The ArchAndroid

I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did, but damn this is good! Janelle shows so much versatility and creativity here, no 2 songs sound quite the same and there's not one dud in the track listing. Really good album. 4.5/5

I love Janelle Monáe, such a beautiful voice and a unique sound. Even now there isn’t much that sounds like this and not many writers who I find as interesting lyrically. The album jumps around genres but still manages to be very cohesive and thematic.

Soy imparcial con ella. Hay algo de esta obra que retoma el afrofuturismo de Sun Ra y similares que lleva el tema más allá de solo lo musical. Para mi es u ndiscazo por las referencias al futuro, a la negritud de una manera muy madura y profunda y a Metropolis.

A fun and melodic mashup for an hour and change. A techno jazz odyssey!

I loved the musical eclecticism on this one. From the electric bop ‘Come Alive (War of the Roses)’ to great R&B songs like ‘Faster’ and ‘Say You’ll Go’ to ‘BeBopByeYa’, which sounds straight out of an old-timey movie. One of the best discoveries I’ve made so far.

Classic for a reason

Very pleasant surprise. A lot of styles under one umbrella, a new kind of progressive music. The spirit of the best prog rock, but with modern and non-rock musical elements. And what a great voice.

Amazing!

If a debut ever was a tour de force, this is it. Monáe incorporates elements from just about every major genre in popular music (okay, maybe not dubstep), and she does it completely effortlessly. It is an equal parts retrospective and futuristic bombardment of the senses. 'Cold War', 'Tightrope', 'Come Alive (The War of the Roses)', and 'Make the Bus' are all exceptional.

A masterclass In modern songwriting. Beautifully drawing inspiration from Prince, Stevie Wonder, David Bowie to OutKast, drum and bass, orchestral scores and even big band and Afro funk. Janelle Monáe is truly one of a kind and just makes everything work on this epic journey. Also - “Cold War” is easily one of the greatest pop songs of the 2010’s. Also also - how fun is “Wondaland”?!

Loved it, so groovy!

I recognise the album cover but don’t think Iv ever heard Janelle Monae before, no idea how I missed this album, it’s absolutely brilliant such a beautiful mix of different styles of song that all just flow together on the album. I will be listening to this a lot this year. A modern day masterpiece.

Creative, funky, and downright refreshing. Sticking to one genre? Nah. God, I really really loved listening to this.

Really really good.Weird blend of classical,pop and jazz.her voice is beautiful and the songs are great.A but too long but I really enjoyed it,might give it a Relisten

This was quite impressive, if maybe a bit too long. I wish all albums would fit on a single LP.

What a debut

Freaking classic Janelle.

Incredible, no notes.

I pulled a list of albums that came out in 2010, and man, I always forget just how stacked of a year that was. MBDTF, This is Happening, Plastic Beach, Age of Adz, The Suburbs, good gravy! Anyway, this one is a behemoth. Throw it in there with some of the all time greats of the 2010's. Janelle has that style that transcends target audiences. There's seriously something for everyone here; from callbacks to Prince records with soaring electric guitar, blended perfectly with pop production and slick vocals. But it's also a concept album that feels incredibly cohesive, every track serving a purpose that lends to the overall record. Not to mention a great feature from of Montreal (my absolute favorite band).

I knew I was probably going to end up liking this, given that it is compared to many musical artists that I like, but damn, there's a lot of bangers on here. This album does not let you rest until the album is already half way over. This was awesome. I think the last couple songs lost me a little bit, but the rest of the album was so good that it doesn't really matter. Those last songs may grow on me with time. It is really hard to pick favourites, as it always is with 5 star albums, but I think my favourite songs were Locked Inside and Oh, Maker.

I chose a great day to take a bit from the cactus. Such an eclectic set of soul and funk that could only be matched by Outkast. So many songs like "Sir Greendown" and "57821" sound like they came straight from the 60s. I'm hearing afrobeat, modern classical, Prince-like funk rock, sunshine pop, and even rockabilly. A true concept album of afrofuturism, every song has something grand and exciting to display. There's really only one small complaint. As much as I love the sequencing for many parts, especially how smooth the first few transitions are, there are a couple of screw ups like the sudden jump from the the slow, entrancing "Sir Greendown" to the loudest, most energetic track "Cold War."

Talk about coming out of the gate swinging! Janelle is fearless, endlessly inventive, and absolutely revels in getting weird with it.

I've always loved her stuff when I've heard it but have never delved into an album. This one was fantastic. Very cohesive.

Really cool

J’ai vraiment aime l’album et j’ai reecoute plusieurs fois. C’est tres bine produit et la musique est bonne 5

I knew she was talented but never really listened to her. This blew me away!

Before today, my familiarity with Janelle Monáe was limited. I enjoyed her in "Hidden Figures" and "Glass Onion," and I *love* "Make Me Feel" (the best Prince song Prince never wrote), but other than that I just had the vague idea that she was kinda weird (in a good way). So when this popped up I figured that, if nothing else, it'd at least be interesting. My first thought upon seeing the cover was "Hey, that sorta reminds me of the poster for 'Metropolis.'" Turns out that's what she was going for, as a visit to Wiki informed me that this album is parts 2 and 3 of her Metropolis concept series (the first part being her EP "Metropolis"). Very cool. I hadn't even listened to a single note, but we were already off to a good start. I fired the album up and saw that the first track is titled "Suite II Overture." Despite that, I was surprised to hear that it was literally orchestral music. Awesome. I love an artist with broad tastes, and as I progressed through the album it became clear that her musical sensibilities are broad indeed. So much so that it was tough to classify just what the hell I was listening to. But fuck classification: all that needs be said is this album's a work of art. It's bold and eclectic and gloriously idiosyncratic, and the further into the album I got the surer I was that I was listening to genuine greatness. And just when I thought I couldn't be any more impressed, she blew me away by seamlessly throwing some of Debussy's "Clair de Lune"—one of my all-time favorite pieces of classical music—into "Say You'll Go." Transcendent. Game over. Mic drop. Standing O. It's rare that I come across new music that takes me by surprise and leaves me vibrating with childlike excitement, but "The ArchAndroid" did just that. It's nearly 70 minutes long, but I listened to it, listened to it again, listened to "Metropolis," then bought both and listened to this album a third time. Ms. Monáe has herself a new fan.

I honestly was not a fan or even aware of Janelle Monáe until we were into the pandemic. I don't even remember how her music crossed my path, but I instantly became a fan and tracked down more of her music. She just seems to approach music from an angle that's so different that it immediately caught my attention. I enjoyed this so much that I listened to it twice, which I never do.

Holy shit it is so good her voice is so good the music is also so good

I love Janelle Monae, not sure if ArchAndroid or Dirty Computer is my favorite of theirs. Could this probably be a few songs shorter? Yes. Still a 5 from me though.

This fucks.

It's a fantastic album, a journey, "take me back to wonderland." I've listened to this many times over the years, and just bought it on vinyl a couple months ago. "I've got a terrible fixation..." "Say You'll Go" hits me every time.

Can't top Janelle.

An exceptional record. I'm impressed at so many levels, the arrangements and her impressive vocal range in particular. I'm never really comfortable with "concept" albums, but here it doesn't get in the way of just enjoying the tunes. When I saw the album cover my immediate thoughts turned to the possibility of calling occupants of interstellar craft, but no it was ok on that front, phew... Younger son made the very good point that Neon Gumbo has echoes of Revolution No.9, Oh Maker is beautiful, like a 21st century Sandie Shaw. Come Alive could walk off any serious rock album with that bass riff and I really like her work with Of Montreal on Make the Bus. I've gone back to listening this straight away as it has so much, in fact I reckon old Serge G would have loved this record. Brilliant stuff.

Kind of long. But very good.

I really enjoyed this! I’d never heard any of Janelle Monáe’s music until today. The whole album had me intrigued and wanting more. 4.5/10

Holy damn, this is good! I love the funk/rock/hip hop/everything vibes throughout the first half of the album, and when I thought the second half might not live up, suddenly Say You'll Go and BaBopByeYa keep me hooked till the end. Her voice is spectacular when she gets a chance to highlight it, but there are so many other things going on in this album that I don't even mind that I don't get to hear it solo

Whoa, I was not expecting this album. I went into it expecting some kind of cookie cutter music I would quickly forget about. I’d heard of Janelle Monáe but didn’t know her music. Listening to this album for me was the experience that I think we all hope for from this challenge. It wasn’t on my radar before but I couldn’t believe how good it was. This album borrows from many genres and inspirations. I couldn’t believe how good every track was, and how diverse this album was, while still maintaining a cohesive sound. Overall, I am very impressed with this and will be revisiting this album.

this SLAPS okay it slaps. i made my mom listen to janelle monae's entire discography in the car one time. sir greendown and neon valley street>>>

excellent. love her

A debut double concept album telling the story of a world seen through the eyes of an android. This is suites II & III of Monáe's seven-part Metropolis concept series. It's packed full of ideas, styles and contemporary themes. Ambition doesn't begin to cover it, but Monáe pulls it off. This is an increadible and outstanding piece of work. It definitely makes me want to dive deeper into this artist's discography. Rating: 5/5 Playlist track: Cold War Date listened: 17/12/22

Very ambitious. Very very good. A great find. I am now a new listener of Monáe.

Very excellent, with some surprisingly Christmas's tracks

I am utterly, totally shocked at how much I like this record. Didn't think it was going to be my thing but wow.

I loved it from start to finish. I can hear so many references from Michael Jackson to Donna Summer, even rock! bringing funk and soul to a fresh sound. I loved the production for each track, the interludes, the lyrics! Such a great body of work. I will definitely get back to it!

of montreal cameo???

Love it.

9/10 - really damn good I heard her first three albums so far, I think her style improves with each album and I just really love the way this second one sounds a few of the songs are a bit boring and not really my style but I really loved most of it especially that interpretation of Clare De Lune, so cool!

This was shockingly excellent! So much energy, so cohesive, unique theme!

Stórkostleg plata, stuð, dramatískir strengir og vísindaskáldskapur. Ótrúlega fjölbreyttur og flottur hljóðheimur, og frábær rödd og flutningur. Algert æði.

It was my first album of Janelle Monáe and on this cite. I like how there's some folk/70s vibe to it. I loved rnb/soul parts. Also a lot of tracks felt like disney soundtracks. Loved eclecity of tracks. I felt like I watched a movie. 5/5

A spectacular and ambitious album that effortlessly spans multiple genres to tell stories from another world. There is so much to talk about, but I particularly enjoyed the seamless inclusion of Debussey on "Say You'll Go" which arrives halfway through the track and is set up so well it feels inevitable before you even hear the notes. The introduction of a new vocal part to the piece feels amazingly natural and beautiful. 4.5/5

Have heard a lot of acclaim for this album! Suite II Overture- Definitely sets theatrical sound Dance or Die- This is so catchy and also very dense with worldbuilding👍 Faster-starts new ‘thread’ of story, solid but.. Locked out- I like this better👍 Sir Greendown- still sounds cohesive despite its difference, very dreamy Cold War- Catchy Tightrope- Bit too much going on here for me Neon Gumbo- Weird segue Oh Maker- Performed extremely well, cute little ditty👍 Come alive- That scream is impressive but unpleasant Mushrooms and Roses- Cool psychedelic track, very full with guitars Suite III Overture Neon Valley Street- Another cute change of tack Make the bus- Basically someone else’s song? Still good tho👍 Wondaland- Bop tbh👍 57821- the harmonies on this are top tier👍 Last two songs are long and grand Definitely an experience, need to revisit when I’m a bit fresher. 5/5

After all the albums from Lorde, Taylor Swift, Solange, Adele, CTRL, Christine and the Queens, etc. etc. finally, the list generates an album from the last 15 years that can be viewed a modern classic.

Always been kinda salty that Janelle’s never really followed up on the promise of this record and has segued into straightforward pop.

Both chill and uplifting. Beautiful symphonic bits, beautiful voice. Love the sci-fi theme interspersed throughout as well.

I thought “damn! Who’s rushing here?” But by the 3 track I was hypnotized, this was going with a 4 but damn! It is a debut album! 5 star for me

Amazing. A masterpiece.

In the top 10 albums of the last 20 years, without a doubt. Almost every track is a masterpiece and the overall project is simply amazing and undoubtably memorable.

Excellent, j'adore comment toutes les musiques s'enchainent bien

It's always a pleasurable day when I listen to Janelle Monae. I absolutely love her work and this debut album is only a taste of what is to come. It's just great fantastic music and if you liked this, check out the follow-up albums. They take this concept and get even better. Absolutely fucking banger and sounds so fresh.

My first thoughts when The ArchAndriod popped up was “wow this looks different” when looking into it i remember Monáe from her feature of We Are Young from fun. The first song gives off an adventurous vibe kind of from a Disney or Pixar film. Dance or Die, Faster and Locked Inside felt like a breathe of fresh air with its pop and R&B mix which boosts the mood. Wow the next track, Sir Greendown really changes the mood and shows the versatility of Monáe with her vocals shining on this track Cold War, really epitomises what music was like in the 00’s and 10’s with its dance beat and catchy hook Tightrope had a feature of Big Boi who i am very familiar with due to his work with André 3000 (OutKast) and once again it’s a very 00’s vibe with a female lead and a hip hop feature which a lot of songs during this time had and worked. this song is no exception with the funky vibes and the chorus being very catchy and has feel good vibes( it’s definitely gonna be added to my playlist) Tracks like Neon Gumbo and Oh, maker really add to the dystopian vibes Monáe was going for with this album. Come Alive switches the vibe to a more pop-punk which compared with the previous tracks is a sweet surprise and she really rocks out. Mushrooms & Roses is a very dystopian track with great vocals and amazing guitar riffs which really makes me see the Prince inspiration. The switch of the album into Neon Valley Street is well worked with Monáe’s soft vocals along with the ‘Android’ voice halfway through really directs the album’s dystopian vibes. Make the Bus has a feature (Of Montreal) which are new to me but they fit well with Monáe on the track and carries on the albums feel. Wondaland really surprised me with the high pitch but soft tone of Monáe‘s voice giving me a futuristic feel just like many other tracks on the album. 57821 feels very polished with harmonies and instrumentals making the track very heavenly. The penultimate track Say You’ll Go is a very heartwarming song with an amazing performance from Monáe which is a really emotional combined with the piano keys in the background. The last track, BaBopByeYa starts with a jazz type of feel with the instrumental mixing well with Monáe’s soothing voice. Overall this album is a breathe of fresh air and really surprised me, with previously never hearing a solo project by Monáe, her dystopian album was impressive and is considered underrated in the 2010s. 5/5.

This is amazing, I love it.

this is an album that was so artfully created. a lot of effort went into this, and i so appreciate and respect it. i knew a little of janelle monáe's music before, but now i really understand all of the hype behind her. she deserves it. and i do love a concept album, especially since monáe doesn't beat you over the head with that fact. progressive soul is an interesting genre to use, and monáe does it well though she does float around. but despite that, the album is seamless, flowing from one song into another. a majority of these songs are catchy as hell. some of them (especially "tightrope" and "come alive" and many others) grabbed me, and i couldn't get away from them. the hooks are strong. i'm a sucker for "clair de lune," so when "say you'll go" included its melody, i nearly had a breakdown. the song used a popular melody without depending on it. it makes for a beautiful song. the suites are a perfect touch to start each cd, and are quite beautiful regardless. including classical music? i love it. when she has the opportunity to belt out a song, get out of the way. when she raps, she's brilliant and so fast. honestly, there isn't a bad song on this album or any musical decision that was bad. i'm looking forward to listening to monáe's other music to hear the entirety of the metropolis story.

amazing album 5/5 gets you right into the album and an amazing world, atmosphere and vibe

Good !!!!

Wow. I was not expecting that. After so many ho-humdrum listening experiences, it's albums like this that reestablish my belief in this project. What a refreshing change from most everything else that I've listened to here. Highly recommend.

Impressive

Wow, I am quite surprised I liked this one. It was not what I was expecting and I liked it. Good variety of genres. Only thing I'd say is it got a little long by the end.

Already love this but happy to listen again.

11/10 beys slayed

Este disco es un viaje de géneros y sonidos muy, muy agradable.

Me sorprendió mucho el disco porque esperaba un pop plástico y Beyoncésco, pero no, y así es como debe hacerse el pop: Es divertido, lleno de cambios que apenas se sienten y con un gran sonido en todas las capas. Si quizá le sobra algo son unos cuantos minutos hacia el final del disco, pero incluso la rola que tiene a Of Montreal de invitados es muy buena.

The concept is incredible, the songs are great, the lyrics are amazing, the mood is fantastic, and I don't know enough good words to describe it. I've heard some Monáe songs before, but this album surprised me, and it's already on my favorites list.

So happy to see this one on here! I loved Janelle Monáe in high school and still do today. The ArchAndroid was probably the first album by her I listened to. It’s part of a series of concept albums about a robot who falls in love with a human — seemingly an allegory about queer relationships, as Janelle is pan and non-binary. That was my interpretation in high school, but now I’m glad to do a re-listen of the full album and recalibrate. First, we start with an overture. I’m no connoisseur of classical music, so I’m not sure how people think this holds up on its own. In context, this sets the musical scene and plot, perhaps musically detailing the war that’s sung about later on. It’s short and quickly leads into the Fela Kuti-esque “Dance or Die.” In this song, the Androids are headed to war to find the escaped android. While she is describing the plot of the story, the lyrics seem to double as a social commentary about the real world. We move into the fast-paced “Faster.” This song details the relationship between the protagonist and the human she loves. Great chorus. “Locked Inside” - a song about how love is a necessary ingredient for freedom. In a hateful and intolerant society, you can’t help but feel “locked inside,” looking at the free land in your mind. I think this song is the weakest of the first three, so I didn’t remember it much. “Sir Greendown” - has a 60’s feel. A simple little song in which the protagonist yearns for the calm company of her love, Sir Greendown. “Cold War” has a much more 2010’s feel. I think this particular song leaves much to be desired and I’m surprised it was one of the singles for this album. This one sounds what I’d expect a pop singer singing about war to sound like, while the other songs accomplish that with more finesse and intrigue. “Tightrope” - this is the other single that I didn’t listen to much when I was in high school. This one also has a clear 2010’s feel, which isn’t necessarily bad but this feels like sensory overload even though nothing is really happening! It’s a shame that the two singles are the worst songs on the album! Okay now that those two songs are over we move to “Neon Gumbo,” which is an ambient interlude with backwards lyrics (you can read them backwards and see what she’s saying) — seemingly a coded message from the main Android getting past the Android censors. Now one of my favorites: “Oh, Maker.” I really do believe this is one of the best songs on the album and maybe one of Janelle’s best. Next to “Come Alive” — another strong one on the album. The little bell and chorus interlude between verses gives me chills. The previous song and this one really demonstrate her vocal range and agility, as she’s able to do controlled runs as well as grating screams. I’m really interested in the balance between electronic and analog instruments in this album, and the literary reasons for the shifts. On “Mushrooms and Roses,” the singer’s voice is completely caked in a tremolo underwater filter, while the rest of the music is not electronic. Anyway, this psychedelia-inspired song is great — still more interesting than the two singles. We take a second with the next overture, which introduces the final part of the Metropolis story. “Neon Valley Street” - neo-soul tune with Prince influences. “Make the Bus” - I listened to this one nonstop in high school. I was a huge of Montreal fan. I think the melody and arrangement of this song is great (it’s basically just an of Montreal song slapped into a Janelle Monae record). The lyrics are fun and endlessly compelling. “Wondaland” - bubble gum poppy Jesus Christ Superstar meets Aqua. A dream you didn’t know you dreamed of - Janelle’s voice on this one has a comedic android-inflected affect to match the lyrics. “57821” is about Cindi and Sir Greendown being in waiting for each other. The melody again is impeccable. I think I skipped over this 6 minute song when I was in high school - “Say You’ll Go.” A strangely hypnotizing love song. The last song is “BaBopByeYa,” a jazzy noir tune also super long but compelling. An ending that leaves you wanting more. This record is an incredible work of Afro-Futurism, though its modifiers and influences don’t at all stop there. An array of different people could find a song they like on this album, and perhaps a few of them would even stay and listen to the story. This album can be analyzed on countless levels, and it also stands as entertainment, too. I listened to The Who’s rock opera during this project, and I regret giving it a 5, which I did so almost out of obligation to it’s supposed legacy. I strongly feel that, as far as literary concept albums go in rock music, the ArchAndroid is seriously one of the strongest. This is one of the best albums of the 2010s without a doubt. Janelle Monae brings you into an immersive world that causes listeners to look at the world we live in with new eyes. Aside from the two singles that I think don’t hold up as well as other tracks, this album is an easy 5, in its literary pursuits, the many musical explorations, and Janelle Monae’s captivating and inspiring persona throughout.

How is this 12 years old!? Definitely a 21st-century album that deserves its place here. Delightful and texturally unique.

This album is so... theatrical! I mean, the intro song alone (Suite II Overture) was straight out of a climatic build up in James Bond or something. Then the first few tracks just had me jamming and dancing in my living room. So interesting how the instrumentals of this album meld so well with Janelle's Soul/R&B voice, without the songs feeling like soul or R&B. This is was such a fun album that I had no idea about before. Janelle has always been such a unicorn to me, like I have heard of her, but never really heard her.

It's that rare beast, an album on this list I have never heard of but is deserving it's place. Everything is great: the production, songwriting, vocals and a variety of different musical styles that compliment each other. Favourites were 'Sir Greendown,' 'Oh Maker', 'Come Alive' and 'Mushroom and Roses'.

Love it. Not as good as Dirty Computer, but literally fantastic.

Okay this isn't my usual style, but wow this album was fantastic! It's so rare for me to be so impressed by an album that isn't my style, that I knew nothing about. I was dazzled by the diversity of styles here. A+ for creativity. This could be the greatest pop album of the 21st century. This album is better than anything I've heard from other female mega popstars. Better than Mariah Carey, better than Madonna, better than Whitney Houston, better than Taylor Swift, better than Olivia Rodrigo. I didn't like the second track, so I was doubtful for a sec. But basically every other track was great, and some were just plain fantastic. I really thought it got better as it went on.

Great album. I'm a big Janelle Monae fan and love all her albums. This is the most 'concept' album of her arsenal, packed full with great pop/rnb/soul/funk and memorable tracks 5*

A nearly perfect album. Loved it when it was first released. I was worried it might not hold up but it did not disappoint.

Damn, this is a hell of an album! Opening with an orchestra tuning up is a ballsy move but Monáe has the goods to pull it off. Fave track - a lot of great tunes on here, but the use of "Clair de Lune" on "Say You'll Go" was just b e a u t i f u l . . .

Some tracks are seamless in their transition making it more like one long piece with movements, which is interesting given the album starts with an overture. The songs themselves are love letters intertwined with political statements or statements about society as a whole. A great album.

Wow. Just wow. Something for everyone here. I didn’t expect to like it but I LOVED it.

That album was amazing. The supporting artists on it, the song choices, just everything.

Stellar album, covers so many different genres flawlessly. She has such a great voice. This album was wonderful. You can really hear the funk influences.

I loved loved loved this! Super creative and interesting. Great performance. Super bold and it just never let up in its awesomeness!

This was fantastic!

05/02/2022 She's one of the greats. Sweeping vocals and instrumentals; with top-tier production value to die for. Absolute fire from start to finish.

A wonderful surprise. Never heard of this one but will come back again in the future. Covering so many styles and genres I even won’t bother to listen it all here. It does make me think that a lot of my ratings are based on expectations. This is getting 5 stars partly because I was not coming in with a high standard to meet. Some of the world’s most iconic albums have received a low marks because they didn’t live up to the legend that preceded them. Not sure if that’s totally fair or not…?

Great!

Damn! She can sing. What a voice! Really enjoyed this album. Great writing, great vocals. Poetic. Creative. Worked in and out of the box. Quite impressive. Def listen again. Did feel like I kept hearing voices. That was weird.

A kaleidoscopic trip.

I'd never listened to Janelle Monáe before... Incredible. It's got funk, psych, punk, jazz, it's conceptual, it's got outstanding singing and above all else, it's the catchiest shit you'll hear in a while. One of the best I've heard

I really, really, really enjoyed this. Not being at all familiar with the artist, I went into this completely blind. What a fantastic album! This has definitely been added to my rotation and I will be seeking out more from this artist.

Literally incredible. Zero skips.

Loved it. Never heard it before but the girl has a great voice. Who says the concept album is dead? I shall be listening to this again, and investigating more.

Enjoyed it! Each song interesting and unique and different from the previous. Some dancey, many tell a story. Would listen again!

Wow this is new to me and sooo cool! Really enjoying it so far! OMG the themes and story-telling, the interesting sounds, the classical music sections, this is just so incredible exciting and fantastic. Her voice is sensational, it reminds me of Lianne La Havas wow!

No surprises, I love this album

This was a complete banger! Took me by surprise. I've liked Janelle Monáe before but not done a deep dive on her older albums but this was outstanding. It was so diverse in sounds but still all felt very together as an album. Loved it

One of my favorite modern RnB albums ever made, though it's becoming less and less modern. Timeless production with detailed, scifi inspired beats that incorporate art pop into old school funky grooves and bass lines. All tied together by janelles eccentric performance and infectious energy.

Jao, ovaj album ima toliko raznoliku paletu žanrova da bi svaka pisma zaslužila svoj review. Ža mi je šta ima toliko dobrih pisama za koje nisan nikad cula, a koje su mi osobno bolje od nekih njenih mainstream hitova. Baš se osjeti utjecaj Michaela Jacksona, Bowie-ja i Prince-a (šta nije čudno s obzirom da je posli i surađivala s Princeom!!). Usprkos tome šta mi ovih par elektro pisama nije silo, druge su mi toliko dobre (pogotovo ove ukomponirane s klasičnom glazbom 🤤) da zaslužuje visoku ocjenu od mene.

A little too long. But holy shit what a great album.

Pretty sick tbh

This puts so many albums on this list to shame. The talent and beauty of the music is ridiculous. Oh Maker is on a whole different level. I wish there were more stars to give.

Future funky. Loved the scale and imagination at play here. Hints of Funkadelic, elements of Todd Rundgren. No expense spared, no kitchen sink unutilised. Huge fun.

I love it!

god... what a fucking album. really.

What a wonderful surprise, an album i would never have listened to but absolutely loved. The range of genres and influences is mind-blowing, and the variety in the vocal performances makes it hard to believe it was one artist (with guests) responsible. I love a concept album, and this is as high concept as anything, but the songs stand up individually as well. Dance or die, faster, tightrope (with big boi), wondaland, and my new favourite song Come Alive (War of the Roses) are so good I can hardly believe I hadn't heard them before. What an album, and this is exactly the reason I wanted to do this!

4.5

Beautiful!

This is excellent. Some fabulous rap, some amazing soul - all very varied, very experimental. Her voice is amazing, and although I think she might be reaching the edge of her talent on one or two of these tracks, that talent is way, way, way better than 95% of the other talent in this list. I might be a convert.

that janelle monae is one talented broad

Amazing, interesting, experimental but still enjoyable to listen to.

This is straight fire. Hot damn.

Janelle Monaé is so much cooler than I’ll ever be and I’m kicking myself for never having listened until 2022. This album is somehow orchestral, soul, jazz, pop, hip hop, rock, rhythm and blues, it’s a really fun listen that I absolutely will come back to again. Cold War and Tightrope are BOPS.

Great diverse album

Timeless, passionate, groovy, funky, soulful, rockin', romantic, powerful, intriguing, classic, relatable, subversive, splendiferous, seamless, flowing, masterful, genius, classy, supreme, and I wanted to come up with more, but thinking of adjectives is really hard, so I'm just gonna leave it there and say this album is very very very good.

an absolutely beautiful album. the vocals, the lyricism, the instrumental. everything about this album screams beauty and grace. it sounds like the soundtrack of a thriller or adventure movie. the transitions between songs is flawless and had me thinking i was still listening to the same song. the cohesiveness of the album whether that be through, lyrics or sounds is incredible. its like a journey. the introduction "suite II overture" sounds like something out of indiana jones or some other action movie song composed by hans zimmer. the powerhouse vocals monáe uses in many of the tracks showcases her passion. overall this album seems very feminine to me and expresses this in a subtle way. i think the use of string instruments like violins further supports this as delicate instruments. the title of the album is very fitting. in the second half of the album, monáe seems to use something like auto tune and increases her pitch making her sound like an android of sorts.

Funky. No la conocía, me está gustando :)

Очень круто. Аранжировки супер. Есть чему поучиться.

love janelle, she's queen

Ok, I honestly don't understand this album, but I think I love it. It's just so out there in terms of mix of styles, lyrical concepts. Viewed as an album, the sheer scope and ambition of it is fantastic. Viewed as a collection of songs, it's hard to believe this is all one album. The best thing about this is the seeming ease with which Janelle Monáe pulls off all of the different style on this album - with all of them sounding good. I even enjoyed the rap on this album - something I enjoy only very rarely.

I loved the song Make the Bus (feat. Of Montreal) because I love Of Montreal. Kevin Barnes' musical thumbprint is so pronounced it was like an Of Montreal song was somehow mixed up in the recording booth and placed there by accident. All the featured songs on this album were recognizably distinct from the beautiful R&B Janelle solo tracks, yet wove in to the album expertly to take the listener on a journey through the afrofuturist story of The ArchAndroid.

Screw it. 5.0. If I could rate higher I would. I've not listened to much of Janelle Monae, but I am wowed by this album. It's hard for me to pull the trigger for 5.0 on something thats new to me like this without it being a groundbreaker or iconic artist. But wow, this was a great disc to end the week on. I'm going to relisten now.

Terrific album both lyrically and musically. Janelle Monae manages to cross genre effortlessly without it being jarring or intrusive. She also subverts traditional pop and R&B chord progressions and allows there to be unresolved tension in her music to reflect the lyrical themes. Overall, a super impressive album all around.

Goes from 4 to 5 just because of Come Alive.

Love Janelle Monae. Very underrated singer. Oh, Maker is one of my favorite songs ever.

Top tier album and I feel it only gets better with subsequent listens

Покашьто лучший из тех, что был тута. Хоть я и прям все песенки не прослушал

This was great. A brilliant mash of genres with interval tracks that didn't intrude at all. The first and last tracks are excellent as well, which probably helps. Some of the middle tracks were weaker, or a bit weirder, but I'll definitely be returning to this one.

Incredible, such a cohesive album

Beautiful voice, great album from front to back.

LIstening to this album and reading about Jenelle Monae in the process was an absolute joy. What an artisit, with this album reflecting someone who may just be one of the more underrated artists of the 21st century. I can't wait to spend more time with this album and for it to be a part of my long term listening repitoire.

so cool. great range of song styles, her voice is amazing and gives me 2010 pop ‘now that’s what I call music’ nostalgia but with r&b n funk notes 😵‍💫

wow amazed this is a fucking album

Incredible album, Janelle has always delivered with concepts and versatility while pushing artistic limits, and this album is no exception

Far more weird and interesting than I expected. Very cohesive and excellent flow to the whole thing.

Rating: 9/10 Best songs: Dance or die, Faster, Locked Inside, Tightrope

Es completamente diferente de algo que haya escuchado antes, en verdad es buenísimo, lo recomiendo demasiado. Se siente tan actual, además las letras son preciosas, todo el álbum es una obra de arte y lo adoro, es de lo mejor que he escuchado y definitivamente uno de mis álbumes favoritos. Cada canción se siente diferente pero al mismo tiempo conectada con la anterior. No hay palabras para describir lo magnífico que es este álbum, lo amé.

Good album

I'm a lot more familiar with Janelle Monae's later albums so this was fun to explore. It was a fun album to fully immerse myself in! She has such fun creating concept albums that span a wide array of musical compositions. Gotta love the bass in some of these, and how much she changes her voice from song to song. I really like some of the featured artists as well like Of Montreal on Make the Bus. Submitted this before listening to the last few—what a mistake! Wrapping the whole thing up with a Shirley Bassey style jam?!? Now demanding Janelle Monae be the next Bond soundtrack.

4.5!! Production is really good, a ton of fun to listen to. Fantastic vocals and pretty cool lyrics!! There are some weaker songs on here but the beats are always cool enough to keep me interested. i love the android/future theme and I wish it were a bit more cohesive, without something tying it all together it feels like it goes on a bit long, maybe it’d be clearer with another listen.

Vital

I really liked this one. There were some sections that seemed a little bland, and it would have been nice to have more overarching themes, but it was still interesting as an album. A low 5 from me.

HOLY SHIT FINALLY A GREAT ONE

Such a talented artist

It's so fuckin' cool to see sci-fi and concept album tropes applied to a pop album like this! The orchestral intro and varied interludes throughout plus the extended outro song just let you know you are not in for just pop and bookends it all well! Outside of the theatricality of it, I loved the mixing and blending of genres throughout. Faster, Cold War, and Oh, Maker were favorites. It's still a feel-good pop record! Just with some wild afrofuturism in its bloodstream! This might be a 4 in reality, but I'm a sucker for theatricality and want to celebrate concept albums and sci fi stories like this finding success!

one of my favorite albums of all time. front to back. as an aspiring musician it’s the album I wish I could’ve made.

Amazing! Loved this album. Never listen to Jenelle Monae before and I really enjoyed it. She has incredible range and I love the mix of Jazz, Rap, and pop. it made for a unique sound!

Here we go! For a while now this has been one of my top 10 my favorite albums of all time, so naturally it's an absolute joy to listen to again. This album is a masterpiece through and through. So many musical styles and themes are explored and crafted into fun and interesting songs. This album starts out very theatrical, which drives the theme of a fictional story in a sci-fi world based on Fritz Lang's 'Metropolis', with social issues mirroring the ones we face in our world. In Janelle Monae's world, the android fighting for it's freedom is her as a black woman navigating a similarly hostile environment. The vocal and musical range that Janelle Monae traverses in this album highlights just how talented she is. We see art-pop, R&B rock, punk, jazz, hip-hop, folk, and a series of amazing features that give each song such a distinct life of it's own, while still contributing to the narrative of the story. Despite how different each song feels, the songs flow together so well, with the same musical motifs revisited in new ways. Overall, I love this album and I'm glad it exists. It's an important album that both encapsulates the struggles of a black woman but at the same time shows her strength, and overwhelmingly impressive talent through good music and good story telling.

40s dance/lounge and 60s retro feel. Upbeat songs give a fun groovy mood where slower laid back songs come on smoothe and clean.

This was stellar. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in other than that I knew Janelle always had a ton of praise. Her voice was insanely beautiful and I didn’t think one track was boring. The concept is really interesting and the fact that she covered so many genres kept it engaging. Would listen again.

Holy shit this album rips. Just so man kickass tunes. Stand out is Cold War.

Concept album, very neat!

Love this! Never heard any of these songs before but this is definitely something I plan to listen to more.

One of those albums I've been meaning to check out forever, but never did. Always knew Janelle had a big Prince influence, but I think it's unfair to just stop there. OutKast, Disney movies... feel like I can gleen a LOT from this album. Only one song I feel like doesn't fit ("Make the Bus", which is a shame, cos I enjoy Of Montreal), but other than that, the album flows at a relentless and wonderful pace. Amazing piece of art. Favorite tracks: "Wondaland", "Say You'll Go", "Dance or Die"

This was really different, glad to have given it a listen. Definitely worthy of this list, as it blended quite a few different genres and felt almost like a theater production. Not something I’d go out of my way to listen to again, but it was a unique listening experience. (4)

Wow! This was wonderful to listen to. Love a fun, chill pop album

This was a very interesting album. Janelle has a wonderful voice and she came up with a great theme for an album.

Nothing like what i was expecting, very cool

You know how some artists can just make music that sounds smart? That's Janelle Monae and that's on full display on The ArchAndroid. It's catchy as all hell and tight production, if not running a little overly long. Her real masterpiece is Dirty Computer and hope it's a must for this project. Let's hope it makes an appearance soon.

Best wel leuk, helemaal met de lage verwachtingen door de afgrijselijke album cover

Cool Like this. Remember hearing tightrope and Cold War at Glastonbury and being really taken with her. It’s a fun album, and her voice is amazing. Favourite track: Cold War

4/5

This was atmospheric as hell. I cant lie, it lost me in the second half, but I stayed for the journey. That connection between the 2nd and 3rd tracks is done so well. This kind of conceptual album is usually something you'd see out of the 70's, but it fits right in with a modern audience. Great lyrics and the vocals are on point, a great variety of sound and mixing of genres, some work better than others, but the end result is something that I think should be experienced. Again, the vocals here are fantastic.

Really strong funky and enjoyable introduction into the album with songs perfectly flowing into one another with an interlude here and there to carry the album on. Centre half of the album has a great groove and the features so far have been really interesting choices - beautiful contrast of slow and fast rhythms and grooves. Later half of the album starts to slow down the album with the one dud song with "of Montreal" which was a shocking misstep I feel in the overall direction of the album and was unlistenable. Closing out the album however redeems this with slower and angelic-like deeper cuts. I would definitively revist this album again and relive the groove of the first half of the album, overall a really interesting listen and album concept.

4 - I love Janelle and the fact that she made a concept album about Metropolis still blows me away.

The ArchAndroid is a musically creative endeavor with futuristic sounds and wide range of vocals. “Dance or Die” has a rhythmic spoken prose with Monae’s driving high tempo verses. “Sir Greendown” has a slow worthy of a 007 movie intro. I was waiting for the drawn out lyric of “Goldfinger” to pop out at some point. “Cold War” seems to have influences from OutKast and its driving drum machine of “Bombs Over Baghdad.” This connection becomes clear in the next track “Tightrope” and featuring Big Boi. This old school funk number gets head bobbing and feet taping, and the back and forth between the horn section and Monae is playful and highlights what Monae call “classy brass.” “Neon Gumbo” is a prime example of her futuristic experimentation of sound: backwards playing synthesizer and electrified guitar. Now for the big band swing rhythm number of “Come Alive.” It creatively weaves back and forth between an old school number and a riff heavy electric guitar jazzing it up. It also showcases her vocal range. ”Mushroom and Roses” is a slow scintillating jazzy awakening. One has to wonder, what is the power and draw of Blueberry Mary? For act two, Monae carries over the melody from “Mushrooms and Roses” and Neon Valley Street feels like a continuation of a budding romance in this bluesy jazz piece with wonderful wailing guitar riffs. Taking a break form the modernistic themes, “57821” opens with a simple acoustic guitar and continues with dream like vocals. It all comes to a conclusion with “BaBopByeYa.” Much like a last big number of a Broadway musical, this lounge music piece lets the instruments tell the story of love and longing just as much as the vocals.

very psychedelic, less vocals than i expected, or at least less singing. i like it.

"Tightrope" is the hit single off this album, but I found it's an album you really do need to listen to all of. The arc of the story was interesting, and I really enjoyed "Neon Valley Street."

Janelle Monáe is one of a kind. This will never be my style, personally, but I can’t deny how great the production and the songwriting is. Makes for an especially fun listen even if I probably won’t be back, there are some serious earworms here that have aged like a fine wine.

I had to come back to this album because I listened to it, then didn’t write a review right away, and I felt like over time the more I couldn’t write an accurate review as I forgot what it had sounded like. I’m so glad I listened again because I think I actually appreciated it more the second time. The first few songs were actually so jamming and the transitions were so good in between songs. As the album went on I still thought it was good however the album was just very non-cohesive in my opinion. The themes just kept jumping around making it a little confusing. Don’t get me wrong, I see the range and the talent in being able to dominate different sounds in music however I just don’t think they went together well. This woman does have an absolutely beautiful and strong voice and at one point she belted out a whistle note for like 20 seconds that made my jaw drop. Overall this album was giving showtunes mixed with rap and sci-fi and classical elements all jammed together which was odd and exciting and idek. I have a feeling she is an eccentric person in general lol.

Wow! I was so happy to get this album. Never listened to it before, but always felt like a potential fan of Monae--I just only knew a couple of her songs and I know she has a big catalog. I loved this record musically, especially the first few tracks, and I have a lot of respect for artists who go really hard into a concept album.

2nd half of this album is Phenomenal

Not what I was expecting! It’s a magical mix of music and I liked some more than others. 3.5 for me

Pretty cool album I liked it. Will I listen to again: 87%

Okay I read a lot of reviews saying that this wasn’t original. How they were bored. They didn’t finish. It seems the only time I read these types of reviews it’s around black artists as if they can’t create great music. The two parts of this album are distinct. The first part is definitely more upbeat. The second part is slower and more introspective. But it would take patience to actually listen. This is good music. It’s an extension of others that you may recognize in her voice but it is wholly Janelle Monae. She put work in under Big Boi. His guidance and even the future guidance of Prince has shaped her into a brilliant artist. I’m glad I heard this. It fits in with the 17 Bob Dylan and countless folk albums.

Love the blend between futuristic, modern, and 1950s-cabaret on this album. A chord progression throughout Locked Inside reminds me of Stevie Wonder's "Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing". Sir Greendown is so sweet. Love the adrenaline rush of Cold War. Incredible guitar solo too. LOVE how catchy Wondaland is. Love the Disney fade-out on Say You'll Go.

Fundamental y única. Una artista que sería el reverso femenino de Prince si realmente tuiviera un sexo definido. Este y sobre todo Dirty Computer son esenciales. Con Cold War y sobre todo Tightrope como puntas de lanza, conforman un debut alucinante.

oye pues está agradable

Pleasantly surprised

Fantastic

Ecclectic mix of music. Less of a fan of the R&B songs. Some bangers on it! 4/5

The biggest strength is that Monáe understands theater without losing discipline. She is not just performing songs; she is staging them.

Comme dui Anderson Paak, en meilleur. Rempli de surprises, de virages abruptes.

Not typically a dance pop guy, but I do love soul music and a concept album…even more so when it’s sci-fi themed. An enjoyable listen for sure 3.5⭐️

4/5

It’s a funny time to get this, since Amazon is using one of her songs in an ad that plays every five minutes. Anyway, I think this did well with critics but not the general public, which is a shame. Maybe I’m wrong, though. It was quite enjoyable!

Enjoyed

Janelle Monae is one the great pop artists of the past 20 years and this record demonstrates her mastery of myriad styles, but I don’t think she had really yet coalesced her own distinctive aesthetic voice at this point, as she did later with Dirty Computer and The Age of Pleasure.

LINDO álbum. a janelle é incrivel em tudo que se propõe.

Amazing singer. Stylistically all over the map, but always interesting.

Hella sci fi vibes. Big fan! I liked the first half of the album more tbh but good overall! Very unique sound

I would not have guessed that critically acclaimed debut pop album in 2010 would be a concept album based on Metropolis… fun and exciting all the way through This might be the first ( in this project ) concept double album that does not need to be trimmed to 1 from 2 albums

A good record that was like crack for music scholars when I was in grad school

Interessante, parece até um musical. A música que eu mais gostei, Come Alive, nem é uma das mais famosas. Fiquei de cara com a voz dela, nem conhecia ela. Eu ia dar 3 estrelas por que não me imagino ouvindo novamente esse álbum, mas ele é tão criativo e diferenciado, de um jeito que me chama muita atenção, que vai merecer um 4.

3.617625

Very cool album and beautiful blend of old and new sounds. The first few songs were 5/5 for me then it got a little too trippy for my taste. Overall very enjoyable

dette var skikkelig kult!!!!! følte fra første låt at keg kom til og like det også blei æ litt redd for at æ hadde for høye forhåpninge men wow veldig nice. minus for noen sanga som æ syns blei for corny og hørtes litt libresse-reklame ut

Extremely impressed by the sprawl and musicianship of this album even if it is probably not something I'd return to much.

This is a hugely ambitious debut, with the sprawl inherent to such an undertaking. Is it all essential? No. Does it need to close with six- and eight-minute songs? No. But like her hero Prince, Janelle Monáe doesn't do anything small. As with her other stuff, I'll save the songs I like and skip the rest, while appreciating the ambition that created all of it.

The first half of this album was excellent, second half fell off imo

Not at all what I was expecting

A truly eclectic album- it’s really a work of art how the production team was able to crossfade and fold each track into the next- going from showtunes to psychedelic rock, to pop, to soul, to the… Plain White T’s? The album is all over the place in a good way, and the majority of the tunes are quite enjoyable as it hip hops between genres. It does run a little long in the tooth, but I didn’t feel like I was wasting my time. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Favorite Tracks: - Dance or Die - Faster - Locked Inside - Neon Valley Street - Make the Bus

Generally good, a couple weaker songs but mostly enjoyed. Quite theatrical in places but liked that element

Doom arigato

This album is great. Janelle's voice, the effortless blending of styles, the guests, production, ambition. I knew Tightrope was a banger, but this album is wall to wall with them. It reminds me of Little Sims, Sometimes I might be introvert in cinematic production. It could be a few tracks shorter.

An incredible album. Janelle Monae rarely disappoints imo. The style and flavor of this record is so enjoyable. Many times you should lean into the urge to get up and dance.

Wow this one caught me by surprise! Such a fun and over the top concept album. Super clean production and vaired instrumentation that has that big band feel but it's subdued enough where it doesn't get exhausting to listen to. While I definitely prefer to first half over then second, this is still something I'd go back to as a whole quite often. 4/5

Сара 4,5 Марко 4,5

Creativity tour de force

This girl can do everything. Great mix of music styles, yet keep a cohesive theme throughout. I would have never picked this out if not for this project.

A surprise! Somehow, I never even heard of this album, but it was great. I'm usually not a fan of R&B, but this has some quality that won me over.

Pretty interesting album. I liked it

Every musical genre is on her debut album. She is incredible. Glad to see her recognized on this list.

Muy sorprendente,una mezcla de todo.

I love her. Are her albums full of filler? Yes, but it's pretty interesting filler. A song like Make the Bus executes proggy turns that would make Queen proud. This is Monae getting all her half-baked ideas out before buckling down to the great albums to follow.

A bit long but engaging

Mostly upbeat neo-soul ear worms.

An extra point for that little bit of Satie.

I've wondered why Janelle Monae isn't a bigger star. Singing, composing, acting, and dancing all seem to come naturally to her and she excels at all of them. Giving this one only four stars because I think her subsequent records are even better.

Just a bit too much dicking around to keep this from being a 5.

Never heard of this (or her). A mixed bag of songs and styles - but on the whole positive. Might listen again at some point.

Strong open, one lull, at least three surprises, will listen again

Now this is the good stuff. I'd heard snatches of Monáe's work before and was vaguely aware that their work was built around a science fiction Metropolis concept, but hadn't fully listened to an entire album. Now that I have, you can definitely hear all the influences in here, there's definitely undertones of Prince and both Janet and Michael Jackson in here. I'll be honest that I didn't really follow how the concept all tied in, but ome songs like "Dance or Die" were just absolute bangers.

Good album, cool afrofuturism sci-fi concept, nice groovy beats.

Great, didn't know this one, and it's indeed a great album!

Gr8 4.5 if I could. We'll see how I feel about it when the newness factor wears off

Pretty nice

(6/7) fun stuff

enjoyed it! i had her previous album on my ipod but never followed up. 3.5

Seeing the Tightrope music video was always totally enrapturing and I love Janelle Monae completely but this album does start to drag

very good i need to relisten tho

3.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/janelle-monae/the-archandroid/ Quite cool, but also absolutely too long. Ballzy to do that for your first album, I do have to admit. I really like a lot of the songs quite a bit, but then there are also too many songs that do nothing for me (as is often the case with 60+ min albums).

A modern R&B album from the perspective of an android? I approached this with a lot of skepticism and was delighted to be proved wrong. Monáe has an incredible voice as a singer and both dexterity and humour as a rapper. The writing was compelling and heartfelt and the record took me on a musical journey through hip hop, funk, soul and some hints of folk. It’s a bit of a kaleidoscopic record. I had mixed feelings about the autotune on Mushrooms and Roses but the guitar was great on that track so I’m not mad.

Een naar boven afgeronde 4 sterren voor mij. Knallers van jewelste, maar ook wat net-niet nummers, het schrappen van 2/3 nummers had misschien geholpen daarbij

Damn this album was just non stop bangers, might even be a 5 on a relisten

album #55 whilst it's a 4★ for me, it is definitely a 5★ debut album. janelle monáe is an artist through and through, and her work is incredibly deserving of its place on this list. this album is unique, grandiose, and fantastically crafted! i love the storied aspects throughout - the way every track works together to make this beautiful, alice-in-scifiland painting. i love janelle monáe, and this has only encouraged that! ꩜ average track rating: 3.7/5 ꩜ favourite track(s): cold war, come alive, mushrooms &roses ꩜ least favourite track(s): say you'll go ꩜ album rating: ★★★★☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,034 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 31 (+1 The ArchAndroid) ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 12 (+1 The ArchAndroid) ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 43

I haven't listened to this album, and I think I only recognize 1 or 2 tracks by title. This is interesting and I enjoyed it, but it's maybe just shy of a 5.

Andre 3000 and Frank Ocean merged to form an archon, and the resultant extra dimensional being identifies as a woman with cybernetic enhancements.

Так, это определенно будущая пятерка. Но мне надо быть уверенным!

This is what they call afrofuturism. Sério, a variedade de texturas que a Janelle apresenta aqui me lembra um pouco os álbuns clássicos da Janet Jackson. Só que... alguém aí sabe se ela algum dia vai concluir essa narrativa?

Is good

really well produced, but not always interesting

Far from my taste, totally new artist on my radar but was quite entertaining and good. Liked it.

Not sure I've ever listened to any of her music before, very cool album.

1 - Suite II Overture (sweeping and cinematic, this opener practically plays the album's opening credits on top of its slinking and mysterious sounding woodwinds and dramatic crashes of percussion. It really sets the stage for a varied and eclectic experience as found in the songs to follow it) 3.5/5 2 - Dance or Die (following a cinematic classical opening, we get an Afro-Caribbean beat moving conscious lyrics ever forward. There's a wonderful mix of genres on display here with a catchy chorus featuring as a center pin. Quite moving for an opener!) 4/5 3 - Faster (transitions from the previous track, which is a production trick I'm quite fond of. This one keeps a vague skeleton of the predecessor's beat but now turns it into a swing song! It effortlessly shuffles along before reaching a breakdown and bringing back a guitar heard earlier to give it a funkier edge. Impressed with the many genres on display here; it really feels like a dance challenge scene, again referencing the cinematic scope of this album) 4/5 4 - Locked Inside (transitioning once again, this one is a more conventional R&B song and abandons all previous elements save the funky guitar, which has returned to the background. This one could easily be confused for a cover of a Michael Jackson song. It's a bright, sugary sweet song full of joy. This album has been on a solid track so far) 4/5 5 - Sir Greendown (slow and contemplative, this song reminds me of a slow walk down a night time city street. Monae's voice floats and dances over the electric piano and subdued beat to call to mind an smoky jazz club performance. Very pleasant and succinct, continuing the momentum despite the slow tempo) 4/5 6 - Cold Water (I was immediately snapped out of the dreamlike atmosphere when the breakbeast-esque drums popped up. Monae is now shouting about freedom (whichever kind you'd like to interpret.) I like to think this song is a splash of cold water to wake the listener up. This is the strongest Monae's voice has sounded on this album so far. Fine song but the first one to be a slight step down for me) 3.5/5 7 - Tightrope (a classic Motown opening with the stomping drums and Monae's 1:1 rendition of a quintessential Motown verse. The chorus keeps this up to really make this feel like a long-lost underrated classic that wouldn't sound of its place in Motown's heyday. This is the first song to really play it straight with no wild genre shifts) 4/5 8 - Neon Gumbo (this is an interlude filled with voices played forwards and backwards, backed by some synths and possibly guitars played much the same way. Nothing else to report on here) 3/5 9 - Oh, Maker (now at the halfway point of the album, Monae gives us the first proper ballad. It has a very theatrical quality to it and it makes me think it almost featured on the soundtrack for a Broadway musical before being repurposed for this album. Another strong performance from Monae herself of course, though this is admittedly another song played completely straight, to a fault really) 3.5/5 10 - Come Alive (War of the Roses) (now THIS one is definitely a show tune! I can easily picture this being a Disney villain song. Monae sounds absolutely manic on this with a shredding performance that takes the listener to the most extreme edges of her voice. Truly a powerhouse performance from her and all those involved, in a song I could only call the supernova performance of the album(!)) 4.5/5 11 - Mushrooms & Roses (the mellotrons and booming drums on this set a prog rock mood, especially Yes. Monae's verses are heavily processed and phased through a flanger or talk box of some sort. The choruses are very Prince as are the searing guitars in those sections. It pushes even further into Prince territory with the spoken verse 2 minutes in. The guitars only get more intense and are similarly phased as they solo all over the place while the song fades out. I didn't feel this song's 5 and 1/2 minutes at all) 4.5/5 12 - Suite III Overture (this interlude returns to the cinematic classical sound that so clearly defined the first track. I would normally consider it the second act opening but we're a little past that. This one has a few more voices appearing and they're a little clearer than they were previously; once again, it sounds like the intermission of a classic epic movie from the 1960s. Pretty enough though not super memorable at the end of it) 3.5/5 13 - Neon Valley Street (smooth and very trip hop in its sound, this one is a nice change of pace. It's lush and full of very nice string passages, and Monae sells the relaxed delivery. Main highlight for me is that distant, underwater sounding guitar solo that leads to the brief outro) 4/5 14 - Make the Bus (this one is a piece of driving indie electronica featuring Of Montreal. There's some nice layering of harmonies on the hook that recall Queen. Honestly this whole things sounds like a mismatch of Queen, Bowie, and a third new wave I can't quite put my finger on. All I can say is nothing I've heard sounds exactly like this...!) 4/5 15 - Wondaland (a fun trip hop beats underpins a fun little song. There's a cutesy fantastical aesthetic on this song, offering another change from the otherwise serious and fully convinced album. It's a great piece of funky modern R&B played totally straightforward, even with the brief "Hallelujah" interjection at the very end) 3.5/5 16 - 57821 (and now the most mechanical title on the album is an entirely acoustic folk tune(!) No end to the surprises and fusions on this album I suppose. It has a choral feel throughout its runtime, and the reverb makes it sound like it's actually coming from the upper floor of a church. Very interesting choice to make for this album) 4/5 17 - Say You'll Go (the final sequence of the album kicks off with an elaborate artsy pop track referencing spirituality and liberation through love and actualization. It builds little by little but never really leaves the mellow, low-key pace it establishes right at the start. It keeps at this until the electronics and rhythm dissolve and leave Monae alone with a piano and faraway backup singers. A pretty piece to be sure, but it's a little overlong and uninteresting considering how late it comes in the album) 3/5 18 - BaBopByeYa (the nearly 9-minute closer opens with a smooth, slinky jazz verse from Monae. It's so heavily based on swirlings strings and rhythms bubbling under it that it could be reworked into a Scott Walker song. The song then transforms into a danceable (?) piano tune that sounds like Monae is singing alone from a dancefloor, tangoing to the melancholy the instrumentation conveys. This half ends with an almost tribal beat and low-register chants, so we've already gone through several moods in less than 5 minutes. The cinematic instruments return for a spoken word performance that sort of becomes jazz poetry set to classical music. A lone violin leads us into the final section, which simply ties everything together in a climactic, theatrical "I must go," signalling the titular android has now fulfilled its duty of spreading its message among people (this whole album has been a reference/continued imaging of the Metropolis series, and it might only hit you at the very tail end of it.) All in all this is undoubtedly the best way to end the album; one last giant genre fusion) 4.5/5 OVERALL - 7.6/10

Oh man is she a genius, breezing through styles and juggling them all with grace. Could easily be a 5 if it made the right length cuts or if the bottom half had a bit more flash to it. There's hardly a bad song though (I think Come Alive sucked), and besides her genre surprises, features like Big Boi and Of Montreal on the same goddamn album are insane. Probably gonna binge all her stuff now.

incredible rnb album. very groovy and deserving of a strong 9/10. First listen tracklist ranking: 1. Cold War 2. BaBopByeYa 3. Mushrooms & Roses 4. Tightrope 5. Dance or Die 6. Locked Inside 7. Come Alive 8. 57821 9. Faster 10. Oh, Maker 11. Say You’ll Go 12. Neon Valley Street 13. Wondaland 14. Make the Bus 15. Sir Greendown 16. Neon Gumbo 17. Suite III Overture 18. Suite II Overture

Weirdly fantastic album tho totally caught me off guard. I was so ready to disappoint but no no no. I don't yet know how much I like this weirdness but quite much.

Day 265 Could have done with being a few songs shorter but really fun album Highlights Cold War Mushrooms and Roses Wondaland

Another surprise. Had it pegged as a 2 or 3 in the first half, and then it got way more weird and interesting and fun. There was a random Of Montreal song somewhere in there? Cool record.

This was actually pretty great. Going in, I was thinking this would be a light to decent 3, but it ended up being a high 3, light 4. Going 4 here, but probably my least favorite 4 so far.

Still really good. Wish I thought it was great.

so energetic and fun. I think this album quotes both Claire De Lune and Boulevard of Broken Dreams

There’s a 5 star 45 minute version of this

8/10

Wowsers! She has some vocals. I love the variety of music & sounds, everything from rap to smooth melody to pop.

Really good!

Surprising album. Good singer, a lot of creativity and different songs. Quite good.

Enjoyed that more than i thought i would

Highlights: Suite II Overture, Dance or Die, Faster, Locked Inside, Tightrope, Come Alive (War of the Roses), Mushrooms & Roses, Suite III Overture, Neon Valley Street, Wondaland, 57821, Say You'll Go, BaBopByeYa

I liked this album a lot, it fit into my own personal tastes way more than I expected!

1) Suite II Overture - My favorite album opener so far. and then the transition into 2) Dance or Die is PHENOMENAL!! I literally gasped out loud hearing it come up after Suite II. I love it when music can give you those "wow" moments. 3) Faster - I really love the energy in this song! Monáe's vocals are SO crisp and wonderful. Thank you music 4) Locked Inside - UURRRGHHH THIS CHORUS! MWAH MWAH MWAH! This makes me want to dance down the grocery store aisle and I mean that in the best way possible. If this was the music that played at my job as a cashier maybe I wouldn't have wanted to quit. I have to say again that the vocals are so GOOOOOD!!! Buttery smooth. 5) Sir Greendown - Slowing down here, but that's not a bad thing! I'm really impressed with the range of this album. In my opinion, the best albums have both a range of sound AND a cohesive feel, and ArchAndroid is nailing it so far. 6) Cold War - "KELLINDOOOOO!!!!!!!" AND THEN THE GUITAR GOES CRAAAAZYYY YES YES YESSS! even with not liking this song as much as the others it's still really good! 7) t-t-t-tip on the Tightrope - i think that this song would make a good DDR map. It has solid rhythm. the album is DANCING! 8) Neon Gumbo - i am a SUCKER for reversed songs! 9) Oh Maker - huh! oh i LIKE THIS! the slower pace doesn't make this any less of a vibe! i reallllyyy like the way the song introduces itself, and it stays warm and wonderful the whole way through. Monáe can SING! my only fault with this one is the outro, but I think it might have been necessary to make this work next to 10) Come Alive (War of the Roses) - the other thing I have to fault Monáe for is the ableist language, which jarring at best, but it was also 2010. unfortunate because otherwise i REALLY LIKE the sound of this song, especially the guitar and the louder vocals. 11) Mushrooms and Roses - the intro is pretty solid, I like the percussion and then the voice effects are REALLY FUN. a classic Song About A Location. we love to see it. 12) Suite Overture III - similarly to the other overture, it might not be a song I'd listen to in any other context, but in the context of the album it works perfectly. I like the fuzzy sort of vocals. A much stronger song than the first overture. 13) Neon Valley Overture - the breakdown in this song is so GOOD. urghhh. and once again the guitar comes in clutch as the best instrument of all time. sorry i don't make the rules. 14) Make The Bus - oh this is FUN. lots of cool stuff happening with the vocals. kevin barnes was right to give this song to this album, it adds a lot to it! 15) Wondaland - this is so dreamy and peppy. wonderland indeed! 16) 57821 - I really like the echo-y sort of melancholic feel of this song. With all of the energy in this album, I think the slower bits really complement it well. 17) Say You'll Go - My least favorite song of the album, but still a good song. 18) BaBopByeYa - slow and confident and SMOOOOTH. a stellar way to end the album! i'm ALSO a sucker for songs that have several distinct Parts. this is a long song that EARNS AND RELISHES in its length! urghh. THANK YOU MUSIC. ArchAndroid succeeds at tying everything together despite each song sounding so distinct!! After a few albums I wasn't much of a fan of, this was a WONDERFUL surprise. this is absolutely something I would listen to again!! concept albums my BELOVED.

The ArchAndroid is a record that is perhaps too ambitious for its own good. When it lands, the highs are incredible, but it’s also a flawed project held back by its length. It feels as if Janelle Monáe wanted to get all of her ideas out, and more often than not, it works. Even from the grand opening, the listener feels as if this is going to be something big. I love albums with scale, and this is one such project. It’s soulful, rooted in R&B, and often psychedelic. The transitions are beautiful, and the album really has everything. Even Big Boi makes an appearance. It’s also impressive how mature it sounds, even as a debut album. I went in with no expectations and found myself tapping along, pleasantly surprised. The best tracks are "Dance or Die", "Mushrooms & Roses", "Wondaland". I also liked the weirdness of "Neon Gumbo".

Wow. Might need to listen again to fully appreciate it.

Hooly shit! What an album. There are a couple of absolute stinkers on here, but the rest is fantastic! Best Song: Tightrope Rating: 8.5/10 Stars: 4

Eclectic mix of songs

*72 Oh shit, yes queen og alt det der. Janelle Monáe har altid været en weirdo. Havde ikke forventet dette album på listen. Der er nogle forbier i denne lidt rodede omgang, men toppen er rigtig høj. Vi er på en lille 4’er.

so cool! I especially loved the production of the overtures. bonus for the ofMontreal feature

Janelle Monáe seems like one of those artists who is so brilliant that she overcomplicates her music just to keep her brain interested. There have been a few artists like that on this list, and I've probably made that note a few times. She's not content to just churn out amazing pop songs. She also has to have string orchestra interludes, experimental tracks, and craft a narrative concept album about a runaway android. I remember feeling relieved a few years ago when she loosened up a bit. Her albums have been less pretentious lately. But even with those extras, there are still plenty of fun tracks here, especially in the first half. "Cold War" and "Tightrope" are classics in my book. I remember those songs really rocking my world when this came out. "Dance or Die" and "Faster" are really good too. And I've always loved "Wondaland" -- that was a song I used to like sneaking onto party playlists. It's such a bop. You could probably end the album with "Wondaland." That last stretch of songs is where the album gets particularly bloated.

Janelle Monáe's debut album is one that, at first brush, defies description. I'll certainly give it a shot, though. it's a 70-minute sci-fi concept album forming the second and third suites of (what's expected to eventually be) a seven-suite body of work titled Metropolis, and it traverses way too many genres of music to name in an orderly fashion. somehow, all of this musical and conceptual underpinning kind of melts away when you actually sit and listen to The ArchAndroid from top to bottom; after that, you're just left with a batch of incredible songs. from R&B, soul, funk and hip hop to orchestral whimsy, neo-psychedelia (one of these songs is just an of Montreal track in disguise) and electronica, Monáe always feels at home. the first seven tracks of Suite II run into each other seamlessly, and could from a killer EP by themselves; the rapped features from Saul Williams and Big Boi are fantastic, and I particularly enjoy the "B.O.B."-esque breakbeat on "Cold War". Monáe and co. nearly match up to it on the more experimental Suite III, an equally impressive run through a much wider emotional gamut. there's easily enough compelling material for me to write several more paragraphs, but I'd have to sit with this album for way longer to do that. I just might! strong 8/10.

This was an eye-opener. I knew the song Tightrope, and thought it amazing, but never thought to listen to the album it's on. And here's suites II and II of an extended concept project - full of funk and sparkle and interesting bits, I like it quite a bit. It's genre-fluid - no unpleasant bits. I feel let down by the lyrics (very 'love' oriented, but without depth - gesturing at plot of a movie that doesn't exist - not unpleasant but not really engaging with actual people's lives), but the music is decent. The range of moods is a bit whiplash inducing, so I don't think the album as a whole is Wonderful, but I'll say it's Good, 7/10.

I can see the hype. Great voice and production, fresh, varied, and not stale like most albums on this list. 4*

Buen disco, variado y con una buena producción. Buena voz. Se merece estar en la lista.

Refreshing to hear. And weird.

She is so good. 4

Pretty nice album. Lots of styles, lots of energy.

very lovely listen!

really good! not my style though, but enjoyed some grooves. Fav: oh, maker & mushrooms

Buenas música, me gusto

I knew nothing of Janelle Monae or her music. The cover art was interesting and thought I noticed the Metropolis theme and was surprised I was correct. While the movie is a technical and stylistic wonder, the story is utter rubbish. Fritz Lang, the esteemed director, said it was rubbish and it was written by his wife (who became a Nazi while Fritz escaped to the West). That is all to say, low expectations if you are basing your music on the worst part of a landmark film yet I am happy to say I was surprised by how much I enjoyed the album. It was varied, moved with an almost urgency and quite different from most things I have heard (except Outkast because there was a lot of Outkast on this album)....Overall, a good experience.

Holy RANGE. only a few tracks really stuck out as something I'd come back to for casual listening, but it's all thoroughly entertaining nonetheless. So much creativity and whimsy. Highlights: 57821, Faster, Locked Inside, Neon Valley Street, Mushrooms & Roses

Très rafraîchissant! Belle découverte! Like it!

Bis auf 'make the bus' echt gutes Album. Am ende gehts ein bisschen zu lange aber ansonsten machts viel spaß 4/5

I've never heard the soundtrack for Wicked, but if you told me this was it I'd probably believe you. This album almost takes itself too seriously, but is still catchy and fun overall.

Rating: 8/10 Janelle Monae's ArchAndroid is one of the most interesting and unique contemporary r&b albums with a cool futuristic sci-fi themes and a production style and sound to match. While it runs long and the first half of the track list is much stronger, the album as a whole is still both fun and ambitious and really pulls it off. And it's a debut.

This was a varied and really enjoyable album. Some bangers, some beauty. All round I really enjoyed it.

4.5/5. Menevä. Pitää olla menevä olo ja menevää tekemistä. Lähellä ylivireytymistä. Ihana ja kaunis, taiteellinen.

Strong thematically, but the variety of musical genres could be jarring. It was an interesting listen.

A slightly unusual one in than I didn't love it, but did really appreciate the range of genres covered and how fun she makes the whole experience. 'Cold War' stood out

Diferente

Loved this. Surprising hit. Will be listening again. Bit of pop/rap/r&b mixed with pink floyd

Honestly, it’s a really good album. Some tracks are better than others, but I was pleasantly surprised. I like how it blends different genres and styles

How did I not know this artist? If this sprawling mix tape is her debut I can't wait to hear where she went from there.

The ArchAndroid destaca la excelente técnica vocal de Monáe, cuya precisión alcanza una cualidad sobrehumana. Es evidente su papel como precursora estilística para otras artistas afrodescendientes contemporáneas. Aunque la producción es predominantemente festiva, subyace en el álbum un trasfondo oscuro e inquietante que añade profundidad a la narrativa. Los pasajes románticos se alejan del sentimentalismo convencional para proyectar la noción de un amor futurista, sugiriendo una conexión más vinculada a la programación que a la espontaneidad humana. En conjunto, es un álbum de una sofisticación técnica y conceptual excepcional.