The ArchAndroid

not my thing tbh

Mene ovo kategoricki ne interesuje, poslusao sam po dvadesetak sekundi od prvih 9 pesama i samo odlucio da mi se ne cima da slusam dalje

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

It insists upon itself. Bit too corny.

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.

Pleasant, upbeat album. She has a great voice. The album has the air of a film score or musical theatre about it. Standout track - Wonderland. Lowlight - BabopbyeYa (just drags on too long)

Love this!

Kind of funky, but nothing crazy.

Not bad. Not my thing.

Found this to be very average overall. That makes it a three. But then add one because she has a great voice. But then take one away because production sounds very muddy. It just can’t get away from being a three I suppose.

Tons going on, from genre to concept to lyrics to production - but executed thoughtfully and with joy. Stevie Wonder vibes everywhere...particularly Locked Inside, 57821, and Say You'll Go.

Pretty blown away with this. Rich production, varied and stylish. Saved nearly all the songs to my library.

È partito strano poi è esploso. Che mina di album

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

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.

"You might as well keep dancin if youre not gonna run" - sterk start på et album som kanskje er litt for langt? BIK-BOK-musikk.

Holy moly! This was Janelle Monae’s debut album. Wow! I would have sworn this was her third album, maybe. Dang, she came out on fire. The ArchAndroid album is a concept album and part of Monae’s homage to the movie Metropolis. It’s just full of pop, hip-hop, rock, funk, jazz, and just about anything else you want. It’s a hugely ambitious album and Monae pulls it off. I remember hearing about this album when it came out in 2010, so I checked it out and was blown away then. When I think about Monae, the word Prince comes to mind, as in, I think she has the same genius that Prince had. Monae said her influences for the album were movie soundtracks, David Bowie, Stevie Wonder and Outkast. I can also hear The Beatles in here, too. You can plainly hear each one of those influences sprinkled throughout the album. In addition, the song Locked Inside sounded to me like it could have been influenced by Super Mario Bros. and the Outrun video games. Beyond her music, her lyrics are incredible as well. On this album she’s telling a larger story with the songs and lyrics. The story is about an android sent back in time to free people from a secret society that suppresses freedom and love. Beyond the different genres of music and brilliant lyrics, the album offers, you can dance to it. Tightrope is a song that certainly doesn’t suppress your freedom to dance in your chair at your desk. It’s a banger, as the kids say. I’d hate to say this was Monae’s best album so far in her career. She’s had some really great music; Dirty Computer was incredible. But The ArchAndroid is the album in which it all came together for Monae. I’d call it a classic, and I think you should hear it before you die. And I bet you listen to it more than once after you do hear it.

Pretty decent, wild Of Montreal feature on this one

I've had T-Mobile, Metro, LG, and Samsung. I've never heard of this brand.

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

This almost put me to sleep

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 enjoyed this album so much more than I thought I would. I’m a sucker for a fun concept album, but it’s a dangerous game; a bad one is really bad (I’m looking at you, The Decemberists — The Hazards of Love). Unlike a lot of these types of experimental albums, I thought this one did a good job of being fun and interesting instead of being punishing and hard to listen to. And yeah, some of it was pretty weird but a lot of it was also really beautiful and cinematic.

Hot garbage

CRAAAAPP

Relentlessly innovative, refusing to conform to any preconceived notions and all that guff. I would offer this to skeptical listener: just give it 5 minutes and you will lose yourself in it. You will be reminded of Stevie, OutKast, maybe even Rundgren. Then she will move on, and keep on going deep into outer space. Take the trip

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 :)

I can appreciate how talented she is but don't particularly love a lot of the chaotic songs (Come Alive) or soundtrack/broadway-show adjacent songs. Tightrope was a standout for me.

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

I loved this album, the kind of music I was hoping to find on this journey

Blew. My. Mind. I’ve been sleeping on Janelle Monáe!!

Definitely not my usual style, but def enjoyed this.

Not my fav album of hers but I just love her style so much.

Excellent listen, could be a 5 on relisten

Wild

Eclectic, jazzy, robo, funky, theatrical, Big Boi, folky, theme music, BABOPBYEYA!

Best album, reminds me of college

Such a beautiful album!

★★★½

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

The name was familiar and realized when I read the Wiki it was from the fun. song We Are Young. Not familiar with this artist otherwise but I was really impressed by the variety on this album. Come Alive reminded me of Siouxsie Sioux (added to my favorites along with "Say You'll Go") First impressions was a 4 but by the time I finished the album I've gotta go with a 5. I'll check out more of her stuff.

Sounds like a broadway play soundtrack.

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

There are some very good tracks on here. I probably won't go back to it, but it's a good album.

Dancing! Songs I know but didn't know I knew them.

Not for me but otherwise good staff

Appreciate her talent.

So fucking good. When I first heard Dirty Computer I was mad that I was just then getting into Janelle Monáe and this album is just as good.

ok again, but not me

Baustelle, Gerstetten, Deutschland. Ganz nett!

Forgot how good this was. You can hear prince’s influence but I enjoy her so much more. Album has everything, great music across genres and an even better story - can’t wait for the graphic novel. Absolutely mental for a first album and deserves to be on this list. A classic.

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

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

This was awesome and totally caught me off guard as I've never heard of this person before.

Never heard of them, but this album was very fun and pretty unique.

I'm now gonna listen to the rest of Janelle Monae's discography because that shit was awesome

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

Genuine surprise

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

Didn't really like the intro overture. Everything else is enjoyable, her singing is very good. The song cold war is bad, nvrmnd its getting better, i dislike the chorus or main refrain "this is a cold war, you better know what you are fighting for." Neon Gumbo -> Oh, Maker is crazy switch-up and joyous.

I used to like this more. It sounds generic now. Which perhaps isn't fair because it was innovative at the time. I just can't tell the difference in my head.

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.

Had some good jams, just not for me though.

really surprised me, brilliant funky album. surprised I hadn't heard it before now

føler det er et album jeg aldri frivillig har valgt. litt kjedelig før, men var litt bedre denne gangen. vet ikke om jeg kommer til å fortsette men ja det er litt fengende og smooth til tider

genre defying

14/1001 First listen. Not normally my thing but a creative, interesting and well done enjoyable album. I’ll get back to this one sometime.

Interesting

Not my kind of music - but man she is good. 4

for modernish pop, interesting. potentially worth a revisit

There is a reason this album launched her career as a force. She truly is a master of her craft. I appreciated the different genres and feel of each song, I do understand how people comment negatively on the extreme differences in song style from one to the next, but I loved it. Made for a great listen and I will be adding it to my rotation for sure.

Fun theme and some really good tracks, but held back by some generic songwriting (O Maker, Sir Greendown), boring soundscapes (Wondaland, 57831), and the occasional grating vocal effect (Mushrooms and Roses, Neon Valley Overature). Vocal performances by Monae are mostly great but the features are very hit or miss. When it comes together (Dance or Die, Faster, Come Alive, Babopbye) it works fantastically, and the instrumental tracks are nice too. 3/5.

An amazing mix of r&b, funk, rap, and rock. A cool concept. An amazingly confident first full length. Love it.

Je connaissais certaines chansons sans savoir d’où elles provenaient, et j’ai adoré écouter cet album dans sa globalité!

Interesting.. Some real interesting bangers on this album. Set my algorithm in an interesting direction.

As far as I’m concerned, Janelle Monáe can do whatever the hell she wants.

Great pop

This is damn near a perfect album. I know shes popular, but how is she not more so?

iconic and perfect album.

An album I adore but that I also recognize the whole is better than the individual parts. Relatively few songs, by themselves, are ones k want to listen to. But as an album I can’t stop listening. 5/5

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

De la soul un peu expérimental par moment, quelques titres sympa

awesome

Ambitious but fell short for me

Never heard of this before today and was pleasantly surprised. Locked Inside borrows a chord change from Stevie Wonder's 'Golden Lady' and it's driving me crazy but the rest of this is quite enjoyable. I will definitely be checking out more of her music.

Although I'm not sure it entirely works for me, I really enjoyed getting this new-to-me and hugely eclectic concept album. I didn't recognize Janelle Monae's name, but now realize that her picture on the album cover looked vaguely familiar from her television and film career (most notably in "Hidden Figures" and "Glass Onion"). I like it that she fused a Metropolis-style android theme with retro and modern music styles, and while I didn't realyl follow the storyline, a few tracks really stood out, especially "Dance or die", "Tightrope" (whose video is fantastic, although I was really surprised she pulled in Big Boi for the collaboration, as Andre 3000 is *way* more aligned with this album), and "Come alive (War of the Roses)". I'm not sure what exactly made me think of the film version of "Moulin Rouge" as I listened to this album, but they both have this kind of carnival/variety-show aspect to them. It probably didn't need to be quite so long, but at least it kept me wondering what might come next throughout, and usually entertained.

The little I know of Janelle Monáe has always intrigued me and this album did not disappoint. Sometimes it works (Tightrope) and sometimes it falls a little short (Wondaland) but she stays true to her vision and the whole is a lot of fun. Great debut album.

Pretty great start to finish. Lots of different things going on which it made it quite interesting. Refreshingly unique artist and album.

The good songs and bad songs average out

Gets an extra point for being a cohesive concept album. Cool :)

I will probably never listen to this again but it’s for sure creative and I appreciate the originality

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

This is still a fantastic record. A wonderful mix of afro-futuristic themes, funk and soul that just hasn't aged a day. Probably still my favourite of Monáe's records.

A delicious slice of R&B infused soulful pop. Would I have it on my own 1001 list, probably not. Did I enjoy it on a cold, rainy Friday morning, I sure did.

Nice album. Appreciate the changes. Plays like a Disney soundtrack for a grown folks movie.

Et af mine yndlingsalbums fra det her årtusind

Fuldstændig vanvittig popdebut, glad for at se den på listen!

Some bangers in the first half and some really weird songs in the second.

Truly wasn’t expecting that. So many styles mashed together but everything fits, impeccable vocals and everything

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.

This was so good really nice vibes, strength and softness. Varied and keeps you guessing

Pretty fun. Didn't quite listen to the full thing.

I’ve never listened to Janelle Monáe before this. Unfortunately this is not my kind of music. But she’s a beautiful and talent woman!!

An epic science-fiction romance album, that I didn't know I needed! So many ideas here, and they're all flawlessly executed. I went in with zero expectations, and this thing kinda blew my socks off. It's nice when that happens.

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

I only knew Tightrope prior to listening but this was really, really great. Not every track hits for me, but what a diverse, surprising and genre defying debut.

Really liked a few of the songs and overall the whole vibe of the album but didn’t love a couple songs

Muy loable el empeño de Janelle por darnos algo original y de calidad. Por no subirse al carro del mainstream ya tiene mi apoyo. Es un disco ecléctico, conceptual, místico y próximo a la vez. Quizás esas son sus armas y sus debilidades, ya que puede parecer falto de cohesión. Para mí, muy agradable de escuchar. Si te gusta salirte del camino de baldosas amarillas, este es tu disco.

There's a lot of pop diversity in this record. Classical fusion, traditional pop, and soul can be heard in different tracks throughout its run. Spectacular. Favourite Track(s): Tightrope, Oh, Maker, Say You'll Go Least Favourite Track(s): Make the Bus

Some of this could pass for Disney Channel music ngl.

Lots of respect. Not really my jam.

Songs are very diverse and the vibes are smooth, but I did not think it was a super special pop album

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

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.

2.5 - Meh

Some decent pop tunes. Some tripe 3 star

Good listen, I enjoyed this one! Interesting take on modern Soul and R&B. Suite 2 was much better than Suite 3, but overall album slapped.

Not a fan.

I first heard Janelle Monae in 2018 on the critically acclaimed 'Dirty Computer'

This was fucking brilliant. There’s so much going on Sgt. Pepper’s, Prince, James Brown, and Ziggy Stardust vibes all over it. The whole album feels not far from Frank Zappa's Joe’s Garage, a wild mash-up of genres, dystopian future setting, use of characters and story to deliver it's metaphors and messages Favourite track: Come Alive (War of the Roses).

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

Blown away. Such talent.

(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.

Great sounds on this album with some standout songs that really hit.

Overproduced, generic pop that sounds like it was made by AI

Meh

Big album! Big sound, big ideas, big creativity.

Clearly well produced, genre bending and interesting, just not something I feel like I'll revisit.

I don’t know, futuristic quirky? Sonically it’s vibrant, but the actual songs underneath of the production aren’t all that interesting.

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.

A lot was going on. I couldnt have predicted what the next song was gonna sound like. Incredibly multidimensional album which can be a good thing but unfortunately I was unable to keep up with it. Still an enjoyable listen overall but unlikely to be anything that I would go back to.

Undeniably impressive album. The production was through the roof and I enjoyed the concept aspect to this. Also totally wild it was her first album. That being said it just wasn't really my taste and a couple of the more poppy songs were a tad over the top.

I was originally generated this album on day 3 before I joined a group and it set the tone for the entire project by forcing me to challenge my biases. Janelle Monae is an artist I wouldn’t have even considered listening to in the past. I fully expected a generic pop / R&B artist and I don’t generally enjoy that music. However, I ended up listening to this album a few times that day because I couldn’t understand what was happening. This is definitely not generic in any way! I came out realizing that this is a damn fine album and it’s still in my regular listening rotation today. I still absolutely love the middle section with Oh Maker, Come Alive, and Mushrooms & Roses, as well as the final track, BabopbyeYa, but I’ve also come around to Make the Bus and Wondaland, which I originally found kind of annoying. Overall, this has been my best discovery so far

perfeito.

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.

Monáe is obviously incredibly talented and she also - which isn't a given - seems like a genuinely cool person. And I really want to like or even love her music. Because nominally, it sounds like it would be right up my alley. The problem is - besides the occasional song here and there, somehow... her music doesn't quite grab me. But I'm willing to keep trying.

A jazz version of the black eyed peas

Wow.

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.

Ähm wie krass ist bitte das Konzept dieses Albums und die Sängerin

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.

On a busy day it was hard to find time to listen to such a long album with my full attention. It has a lot going on in it. Given enough time and focus, I’d probably like it. That being said, if it were something that I really resonated with, it would have cut through the business of my day.

Never heard of her. Passable easy listening with a few interesting tracks

Yeah, I mean, I think she's from a different planet than we are. I was really fully fucking with Suite II, Suite III lost me a little. I thought "Dance or Die" and "Faster" were fucking crazy as I raced to Mama Lu's in Pasadena. "Tightrope" and "Come Alive" stood out on first listen, so yeah it's all in that second Suite. I read more about her and just kind of wish I were half as cool as Janelle Monáe. That being said, I think the biggest L of ArchAndroid is the lack of focus on her killer pipes. Sometimes I just wanted the music to shut up for a second so I could hear her sing. She was bringing it back with "57821" and "Say You'll Go," which was rivetingly beautiful. A much more enjoyable listening experience than yesterday.

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

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

funky

Just dances through sounds and genres definitely a well made album

Utterly marvelous and fully credible/convincing (as well as richly enjoyable) despite (perhaps because of) the genre-hopping. Nearly every song / entry works effectively. The contrast between "Wondaland" and "57821" shows the remarkable range she covers. The disco works as well as the R&B which works as well as the outre folk and classically-inflected cuts. And there are 6-8 first-rate songs that stand out from a very high baseline of quality. Despite the length, one never gets bored and repeat listens reliably yield multidimensional pleasure. With so much soul, one's as impressed and elevated as entertained and amused.

Metropolis turned into an album.

So fucking cinematic and genre bending when i was js expecting a traditional rnb album.She honestly infuses every single genre here except for maybe metal or country but thats still a crazy amount of genres.Such an amazing concept as well which i definitely need to delve more into 9.0

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

3+

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.

pretty fire shit right here🔥🔥🔥kinda reminds me of rihanna

Pre-listen: So, I've never heard of a R&B/Hip Hop sci-fi concept record, so this is kind of exciting. Listening notes: I love the big-band work. Production is strong. There are a lot of moving parts to this, and it's put together really well. I love the idea better than the execution though...though, to be fair, the genre isn't something I gravitate toward, so that might be part of my problem. Truth is, I think everything is done really well, and it's interesting, at least from a technical standpoint. I think where it falls kinda flat for me is the front half of the record. The back half picks up some, and she goes in some crazy directions musically that I didn’t expect, but the front half kind of drags. Ultimately, I could see where this record would appeal to some people, and I'm not hating on what this seemingly really talented artist is doing here. But, as weird and unexpected and eccentric as the record is as a whole, I probably won’t revisit it on account of the first handful of songs. 3.7/5

I think Dirty Computer has more standouts, but this album has a cohesive feel and creative production.

Really enjoyed this. Had heard some of her music before and liked the classic sounds that she would use from vintage jazz to classic soul. There are passages that sound straight out of a 50s or 60s jazz record and other parts that are very modern hip hop. She’s got a great voice.

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.

Not for me Clive. I persevered until track 10, but should have gone with my initial instincts and stopped about Track 4.

I felt like this was challenging to listen to while working but I appreciate her singular talent and capacity for wide ranging styles.

Thought "Oh no" after the first song had a distinct rap sound to it. Thankfully that was the only one. The rest were actually quite refreshing. Some R&B influences in there, with enough differentiation from run of the mill artists to make this quite good to listen to.

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

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

Meh²

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.

Honestly this album is a very nice break from the other stuff we’ve gotten so far. Kinda the opposite of the mountains of 70s rock. A lot of the tracks are pretty creative and approach a lot of genres that pop like this wouldn’t normally deal with. It also sometimes feels like it’s doing more just for the sake of making a greatest albums of all time type album. The rhythm guitar is really fun though. Some tracks also narrowly avoid falling into annoying target music, but do avoid it nonetheless. It’s also really really long so I kinda got sick of it by the end. Standout Tracks: Dance or Die; Sir Greendown; Oh, Maker; Say You’ll Go 4/5 deserves to be on this list

Electrónico. Me recuerda a Metrópolis. Muy original. Me aburre en momentos.

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.

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

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

3.6

Loved the first 7 songs and Tightrope is awesome!

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

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).

Eh

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

🔥🔥🔥

For today's 1001 albums to hear before I die I got an album I did not expect to be hearing today of all days with Janelle Monáe's acclaimed debut album The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III). While this album isn't nearly as direct and in your face about following the story started on Suite I, it does in fact add chapters to the overall story and continue building Janelle's own world. This album is theatrical and grand while never feeling cheesy or over the top. I completely get it if some of y'all want to call me crazy for this, but I far prefer Suite I to this album. Don't get me wrong I still like this project but man did I definitely feel like I was getting lost in the entire tracklist by the time it was coming to an end. It is such a huge project in terms of scale but if you aren't super invested in what is going on like with the flashy Suite I, you can definitely drift out of this album's focus without it ever picking you back up. Unfortunately that is exactly how I felt despite really liking some truly amazing tracks here like Faster, Neon Valley Street, and Dance or Die. I can appreciate all the time and effort Janelle put into this project but it just wasn't as much for me as I had initially thought.

Very interesting, as it’s not really like any other album instrumentally or sound wise, which is quite refreshing, and probably would have especially been so in the relatively stale R&B climate of the time it was released. Such a mix of stuff on here, from rap-adjacent to even some rock stuff. It also uses a real range of instruments, like string sections and stuff, the string interludes are really great and break up the EPs which were compiled into this, especially the suite 3 overture. Even if it is technically pop music, it’s still really interesting stuff and breaks into what music nerds would probably call sophisti-pop or something. Some songs are a bit nothing though, but there’s loads of good ones. Favourite songs: suite II overture, faster, Sir Greendown, tightrope, mushrooms and roses, suite III overture, BaBopByeYa. Overall around 7/10

Ugh

Concept albums are not always weird. Not always great either.

Interesting. Lots of sounds. Enjoyed going through it but didn't save anything. Neutral.

Funky modern soul. Top track: Locked Inside

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

I found this OK but couldn't really get into it...

Beautiful voice. All over the place. Sounds like it was produced from hell to back.

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.

- never heard this before but enjoyed it a lot. the production value is really high, and they have an incredible voice. there wasn't a track I didn't enjoy; even the little interludes were pleasant and layered - I realized I've been characterizing Janelle Monae as more Ke$ha and less Amy Winehouse, but everything is much more jazzy and musical than I expected - the little jaunt with of Montreal was very fun and gave me a much better impression of what kind of artist they are - I heard influences from Simon and Garfunkel, Amy Winehouse, 70s psychadelic (and its revival in the 2010s with Tame Impala etc.), Southern gospel, Michael Jackson, James Bond scores, and even a little bit of Debussy at the end of "Say You'll Go" -- each track was almost squarely in its own genre - torn between four and five stars, so let's be generous: I was thoroughly impressed *and* my view of the artist changed as a result of listening, so I think that merits the full five

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

Such a great and diverse album, 5/5 no notes

3.5 much better than I expected

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.

Any album from the 2010s seem to either be older muscisians who became famous earlier or RnB/Soul. This is of course the latter. I think I was just really tired yesterday and this wasn’t the music I was in the mood for so take my review with a grain of salt. This album has quite a mix of music styles but focused on RnB. The RnB is fine and somewhat catchy but it feels very 2010s (although this maybe one of the albums that led the charge?). I wasn’t a big fan of the classical music interlude, it felt somewhat cheap to put in “Clair the lune” (great piece) to give the album gravitas. The album felt a bit long but it was an ok listen. It never made me pause to listen more carefully though. Giving it a 3 for now.

Good production! Interesting album

Eh, it was not bad

Monáe’s voice is so stunningly clear. This album was interesting, fun to listen to, and had a great sound.

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.

immediately 5 stars

4.5 Fun, beautiful cinematic ride.

I knew of Janelle Monáe before listening to this album, but I’m really glad was on the list. This really is an album that earns its spot by being worth the listen from front to back. The songs feel unique and distinct, but blend cleanly and give a strong, connected flow. Monáe’s voice is strong and powerful, and acts another instrument in the powerful orchestrations. This was truly a great listening experience, and this album is going on the repeat listening pile for sure.

Not for me

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

Han egstra hüt namal driglosst, willi s meiste vergesse han unds em Timy gfalle hed. Also uf de klassische Neduzen Skala isch das es 3. Na schön aber au nöd meh. Im hintergrund guet, im Vordergrund vlt denn mal langwilig. Eich scho sehr vill gueti Teilstück, aber halt scho au sehr poppig. Würi uf de Timon Skala Bewerte gäbs e klassische 1 Sterner, Aber wär au chli gäzig hehe 3 Arche Noahs liebe Timon

Not heard anything like this before but wow, I really enjoyed this. A mix of genres that all come together. Not usually into rap, but the singer has an excellent voice and it mixes well throughout the album in a variety of music styles. Fantastic!

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).

Completely new to me. Was expecting something very poppy but was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this.

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

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

Very good

Why is this lowkey rly fire so far? overture idgaf abt (naturally) but Dance or Die is very Lady Gaga incredible i like the spoken word i like the guitar it's all very good but diverse in sound and yet cohesive! Faster is also nice it has a good quick beat (duh) and then it's got this sort of carefree Bjorky jubilance to it i really enjoy it Locked inside is a nice swingy pop song. very lovey very cute Sir Greendown is lovely and downbeat and the little notes give me a sort of mellow vibe it's kind of Liana Flores the Cardigans and also weirdly spooky because of the voices? But I think i hear harp it's so pretty!! This is more how i think of janelle monae. She's got a strong, kicky voice that I've really only heard in Tightrope, but it's also very pretty! Kellindo? what's all this? Its chasing, hungry music though which i so love. it's very majestic and beautiful, I htink. Tightrope is a fire song wbk. I know her for this song but i only listen to the glee version (SUPER good lowkey might be better than this hate to say it) but this is really really good too. It's so fucking catchy and i like its attitude. Wait i didnt know this had a rap verse in it and it's really good too! Gosh this is so good. I think the precussion and sound effects add something really special to this track that the glee vers apparently doesnt have (unforutnately) Neon Gumbo is an intersting little electronic interlude and i do tend to like scary nature noises in music. Gives it a really unique edge since so many songs do bzzzt but crash crash is more impactful often. Oh, Maker is very delicate and very beautiful. Very looking out across the city on a sunny but gently foggy day. it's just wonderful. omg Come Alive she's fucking tweaking! This is so very halloween it's jovial its a little Disney movie a little corny a little rockabilly a little of everything. its lowkey rly fire so catchy gosh that note at the end she's got a beautiful voice but i like that shes also willing to use it on crazy cat yowling sorta stuff Mushrooms and roses is a nice long track very chaotic very psychadellic very loud sort of 70s and sort of Beck at the same time?idk my references are all over the place but like it's definitely reminiscent of some earlier rock stuff as well maybe like Lou Reed and probably a bunch of black artists im not culturally smart enough to know. I love it Overture is very mamas and papas disney movie muted nostalgia wow this album has a very well curated vibe around it -- very much has music and sounds to fit the vibe of the songs before and after it's good it's blended well Sorta arabian? sorta alien? Neon valley street also has that sort of alien beautiful but familiar energy andi feel like this album has some great world building. i love the end too Make the Bus is so catchy so fire wow i love it it's so alternative it's a little britpop or... mika?? idk it's so fire wow it's got like a talking heads kind of lady gaga speaking it's SO hard to describe but there's definitely some sounds i feel that i know well. this album is so elaborate and involves so many people it's almost like it's a four piece band or something but it's just Janelle and her features and backup! it's so good. Wondaland is VERY cibo matto it's very cute very electronic wow i can't believe this is janelle monae super robotic super repetitive super cutesy i love that they say take me back to wonderland she thinks she left her underpants that's the kind of cutesiness we need in the music game not super crazy abt hallelujah but i like it enough!!! 57821 is haunting and almost hymnal which i don't really like but i'm sure it has some deep meaning i cant get. Say you'll go is nice and pretty and calm but i kinda don't gaf that much. it's sort of boring in its slowness Babopbye ya this is much less goofy than the name suggests. does it mean anything idk bruh but its kind of bossa nova jazz lounge singer sexy Adele sort of energy which i'll always like and 8 mins!!! again the world is super cool to me i like the foresty gardeny thing that's going on love it! this song is liek a whole 3 act opera damn wow her voice is very powerful very beauitulful this i must go part is so awesome. this is a lot nicher and like less mainstream and more experimental than i thought janelle monae went i thought she was just a pop star! but super super cool super frickin good LOVe it and i'll probably be on thsi for a good couple weeks

2/5

I swear everytime a female artist is featured here, their stuff is sooooo great. 70% of male artists are mediocre at best. Coincidence?

Lot of different vibes going on here, definitely some gems though.

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

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.

it is produced greatly, but just not my thing

5/5. Just hit after hit, this is a fantastic progressive techno-pop funk record. So many ideas and feelings, the first side much more upbeat than the second but the second side just as strong. It moves from early 40's pop to modern rap, and everything in between. There was not a single song I was not enjoying, and she really shines in the last song, it feels like an otherworldly epic mixed with a James Bond score. This was just a solid record front to back, no notes. Best Song: Tightrope, Cold War, BabopbyeYa

Very commercial.

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.

No private session used for Spotify, not sure what I was getting in to and, to be honest, I am still not sure what I got in to after listening to it. Quite a lot of different musical styles going on here and there is nothing wrong with that but it does make it hard to dial into it. I didn't have time to give it a second listen, but I need to go back to it.

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

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

Catchy tunes

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 ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Some decent stuff in here, just gets a bit repetitive and generic. Not exactly my speed.

2.5

Good variety of songs. Favorite track: Tightrope other picks: cold war, dance or die, locked inside

Eccentric…

This album is all over the place and I love it. The vocals kill, the instrumentals keep flipping every 30 seconds, never dull for a second. Cold War nails how sharp the composition is, and the vocal run at the end of BaBopByeYa is the cherry on top. Janelle’s performance is unreal. Easy 9.5/10.

Good album, some really nice songs but overall did not really stand out for me.

Holy shit. This album was awesome. Very epic, love the mix of influences, there’s a lot of older music. I could definitely hear in the mix. Jazz, hip-hop, R&B, prog, I was not aware of Janelle’s game. This was amazing, I’m listening to her other few albums. She has out now. Absolute five star.

i wanted to like this so badly. it starts of quite nicely and is reminiscent of prince in terms of the funkiness. there's a lot of fun stuff in the first two thirds! the last third of this album is a lot more dramatic and orchestral and i found it a bit less interesting and not as fun to listen to. it's definitely not a bad album, but i think overall it does end up feeling a little bloated.

This is interesting, because ever since I saw her perform live on tv I was looking forward to listening to her album, but then I just found it to be pretty flat. I really wanted to like it more,

Solid album, I assume it was from a musical, a diverse range of genres here.

Intressant, helt ok

Wow, what an incredible album. Going in, I wasn’t sure what to expect; it sounded too ambitious, with influences ranging from Bowie to Fritz Lang to Stevie Wonder. But Janelle Monáe somehow pulls it all together in a dazzling mashup of soul, jazz, classical, and sci-fi. It’s more than an album, it’s a cinematic experience, a full-blown world you can step into. Every track feels intentional, layered, and bursting with creativity. I honestly want to see this as a film - it’s that vivid and imaginative. Monáe doesn’t just blend genres; she builds an entire universe out of them.

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

I LOST MY REVIEW JUST KNOW I LOVE IT AND IM SO HAPPY TO KNOW WHERE YOU GOT IT SAMPLE CAME FROM.

Much skin, little music

Coisa de louco, uma viagem ! gostei

Good album. Don’t think I’d listen again. The double album format made it feel a bit unfocused.

Funky. Enjoyed revisiting this after not hearing it for over a decade. Didn’t need to be so long

*** Interesting album, although not my music

Bit of a strange listen, as sitting in on chapters 2 & 3 of Monae’s RnB opera about robots and distant futures was…disorienting without context, to say the least. I enjoyed the soundscape she achieved on many songs, but then others were so derivative as to sound almost like a middle school play. Somewhat paradoxically, then, the album shone best when it leaned more heavily into its musical theater roots (“Maker” and “BaBopByeYa” were the two standout tracks, and both would have an easy home in a real Broadway play.) I’m interested in listening to the whole work and then revisiting my thoughts here, but this was overall a hit-and-miss record with some nice highs and a lot of filler otherwise.

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

Fabulous!!!

Not my style

2.9 good artistic direction and concept. good beats and not bad just did not connect w me or leave me wanting to listen again

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

At first listen: jaw dropping! Multiple layers of styles coalescing into coherent music. Masterful.

A whole musical emotional journey, beautiful.

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.

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

janelle i like ur met gala looks

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

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

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

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

Sorti en 2010, je dois avouer que j'étais complètement passé à côté de l'album de Janelle Monáe. L'année 2010... J'avais quarante balais, le magasin de disques n'était plus qu'un souvenir, et mes oreilles commençaient sans doute à se faire sélectives, voire un peu paresseuses. On le vendait à l'époque comme un chef-d'oeuvre, un truc de dingue qui réinventait la soul, le funk, le R&B, et probablement la recette du quatre-quarts. Le genre de discours qui, avec l'âge, a tendance à me faire fuir plutôt qu'autre chose. Et puis, le grand algorithme des 1001, me l'a refilé et au final, "The ArchAndroid" est un album surprenant et vraiment étonnant. Il faut d'abord savoir que "The ArchAndroid" n'est pas un album. C'est un opéra, un film de science-fiction, une comédie musicale futuriste montée sous acide. Une putain d'odyssée de 70 minutes qui raconte l'histoire d'une androïde messianique, Cindi Mayweather, envoyée pour libérer ses congénères opprimés dans une ville nommée Metropolis. Rien que ça. Quand j'ai lu le pitch, j'ai failli lâcher l'affaire, moi, le type qui a grandi avec le rock'n'roll le plus direct, le punk le plus crasseux, me voilà face à un concept album afrofuturiste. J'avais l'impression de devoir réviser mes cours de philo de terminale avant de mettre le disque sur la platine. Et la musique, bordel... La musique ! Ça part dans tous les sens. TOUS LES SENS. L'intro est une ouverture symphonique digne d'un film de Kubrick. Puis, sans prévenir, on est catapulté dans un funk P-Funk période Mothership Connection, puis dans un rap frénétique, une ballade folk pastorale à la Nick Drake, un cabaret berlinois, du rock psychédélique qui tache, de la pop orchestrale... C'est un tourbillon. Une machine à laver musicale qui essore tous les genres que tu as pu entendre dans ta vie, et même quelques-uns que tu n'imaginais pas. Objectivement, c'est brillant, la production est pharaonique, les arrangements sont d'une complexité folle. Janelle Monáe chante, rappe, murmure, hurle avec une maîtrise qui force le respect. On sent qu'il y a une vision, une ambition démesurée derrière chaque note. C'est cohérent dans son incohérence, si vous voyez ce que je veux dire. Chaque morceau, aussi différent soit-il du précédent, semble être une pièce indispensable du puzzle narratif. On sent l'influence de Prince, de Bowie, d'OutKast, de Stevie Wonder, mais tout est digéré, recraché pour servir ce récit de SF complètement barré. C'est là que mon 3 sur 5 prend tout son sens car cet album m'a lessivé, épuisé. Il n'offre aucun répit, c'est une agression permanente, un bombardement d'informations sonores. Chaque titre est une suite de montagnes russes. Ça monte, ça descend, ça vrille, ça repart. T'as à peine le temps de t'habituer à un rythme que, paf, on te balance autre chose. Cette énergie, cette profusion, cette volonté de tout mettre, tout le temps, partout, ça finit par créer une sorte de tension, une anxiété. On est constamment sur le qui-vive, et ça, ce n'est pas une sensation que je recherche particulièrement en écoutant un disque. L'album est un grand écart permanent entre une pop song ultra efficace comme "Tightrope" et des expérimentations vocales ou des envolées orchestrales qui te perdent complètement. C'est le disque d'une artiste qui a tellement d'idées qu'elle ne sait pas lesquelles jeter. Alors elle garde tout. Le meilleur comme le trop-plein. On est face à un génie, c'est indéniable, mais un génie qui ne sait pas canaliser son flux. Honnêtement, j'ai eu beau reconnaître la qualité intrinsèque des morceaux, la virtuosité de l'ensemble, j'attendais la fin avec une impatience non dissimulée. J'avais besoin de silence, de calme, de quelque chose de simple, de direct, de normal, de classique, de moins schizophrène. Cet album, c'est l'antithèse du "less is more" car ici, "more is more", et encore, ce n'est pas assez. Alors oui, 3 sur 5, c'est la note parfaite pour un album qu'on admire mais qu'on n'aime pas. Un album qu'on respecte pour son audace et son ambition, mais qu'on ne remettra probablement jamais sur la platine, de peur d'y laisser sa santé mentale. C'est une expérience, une vraie et certaines expériences n'ont pas besoin d'être vécues deux fois. "The ArchAndroid" est un monument un peu écrasant, un peu angoissant, mais un monument quand même. Allez, sans rancune Janelle, mais la prochaine fois, pense à nous laisser respirer.

Im emotional over this one. This is so good. I really can’t express how much I enjoyed this album, especially going into it expecting to dislike it. I listened to dirty computer before this and didn’t love it, but this is just simply a masterpiece. There’s not a dull moment on this thing. Every song is amazing, everything sounds so good, lyrically phenomenal, this is so so good and I’ve been so wrong for ignoring it for the past 15 years. The interpolations are so tight, her vocals are unbelievable, it’s so jazzy and rock and rnb and electronic and it’s all good. Definitely a solid listen all the way through album. 5/5/5/5

Didn't expect much, was really impressed. I'd bet she puts on a great live show.

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

I love Janelle Monae! Haven’t heard this album yet somehow. Not enjoying how many times they are using “schizo” as a descriptor, considering from what I have researched, they do not have schizophrenia. Decent first album, not my favorite of theirs.

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.

Do I need a jam-packed and nearly exhausting space robot musical crammed with Bowie and Prince impersonations, Fairport Convention lilt, future-R&B, and *so* many ideas? Turns out I don't really, but I do respect the ever living hell out of Monae's creativity and ambition.

One of my all-time faves, and seriously underregarded, imo. What can’t Monáe do? She moves seamlessly between genres and makes them her own. The album is both eccentric and poppy, full of weird intervals and luscious hooks. I just love it.

Je m'attendais à un truc archi nul, et c'était pas archi nul.

Alright

Ok but not as special as the reviews suggest. Starts with disco which could have been recorded at any point since about 1976 and then moves on to an entire range of other familiar genres.

One of my all time favorites. This hits so many elements of what makes a great album for me; a high-concept, a century of cultural references, the timeless social themes, and the beautiful music clearly informed by Monae’s broadway background. It still feels like this came out of nowhere, and it’s perfect.

Quite good! The first half is great fun with several hooks

Some good tracks, but the “story” is confusing to follow. Too many faceless slow songs near the end.

The kind of high concept theatrical thing I just love, not only is it ambitious, it manages to land hard on its two feet by the end because of how much care is put on its concept. I think Janelle manages to make the the aesthetics and the grandiosity of basically a musical adaptation of Metropolis feel just as grand which I don't think many people can get right, but even more have so many styles of music come together so tightly and again, come out like a fully formed package instead of an overlylong mess, I guess it helps I love the way everything sounds. So yeah this is an absolute win, I need some more listens to truly get into the details of the lyrics but I'm loving it

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

So diverse and so much fun

Fun dance tracks. Unpopular opinion: she should be as famous as Beyonce

Big fan. Just a little too long