Reviews (page 5 of 13)
I really appreciated the eclectic sound throughout this album - I think it was really well done, balanced, and executed. I can't put my finger on it, but it just didn't connect fully to me. I'd give this album a 4.5 if possible, but a 5 doesn't seem appropriate.
My ears are now blessed.
I enjoyed this a LOT. I fell behind for a few days because I thought I was going to hate this, but I’ve listened to it twice now. Will definitely be checking out her other albums.
Groovy
I think Ill definitely like this more after a 2nd listen-through.
4.2 I only really know of Janelle from her gettin her tits out a couple years back whenever she got the chance, for whatever reason (promoting an album I guess?) Well, she doesnt need to pull those stunts (although it is appreciated, she's a bad one). Thought the album was pretty great front to back and side to side. There are some common bells and whistles throughout the production parts ; I guess that would be my only knock. (but song to song, everything was quite varied and interesting) R&B Bowie.
So glad this site put me on Janelle!!!
Su
Janelle Monáe explored a lot of new ground with this album.
Really interesting album, huge mix of genres and styles, will give this another listen
I really enjoyed this album actually quite a bit. Especially *Suite II* which I think was a nice feel of '70s and '80s funk I can hear a little bit of both Epic period Jacksons and Prince in the mix of some funk and a little bit of hip Hop. It was a great eclectic mix of R&B all over the place. *Suite 3* however stayed pretty much more modern. There are some neo Soul tracks on this part that I really like, especially "Say You'll Go". And then there's tracks like "Make the Bus" (f/Of Montreal) that quite frankly really just didn't do anything for me. I'd say the first two thirds of the album, basically *Suite I*, I was wanting to give it a light to moderate 4½ stars, but that last third really didn't rise up more than a really light 4. I do respect and enjoy the cinematic aspect of the album especially the score sounding overtures and how they bookend both Suites. It kind of makes me want to check out the other three parts of this Saga (her debut EP and sophomore album). I think as for this album as one unit, I'm just going to have to go with a mid 4 (8.5) ★★★★
Nice modern soul. 4 stars
Wow. Wasn’t sure what to expect with this album. Janelle Monae has a beautiful voice. This kind of reminds me of Yes when they were in concert. I’m writing this before I check on who Janelle is and what this album is all about. Kind of a cool sound to keep in the background when you are working or playing a game.
Janelle is a firecracker. I saw her on the Archandroid tour (at the Sydney Opera House, she had everyone on their feet after the first song) and thought her live show was a million times better than the record. Shameful that this album isn’t in my regular rotation. A bit hit and miss at the tail end of the album. 4/5
See, now this is what I'm talking about. Albums that I know maybe one song from but never got around to checking out, and then it turns out to be great. This record is super fun, Janelle Monae is super talented, and I had a great time listening. It's to the point where I'm a little worried I'll never put in the time to properly appreciate everything going on here. A concept album with a... retro future theme but blends a good dozen genres together? And it works? Wild work, really phenomenal.
Not my bag but I think they are a cool artist.
4.2/5
Very interesting album. Pretty dancey, but not cheesy. Originality factor is pretty high here. Genre bender big time. Heard some disco/motown, lots of indescribables for me as this is not typically one of my main genres.
Well this was completely new to me and I thought it was incredible…. It’s probably a 3.5 on first listen but it’s definitely something I will listen to again.
Super cool concept, loved the production and energy on this one
I enjoyed this quite a bit. RnB, but with enough of a rock sensibility to keep me engaged. And I always appreciate it when there's an attempt towards higher art, which I can hear here.
This was surprisingly good, and covered a lot more musical ground than I expected it would.
4/5 - This was a revelation for me. Definitely need to listen to more of it. I knew Tightrope, which is a really fun song, but the whole concept and package sounded great.
Really enjoying this, energetic pop with several surprises ranging from hip hop to punky tunes. Janelle has a great pleasant voice. I just feel it’s a bit too long. Between 2nd and 3rd overture I loved pretty much every single track. After the 3rd not so much anymore.
love the egyptian like sound
P: me sorprendió el estilo solo una canción me gusto
It's real strong as a concept album even if the lead single (Tightrope) is a little obvious. Love the gradual shift in sound from start to finish, too. Comparing BaBopByeYa to the first few tracks is night and day but it was real smooth getting there.
lowkenuinely really good
This album was beautiful. I have not heard of her and was very impressed.
this flows so well, feels like one really really long song. brilliant, glad i've heard this now, because this been on my listening list for years now
4.5
Falls off a bit in the back half for me but had a couple bangers. That shuffle feel on the 2nd HITS
This was fab and new to me. Keen to explore her further.
A very, very good album. I enjoyed this a lot. I'd heard the name but couldn't remember listening to her before. Brilliantly varied and thoroughly entertaining
As my daughter would say Janelle Monae is a di-va, It's all in the pronunciation and meant as a massive compliment. The cover hints at diva tendencies from the start but then in the course of about an hour and ten minutes, which never drags, this masterfully combined soul, pop, r&b, classical and more. Great listening 4 out of 5 stars.
faster is really fun :) this whole thing is pretty great. i’m definitely going to be revisiting this. i haven’t finished it yet but i liked it a lot so far. it’s very late and im very high.
I’ve only ever heard her name, and was glad to get to hear this album.
Fucking awesome
Uppgötvaði þarna nýjan listamann sem mér líkaði
Góður fyrri partur, en seinni hlutinn náði mér algerlega.
2/3. Really enjoyed this one. She has a great voice, and I don’t know if it’s just because of the album cover, but I definitely feel the vibe of almost steam/cyberpunk meets roaring ‘20s on this. Great production overall.
pretty cool, interesting mix of themes and beautiful vocals
I think this might be the first album past the original 2005 edition of the book that I actually enjoy properly. Maybe those later editions aren't a complete waste of everyone's time.
I am more of a Dirty Computer guy myself so I might swap the album by taste but this is definitely the more important listen. 9/10 [KEEP]
Veľmi zaujímavé. Za introm nasledovala pecka, preto som od ďalších piesní čakal trochu viac, ale nenudilo to.
Very long and ambitious album. Well executed but a tough listen at times.
Janelle Monae should be appreciated way more than she is. And I think all of her albums after this one are better even
I probably like Dirty Computer a little more, but The ArchAndroid is fresh-sounding and full of creativity.
Very ambitious album that combines many things I love. Funk, sci-fi synthesizers, psychedelic guitars, theatrical orchestrations and magical melodies. Most of it works perfectly, but it has a few lulls. I just slightly prefer Dirty Computer over it, which would easily earn 5 stars from me but isn't part of the 1001 Albums list - a huge shame. And we're ranking ArchAndroid here, so alas, I'm giving 4 stars with a heavy heart and hope that I'll be able to one day give Dirty Computer 5 here. Faves: Faster, Cold War, Tightrope, Oh Maker, Come Alive (War of the Roses), Mushrooms & Roses, Wondaland
I admit I rolled my eyes when looking at the runtime of the album and assumed the worst, but that feeling went away early on in the album. Suite II was pretty killer, on the other side, Suite III was not the best to be frank and seemed to drag fairly hard. The album is a good evidence of music as an art-form. Janelle's vocals are superb which are backed by the luscious instrumentation that JUST infects this release. I appreciate the cohesiveness this album radiates, cohesiveness seems to more of a thing left mostly in the 70s, so always glad when a modern release brings it back. Highlight Song/s: "Faster", "Cold Love" "Oh, Maker" and "Wondaland"
Downright magical.
16/20 Plutôt une belle découverte
Quite an eclectic mix of different styles. Quite enjoyed this, good production with a few really catchy songs.
Really fun album! In concept, sound, and production, Janelle delivers a really unique pop album that still remains catchy and fun throughout. Solid recommendation!
This is excellent! What the hell is a pop R&B album doing with orchestral suites and disgusting guitar riffs? And it somehow stays cohesive through it all, even transitioning seamlessly between a few tracks. Love it from a production standpoint, a consistently enchanting pairing with Janelle Monáe’s gorgeous singing. Standouts: Faster • Locked Inside • Cold War • Tightrope • Mushrooms & Roses • Neon Valley Street • BaBopByeYa
Extremely strong 4 but yet another point in my column that your album does not need to be over an hour long. The fast songs are absolutely relentless and I would argue everything up to Come Alive is perfect, but the slow songs don't add much and start to stack up in the second half.
Wow! Such a wild, complex album. So many good things and so many things that are going to require several listens to work through. Nice new discovery
A nice surprise by an artist I had barely heard of, and would certainly not have given a try on my own. It's not really my kind of music since some songs are a bit too much on the pop and R&B side for me. But it's still a fascinating record - a sprawling cathedral of genres held together by a talented singer with a modern take on soul and funk. The numerous jazz, hip hop and even punk and cabaret influences make it a stylistic UFO. It's certainly an album with a personality - no other modern R&B artist would dare put a song like "Come Alive" in the middle of an album. It's not something I'd listen again spontaneously - it's a very long album that touches on so many genres and moods that it can be exhausting, and some of the songs left me indifferent. Still, it's one of the best post-2010 records on this list, with killer tracks like Dance Or Die and BaBopBye Ya. Extra points for the Afro-Futurist theme. A subjective 3* for me - but I'll add 1 extra star for creativity and originality. 6+1/10
I wouldnt have bet 2 pennies on a positve review for this pop object made by an unknown (to me) artist. Oh I did think "nice tits" when I saw the bare chest picture depicting th eartist in spotify. It's always invigoriting to get an apriori proven wrong in a positive way. Although not all my cup of tea, it's a musician album with credit half a page. There are solid lyrics and the album is even conceptualized. Musically I particularly love Come Alive...and BaBopByeYa with strong Dizzy Gillepsy's Night in Tunisia resonances.
The only negative I have about this record is the length. I know that it's a concept album, and as such is meant to be listened to in a single sitting, but once I get about halfway though here I just tap out. Nice vocals, great production, and a couple of catchy songs, but a front to back listen for me is exhausting.
Not used to this kind of music, but is was an easy listen ; it is well done
Much slower and chill than I expected. Tightrope is a jammmm
This album is like a ride on willy wonkas magical boat but instead of Oompa Loompas there are little robots playing percussion instruments. Instead of the terrifying images shown on Willy’s boat, this one has images from 1960s American history.
Good.
The Overture is a dumb into but the two songs after it are good. This feels both futuristic and like a throwback to 60s R&B at the same time. You can hear the Outkast influence throughout the album...beyond just the Big Boi guest spot on Tightrope. Tightrope is a great song. I'm really liking this album. You really realize what a pretentious ass Robert Christgau is when you listen to this album and read his review of it. At the start Oh, Maker had me thinking it was the beginning of a downward slide, I was wrong about that. But starting with Come Alive (War of the Roses) and Mushrooms & Roses has me thinking I was just one song too early. The overtures feel like a nod to this being an "art&B" album more than an integrated part of the album. The balk half of the album is not as good as the first half. It's hard to get 9 songs right, let alone 18. Also, concept albums are almost always, hat tip to Ziggy Stardust, an annoyingly contrived restriction on quality rather than an invitation to tell a compelling story. Say You'll Go is an improvement. An almost 9 minute closing effort...I do not understand why artist after artist insists on having an irrationally long final track on what in some cases is already a long album.
que increible janelle monáe <3
I oscillated between a high 3 and 4, due to the album feeling a bit longer in places. But throughout that I imagined what an amazing stage show that this could be. Especially with the cover art.
Amazing production and shows a mastery of everything from hip hop to soul to funk to pop and R&B without ever allowing the standard to drop. The talent levels are unreal. The only thing stopping this going higher is that the album doesn’t have a clear vision on what it wants
A solid 4 for me. Really took off from Sir Greendown. My favourite moment was when Say you'll go morphed into Debussy's Clair de lune. Very ambitious and mostly successful. Obviously a very talented artist.
A monumental step up from her debut EP. A tremendous amount of work has been put into this far stretching range of songs. Her “suite I” compositions were very densely detailed, but here that is pleasingly dialled up to eleven. Her songs have become maximalist creations, some with a frenetic pacing, others with dreamy, reflective qualities. Throughout the record there’s an “anything goes” sense of play and experimentation. You could never guess what’s coming next, but it all works well together.
Janelle Monae gets a solid 4 from me today, the first half had me wondering about a low 5 but this long and ambitious record didn’t quite keep me held the whole way through Great mastery of various genres here though and i appreciate the conceptual theme and substance
I enjoyed this album a lot. Highpoints: - I adored Come Alive. - The melody in the chorus in Locked In sounds like Mario Kart, which somehow made me like it more. Also, I'm always a sucker for clap-clap songs. - I enjoyed Big Boi turning up on Tightrope. - It's so diverse in sound, surely there's a track for everyone here. Bond-like in places. Full pop in others. Plus a bit of pure soul. And 50s TV shows. Parts that are channelling Prince. And Bowie. - I really like her voice. - "Classy brass". Lows - Honestly not too much. - A whole track of reversed lyrics wasn't too fun (Neon Gumbo). - Say You'll Go morphing into Clair De Lune was not my favourite. - And it's pretty long. This was another album I'd been meaning to listen to for ages. And it was really good, so I'm glad the Generator was benevolent. 4/5
Idk why but this was quite good
Production is top notch. Really eclectic.
Rating: 8/10 Eclectic with amazing production.
First 2000s album of the 1001 albums generator. It’s really upbeat and exciting. Not really something I can sing to, but seems like it could be a movie soundtrack. (18 songs, 108 mins) 2/28/26
I like this album. Not sure I would call it influential but it's fun.
I’m not always a huge fan of her stuff, I was really ambivalent on Dirty Computer, but one thing you can’t say about her is that she doesn’t have big ideas. This is a really grand album, it feels like it wants to do so much and I find it really impressive. It also just has fun instrumentals and catchy melodies in a way that I think Dirty Computer didn’t. Plus J. Cole sampled her on Friday Night Lights, so bonus points for that. Favorites: Dance or Die, Tightrope, Neon Valley Street
I liked it, it reminded me of the love below quite a lot, it was too long tho
It takes incredible ambition and foresight to produce a conceptual suite like this for her first releases, and I gained an appreciation for Monáe beyond her general status as a pop star. Musically I found it to be hit-or-miss, some of it with too much of a musical theater aesthetic for me, but I absolutely loved the psych-groove of “Mushrooms and Roses.” I generally enjoyed things after that, as the tracks got more and more trippy. Ultimately an enjoyable story that left me wanting a bit more that fit with my curmudgeonly tastes.
ahead of its time!
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Väldigt musikaliskt album med influencer från allla möjliga håll. Produktionen känns mycket välarbetat och man blir imponerad av Janelles musikalitet. Svagheten med albumet är att det är lite som att man blir mer imponersd än att man går ihång på musiken.
This one really blew me away. I couldn't listen to it in one go, due to life getting in the way, which will end up impacting the score, but I looked forward to revisiting it every time. Really good album, best one of a new genre I've heard for a long while.
I'd listened to this before but it was nice to pay more attention this time. I think I may be getting converted to the idea of concept albums, which is surprising. Quite an achievement to make something this wildly odd and geeky and creative, and make a commercial success out of it.
Great album, eclectic pop. Really enjoyed the mix and Janelle has a great voice and delivery. There’s a lot here to like cutting across many pop genres from rap, r&b, dance, singer-songwriter styles, and more. Notable tracks include Dance or Die, Faster, Locked Inside, Cold War, Tightrope, Oh Maker, Come alive, Neon Valley Street, Wondaland, Say You’ll Go.
This was a bit too long but very good
Big band drama one minute, android liberation manifesto the next. Love myself some afrofuturism
I enjoyed this. It became more bizarre and unhinged as it went on and that is how I think life should be
fireee made me want to dance
What an album! I’ve never heard of this artist before so I didn’t know what to expect! Bravo! Will for sure listen again. I love suites II and III!
It was a very different style than I usually listen to, but I liked it! One day wasn't enough time to make a decision about the rating because I feel like it would definitely grow on me the more I listen. Reminded me of the Great Gatsby soundtrack with the big band sound.
Very Good. Soul but different from a lot I've heard lot of funk worked into it all the tracks had their own appeal and stood out.
Would’ve been a 5 but the back half wasn’t as strong as the front. A super fun and creative album overall “Cold War” rips.
Front half is a five, back half is a 4. Overall, this album BANGS. First one on this list I know for sure I'll return to often.
“So you think I’m alone? But being alone’s the only way to be When you step outside You spend life fighting for your sanity” An impressively eclectic mish mash of genres showcasing the full breadth of Janelle Monáe’s vocal chops and creativity (as well as the musicianship of Nate Wonder who is credited with playing every instrument on the album). “The ArchAndroid” is funky and danceable whilst having its slower, more chilled and pensive moments. The guitar tone Wonder achieves across the whole album is fantastic and the mix is near enough perfect. The underlying narrative works really well and the music fits the theme perfectly. Monáe is clearly an incredibly complex person who pieces everything together exceptionally well here to convey that complexity in a meaningful unpretentious way. I will almost certainly make an effort to listen to the remainder of her catalogue and am really pleased to have given this a chance.
Cool concept, but some songs are a bit gimmicky with the melodies, maybe not for me There are a lot of standouts, just some im on the fence with.
Never heard Janelle Monáe before. I was pleasantly surprised by how diverse this album was.
Will I seek out more Janelle Monae? Probably not but this certainly made an impact on my day
I know her. She is a great all around talented woman. I have always seen her in a festival setting and her music always sounds soulful and fun. Which this has been so far.
I miss music like this.. So contagious ✨
It's clearly good, but for some reason I don't feel the soul behind it, only the brilliant commercial production. This is probably the reason of me forgetting this album has ever existed despite really liking it when it was released.
A cool quarky album.
BIGGEST SIDE NOTE: first female artists i get to listen to in my 25 days of doing this :// slightly insane, but happy its Janelle Monáe :)) God, she is cool, even though i dont like the album cover, the rest is so coooolll. Heard the album is based on Metropolis. Should have done the album cover justice cause this is not it. Great album, great voice, great aesthetics, great collabs I LOVE OF MONTREAL Love: Come Alive (War of Roses)
fun album, good for you Janelle
Bit long, but very pleasant.
ok this was a lot better than I was expecting
bijo vabshe ar velodi rom aseti nichieri iqneboda dzaan momewona
Franchement un excellent album qui mélange teeellement de sonorités avec une identité extrêmement bien travaillé, c'est vraiment très impressionnant pour moi alors que le style et l'artiste sont complètement indiférents à mes yeux en temps normal. C'est une très bonne surprise et même si je ne reviendrai pas dessus, j'ai adoré.
Overall Rating - 3.81/5 (7.61/10). Not necessarily something I would think I'd enjoy, but this turned out to be very enjoyable, very well done, and richly produced.
I was not expecting this to turn into a theatrical release
I think she is a genius. Her music is also F-U-N
Standouts: - Come Alive - Holy powerful non binary vocals - 57821 - Lots of fuzzy layers to get lost in - BaBopByeYa - I really enjoyed the length here. This album is really good. Definitely needs a few more listens for me to absorb. It almost feels like it's split into acts. It's hard for me to pick standouts because a lot of the songs flow into each other naturally and they all sound great. There's a ridiculous amount of talent on display and it's nice to have something so different in this list. The last song made me feel like there should have been a few longer songs rather than a lot of short songs This album is kinda a 3 but I'm bumping it up to a 4 because of the obvious talent. I'd love to see what they can do on a more focused album but at the same time keep doing whatever you want!
Really impressively diverse. Borders on the Beyoncé a bit too much at times but has plenty to outweigh that flaw
I've had a soft spot for Janelle Monae since I first heard her stuff a few years back. I don't think I ever listened to one of her albums though. This one starts of super strong. Dance or Die, Faster and Locked Inside are all super funky, groovy tracks. Tightrope is a super funky track, and the video is cool. At this point, I'm already starting to think this is an album I'll come back to. By the time Suite III starts, it gets a little on the weirder side for a bit, but not so much that it doesn't work. Wondaland for example, is a fun track. 57821 is a late 60s Simon and Garfunkel track and I won't hear any opinions to the contrary. The final track is another odd one, but in an ambitious album like this that seems to have everything, why not an old jazz throwback. This album isn't perfect, but it's definitely something really good. 4/5
I really enjoyed this. Lots of different music and styles. This is what an album should be on this list.
Enjoyable retro-pop feel to some songs, and the futuristic sound I know better from her later albums on others. Didn’t get to listen to the full thing.
The first truly pleasant surprise from this exercise. Had never heard of the artist or the album and it was all very good and entertaining. Concept albums are not my jam but I enjoyed this a lot and will definitely revisit it.
This was actually really good, I was very impressed.
Fav songs: Cold War, Wondaland, Make the Bus Sci-fi worldbuilt album is conceptually really cool
Eine Intresaante Musik und Gesang , würde ich kaufen
Very funky, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
Crazy genre fuckery going on here. Love it. Also very clear that Stevie wonder is a favorite of Janelle monae cuz there are two songs that just about directly interpolate songs by him. What’s not to like!
Not typical for any albums, really enjoyed that one song with reversed lyrics and name
All over the place but in the best possible way. Fresh and everchanging, engaging and... fun? Some great beats, on pointe rapping, then next minute big band swing. Love it.
Always good, sometimes great, but a bit too long
Wild Art Pop that is quite surprising to the ears. Great stuff all around.
I’ve been familiar with Janelle Monae for a while but never really given her my full attention. Overall I’m pretty impressed with this album. Her songs were accessible while also showcasing real vocal talent. Will be coming back to the well for certain.
good vocals
This album shocked me. It was pretty good, especially tightrope, the intro, Mushroom & Roses, among other good songs. Sometimes a little too techno. Overall good. I only knew this singer from Glass Onion before listening to this album lol
Surprisingly good for an artist that a) is so recent and b) I've never heard of outside of a movie. There are some really interesting genre blends here and the production is pretty stellar on most of the tracks. Honestly if the album ended at track 11 I might've given it a 5, but I think the last bit doesn't have the same punch and causes an unnecessary drag. Favorites were Dance or Die, Cold War, Oh, Maker, and 57821.
Swingy, varied, impressive voice
Sounds like the love child of Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse. And I’m ok with that. Love the beats and bongo presence. Definitely some highs on the album.
It’s pure 80s skating freedom. Light. Airy. Fast. Speed carries you forward, you carve a sharp turn, and everyone’s energy collides into one electric moment.
She matches the ambition of Prince. Doesn't quite have the songs to match but I respect the pursuit. The fact that Faster and Mushrooms and Roses can coexist on the same album and both work independently is nothing short of extraordinary. Impressive.
4/5 quite a fun album! enjoyed listened. probs liked around half of them.
couple of corny lyrics but overall a really solid fun album make the bus just completely throws me though, did not enjoy that song highlights: dance or die, sir greendown, wondaland 4
Very fun Übergänge Sehr flott
honestly very good, honestly i didn’t finish it but seems good, most are in best music so far, pretty voice
Solid album but not my favorite genre
I had never listened to Janelle Monae before but I will continue to now. Some of these songs are so much fun with so much energy, it was a great driving listen stuck in LA traffic to keep me energized. There were a couple of duds, like I was not a fan of Oh Maker. The intro song felt very theatrical, not something I'd listen to again. There was a lot of variety which I appreciated- I liked the horns in tightrope, the swing of come alive, the vocals on make the bus. I think if every song was one I would add to a playlist it'd be rated higher but because of many new bangers I found, it's earned it's rating.
Crazy eclectic style and plenty of bangers
thought it was gonna be just instrumentals at first lol actually so fun love Tightrope kinda whimsical
Okei, intro sai mut luulemaan että tää on jotain instrumentaalimusiikkia mutta ei onneksi. Rakastan albumeita, joissa biisit vaihtuu saumattomasti toisesta toiseen ja siinä jos missä tämä albumi on onnistunut erittäin hyvin. Välillä kappaleen vaihtumista ei edes huomaa ellei seuraa tarpeeksi tarkkaan. Soundikin on ihan kiva. Energistä musiikkia ainakin alun biisien perusteella. Sisältää myös biisejä joita ei meinaa jaksaa kuunnella mutta kokonaisuudessaan ihan hyvä albumi. Monista biiseistä ihan oikeasti tykkäsin.
Really interesting
From moment one I knew it was going to be a wild ride.
This was a breath of fresh air. Really interesting album, beautiful production, and Janelle's vocals are wonderful. I've only listened to her most recent album from 2023, so I'm partially familiar with her work. I've been wanting to check out more of her albums, so I'm glad I listened to this album. Awesome album cover too! Really enjoyed this!
Reminds me of Alicia Keys in the best way; I like how it weaves together classical music and r&b into something else
This album did not feel nearly as long as it was. Excellently crafted and extremely catchy.
A new discovery for me.. its not really my jam but I did really enjoy it. Its a eclectic mix of styles that hangs together well and grooves along. Very accomplished for a debut. Its a very high 4 - that could turn into a 5 if I listen a few more times (which I probably will)
8/10
Soothing sound, variety of styles, accomplished, really liked it
Very good start but dies down
Fun!
song by song: ----- Suite II Overture - 3.5/5, it's giving film soundtrack Dance or die (ft. Saul Williams) - 3/5, it grew on me underveis Faster - 3.5/5, catchy Locked Inside - 3.5/5, the *clap clap* was perfect Sir Greendown - 4.5/5, very good but I probably won't listen to it again Cold War - 4/5, chours on point Tightrope (ft. Big Boi) - 4/5, "Do damage to your cabbage?" Avatar reference?? Neon Gumbo - 2/5, oh, a song-shaped object in my headphones Oh, Maker - 4.5/5, this close to clicking 'liked songs' Come Alive (War of the Roses) - 4.5/5, the villain song from a musical that goes viral Mushrooms & Roses - 1/5, and then she turned into a robot Suite III Overture - 3/5, instrumental's just not my style Neon Valley Street - 3.5/5, she should rap more Make the Bus (ft. Of Montreal) - 4/5, If Marina and ___ had a baby this would be it Wondaland - 4.5/5, "Take her back to Wondaland / She thinks she left her underpants" HELL YEAH 57821 (ft. Deep Cotton) - 4.5/5, ethereal Say You'll Go - 2.5/5, so much potential BaBopByeYa - 3.5/5, another musical song she's a theatre kid fr overall score - 3.5/5
I really enjoyed how some of the songs blended together really well. Definitely an enjoyable listen.
weird feeling idk how to explain (not bad feeling)
So fun and futuristic
I like :)
Gotta toss this one on in the bg next time I watch Metropolis
I don’t love it as much as dirty computer but I know it was a critical darling when it initially came out in 2010
A great debut album by a very talented artist. I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. My one complaint is that it did go on a tad long. There were a few songs at the end that should have hit the cutting room floor.
Album No. 0108 on my list. Woah, what an overwhelming album - I had no idea what I was getting into! I had never heard of Janelle Monae before, but I was very surprised about how great this album is. I love the eclecticism on this. Mixing so many different genres is not always good, but it worked out very well here. You got pop, jazz, soul, hip hop, even classical influences, but they work very well together. There is a large variety between the songs, but there is still a very high degree of coherence between them. The album feels very ‘complete’ in that sense. It’s not just a collection of songs, it is an album indeed. Beyond that coherence, the songs themselves are mostly pretty good as well. Monae and her fellow musicians really showed a lot of talent here. I’ll add “Dance Or Die”, “Locked In Here”, “Cold War”, and “Tightrope”, to my playlist, though I rather think these are representative of the variety of the album. Good album. Really overwhelming in the best way. 4/5 stars!
Experimental. Daring. Fun. Challenging. This should have been much bigger than it was. I enjoyed it and I know many critics lavished praise on it but it should have hit the stratosphere. Maybe that's a good thing because it wasn't overplayed. This was a nice discovery of an artist I've been meaning to check out.
Hat mich überrascht uns gefreut, dass das Album hier auftaucht. Geht wahnsinnig stark los und ist in seiner stilistischen Vielfalt beeindruckend. Hatte die schon 2-3 mal gehört und gedacht, dass sie zu lang ist. War diesmal anders, vielleicht bald 5 Sterne.
Pleasing discovery of progressive soul and alternative R&B, sublimated by the voice range of Janelle Monae.
Päris põnev kõla on paljudel lugudel, hea produ juures (mis on piisavalt vahelduv ning võtab erinevatest žanritest šnitti). Samas mingi asi tundub selle albumi puhul lihtsalt... veider või mitte nii hea. Lood ei ole just meeldejäävad, aga äkki peabki lihtsalt rohkem kuulama. Reitinguks 3.5/5, aga hinde mõttes pigem 4.
This was a fun album from start to finish and I had no problem staying engaged despite the album’s length. I’d have to listen again to really know how it works as a concept album, but I have a feeling I’ll enjoy it more the second time. I worked at a Ruby Tuesday for 4 years in the early 2010’s and Tightrope was apart of the restaurant’s shuffling playlist the whole time. I’ve heard that song 100’s of times and always thought it was pretty cool though I never knew who/what it was. Hearing it again today after so long was unexpectedly wonderful!
Not really my thing but I appreciate the artistry and skill put into it.
Gets a +1 for being a pretty unique entry on the list. 4/5
Ganz schönes Konzept eigentlich. Mir gefallen die mehreren Abschnitte des Albums sehr gut.
Es ist sehr lang und eigentlich nicht mein Genre, aber ich m muss anerkennen, dass es trotzdem sehr kurzweilig und spannend war. Hier sind genug Ideen drin, der Gesang ist toll, der Sound groß,.nur mein persönlicher Geschmack steht der 5 im Weg
Listened to this a lot--inventive, lush, and a lot of fun
Suite II Overture - 4/5 Dance or Die - 4/5 Faster - 4/5 Locked Inside - 5/5 Sir Greendown - 4/5 Cold War - 5/5 Tightrope - 5/5 Neon Gumbo - 3/5 Oh, Maker - 4/5 Come Alive - 5/5 Mushrooms & Roses - 4/5 Suite III Overture - 3.5/5 Neon Valley Street - 4.5/5 Make the Bus - 3.5/5 Wondaland - 4/5 57821 - 4.5/5 Say You'll Go - 5/5 BabopbyeYa - 4/5 A nearly effortless blend of genres for an incredible debut album. This would be a 5 except it kind of loses me towards the end but the ending two tracks pull me back into what I loved about it. The run-up to that middle stretch managed to blend together soul, funk, R&B, and more that loosely fits into her whole sci-fi concept the album is trying to portray, but I feel its a bit too loose of a concept that I may not have fully got. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Locked Inside, Cold War, Tightrope, Come Alive, Neon Valley Street, Say You'll Go
have listened before janelle is so so so talented. still sounds so futuristic. fav: locked inside, cold war, neon valley street
A genuinely fantastic album filled with different genres but unfortunately suffers for being too long.
Repeat
Very pleasant surprise.
Underlig, Bra, Rolig. Behöver lyssnas på igen
High-concept and dynamic, but it boogies so hard. It would make sense to pattern a race of androids after Janelle Monáe. I have a hard time giving something a 5 on first listen but I thought about it; definitely coming back to this one.
To think this has just been around since 2010. Standout songs: Locked Inside, Cold War, Mushrooms & Roses, Neon Valley Street
Don’t know if I love this as much as the funky Prince-inspired material off Dirty Computer, but the concept, stylistic variety, and overall performance here was a commendable cinematic experience. A visionary record for 2010.
so good.
Wow, very eclectic and a ton of different genres and styles at play. Everything from rap to rock to Prince to Bowie to OutKast and everything in between. Looking at the background, apparently a solid 60% of Janelle Monae's discography is dedicated to this concept narrative about a sci-fi movie from 1927? Wild stuff! Anyway, this record is dynamic, ambitious, excellently produced and sung and written and it sort of explodes out of the speakers. Did I really connect with it, and do I like it? For me, not really. I would love to love this album but there's something that just doesn't do it for me. That being said, I recognize the talent on display here and I'm impressed. I don't know if I'll listen much again but I'm glad I heard it.
There’s definitely more than one listen in this album, definitely worth a deep dive but first reaction is great.
The ArchAndroid is a wildly ambitious and vibrant album where something new is constantly happening. It moves effortlessly between funky, edgy, almost theatrical passages and more dreamy, experimental, and cinematic moments. Janelle Monáe plays with genres, moods, and structures, without the album ever falling apart, on the contrary, it feels like a creative overflow. At times it’s extremely groovy and energetic; at others, almost floating and abstract. It can feel overwhelming, but that’s also what makes the album so fascinating. You never get bored, and new details reveal themselves with every listen. An album full of imagination, personality, and courage. Not flawless, but impressive, alive, and highly entertaining. 4/5
Never heard of Mrs Monáe before. Her debut is a wild mix of different styles and genres, which are masterly connected and celebrated by Mrs. Monáe, who has a beautiful voice. Really surprised and delighted. Fav: BabopbyeYa
Wait, that actress? She can sing?
- I like the artwork and aesthetic. Immediately wanted to like this project as it seems cool and much more than just an RnB album. - It's quite outside the realm of my taste but it's impressively ambitious and cinematic. I couldn't help feeling totally drawn into it. - Objectively she's a good singer and the production is pretty amazing. Loads going on instrumentally. While it's not really in my wheelhouse, I'm really glad to have given it the time of day and a couple of listens. It's a shame it's a little longer than in needs to be in my opinion but I get why, and I'd gladly listen to this when I have time to soak it all in again.
Loved this album. Blending of sounds into evocative sounds escapes, great vocals and samples. Relaxing upbeat vibes.
Very fun album, seems to hit a couple different genres. Favorite songs were dance or die and tightrope. Only one skip which was the of montreal feature
I love the upbeat tracks on this album. Great vocals, very artistic and melodic. The overture interludes are cool and melodic but I will never listen to them again. Songs that stood out to me: Faster, Locked Inside, Cold War, Wondaland
All of the songs are fantastic but to me it doesn't feel like a cohesive album. Probably still gonna buy it though.
Very nice album, impressive variety of sounds, genres and a good range of vocals too. Was skeptical at first but left impressed. Highlights for me were Faster, Cold War and Oh, Maker
This is probably more like a 3.75, but I'm rounding up because there are several good to great songs
Sehr spannendes Album, guter funky Sound, schöne Stimme.
Hmmkey dålig på att sjunga 🥴
This album was a quandary for me. I was not familiar with Janelle Monae prior to listening to this. I really enjoyed several aspects of the album making me feel it deserved a 5 star and really disliked others thinking it deserved a 1 star. With that said I pretty much listened to the album in its entirety which says something. I also felt the song transitions on the first half of the album were excellent. She has an excellent voice and brings many genres of music together from electronic, swing, jazz, funk and Hip hop to name a few. She does this relatively seamlessly in my opinion making for an interesting album. With that said, I felt like I was listening to two separate albums from songs 1-10 and 11-18. My initial thought was to go with a 3 but gave it bonus marks for her voice, transitions and the fact I listened to the whole album despite this not really being my musical wheelhouse. Neon valley is a hidden nugget in my opinion with great jazz vibes.
Have to listen to this again, it might be a little too GRAND for my taste, but of course it’s good. Low 4
excelente na real entrei cheio de preconceitos e sai embasbacado.
caraio eu to embasbacado. DEFINITIVAMENTE não eh o que eu tava esperando. uma super pedrada, cê é doido ela vai pulando de gênero em gênero e não erra nunca, como pode. tem de tudo po, hip hop, soul, eletronica, musica classica, rock, folk, a porra toda fi. e todas todas as músicas são gostosinhas demais e super bem feitas. só num eh 5 estrelas porque eh um pouco longo, mas eh definitivamente um album dos anos 2010 que vale a pena DEMAIS ouvir hein
I'm a bit of a sucker for a concept album; I'm impressed by anyone who can cast and execute a coherent vision like that. This would take me several closer listens to decide if I love it, but I was definitely intrigued, surprised, entertained, and delighted. I couldn't pay enough attention to the lyrics to follow any themes she was developing, but the album art and the music itself seemed clearly enough about imagining alternate futures for black folk -- and all Americans, really -- and they are futures I would be very open to at the moment.
It's a little overlong but endlessly creative. On a different day I may have inched this toward 5 stars. She's a special performer.
This one surprised me. I had never listened to Janelle Monae before, and i had no idea what to expect. I was pleasantly taken aback. So much to love. A huge variety of genres and styles. One moment, an epic, cinematic, orchestral track. Next moment, an explosive, hip-hop / rap number. Both equally proficient. Creativity levels off the charts. A mad, eclectic experience. Pretty sure every instrument makes an appearance at some point. It is a long album, and some moments are certainly weaker than others. The straight up pop songs dont hit quite as hard for me as the more experimental moments but the vocals do stand up. For example Locked Inside is a straightforward modern pop classic, but i much prefer the inventiveness of the experimental closer BaBopByeYa. Thats perhaps my favourite track although this album was more about moments than songs for me. Going to give it another listen as i know lyrically and thematically there is a lot i have still to enjoy and appreciate. 8/10
Not what I expected at all! Very cool!
Accidently put my score for this for album 227. A very interesting mix of musical styles. Really quite enjoyed it.
4/4.5. solid vibe
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.
Can't say I could have told you anything about Janelle Monae before listening to this. Epic. Sprawling. Kind of weird. All very expertly done. All of which I very much approve of.
8 / 10
What an ambitious soul / contemporary R&B and pop record. The first half of this thing is incredible. It has the best tracks of the whole project and they are incredible vibrant and energetic, with impeccable singing and super rich instrumentation. Every song in this part of the album absolutely slaps, I'm telling you. The second half I would say is a bit weaker. I always find myself losing my focus once I reach the last songs. Nevertheless, I can say that it offers some of the most experimental cuts of the whole project. 'Come Alive' feels like a Disney villain song, and it is super fun. In tracks like 'Mushroom & Roses' and 'Neon Valley Street' she uses autotune to apply effects on the voice. In the first one her singing feels very trippy and in the second one it seems like a robot is singing. There is also the song 'Make the Bus' which features the band Of Montreal and she doesn't sing at all while the singer of the other band takes the spot. Overall, very enjoyable, ambitious and uplifting.
I like this she has a stunning voice
The types and styles of songs seem to change from song to song. There were two with a symphony. some sounded pop, some really grabbed my attention. I can't get my head around it in one listen. Very good.
Wow. Talk about an album that really surprised the hell out of me. I have no idea who Janelle Monáe is, but now I want to hear more of her. My first listen through and I thought it was a lot. Fast paced, sounded like an upbeat women’s haircare commercial, and insisted heavily upon itself. Kind of gave me anxiety. Wasn’t bad, just a long album that didn’t really do anything for me. On the second listen, I was absolutely hooked harder than I could possibly have imagined. Janelle is an incredible singer, and she brings a certain energy to these songs that I haven’t heard a lot of for this project. Now, this is a long album, and not every song is perfect, but god damn does it sure feel like it ends quickly, even at 1 hour and 8 minutes of runtime. Every song does a great job of blending into each other, and there is a good bit of variety in the songs. Occasionally, there’s even a killer breakdown, like on “Cold War”. The filler on this album is mostly just short intermission tracks that are still actual, real songs and not annoying skits. Picking a favorite song is actually really hard. The hit is “Tightrope”, and that’s probably the song I’m going to pick, otherwise it would take me hours to decide on what my favorite song on the album is. The feature is very good, and it’s definitely the catchiest song on the album. Man, this might literally be another contender for a 5. It’s close. The production is just insanely well done. I think by the time you hit a certain point, you kinda get the point. I don’t have many aspects to fault this one on, length included. Not only would I come back to this one, but it might fall into my usual rotation. A huge compliment for someone I’d never heard of before. It’s a very, very very very high 4 for me. I didn’t add any one specific song to my playlist, but god damn it’s all so good as a whole. This was catchy.
For once, a concept album that actually works as a full concept, songs working and flowing together. And Monáe shows her skill at any style of genre you can think of. It’s not transcendent and maybe not something I’ll go to listen to a lot, but it’s undeniably well done and bonkers how well she puts it all together.
This was a surprising album. It got better as it went along. It's not my style of music, more my daughter's but it was very good.
I love the breadth and ambition of this album. It's like a movie soundtrack with so many different styles and stories. And Tightrope is just a massive banger.
Pretty blown away with this. Rich production, varied and stylish. Saved nearly all the songs to my library.
Great album. First track was a great mood setter and had me intrigued which direction the vibe was heading. I now have this in my rotation.
This is a tightly produced pop album. The open with "suite 2 overture" is a great way to start an album. There's a few decent if unmemorable tunes, and then you get thrown into Cold War which is an absolute banger. Then Tightrope happens which isn't that amazing but does hit all the typical notes of a typical 2010's pop song. After that we get back to Neon Gumbo which is more pleasant, tightly produced but unmemorable pop. Oh Maker was another enjoyable song. Come Alive has great energy as well. Then Mushrooms and Roses is another great tune. I'm not usually one for these types of pop albums, but this album is way more enjoyable than I expected.
This was a big album when I was in college. It’s beautiful and complex from an artistic standpoint, but I feel like she really excels more in live shows. I like the Saul Williams track and War of the Roses. I saw her play Eastside Drive-In ca 2010. Of Montreal opened for her, if that gives an idea of how progressive her music was at the time. We were there to see if Kevin Barnes would ride a live horse naked on stage. Her live show was incredible and I was blown away by it. She also did a great Austin City Limits taping.
I loved this album. no songs in particular stood out, but the whole thing flowed well and it was honestly pretty mindblowing. i love a sampling of a hymn, and the bit of "All Creatures of our God and King" was a nice little easter egg
Janelle Monae is so impressive as an artist and performer, and this is a hell of a statement of a full debut album. The concept, the breadth of styles, vocal prowess, the instrumentation, it all works. Embodies cool androgyny more than anyone since Prince (which makes sense as I think they were close). The orchestral suites just add to the grandness of it all. I loved it, would go 4.5 if that were an option :)
Definitely not my usual style, but def enjoyed this.
Excellent listen, could be a 5 on relisten
Wild
Sounds like a broadway play soundtrack.
Appreciate her talent.
So fun. Have spent a lot more time with Dirty Computer but this is just as good. Fav tracks: Dance or Die, Faster, Locked Inside, Cold War Saved a song: Y RYM: N
Never heard of them, but this album was very fun and pretty unique.
Genuine surprise
The startling ambition on this debut full length is almost totally realised. I suspect CD listeners might find it a touch intimidating, but in more palatable chunks over 4 sides of vinyl, the album feels strong throughout. What might be seen as a drop off towards the end, to me sounds like a natural, calming conclusion to a whirlwind story that I will one day understand. Impressive variety from one of this generation’s genuinely important artists.
Really funky and interesting, very good album, not 100% my vibe tho.
Interesting
Not my kind of music - but man she is good. 4
Je connaissais certaines chansons sans savoir d’où elles provenaient, et j’ai adoré écouter cet album dans sa globalité!
Great pop
awesome
Pretty great start to finish. Lots of different things going on which it made it quite interesting. Refreshingly unique artist and album.
Gets an extra point for being a cohesive concept album. Cool :)
A new decent find! Really enjoyed the variety of genres within the songs and a lot of them were very catchy. Definitely listening again
Awesome album, very dynamic. Janelle’s got RANGE
Nice album. Appreciate the changes. Plays like a Disney soundtrack for a grown folks movie.
Very talented, bit long. Couldn't quite connect with this though, not sure why. Felt very polished and a bit distant? But it's good, so I'm being silly.
Great album
Labai patiko. Kiekviena daina unikali ir įdomi.
Really liked a few of the songs and overall the whole vibe of the album but didn’t love a couple songs
Admittedly, I'm a pop hater. Also admittedly, some pop albums are very good, which is annoying to me because they don't fit my narrative. People CAN make good corporate music, which makes the fact that they usually don't even more disappointing. It's so rare to hear a pop record that sounds fresh while maintaining accessibility and doesn't make me drowsy four songs in. Fortunately, they do exist, and this is one of them. This album is just so nicely produced and flows so well you barely notice it's over an hour long. I prefer the catchy and danceable first half (with these satisfying Stankonia drums), but the more laid-back second half is not half bad either. Songs like Dance or Die, Faster, Cold War, Wondaland are so fun to listen to. This album features a big range of vocal and instrumental styles throughout its runtime, which definitely helped me feel engaged the whole way through, even though I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the approaches. The futuristic vibe was also very nice. This was the first pop record in a while I was genuinely exciting to listen through. One big problem, though: on this cover, they look a lot like a certain Kanye supporter.
(86/100)
Fairies dragged you to their place, and now there’s nothing to do but vibe with whatever wild mix of music they throw at you. Inescapable joy.
An incredibly consistent yet varied album musically.
Big album! Big sound, big ideas, big creativity.
Clearly well produced, genre bending and interesting, just not something I feel like I'll revisit.
Wasn't expecting to see this album here but I'm very happy it made it. It covers so many different sounds and styles: soul, r&b, pop, rap, jazz, rock, all while maintaining this cohesively futuristic sound. Every song has a strong message and purpose and contributes to the album somehow. The production is very vibrant and the songs are very catchy, and the way they transition into each other so well is super cool and creative. I love Cold War because I'm a sucker for some drum and bass in the production. Dance or Die features her rapping and she's somehow better at it than half of the rappers. The progression of Faster is just so good and Tightrope sounds like one of those super eccentric Outkast songs in the best way possible. Then there is 2 random psych rock songs, kinda random but it works. And there is a duet with the of Montreal guy! The last part of the album is super all over the place but mostly good still. Really fascinating album and one that I can see myself coming back to for sure.
Well this was a sparkling offering, varied and driven by strong songwriting and musicianship. This is where the list works. Had no knowledge of the artist prior to this.
Very interesting music and varied style through the album. It feels a little bit like a demo tape. I did not know her, she's worth to be listened to.
V diverse
Metropolis. I knew the singer from her featuring in we are young but I never knew she had such a conceptual album. Brilliant.
funky
Metropolis turned into an album.
Probably the second craziest album I've gotten from the generator. Have little to no knowledge on this kind of music and was quite enthralled early on with this concept album. So much going on but by the end it was dragging on. Hard to rate this, but because it was pretty unique compared to the rest, I'll give it a four. Would be great to listen to baked also.
I think Dirty Computer has more standouts, but this album has a cohesive feel and creative production.
I really liked this album. The beats were cool and her voice was solid
Monae will be spoken about like Prince and Bowie and the queens of punk. Wholly unique.
Very operatic, almost. Good flow between songs in the album. Definitely the strongest of the albums so far, but maybe thats modernity bias. Ding a couple points on the lack of any strong standout single/singles, but overall pretty damn good.
8.5 A lotta stuff goin on here and I liked it muchly!! One of my fave albums I’ve not listened to before and will listen again for sure
This is pretty cool sophisticated pop music. Diverse range of styles in each track.
I like how upbeat this album is but it gets slightly boring after a little while. Fav songs: locked inside, sir greendown, oh, maker. Kind of too long imo. Individually though each song on its own is really fun and interesting.
Ultra GOD. Esperaba 0, pero me dejó loco
Dirty Computer is the best Janelle Monáe album so I’m really hoping it is in this list. This one is pretty damn good too. I love how her music is simultaneously futuristic and old school
Good to very good album. Love Janelle’s voice and some interesting music.
An R&B/Soul Sci-Fi concept album. The description sounds pretentious, but the album is quite good with a good solid musical base. My favourtite track was "Tightrope" (featuring Big Boi).
The Overture is a dumb into but the two songs after it are good. This feels both futuristic and like a throwback to 60s R&B at the same time. You can hear the Outkast influence throughout the album...beyond just the Big Boi guest spot on Tightrope. Tightrope is a great song. I'm really liking this album. You really realize what a pretentious ass Robert Christgau is when you listen to this album and read his review of it. At the start Oh, Maker had me thinking it was the beginning of a downward slide, I was wrong about that. But starting with Come Alive (War of the Roses) and Mushrooms & Roses has me thinking I was just one song too early. The overtures feel like a nod to this being an "art&B" album more than an integrated part of the album. The balk half of the album is not as good as the first half. It's hard to get 9 songs right, let alone 18. Also, concept albums are almost always, hat tip to Ziggy Stardust, an annoyingly contrived restriction on quality rather than an invitation to tell a compelling story. Say You'll Go is an improvement. An almost 9 minute closing effort...I do not understand why artist after artist insists on having an irrationally long final track on what in some cases is already a long album.
What a great choice for this list. The sequencing on this album is textbook and perfect. Grand and sweeping and jumping seemlessly from r&b, hip-hop, funk, neo-psych, and rock. Where some tracks would typically come off corny when this varied the heart that Janelle Monae brings to every track shines through. My only knock is the production on a few of the tracks is a little of its time, and it dips just a little in quality in part 3, Still a phenomenal listen. 8/10
Very eclectic. Swing, classical, jazz, blues, hip hop, Madonna. Not really my cup of tea but we'll done
I got whiplash from all the different genres of music on here. One minute there is soul, then R&B, even some rap-ish tendencies, then what sounds like some folk music and even a rock song that the Stray Cats would have made back in the 80's. They have a guitar, synthesizer, as well as a drum machine, and they are not afraid to use it. I knew Janelle Monae from their acting more than I knew them from the music they made. I am glad I got to listen to this one, as I probably would have never, ever heard it. I probably won't listen to this every day but it is really a fun listen and deserves the recognition from being in the book. My favorite songs were: Faster Locked Inside Cold War Tightrope Come Alive (War of the Roses) Oh, Maker Make the Bus Wondaland Say You'll Go
Broad and sweeping. Not bad, although not necessarily a go-to for me.
At first she annoyed me then I listened to it again later and realized how talented she is
This is honestly a 4.5, I have to state this to make it clear how much I adore the sonic sounds and creativity in this album. Janelle Monae is a musician who is by no means underrated but I believe doesn’t get credited enough for how much of an influence she has been on the music scene.
Siisti artwork ja konsepti ylipäätään. Tykkäsin kanssa kyllä noista sinfonisista välisoitoista. Siisti sekoitus modernia soulia, r&b ja poppia. Ja klassista musiikkia. Parhaat: Wondaland, Tightrope, Oh Maker
Fairly recent and different, cool! Not really my type of music perhaps, but I thought this was quite interesting and good at most times! Didn't feel like it slotted into one specific genre, and the formula didn't get old over the course of the album. There was much variety and you were constantly taken by surprise. Album high-point was 'Tightrope', and absolute lowpoint was 'Make the Bus'. I definitely enjoyed this more than lots of 3 star albums, but I'm not sure I feel like it's a 4 star one. Tricky. I'm going to be generous and give it a weak 4 though, much more interesting than loads of stuff I've heard on this list.
Od Janelle poznam sam par kasnejših komadov, ampak tisti so fakin amazing, tko da, let's go! Kul klasičen začetek. "Dance or Die" je najs in brez, da sploh opaziš, si kr naenkrat v naslednjem komadu, tempo ne popusti, imenu primerno: "Faster". (Zmer mi je ful impresivno k nekdo ful hitr repa/poje.) Medley se nadaljuje v "Locked Inside", je pa končno mal bolj umirjen tempo, ampak res minimalno. (Ok, že zj pri drugem poslušanju sm ful bl into it.) Aaand, end of medley. En zasanjan komad, po pa sam šopamo naprej. U, znan glas! Yep, Big Boi iz Outkast. "Tightrope" mi je na splošno znan, verjetn je bil single? Hud je dost. (Preverila: je bil, ja.) "Oh, Maker" je drugačen, in a good way. Ostali komadi se mi že združujejo v en velik blur. (Ker nesramn first take. Vzamem mal nazaj.) "Come Alive (War of the Roses) je zelo new wave, rock-y. Hudi vokali. Na splošno mi je všeč kako ima ta del albuma mal rock oddiha, ki se prelevi v še eno klasično overturo - tokrat s pridihom vokalnih grup iz 50h - sklepam, da bomo zj spet šopal? To glih ne, "Neon Valley Street" je bl chill, Lauren Hill-like komad. Sledi mu prvi komad, ki mi aktivno ni všeč. Preveč naenkrat mi je. Funky komad, potem pa kr naenkrat haleluja? In christian hymnal vibe. "Say You'll Go" je čist kul balada, k ma na konc not znan klasičen komad, k ga bom mogla poguglat, ker it's not coming to me (o moj bog, "Clair De Lune", posipam se s pepelom). In zadnji komad "BaBopByeYa" je skor 9 minutno epsko potovanje skoz žanre, in the best way. Na splošno eklektičen album, ki se ne drži enega žanra, je pa definitivno koheziven. Will probably listen again.
4.5 Fun, beautiful cinematic ride.
Es dut mer ufrichtig Leid für de Schlag in Solar Plexus mit minere MGMT Bewertig, aber wie gseit het da mal wider e hitzigi Diskussion müsse ahgregt werde zum de Album Klöpp am Lebe z phalte. Also gerngscheh und bedanket eu spöter. Jetzt zude Janelle, who I did not know at all. Und wiiiie ich sie jetzt kenne, lagomio! Min zurziitige musig mood vo sexy R&B mit chli hiphop und au chli Soul & funk direkt is Herze troffe! Und mit Come Alive no is Punkige ine? Bravo! Aaaber ach ischs jetzt es 5i wert? Ihres neuste Album het mi meh abgholt, muss mer also bi dem tüüfer gah? Aber die abwechslig vo genres i dem album und jedes Lied macht uf sini eigni Art spass. Scho Meisterwerkpotentoal. Klassisches 4.5. Aber mood samstig im Zug uf Basel: abgrundet uf 4 böx in solar plexus vo MGMT
Really enjoyed this. Fantastic vocals, great grooves. Definite Beyonce vibes. Enjoyed the use of Clair de Lune in Say You'll Go - not at all contrived (honestly).
I really enjoyed this, not an artist I have listened to before. Good mix of genres and felt the album flowed well together. Faster and Tightrope were my favourites. The only negative from me is that I felt towards the end the album started to tail off. However, going for 4 stars.
Complete unknown to me but exceeded expectations. First half much stronger than second
Very good
La música es formidable, llena de originalidad. No sabría decir a qué se parece. Es algo realmente original y exuberante. La única dificultad es que el disco es realmente largo. Se me hizo como un disco triple. Pero todo está muy bien interpretado y compuesto.
Interesting listening to this just after Thriller. You can see where she gets a lot of her inspiration. Good album, better than Thriller in my opinion.
Yeah I don't hate it, not normaly the kind of thing I gravitate towards, but it was an interesting kind of anti-pop pop music , Cold War is kinda catchy, 'Come Alive' is really good actually, Mushrooms & Rose's is pretty wild also, I think it might grow on me, 3.5 but I'll go for a ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Solid album, I assume it was from a musical, a diverse range of genres here.
Wow! I was not familiar with your game Janelle Monáe! I had such a good time listening to this. The first half of the album was flat out amazing (as you can tell by the songs I included in my favorites), but like many other albums, the second half started to drop off a bit and I really feel like the album could’ve benefitted from dropping 2-4 songs With that being said, this is easily the most versatile album I’ve heard so far and I see why it appeals to so many different audiences Not only is it full of great songs of different genres, but it includes a few interludes (which are usually hit-or-miss for me) that I feel add to the overall experience I also very much appreciate how the songs naturally blend together, which adds to the cohesiveness of the album Hats off to you Janelle Monáe, this album rocks Favorites: Locked Inside, Wondaland Honorable Mentions: Sir Greendown, Cold War
Positive suprised thought I was gonna hate it but no
That was surprising. So far, I haven't found much on this list post 2000 that interested me. This album is definitely interesting. There are so many genres here that it shouldn't work as an album, but it does. Everything fits together well. There were a few tracks that stood out, but most are above average. It's a very good album, but not quite a 5.
i thought i had already listened to this but ig not ? so so good though janelle monae is a literal visionary. love how she does so many genres just on this one album.
Поважаю Жанель і за цей альбом зокрема. Класна артистка, правда щось останні альбоми мені її скоріше повз мене. Свого часу на моменті виходу цього альбому я дуже багато слухав першу його половину і достатньо прохолодно ставився до другої. Не те щоб вона погана чи прохідна. Скоріше музична палітра в ній мені менше імпонує. Альбом великий і на великих альбомах мені здається дуже важливо мати не просто класні пісні по всьому треклісту, а й мати їх послідовності з 3-4, які мають якорити. Тут для мене, знову ж таки, в другій половині я не можу виділити для себе такого стріку. Класно, що все це досі свіжо слухається і набагато краще великої кількості навколо-поп музики на межі 00х-10х
Didn't expect much, was really impressed. I'd bet she puts on a great live show.
was a lot more of a cinematic experience than i thought it would be! enjoyed the album, thought it went on for a tiny bit too long? started strong, many iconic songs that will be enjoyed years from now.
Quite good! The first half is great fun with several hooks
I know Janelle only as guest vocals on many of songs I dig, and have always wanted to dive into her solo stuff. Was happy to see this pop up on the project. She sounds like nothing else of the time. Super interesting and unique, with velvety vocals. I love how creative and genre bending this album is. Makes me want to dive into the rest of her catalogue. Also high kudos that this was her debut album.