytte til det for anden gang og ikke give det opmærksomheden som det fortjener. Er ellers vild med det opera inspirerede og klassiske. Men der er også rock på og det er også RnB og der er også bare nogle straight up pop sange. Men det får en TILBAGEVEND

i’m not going to lie, this album was hard to get through. not because it wasn’t good, but simply because it’s not quite my sound. it was definitely interesting, as each song had a completely different feel to it. also, in all honesty, i didn’t listen to the last song. even though this album wasn’t really my speed, my top three songs were: - faster - locked inside - oh, maker with an honorable mention of: - make the bus even though i didn’t feel like this album was for me, it definitely made me feel lots of different things. i’d recommend!

Very theatrical. Maybe too much for me. She’s an extremely talented singer though

Loved this album 15 years ago. It just hasn’t aged well.

This one didn’t do very much for me

No reason this needed to be as long as it was. Started off alright, it failed to maintain my interest. It’s not bad per se, it’s just not great. Highlights: Locked Inside

john williams called mario kart soundtrack but make in kinda sultry clean

This didnt resonate with me at all at first listen. Ive since revisited the album and think more highly of it. Cold War and Tightrope stand out as favorites. Also, her performance at the Rock Hall of Fame for Outkast was fucking great!

Jeg synes det begynner ganske lovende. Dance or Die, Faster, og Locked Inside er en medley av spennende pop med funky rytmer, disco inflytelser, og masse drivkraft. Derifra er det for det meste nedoverbakke. Sir Greendown er en fin interlude, men Cold War bytter ut spennende pop med noe som kunne vært tatt rett ut av en nyere Disney-film; Tighrope høres ut som en gammal Beyonce-låt (ikke et kompliment); Neon Gumbo er enda en interlude, men en interlude fra et sterkere album; Oh, Maker begynner bra, men velger fort å bli stuck i et helt annet spor; og Come Alive — nå er det faen meg tid for revy! Jeg skal droppe å skrive en kommentar om hver eneste av de gjenstående låtene, men som en fan av Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? må jeg trekke frem at Of Montreal høres helt malplassert ut i denne contexten — ikke er det en god låt heller!

Mener det har kommet mange gode plater ut av poptimismen. ArchAndroid sikter høyt, men lander sånn ca. midt på treet. Første delen av albumet er nok best, selv om det høres ut som musikerne skynder seg. «Faster» er høydepunktet for meg her, og jeg måtte google om Monáe er britisk. Jeg er utrolig svak for synthlyden på «Civil War», og syns det er en interessant låt. Tror den hadde vært høydepunktet mitt om ikke alt annet på låta hadde vært så masete og synthen hadde vært enda mer fremtredende. Plata rakner nesten fordi den spriker så mye. Det er mye potensiale, kule detaljer og melodier, men det sitter aldri helt. Selv «Tightrope» med et slags storband låter labert. Jeg regner med at alt går så fort fordi Monáe er en god rapper og vokalist og alt virker å være bygget rundt vokalen hennes etter den er tatt opp? Del to husker jeg nesten ingenting av etter å ha hørt den, men Of Montreal gjør en slags David Bowie-parodi som virker malplassert. «Wondaland» er catchy og en låt jeg kan høre flere ganger. Ja også er jo albumet altfor langt. Er ikke CD era over innen her?

«Just because you can, doesnt mean you should» Dette er et godt eksempel på et overambisiøst konseptalbum som tror at hvis man skal lage et dobbeltalbum så må det være en ny sjanger for hver låt. Det er noen fineøyeblikk i ny og ned, men desverre så fungerer det for det meste ikke.

pretty highschool musical, dar na it was the 2010s I kinda liked Wondaland

Made it about halfway. A talented musician but the album lacks the bite I need to keep listening. Retro-futuristic, but a retro I don't want to revisit and a future that already passed

I can appreciate how much is going on here, but it's really not my thing.

Boah Soul… schwierig. Kriegt mich einfach nie. Kann man sich anhören, kann man genauso schnell wieder vergessen. Keine Ahnung.

Die Platte wird ja überall als ihre beste abgefeiert und sicherlich stecken hier sehr viele Energien, ein Story-Konzept und viele unterschiedliche stilistische Richtungen, aber mich berührt hiervon fast nichts. Janelle wirkt ein bisschen wie eine Musik-Streberin, bei der die Seele in der Musik vor lauter "guckt mal, was ich kann" abhanden gekommen ist. Auf 4 Songs, die mir gefallen, bin ich zwar noch gekommen, aber das ist bei so einer überlangen Platte viel zu wenig.

Mussten 68 Minuten echt sein?

The first half of the album is gold. Very good music with good fusion sound and an amazing voice from Janelle. The second half is not that great. Overall this is a 5/10 album.

Too long

Didn’t know she was an artist

Eclectic and expansive, the songs, production and concept of the early songs were ambitious, but I felt they lacked any strong hooks. It was a kitchen sink approach which utilised classical music, heavy metal guitars, jazz, rap, film score, but nothing beyond an infantile melody. Then I was pleasantly surprised by Oh Maker, which had a directness the rest of the album lacked until that point, and then again by Mushrooms and Roses (I love this title) which was intriguing. The rest of the album I have no desire to revisit. But I'll certainly listen to those 2 songs again.

Not sure what I was listening to here.

The idea was better than the album!

A solid R&B pop album that does a lot well but is way too long to keep attention. Some good moments but bogged down by a lot of forgettable filler that in my opinion detracts from the high points. Top tracks: Neon Valley Street, Say You'll Go

Förstår grejen, men det är inte min grej. Har lite svårt för hennes röst, och då lyfter det aldrig för mig.

Stark tvåa, det greppade inte mig helt. Men jag respekterar idén och känner att det finns kvalitet här. Kanske behöver mer tid.

This sounds like a Disney soundtrack.

Average … but a bit too long.

I had high hopes for Janelle when she debuted. The pitch was a Millennial Prince, but ultimately this landed with a thud for me: it’s packed to the brim with ideas and energy, but never delivering novel, forward-thinking sounds, let alone songs. It’s all imitative of better music.

Pop music going in many directions. Quite fresh but also difficult to figure out what it is all about here

If I were forced to listen to it, I wouldn't mind, but there's nothing breathtaking about it. I would think less of anyone who enjoys this album.

Fine, too long

Some sparks ("Tightrope", "Come Alive") but in total not my jam and way too long.

better then I thought to be honest. But not my cup of tea. Like her better as an actress.

Tightrope Deep cotton songs ok Not my type of music in general

Not bad- not for me

not my thing tbh

I see what she was trying to do but its not it.

It insists upon itself. Bit too corny.

Not bad. Not my thing.

A bit of a mixed bag. There were moments I quite enjoyed. The album was not for me overall though.

Some great ideas, but way too all over the place for my tastes. 2.5/5

This almost put me to sleep

I love the theatrics of this, concept albums are always acknowledgeable in their artistic merit alone. I didn’t know that Janelle Monáe has an entire alter ego which makes her 10x cooler… unfortunately the genre-bouncing simply isn’t for me. It was all too pop oriented and ultimately held that consumerist centred staleness despite the the creativity. Favourite song(s): Tightrope Least favourite(s): most of the others…

Best album, reminds me of college

First listen and it was like being stuck a room full of people auditioning for X Factor. She has a good voice, but this is so generic and samey. Maybe it was influential back in the day, but it hasn’t aged well.

I can certainly understand why it's considered good, but I can't honestly say it was for me.

I do question why this has made the list. Nothing remarkable. Nothing that stood out. Janelle has a lovely voice but it did feel a little generic.

listening when: in the morning on my way to pilates thoughts: i know her but id never really paid attention. some of the songs gave beyonce which makes sense since this album is 15 years old. she really is an artist. also the songs that i hated are the quirky ones which make sense since i avoided her due to thinking she was too quirky. rating: 3/10

Očekivala sam nešto što će me šokirati, bilo na pozitivan ili negativan način. Ovo je tako bazično da me ne može ni šokirati. Isto tipična muzika koja se čuje po tržnim centrima samo pretencioznije. A tek kako predugo traje...

Had some good jams, just not for me though.

Clearly really ambitious. Pushes the envelope and there are some nice bits of music on here. But as an album I'm much less convinced – not helped by the length of course. I admire that ambition, but it just doesn't really work for me, and not something I'd want to listen to again.

this was better than i thought it would be but the length was too much for me. i thought she has a nice voice and some of the songs were kind of catchy

Some of this could pass for Disney Channel music ngl.

All the textured instrumentation in the world doesn't detract from this feeling very wallpapery. Great, beautiful wallpaper, but I got no chills. Like an exquisite gilded parlour, beuatiful tendrils of vocals. But after listening to it once and not having one song stick out, it's got to be a pass. Perhaps one of my meanest and most subjective album reviews, given the consensus, but hey.

2.5 - Meh

Not a fan.

I'm sure it's good if you like it, but I don't

Meh

A jazz version of the black eyed peas

Seems like lots of people like it. Even really like it. I'm not one of them. Too weird for me. 2

La verdad, no se de que va este disco. La voz no empasta con la musica y cambia de estilo en cada canción.

While well done enough, I guess, it doesn't really resonate with me. just a bit too much going on maybe in the production. I dunno. Didn't love it.

O álbum tem bons vocais e instrumentais bem legais, apenas não é um estilo que me fisgou. CVJ Neko.

Meh²

Best Song: Tightrope This is not my type of music and does nothing for me. Even if this were, I have heard much better albums than this so I'm not sure why this would be 1001 worthy. 2/5.

I dunno man, I just couldn’t get into this one. I kept a running list of all the genres of each song, and there were six different styles on the album: soul/R&B, rap, big band/swing, funk (with one song completely ripping off the beat from the B-52s ‘Rock Lobster’), classical, and electronica. This album doesn’t know what it wants to be, and it suffers from that identity crisis in my eyes. Some people think that makes this a visionary album, but I’m not some people. Look to The Fugees The Score for an album like this done correctly. 2/5

Erm he's right behind me isn't he ahh album

Eh, it was not bad

Heard one before, not a big fan of this one.

2/5

Not my thing, and I know that going in. She's wonderful to look at and has a ton of talent musically and as an actor but her sound isn't in my wheelhouse of appreciation. The album felt theatrical, like the soundtrack to a movie or a stage presentation I haven't seen. I felt like I came into the theater having missed the intro so following the story was difficult. Ok listener counts but only one hit with "Tightrope" (but I'd never heard it). I didn't enjoy any one song enough to entirely finish it. It was so theatrical that I couldn't get into it at all. 2 stars, good production and sound, just not my sound or vibe.

Meh. It's fine. Didn't care for it. Easy listening just not my jam.

Beetje slappe r&b, niet mijn ding. Wel wat intressante sample keuzes

2.5

Sorry, I just don't like musicals, and even though there are some cool moments here, this feels like a musical.

Much skin, little music

Not my style

I like Janelle Monáe's tightrope when she came onto the scene, but this album lost my interest.

While I can understand that some people really like this album, it’s just not my thing at all. Really long and way too techno-ey for my tastes. Creative, but that doesn’t always mean good.

really not into it. Master of none type album for me

Agree with Bergen, just trying to do too much. The of Montreal collab says it all lmao. Also has an air of intellectualism that bothers me. I didn't hate the first half but the second half started to be too much for me especially when she started doing vocal jazz. Feels like it is trying really hard to be a good album which limits its ability to be genuinely creative and spontaneous. Funny to look back at how big of a release this was in the indie sphere back in 2010 Fav song: probably Tightrope tbh sorry

it's just too much for me, but the musicality is there for sure.

The pop and hip-hop genres are among my lowest rated. I'm not sure where that bias comes from, it's more a matter of taste than anything else. Maybe someday I'll go down some academic trail to figure it out. But for now, I just keep getting the same reaction to Pop and this sort of latter days R&B. I just don't dig it. It doesn't touch me, or move me. And this over-ambitious work is no different. Hat tip to the talent, Janelle Monáe is a fine singer. But there's so many producers, it ends up being a soulless musical exercise. Anytime pop artists use elements of Clasical or Jazz, or pop standards, critics fall over themselves to praise the boldness of moving around genres. But it's really not all that creative, like a lot of modern popular culture - movies, TV, music, etc. - we get a rehashing and reworking of ideas that have already been popular I don't think they bring TOO much new thinking to pop music here except for the conceptual idea behind this album. But even that doesn't quite work, and the androids among us story has been done better in different media (I'm thinking especially about PK Dick's "...Electric Sheep" which is referenced lyrically a few times in here.) A couple of excellent grooves here, especially "Faster" and "Tightrope." Otherwise forgettable and too long.

Ok. Would not have listened to this, if it was not on the list. ★★

i like her voice and the music sounds like someone i can’t put my finger on. pop i don’t miss the sound of

Some nice listening, one banger in the group, Tightrope was quite good. The rest feels heavily inspired by Outkast. The final tracks remind me of listening to Frank Sinatra at his peak, the lyrics are topical\universal, the sound is smooth and the timing is impeccable, but it holds no lure for me.

Man, another long as shit album. I’m grateful for having recently revised my two-listen policy as I would have probably blown my head off by now. In any case, I’m curious to see what’s in store for me, as I’ve never heard of Janelle Monae. Something electronic, if I’m to guess. Yeah, it's okay. A bit of an electronic/soul sound going on, with some very 70s guitar performances. On one hand this music is quite unique, though on the other hand the more contemporary production continually strikes me with feelings of deja-vu. Maybe this album laid the groundwork for all the electronic/pop music that came afterwards. The sequencing of these songs is also quite strange – I never felt like that the album was building towards something or going anywhere in particular. “Locked Inside” has a rock-solid chorus, and I enjoy the plucky instrumental. “Tightrope” has a solid instrumental – I like the bass, the wavy electronic sound that appears during Big Boi’s section and the strings near the end of the song. The songwriting/vocal performances aren’t half bad either, though I must admit that they lose me as the song progresses “Mushrooms & Roses” is a solid track, and among the more authentically “old” songs of the album. The pairing of the strings with the organ works surprisingly well, and I enjoy the lo-fi, crunchy vocals. “Say You’ll Go” is a solid late-album track. I dig the pensive sound and the way the vocals build on one another. The Clair De Lune during the outro was a nice touch, too. Can’t check the book for why this is in here as I sadly only have the 2005 copy, though Wikipedia should suffice. A concept album, which I didn’t pick up on at all. Compared to Bowie, Outkast, Prince and Michael Jackson – some big comparisons. Massively acclaimed and regarded as one of the best albums of 2010. Yeah, I get the impression that this is a solid pick. I guess I can cosign, even if I was kind of bored by this album.

Tbh this rly wasn’t for me. I don’t rly like pop music and this definitely resembled Disney musical music. BUT I do have to say the music is not bad but just not my cup of tea. There were some really good highlights on this like Faster and Suite III Overture. But some really low lows. I hate to say it but it is a sub 5 but not by a lot so I’m going to give it a 4.5/10 2.2/5

Not my cup of melted ice

Torture chamber music.

Välillä ihan ok mutta välillä taas ei ⭐️⭐️

did not connect with this at all for some reason :(

1. Suite II Overture - N/A Interludes/Overtures will not be rated. 2. Dance or Die (feat. Saul Williams) - 6 It's not a bad song but it's just not the type of pop or music I'm big into. Very hard to follow the lyrics in this track because of the auto tune effect on it. Guitar solo in the bridge in unbelievable though. 3. Faster - 6 Catchy song. The tempo and beat are awesome on this track. Vocals in the verses are very very enjoyable but the choruses leave a bit to be desired. The middle part of the song is nowhere near as enjoyable as the first half and ending of the track.. "I'm shaking like a Skittle" is such an awful lyric too. 4. Locked Inside - 7 The sound is like that of Jesse J/Pixie Lott. It's not bad and there's parts of the vocals that are really enjoyable. Sounds like it should be on a summer vibes album or a DOAX soundtrack. Much like other tracks however, there are too many tone/tempo/beat changes. It becomes hard to understand whether you're on the same track or have moved onto the next one as the album contains seamless transitions. 5. Sir Greendown - 5 It's an okay song. The quality of the sound of the vocals is great but the actual wording of the vocals is a bit average. Song sounds exactly as much. 6. Cold War - 5 The tone/tempo change in between the middle of the versus ruin the enjoyment of the experience after what is an amazing chorus. Guitar solo at the bridge is okay. 7. Tightrope [Big Boi Vocal Edit] (feat. Big Boi) - 6 Tempo, beat, and instrumentally this song is absolutely brilliant. Lyrically it has strengths and weaknesses that balance each other out to find somewhere in the median. Decent track. Bridge in particular is pretty bad over all. 8. Neon Gumpo - 1 Pointless track. 9. Oh, Maker - 4 Another decent track. Nothing vocally or instrumentally fantastic about it. It's of a different tone from the first eight tracks of the album. When you think the track ends at first it doesn't, spawning instead a pointless instrumental section that's completely out of place on the track. 10. Come Alive (War of the Roses) - 5 Great track until the screeching, way too high octave signing at the back of the second chorus, into the bridge, and leading into the outro. Drums and guitar are amazing on this track and it's instrumentally one of the best on the album so far. 11. Mushrooms & Roses - 1 The entire sound of the track is unpleasant. The vocals are given an unnecessary reverb effect that drowns them out entirely. The guitar solo is nice but suffers from the same effect, essentially swallowing the song in a puddle of incomprehensible noise. 12. Suite III Overture - N/A 13. Neon Valley Street - 3 The chorus is way too repetitive and the verses have the terrible reverb effect on them, not not as bad and pronounced as in Mushrooms & Roses. Guitar solo in the bridge to outro is absolutely incredible however. Brilliant sound to end the track on but you have to struggle to get there. 14. Make the Bus (feat. Kevin Barnes & Of Montreal) - 1 Lyrically it's not a good track. The sound of the vocals with the effects on them is undesirable. Instrumentally the track is all over the place as well. The track is a complete tone change. It's Ke$ha like in its construction. That's not a compliment. 15. Wondaland - 4 Vocally it's unpleasant it's unpleasant in the verses. The structure of the song between chorus and verse and back is ok. The chorus is very catchy though and that's the most enjoyable part of the song. 16. 57821 (feat. Deep Cotton) - 3 It's just not my style of music. It's a well written track, a very well written track at that. This one just comes down to it being not the sound and style of music I enjoy. 17. Say You'll Go - 5 Second half of the song is brilliant but the first half is hit and miss. Piano in the second part is very very enjoyable. 18. BaBopByeYa - 6 The opening 2 and a half minutes are outstanding and if the album contained more of that, it would have been rated better. The tone change is a bit of a break of what has otherwise been a phenomenal sound. It thankfully doesn't ruin anything unlike in previous tracks and helps build and elevate the sound, particularly the vocals. This is until the track fades into the second half of the song and another tone change which isn't as enjoyable as the boisterous vocals and jazzy undertones in the first half of the track. They eventually make their return, but you're long waiting for the track to end by this point. Average Rating: 4.25 Adjusted to a 5-Point Scale: 2.22 Rounded Down: 2 Stars

2.3 I feel this list, now I'm approaching the end, has made me a lot more open to music I would absolutely have been extremely dismissive of at the end. I've enjoyed SZA's appearance, Solange's, even Christina Aguilera. So I went into this with an open mind. It failed to impress however, the constant careering between genre to genre didn't really work in my opinion, sometimes it leaned into it to heavily that it just sounded unauthentic. The terrible Bowie clone in Make the Bus a particular low point. Too try hard. Beats for the most part were uninspiring, even the vocals which are the usually the one good thing about similar albums that miss the mark were lacklustre here. Disappointing.

Ok quite random album. on 9th song so far, its maybe too much in my opinion. its like a lot of different genres or vibes mixing, so its not that consistent. other than that its interesting, first song was really cool. 10th song - wow for the singing. I like the Wonderland song. 57821 is so nice, loved it.

Kinda spaced out on this one. All over the place, not consistent.

Nice clear voice but the different styles throughout the album were a bit jarring for me.

It had some really catchy moments and a cool, unique vibe, but I ultimately found myself zoning out for large chunks of it. Tightrope was a definite highlight, though.

1.5 round up

A bonkers compilation of tunes. Some better than others

not a fan.

Bland elevator music

Wasn’t much of my vibe, if I was in a different mood I think I’d enjoy it more

"Dad, can we get some Beyoncé?" "We have Beyoncé at home!" The Beyoncé at home

I was optimistic going into this one as it’s an album I’ve heard great things about that I’ve no experience hearing. I was pretty disappointed, I found most of this really boring despite all the sounds that seem to be desperately trying to make it interesting. I also think her vocals are really boring for the majority of this record it’s really monotone(?) and boring sounding. All that being said I liked the two overtures and “Neon Valley Street” but the rest of the record was just boring.

I've never really given Janelle's work a shot until now. I knew her as an actor, and as a celebrity who wore eccentric outfits. She was good in Knives out 2 and Moonlight. I knew she was a musician. I remember the hype around her work in the 2010s. But none of that matters right now. The important question is: is it any good? And my answer: not really... but i respect what she's going for. This album is massive. Very ambitious. I think it's a concept album? It's quite impressive. I just... don't really... enjoy it? It's not bad... it just feels sorta sterile? And it's way too long. I got bored. Out of 18 tracks, only one or two piqued my interest. I didn't have time to listen more than once. Perhaps with more listening it might make more of an impact? It definitely wasn't a very immediate album. Things that did stick with me... The lyrics are a bit cheesy? They have a save the world, late career Michael Jackson vibe which didn't really work for me. I like the orchestral interludes. There was a lot of variety in the track list, which was nice... I guess. I recognized Tightrope. I think I heard it in an advertisement years ago or maybe a film. It was solid. I do love Big Boi. The instrumental sounded a bit like that shitty Happy song by Pharrell... but Janelle does a better job with it. Oh, Maker was probably my favourite song on the track. I dig the vocals at the beginning. It sounds expensive. And it definitely has a film score vibe on certain tracks... in a bad way. The closing track fits this to a T. Some cool horns and guitar work throughout the album.

Not for me.

Mid. 2/5.

not really my thing but can't point out why maybe I should keep a more open mind she is great on that one song with paolo nutini tho (fashion)

I have listened to this album at least 5 times and I guess I just don’t get it. It has some great elements of soul and funk but the concept story is not for me and nothing here seems overly new or exciting. It’s a female Bruno Mars. Why is this album on the list? I have no idea. I did enjoy certain songs but this album isn’t for me. Favorites include “Tightrope”, and “Come Alive (War of the Roses)”

Ikke min greie. For mye hopping hit og dit. Blir litt stress

Jeg synes det er bittelitt anmasende.

Langt dårligere enn "debutplata".

Maybe some good music? Wouldn’t recommend to someone

The first half of the album is far away from music I get enjoyment from, but then the second half (specifically starting from Mushrooms & Roses) had more songs I was into

A little too experimental and ambient than what I was expecting

This was a strange album for me. It didn't seem cohesive at all. It was probably well received by critics but I just don't get it. Meh. 4/10 (2/5)

I had never heard of Janelle Monae before listening to this album. Not sure how this even made the list. It was a mishmash of a bit of everything and I could never get straight who she was as an artist. Felt like a compilation of songs she would have sang trying to win American Idol or something. Comparing her to Bowie or Prince is just absurd. I’m sure she hits a chord for someone, just not me.

I don’t even know where to begin with this one. There was everything from lounge singing to hard rock. One minute I felt like I was in a senior center or musical, and the next minute in a rap R&B club. I can admit there were actually a few songs I liked. 57821 was pretty. Mushrooms & roses, Cold War, tightrope, and neon gumbo were all pretty good. Overall, I can’t figure out who she is as an artist. It was just weird.

- ein Mittelding für mich, teilweise moody stuff dabei, aber teilweise eben auch etwas nerviger Kram in meinen Augen - werde ich wohl nicht unbedingt nochmal hören

Boring

Appreciate how dynamic the album is and the overall musicality, but the style of music isn't for me

Not bad but did not like

Dragged like crazy. The highs were forgettable.

Very ambitious. Impressive production. Urgent vibe. Future rap? "Cold War" has a forceful smoothness to it. "Suite III Overture" more my speed. "Neon Valley Street" reminiscent of Rodgers & Hart tune, "With a Song in My Heart." "57821 (feat. Deep Cotton)" - Now we're talking! (Or should I say crooning?)

Ehh

I didn’t like her Knives Out movie, she’s associated with Diddy and Grimes, and she just seems like a lot. Androids and musicals and anime and just a whole bunch of lame weirdness that I don’t have the energy for. I don’t mind a gimmick if the songs are good but this was nothing but gimmick with no good songs.

gfällt ma net, nicht mein Genre

ColdWar war probably mein fav, but overall just not my thing

meh

Definitely not my cup of tea. Won't listen to it again.

Couldn't get into this. She's clearly a very talented singer, but.....I dunno, the vibe just didn't work for me. I felt like I was bored in a lounge somewhere.

Nuda

Couple of good songs, but really just fell flat for me.

не очень понимаю, как это тут оказалось, просто не самая лучшая попса

Mediocre, middle-of-the-road dance- and R&B-flavored pop, with boring, nonsensical lyrics. I have no general problem with nonsensical lyrics, mind you, but I have a problem with someone pretending to be all deep and futuristic for the sake of marketing, but ultimately saying nothing.

Sounds like Disney channel music

Pop, dance, 2010 -> 2-3

Album is interested in sound, and songs are thought out in relation to each other. I love the classical influences. Sometimes has a musical theatre feel. However, I think its core, most common soundscape is one that doesn't resonate with me. I don't know how to define it, I think there's a reference I'm missing. There are so many amazing sound moments though. They just don't often build to be consistently amazing songs. Best tunes: the overtures, sir greendown, tightrope, neon gumbo, mushrooms & roses, wondaland

dead

Very varied. Not all of it good.

Probably not a bad album if you like the style. However, it is not for me personally. Can't say I would recommend it to a friend.

I dont like pop of mostly any kind. Good voice sounded better than usual pop crap but still not to my liking

it all sounds pretty derivative to me - trying on a Prince costume, a Stevie Wonder costume ... it lacks a unifying feel.

Such a lot of difference, yet so little of it is good. Are the ableist lyrics really necessary?

Maso

Never heard of Janelle before. It was fine as far as pop records go, sounded very well produced. Just not really my thing. Nothing particularly stood out. 2

nicht so meins

Hat mir leider gar nicht zugesagt. Ne tolle Künstlerin und interessantes Wiki, aber die Musik hat mich gestresst und wenig unterhalten. Songs der Playlist hinzugefügt: Keine

It was ok.

Way too damn long and gets progressively worse, but still pretty fun on the whole

Janelle Monáe has an incredible voice and can switch styles so easily—it’s impressive. You can hear hints of Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Lauryn Hill in her sound, and there’s a lot of R&B influence. But honestly, the style changes felt forced to me. The songs are well-made, but I just didn’t connect with any of them. I appreciate her talent and the effort to do something different, but it just wasn’t for me. 2 out of 5.

Too all over the place for me. Previous album was better

This just didn't do it for me.

Unexpected, interesting.

Nothing here grabbed my attention - I’ll pass

I really don't like this much. It's too strange and not in a good way There was nothing I liked about this album at all, except her voice which is very nice.

Not entirely unpleasant, but not of interest to me. Lush sound at times.

I feel like labeling this as R&B/Soul is a bit misleading. A lot of it just sounds like pop. I found a good bit of it to be obnoxious. I enjoyed sir greenwood but that’s it.

Ko da sam pustio otvoreni radio. Nista spektakularno loše a ni spektakularno dobro. Tu i tamo nesto zanimljivo iskoci. Produkcija, naravno, bolesna. Nemam kaj tu za reci, pop ko pop tog razdoblja. Nikad cuo niti jednu srvar. 3/10

2.5/10 Ma gle, kužim da je ovo kao dobro, ali ja jednostavno nemam kapaciteta za ovo. Poslušao sam pola albuma i dat ću trojku jer kao nije loše, ali opet, nije mi toliko dobro da bi poslušao cijeli album Baš se patim, isto kao i prošli album Ima elementa ovdje svega i svačega, ali baš me neće. I evo dok sam ovo tipkao i napreskokce slušao album, odem guglati, baš da vidim i da probam nešto otkriti. Pa kaže da je ovo zapravo konceptualni album. Snimljen kao soundtrack za drugi i treći akt Metropolis filma. Što me dovelo do toga da shvatim da ja baš i ne volim konceptualne albume Yup, prošao kroz top 50 listu najboljih konceptualnih albuma prema Rolling Stone magazinu i slobodno mogu reći jebes takve albume. S tim na umu, spušta se ocjena, jer sad uz to što mi je loša glazba mi je i ideja albuma pretenciozna Hvala gospođo Džanela, idemo dalje.

4.5/10 Ocekivao sam da ce mi biti zlo do kraja albuma ali bila je ustvari podnosljiva pozadniska glazba. Ono sto mi je ok su neki funky dijelovi, trubice, malo world musica u nenametljivoj dozi i pokoja zanimljiva gitara u pjesmama. A i zenska zna pjevati. Ali ovo mi vec skoro spada u "gledam ovo svaki dan na MTV-u" kategoriju, barem dok je bilo muzike tamo umjesto realitya i dok im je pisalo music television na dnu logotipa. To je manje bitno jer da moram bas birati izmedju ovog i Beyonce koja se stalno vrtila, mislim da bi ovo ipak izabrao. A i ova Janelle bi bila danas vjerojatno poznatija da se skroz prilagodila dobitnoj pop formuli tog vremena. Na kraju dana, nemam se s cim poistovjetiti na ovom albumu niti vidim situaciju gdje bi ovo pustio, ali zbog ocekivanja da ce mi album biti skroz shitty i par, sitnih iznenadjenja koje krije cu mu malo povisiti ocjenu.

Never heard of this but given its critical reviews and genre description I was hoping to be pleasantly surprised. I can't say I enjoyed it; I found it boring. 70 minutes and none of the songs caught my ear. To me, Janelle Monae's cultural recognition far outweighs her mainstream output, as evidenced by my not recognizing or vibing with any of the songs. One explanation would be an "alternative R&B" blind spot to experimental, non-mainstream acts such as this. Another interpretation would be that I gravitate toward catchier songs vs artsier songs, and she is firmly in the latter group. She takes herself very seriously: like Prince but with less of a talent for producing earworms.

Interesting but not for me

Strange album. Appreciate the effort, but it try’s to do too much and mostly results in a muddled mess. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again

not horrible, but i think she’sa better composer than singer.

Janellelle on annettu liikaa minuutteja levylle, tuolla b-puolella tapahtuu kaikkea kummallista. Pidin alun vahvasta popista enemmän kuin lopun genrekokeiluista. Tosin Janellella on upea ääni. Eikä biisit huonoja ole, ihan hyviä, eivät vain kovin mieleenpainuvia enkä ymmärrä tätä albumikokonaisuutta - kuin monipuolisuus olisi hyve itsessään.

A-puoli alkaa raidalla nimeltään "Suite II Overture", mikä saa pelkäämään pahinta. Tästä huolimatta levyn ensimmäinen puolisko on kaiken kaikkiaan hyvää musiikkia: se ei ehkä sisällä varmaa hittiä, mutta toimii rytmisesti ja tuotannollisesti vetävänä poppina. Ikävä kyllä B-puoli on juuri sitä, mitä sen avaustittelin (Suite III Overture) perusteella voisi olettaa. Sekavaa, kummallista: musiikkia, jonka tavoitteena on saada kuulijat yliarvostamaan tekijäänsä. Listan poikkeuksellisin pettymys. 2+

Just no. Talentless, overproduced crap