The ArchAndroid

Very nice! Really liked how it was so different. Didn´t expect it from Janelle Monáe. Saved about 5 songs.

A very ethereal and atmospheric album. Displays a wide range of skills styles and bending of sounds. A good album to sit back on a rainy day and read a book to.

Great vibes

Soul que regala los oídos. Escucharlo seguido es un lujo para los oídos

Vild hiphop, rnb, funk, soul hybrid! Eksperimenterende og smooth på samme tid

This was such a pleasant surprise. I did not think I knew any of Janelle Monae's music, but realised I had heard Tightrope covered on Glee. There were so many parts to this album that made me lean in and listen a little closer or simply smile. Loved the experimental nature of the album, it truly gives a reason to listen to this as an album complete, rather than simply picking songs. I do wish there had been one or two more songs that I would listen to in isolation, as the album experience is not something we have the time to listen to much, but this is definitely an album I would listen to again. There were moments where I could also picture Janelle Monae singing a James Bond intro song, and would love to hear that in the future.

I had never seen this album art or heard of this artist. I listened to the album twice, I liked it so much. The momentum kept building throughout. This album just kept coming. The songs varied but weren’t too abstract for my liking.

Felt momentarily Cool when this one turned up. I thought “Hey, a new one that I know, and know I like!” then realized that 2010 was 14 years ago. Still like it nonetheless. A 3.5 rounded up because my kids have a Sesame Street DVD that features Monae, and her segment is maybe the only one on there that I don’t mind hearing repeatedly.

Mucha fusión, muy bien

This was new to me. I liked it. Very interesting musician ship and vocal talent.

Impressive. So eclectic! Not into the soul and R&B stuff, but other stuff is really cool.

Before its time for 2010, very prototype for SZA. Interesting catchy beats.

Album cover thought it was gonna be straight hip hop/R&B but they mash so many different styles from classical to punk and everything in between all mixed with random samples. It drove my buddy Cory crazy and he had to Chang it but I enjoyed it. Found myself rating songs 4-5⭐️s as I listened. Good album.

"A concept album based on Metropolis...and it's a debut album. Immediately, I'm struck by how eclectic this is, spanning so many different genres and transitioning between them so effortlessly."

Not what I expected. It starts with an orchestral piece, moves into hip hop before doing a Britpop type song. And that's just the first three tracks! "Tightrope" is a great single! Lots of genres, all over the place. A little show tunes, a little folk, a little Danny Elfman. Uses "Like a schizo" a little much haha.

such an amazing vocal performance, the concert was pretty interesting too

Never heard of this artist or album so went in blind. What a revelation it was. This is an excellent concept album and blows you away with how well it works

Good chill out record, would say it’s just a touch too long.

Probably worth another listen

Another interesting and kinda weird one I was not expecting. Add to the listen again pile

This was another pleasant surprise. I was not super familiar with Janelle Monáe’s discography going into this album and was under the assumption that she just did hip hop. This album was all over the place stylistically but was also super cohesive. Despite all the different genre influences on this album the songs transitioned into each other pretty seamlessly- so much so that I didn’t always know when a new song had started. This album definitely explores a wide range of options and influences which is super cool and much appreciated.

Incredible mix of genres.... Loads of fun, lots of surprises... A great find.

Funky, soulful, and highly imaginative. Strong influence from Stevie Wonder, Prince, and Lauryn Hill. Comes out with a ton of energy from the start and blazes through to the two singles. Tightrope is such a jam. After that it trails off with some weaker and slower songs, especially that of Montreal feature. But ultimately this is a fantastic, compelling debut and one that I’m sure will garner more acclaim as time goes on.

My first introduction to Monae, this album was quite the start. I loved the grand theatricality of the record and the orchestral inclusions. She also showed a pretty stunning vocal range. That said, this album deserves further attention for it's story (as well as the story starting on the EP), and there were a handful of tracks that didn't click with me whatsoever. Fav Tracks: Suite II Overture; Tightrope; Oh, Maker; Mushrooms and Roses; Neon Valley Street; BaBopByeYa Least Fav Tracks: Make the Bus; Wondaland

Absolute jam. It’s a bit too long and falls off in the second half, but still a great listen.

This is a debut album? That’s wild. I enjoyed this but didn’t really attempt to follow the story - maybe on a subsequent listen. I like this more than the first time I heard it. It flows along nicely, gets a little long at the end. Oh, Maker was excellent. And loved the Big Boi appearance on Tightrope. Cool blend of genres. Good stuff.

Ok, this was a pretty good album. Not a lot stood out as something I would personally listen to repeatedly, but it had good beats and lyrics and I could see how people would really enjoy it. I think I could come back to this later for a relisten. 3.75/5

I don't know what to call this. But I like it. A lot. From the Metropolis iconography to the genre bending music, this record slaps. Never heard of the artist or this record. But I'm a follow on Spotify now.

Kids in 2010: it's just an album Kids in 2070: 🎶 🤖 🎶

Pretty cool funky album. Had songs that commented on social aspects, but also some really cool bops and some beautiful instrumentals

This is why i started this journey, to find albums like this. Really great stuff here.

My only other exposure to Monáe before this was Dirty Computer, which is a better album than this. Failing to clear that high bar, however, hardly counts as an indictment of this album. I can understand why some people may not like this, as it is certainly an experimental, conceptual album. However, it is stylistically brave and very enjoyable to listen to. Highlights for me include the Overture, Cold War, Tightrope, and BaBopByeYa. Monáe rejects simple beats and melodies in favor of a wide variety of instruments, techniques, and more. And she pulls it off. However, this album does not quite reach five stars for me for two main reasons. First, a significant flaw for a conceptual album, her voice - and thus, oftentimes, the story & message - gets lost in the production a little bit too much. On a first listen, without knowing what to look for, I truly did not pick up the story (unlike in Dirty Computer, which was clear while retaining epic production) Second, and less important, the album did not have enough songs that truly stuck out from the pack to quite elevate it IMO. As much as raw artistry is great, I’m a sucker for having songs that you can truly throw on repeat and love on their own. In this album, I think only Cold War even contends for that. Again, for comparison, Dirty Computer had Dirty Computer; Crazy, Classic, Life; Screwed; Pynk; Make me Feel; and American (again, all IMO). However, this growth is to be expected of an artist, and ArchAndroid is incredibly impressive for a debut album. I think it truly settles somewhere in between a 4 & 5, but I am trying to preserve fives for true masterpieces. Thus, a 4

Really good album, very imaginative. She does a good job of using her vocal skill to make actual bops, rather than just showing off.

energetic and cool genre fusion/combo. few gems on here. 3.6

There are some serious bangers. However the album as a whole is lacking. Too many not great songs

Loved it, super boogie 8/10

It’s a but. I think my favorite track is Locked Inside.

Likes: Cold War, Come Alive (War of the Roses), Tightrope It’s a vibe.

Decent sound.

Great energy, beautiful arrangements and really fun and refreshing listen. Once the second track, Dance or Die kicked in I had a good feeling about the ArchAndroid. The R&B tag had me worried, this has more to it with some Pop and even rock influences at times. Nice appearance by Kevin Barnes and of Montreal too, didn’t see that coming. Again, loved the energy here, a few tracks could have been trimmed but this was great 4 stars

C'était une bonne vibe.

Un des meilleurs album de la décennie passée, beaucoup apprécié le concept et le bon groove

General Rating 10: New Favourite 8-9: Listen Consistently 6-7: Might Listen Again 4-5: Wouldn't be mad if came up again 2-3: Wouldn't Listen Again 1: Never listen. Song by Song Analysis: Suite Overture: 6 Dance or Die: 8.5 Faster: 8 Locked Inside: 7 Sir Greendown: 7.7 Cold War: 8.5 Tightrope: 6.9 Neon Gumbo: 5 Oh, Maker: 6.5 Come Alive (War of the Roses): 7.85 Mushrooms and Roses: 5.9 Suite III Overture: 6.2 Neon Valley Street: 7 Make the Bus: 7.3 Wondaland: 7.5 57821: 7.5 Say You'll Go: 7.85 BaBopByeYa: 8 M/Md: ~7.2/7.4 True Opinion: I'd definitely listen to the opening songs on ways to places. Not sure about the other songs...but I wouldn't mind putting it on every now and then. So really like an 8-9 for the first 6 songs, then 7 afterwards. Thoughts: The colors of the album are electric purple, blue, saffron, and lime green. Bouncy, and has the texture of smooth plastic. Vocals are definitely a defined instrument in this; very varied and expressive. Not sure about the usage of schizo throughout the song? Adore the piano and more 'classical' instruments- perfect. Sounds like something you'd hear in a futuristic speakeasy.

I’m honestly a bit of a super fan already. I love this album and Janelle does little wrong in my eye.

Excellent album. Many of the songs are first-class. The music is rhythmic and gets you moving wherever you are. Great vocals. A proper concept album, too. I'll be listening to this one again for sure. If I had a criticism, it would be that some of the classical pieces slightly drag and slow the overall pace. To some extent, this is valuable for the overall concept. Could have done with a very, very slight slight trim. That is being perfectionistic though. It's a marvellous album, brilliantly written and delivered.

Had been putting off for so long. So surprised by it. Super unique 4.3

WHOAH, that was wild.

Something and someone I had never heard before. Really enjoyed the Track with Big Boi!

I didn’t know what this album was about, nor genre, but was pleasantly surprised. The varied songs and semi experimental music was lovely (helps she has a great voice as well)

This was fun!

Quite an exceptional pop release.

I really, really enjoyed this. Bops all the way through.

Loved the lyrics and the instrumental parts were very unique. Sometimes sounded a bit like a Disney movie theme song though.

Fun album. Not sure how I'd classify it, but it felt unique and jaunty.

Liked this more than I used to and i expected to like it less.

Loved it! so dynamic, wasn't expecting so many different moving parts! Hadn't ever listened to Janelle much, but I'm a fan now!!

Nightsky luxurious dinner with gentle social commentary.

This is a great example of why I wanted to do this project - to discover artists that I had never heard of before and end up really liking their albums. Over a decade old and I'm not sure how this passed me by but such a rich work with numerous styles and clear influences bleeding in. One caveat is that Apple music only let me listen to the 'Deluxe' version, so I'm not sure how much embellishment from the original work there is. Stand out tracks: Cold War, Oh Maker and Say You'll Go

Verrassend! Paar nummers die ik echt zal blijven luisteren.

Brash, bold, beautiful Love this one. Great vibe from start to finish. Finding this kind of thing is what this project is about for me. I could go 5 but it's borderline so I will say a very very high 4/5

76 Based on this new scale (my previous ratings are now all inaccurate): 1 - 0 to 19 2 - 20 to 39 3 - 40 to 59 4 - 60 to 79 5 - 80 to 100 I had to look this artist up. When I did, I did not expect that I'd enjoy this very much, as I'm not a fan of R&B, which was the first genre Wikipedia used to describe this artist. This is actually a pretty genre-less album and I found it to be a refreshing, enjoyable experience.

banger

a great listen. ive always enjoyed her stuff

Fun stuff

I wasn't expecting to like this but it honestly goes kind of hard? The second half isn't as good as the first but this was a pretty good album.

I loved the continuation on this album - felt like one long song/journey. Not to mention there is everything you’d want - pop, rap, funk, guitar work

I really think this woman is the heir apparent to Prince

это было интересно и заставило одну мысль породиться в моей голове...

Yeah, it's good.

Nice beats and melodic flows. Empowering lyrics, overall really good!

Add one star for the opening and Sir Greendown

Never heard any of her music before but i will say this was a mighty fun listen.

Thought this was brilliant. Didn't fancy it when it came up but glad I listened.

Not my style but really good production and vibey

stand out track - Cold War

I enjoyed the cohesiveness of this album, to me it sounded like it was meant to be listened to in the order the album is structured in.

Pretty cool album

Starts well, falls a little on the middle and ends well again. Great song transitions, overall good album from an artist I never heard about. Favorite Tracks: Dance or Die, Faster, Locked Inside, Tightrope Least Favorite Tracks: Neon Gumb, Wondaland

crazy cool outkast sexadellicfunktasticjazz

I hadn't heard this album, but I knew about it, and I knew Janelle Monae was a sellout. The first song of hers I heard was "Americans," which I liked, and which prompted me to listen to her "Dirty Computer" album, which that song is from. I hated it. Very simplistic and unimaginative pop, with way too in-your-face sexual lyrics. I heard people saying this album was better, and I believed them, but had no particular desire to listen to it. They're right, though. This album is WAY better in every way. It's intelligent, and ambitious, and beautiful. It calls back to the sounds of last century, but is also unique. Most of the lyrics are well written. The vocal melodies are so unusual and unlike anything you usually hear, and the whole thing really made me appreciate what a powerful, soulful voice Monae has. Also, the album is so varied! It does that beautiful thing that a lot of my favourite albums do, especially the older ones, where it moves between completely different and unexpected sounds, often within the same song. And as always, that somehow makes it more cohesive instead of less. I didn't like every song. I particularly disliked the "underpants" line in "Wundaland," which sounded like it would've been more at home on "Dirty Computer." The melody of that song being so much more interesting than anything on "Dirty Computer" makes up for it, though. And there were several songs I loved. The concept was a little hard to follow at first. I only really picked up on what was going on in the narrative towards the end. And also, while I inevitably appreciate a dystopian concept album, the whole concept of an android falling in love is inherently flawed. You cannot "be" an AI. AI is just a computer program that emulates consciousness rather than actually having it. It can't experience the world or feel human emotions such as love. Unfortunately, I found it a little hard to see past all that. But there was something cool about the concept, too. It had a lot of the elements I love in a story. Oh, what the industry does to the breaths of fresh air. Favourite tracks: BeBopByeYa, Sir Greendown, Cold War, Mushrooms & Roses, Oh Maker, Locked Inside, Dance or Die

Wild Musical Journey, expanding many genres. Great fun to listen to.

Janelle is an incredible performer and the last two songs are so much wonderful, but it's occasionally spotty and too complex for its own good

Great album. The upbeat songs have a great groove, the album gets all of its emotion moments right, and the sequencing is masterful. Only issue is it gets a little heavy handed at the back half.

Het eerste nummer is heel theatraal en is een beetje de ge-upgrade versie van StarTrek muziek. Daarna wordt het album zeker beter met 'Faster' bijvoorbeeld, lekker catchy en goed nummer. Ook 'Cold War' is een klassieke banger. Daarna wordt het album wat anders en wat mij betreft minder, wat alternatiever en zweveriger. Bij 'Come Alive' zit dan wel weer een heerlijke gitaar en het wordt dan bijna rock met de geweldige rauwe stem van Monáe. Verder is '57821' nog wel een leuk nummer. Al met al is het een leuk album maar zitten er ook veel "skipps" in.

Long. Get past the first 1-2 intro songs and it's good.

Good one

Lively, varied, and easy to listen to.

I enjoyed this. A lot of interesting beats.

4 Fresh, entertaining and unpredictable!

Inventive, bold, and defintiely ahead of it's time. On revisit I notice it's bloat a bit more and it clearly fades as it ends, but man the highs are so high. 4/5

Mulla oli sellainen mielikuva etten jostain syystä diggailis tätä, mutta kyllähän tää on aivan mukiin menevää poppista, jossa on jopa vähän sielua megessä! 4/5

Jee mukavaa, että tää on kestänyt aikaa ja kulutusta näin hyvin. Eipä ole huonoja biisejä. Vahva 4.

Love how the album flows together from track to track. Gorgeous instrumentals. Vocal achievements I did not know were possible for Janelle. The album lagged/lulled a little at the end, but enjoyed this as a concept piece. Favorite tracks: Dance Or Die Oh, Maker Mushrooms & Roses Wondaland

This was really unique and I like how there are many different styles. It's a versatile album. Some sound like grunge, some sound like pop, some sound like orchestra. Interesting. I'm saving this one so I can listen to it all the way through again. It's good.

A ratos música más bailable, en otras ambiente más relajado. Me ha sorprendido gratamente, aún sin ser un estilo que me guste especialmente. Buena voz y buenas melodías. Instrumentalmente, muy bueno, con variedad de estilos

Eclectic and jazzy, reminded me of a jazzed up Beyoncé of sorts. Very cool, def would not have found her on my own but glad I did!

Quite wild that this was her debut album, it was bold and close to being brilliant. Enjoyed lots of this and appreciated the scale, even if a few songs lost me. Fav Song: Mushrooms and Roses Strong 3.5

A big deal concept album that hit for me. Justified the extended runtime by being sonically broad, traversing a number of genres, but still cohesive in its sound. Politically charged and cinematic, but often catchy too - no forgoing the pop hits. Strong three and a half. Fave track: Locked Inside

Didnt really know she did music. This was really good.

förväntade mig piss men det var ganska bra och originellt

Musically eclectic, smooth wonderful voice, various moods. I liked it, it was a surprise!

Sorprendida me hallo. Mezcla de R&B, cósmico, música parafraseada.

well done. Not my everyday time

Catchy and good

Shows her versatility and it's interesting. It's a little like watching a kid excitedly running around a new toy store or something. Nice to hear some variety in this genre though.

Haven't gotten all the way through it yet, but I've really enjoyed what I've heard.

A great album, I've listened to this quite a bit over the years, but everytime I listen to it, it sounds fresh and new!

Something different and that made their record stand out from all the same rock albums.

Great variety and original production. Songs range from catchy to moody, and I will need a longer time to digest. It goes into the playlist though.

Un album de facture et de réalisation impeccables. J’admire particulièrement l’éventail de styles et d’influences, bien maîtrisés et fluides, qui forment quand même un ensemble cohérent

Inte alls tokigt. Blev positivt överraskad. Flera sköna och bra låtar.

Janelle Monáe never disappoints with her creativity

I didn’t know what to expect in The ArchAndroid beyond a satisfying taste of R&B, but Janelle Monáe gives us far more than that. “Dance or Die“ is packed yet not overbearing, so she makes sure we know she means business from the get-go. You might as well keep dancing if you’re not gonna run! She proceeds to sample a variety of genres in the following tracks, from pop in “Faster” to R&B in “Locked Inside” to hip hop in “Tightrope” and even psychedelic in “Neon Gumbo.” Just when I thought she couldn’t surprise me, I perked up at “Oh, Maker” and its seemingly continental European-influenced instrumental. Then she’s right back to rock ‘n roll in “Come Alive,” funk in “Make the Bus,” and gospel in “57821.” Oftentimes an artist’s greatest works are their eight-minute behemoths that take on multiple structures and a long story arc. “BaBopByeYa” is Janelle’s masterpiece, with a complexity reminiscent of rock operas like Tommy, A Day at the Races, or The Wall. To more fully appreciate the power of this concept album would require several deep listens, but alas, we have only 24 hours. Janelle Monáe incorporates around ten different genres in this record (if not more), and while that sounds like it should be messy, she somehow pulls it off.

I feared this would be another one of those scenarios when a celebrity pursues a completely different artistic medium to prove they not only have depth but also range. Like when Kylie and Kendall wrote a novel and it was bad. But this is a bit different, because Janelle Monae actually honed her craft. My point is, this impressed me a lot and I'm going to keep coming back to it.

This was beautiful actually. A modern version of Ms. Lauryn Hill's Miseducation, there was real vision here. A solid storyline that felt almost like a R&B take on a rock opera, I was genuinely impressed by this album. Not quite top tier but this will be revisited and shared with others.

Best Song: Dance or Die. I didn't realize that Monae had such a killer rap flow, so this track was a pleasant surprise. Worst Song: Sir Greendown. I just don't think there's a need for such a lowkey, buzzkill song in the middle of such upbeat tracks. Kind of kills the energy. Overall: An incredibly well-produced, slick, wide-ranging album. Sometime the range feels a bit too wide, with the slower songs dragging down the album somewhat, but overall it's refreshingly diverse, with a consistent groovy theme underlying it.

"The ArchAndroid" has some well-crafted songs. "Tightrope" and "Dance or Die" are good tracks. "Come Alive" sounds a bit like the B-52s. The best entries are the "overtures" and "interludes" - "Suite II", "Suite III", and "Neon Gumbo" - as they add an element of surprise and experimentation to the album. The whole thing is a superb mix of R&B, funk, and rap, and the musicianship is excellent throughout. Even though the musical genre is not really my thing, I enjoyed listening to "The ArchAndroid".

Uhh, este me gusta mucho

Funky Funky Funky

I've never really heard anything like this before. Full on eclectic, fascinating and you can never know what comes next. It's a mix of everything, but somehow it still makes sense as a whole.

Damn, it takes courage to start album with full classical track and it made me keep attention. I really appreciate music diversity.

I could have sworn that I'd listened to this before, but I think I was remembering listening to Janelle Monae's Dirty Computer. Regardless, I thought this was a really good album, and I really enjoyed the rock opera structure (I'm not sure if this is technically a rock opera, but I don't know what else to call it). I'm not very familiar with the movie Metropolis, but I was still able to follow the story arc of this album. The music was just overall beautiful and pleasant to listen to, and Janelle has a great voice. I loved that this album was able to utilize a wide variety of sounds and instruments, but it still managed to sound cohesive from start to finish. Some of my favorite moments on this album: -"Locked Inside" was beautiful and melodic, and I loved when the guitar kicked in towards the end of the song. -"Cold War" was awesome, and I loved the drumming, lyrics, and the guitar outro. The drumming actually reminded me of Outkast's "B.O.B.", and as fate would have it, the next song, "Tightrope," features Big Boi. -Speaking of "Tightrope," that was probably my favorite song on the album. I couldn't help but bob my head along to the great beat, and Janelle sings incredibly well on this song. Big Boi's rapping was fun as usual, and in an album full of great lyrics, this song still manages to stand out with its theme of balancing the the opposing forces in life. In summary, this was a solid album, and Janelle Monae is an incredibly talented artist.

Love Dirty Computer, had high hopes for this, and whilst it was good, it was too long, could have been edited down to make it hit harder. Still enjoyed it, but my enjoyment started waning!

Good album. She is so talented. Kansas City kid has done well.

While it is a bit indulgent, it’s an overall good album with a little bit of something for everybody, from Bowie fans to Outkast fans.

Need to come back to this

this album was super cool, I liked it! funky and fun. some of the tracks (especially Dance or Die) reminded me of Sonic Adventure 2 music that would play during Rouge's levels. Great stuff! Favorites: Cold War, Tightrope, Say You'll Go

Quite a trip but overall a lot of fun.

This was a fun album with a different sound. I enjoyed it

I dunno. It felt weird but also not bad at times? Definitely different. Maybe 4 is generous. 3.5 rounded up

It's the Monáe.

rise of the r&bots

Liked this a lot. Many genre many song

Very good and loved the flow between songs. Rating: 4.2

Not sure about this one, it's disjointed imo. Very young and feminine sound. It's definitely enjoyable and I would listen to it again, but it also sounds like she listened to every popular genre at the time and did her version of it, which no doubt requires serious talent... just needs more flow

Quite strangely lovely

first I think that this album is strange and maybe not for my taste... ...but it's hella good, have chilling beats and her beautiful voice.

baita som , voz e epolgante instrumentaçao top

Such a good debut album!

Peppy and fun

KINGA!!

Just wild this was her debut album. Sprawling but cohesive, very ambitious, great voice, solid variety. Not a daily listen to type of album but definitely belongs on this list

It was fine. The album, being the last two movements of her retro futurist concept work, felt a little stitched together at times. Quite a dance through different genres and refreshing that she had such a high amount of direct production input, major vibes going on in some tunes. A few felt a bit unfinished or with slightly forced chordal progressions that didn't quite work. But on the whole, I can see why this was lauded for being an excellent work but didn't garner immediate mainstream success. It's an album for JM to be proud of though and clearly states her artistic intent, some of which is referenced and reintroduced with great success in her subsequent albums.

Surprised me

Way better than expected, some warbling

Sorprendida me hallo. Mezcla de R&B, cósmico, música parafraseada.

Wow - another lengthy album but one that throws loads of ideas against the wall. Many of them stick! The whole work could be summed up as dream pop, but it takes excursions into territories such as torch songs, hip hop and even freak folk. Now, Monae doesn't always convince, but seems to have fun wearing each mask; and there's a winning freedom to proceedings. It doesn't hurt that she possesses a fantastic, versatile voice. Highlights for me are the Ron Isley-esque zap guitar workout 'Mushrooms and Roses', the twisted candy of 'Wondaland' and the Roaring Twenties-on-steroids thump of 'War of the Roses'. Altogether quite extraordinary.

Outkast+Prince

Funky and interesting. Not my favorite thing tho.

Not my usual thing but I find this delightful. I'd give it a 4.5 but a handful of songs were kinda weird and not fun to listen to which brought it down.

Yeah okay. So, I admire Janelle Monae as an interesting, artistic person, but wasn't expecting to really like this. And there was some I didn't like. But it was pretty alright. Avant-garde, jazzy, and a mostly cohesive album.

This is, quite something. We've strayed pretty far from my own musical tastes here and I would be lying if I said I liked it. Sure, there were parts which I liked, beginning with the overture which was pretty impressive and well done. But as a whole it was just all way too manic for my tastes. At the same time I would be remiss if I gave this anything less than 4 stars. It's incredibly creative and original in the way it blends various genres. And while various different influences are often strongly and unmistakably present (like Michael Jackson to name just one), it still manages to come across as authentic.

So interesting. This is a really unique album that I've never heard of before. Glad it was recommended.

I regarded the hour-plus runtime with a heavy sigh, but this went by very quickly and was highly enjoyable! So many different sounds and styles in here, including unexpected dalliances with folk music and showtunes, with the occasional bad English accent for some reason. Hints of Outkast and Prince keep it poppy. Not the kind of record I expected to be made these days, will check out her other work

Ik verwachtte niet deze grooves. Best goed en divers album.

The height of retrofituristic cool.

Loved it and man she is a heater!

I love Janelle Monae but I’d never listened to this before - its delightfully weird and innovative, as you’d expect from her. Cold War is a BOP - the album really picks up after that.

She’s so cool 😍

Ik moest het even opzoeken, maar nee, Janelle Monáe is geen pseudonym van Beyoncé, maar in mijn beleving (van iemand die er niet echt verstand van heeft) wordt hier uit hetzelfde vaatje getapt. Is dat erg? Nee hoor, ik vond dit een sfeervolle en afwisselende plaat. Het lijkt een staalkaart van stijlen: naast de te verwachten R&B is er wat orchestraal spul, sommige dingen lijken singer-songwriterachtig, er wordt zelfs een beetje gerockt. Nog even een frisse luisterervaring voordat we volgende maand weer de diepste krochten van de jaren tachtig in duiken.

Een aangename verrassing. Dit album verkent de uithoeken die een pop-zangeres kan bieden. Soms is het stereotype pop, maar meestal ligt er een andere muzieksoort als basis achter. Zo word je meegenomen van rock naar big band naar filmmuziek. Waarbij vaak ook nog een soepele overgang tussen die nummers wordt gemaakt. Ook met haar zang varieert deze dame er flink op los en zo vindt ze soms best interessante combinaties.

Delightful album. One of the few picks post-2000 that’s really deserved and not prematurely chosen to fill out the book

Bra skiva! Första halvan e bättre thou men de va aldrig annat än bra!

I really like it, very interesting and original

Great album, but a tad long.

Who doesn’t love a concept album?? This album is a mixture of Michael Jackson and Prince. Production on this album sounded great. Amazing. 4.5 out of 5 stars

Fine album.

Genre: Pop, modern soul. Review: Another pleasant surprise. I knew of Janelle Monáe from the movie "Glass Onion", but never ever considered the possibility that she was also an amazingly talented musician. Loved the diversity of musical genres within the same album, especially the tracks "Dance or Die" and "Tightrope". Rating: 8/10

Eclictic funky vocalist

Suprising to me how much I enjoyed it.

Love. Tiptoe into magic. SMASH. As children we used pot lids as cymbals and our bodies felt the orchestra truly there - here this sound is the reverberation of the other ships passing through the universe of space and time. Collision as creation art.

ok

Some bangers

I think this was all very well done. Would I necessarily go back and listen to this? No but it’s super theatrical and felt very cinematic. I respect it a lot

4.3 - A wildly creative triumph of afrofuturist funk with a concept that spans across albums (her debut LP "Metropolis" sets the stage). After a symphonic opener, the first half is marked by an onslaught of high-energy dance party tracks broken up by the pretty ballad "Sir Greendown" where the Cindi Mayweather played by Janelle Monae mourns her human lover. Downbeat interludes ("Neon Gumbo", "Suite III Overture") carry the flow through this 68 minute opus. Through the eyes of this android, we explore love ("Mushrooms & Roses"), loss ("Oh, Maker", "57821"), existential ennui ("Come Alive...")...This is a deep and dense record that demands a close listen.

Pop, soul, música clásica... Recuerda a Michael Jackson en parajes. Un 4.

Sorprendida me hallo. Mezcla de R&B, cósmico, música parafraseada.

Fun electro/pop/funk album. Pretty cool concept of the archandroid too.

Njen izdaleka najbolji

Love the thematic album concept. Monae really did this well. Will listen to again

Nice surprise. Especially liked the more soul-oriënted songs.

That was awesome! Large variety in genres, artist has a great voice. Several songs stuck with me after they ended. Wondaland, BaBopByeYa, Tightrope especially.

- Come Alive!, Mushrooms & Roses

Really great. Not my style for sitting and direct listening, but awesome life accompaniment 4/5

favs: BabopbyeYa, Locked Inside, Come Alive least fav: Make the Bus (ft. Of Montreal)

Metropolis Suite: The Chase was a fully realized statement from an artist who arrived confident and ready to change music. The concept was continued into The Achandroid which, unlike The Chase, is not concise and a little half baked. Its one real problem is it’s long. Metropolis feels like the elevator pitch and ArchAndroid plays like the three hour blockbuster and two hours in your bladder is really begging you to do something about the gallon of coke you drank. You kind of have to disengage but you don’t want to. Also like that summer blockbuster it’s a little all over the place. Like Coldwar really fits the concept but does Tightrope? It never lacks in inventiveness or swagger though. Like their idol Prince, Monáe actually does need a little editing and I think Diddy just threw them the keys to the studio. He was probably all like I’ve got this train wreck over here I’m trying to figure out, I don’t have time to edit your whole space thing. I don’t even know what Genorape means but you do your thing.

Basically as good as everyone says it is.

This album is the first one I got and it's actually quite good and has a couple of really strong, catchy songs. I like the vibe~

4.25

Absolute 5 star cover art. I'm going to go out on a limb and assume this is a concept album. Yeah, this is cool. Two thumbs up.

"The ArchAndroid" is the debut album by American singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe. This is a concept album with two parts telling the tale of a messianic android freeing citizens of oppression and stresses themes of love, identity and self realization. It was inspired by the 1927 film "Metropolis." The scope of the music is very impressive incorporating elements of funk, hip-hop, folk, electro-pop, glam rock, big band, jazz, rock and classical music. She carries this off very smoothly too. The first part, Suite II (Suite I is on her first EP) is about self-identity and self-realization. "Dance or Die" adds spoken word of poet Saul Williams. It starts out with a hip-hop beat and an ambient sound which goes to more a Latin pop dance song. The minority needs to speak up (dance); the messiah is coming. "Faster" picks up the pace with a funky melody. "Locked Inside" sounds like Michael Jackson's "Rock With You." More pop with strings. People locked inside society. Big hooks and great production highlight the second single "Cold War." Monáe's voice is front and center. Big Boi joins in on the big single "Tightrope." This is a great song. More funk. Yeah, this is a lot like "Hey Ya." Not a bad thing. Suite III is mostly love songs. "Make the Bus" has a pyschedelic type of groove. The band Of Montreal contributes. Big backing vocals. I have no idea what it's about but it sounds good. "Wondaland" has a easy groove and Janelle sings in a high pitch/tone. More synth-pop. Another guest appearance with Deep Cotton on "57821." Gospel backing vocals. Acoustic guitar. 60's folk sounding. Hey, spacey folk. The android finds out she is an android. This is quite a spread of music. It's very likable and to me she nails what's she's trying to do. I don't know if the concept was the easiest to follow. Definitely not hardest. But, the music and Janelle's singing is worth checking this out for.

Bien, ecléctico, qué lindo canta esta mujer.

I think I didn’t understand what Janelle Monáe was, before.

Great album. I’ve always admired her work. I own & really like the cd that followed this, but I’d never heard this album before. It’s an absolute knock-out. There are so many styles here & she masters them all. The beautiful lyrics of Oh Maker & 57821, the rip-it-up approach of Come Alive, the gorgeous piano ending to Say You’ll Go, with the nod to my fave Claire de’Lune. Love her voice. Love the disc.

This surprised me. I felt theat every song changed genres. Classical, then salsa, R & B, new pop, grunge, rock, classic rock. This women is super talented. Only one song i was like i could click next, i wont but i could.

Love the grooves and the storytelling is nice. Composure and production are great!

Fun and unconventional blend of soul, hip-hop, pop, and classical elements! Feels like a movie.

Interesting… all over the place… mostly pretty cool though. The constant switching of genres is a little distracting but Janelle pulls quite a few of them off really well. I would’ve liked a few more straightforward pop cuts but can’t complain too much. 7/10

Almost disco like! Enjoyed this a great deal

This one was tough. I really was not a fan, but it grew on me over the course of the hour.

I'm glad I experienced this.

it's the female version of bruno mars. to be fair that's probably a bit derogatory, she's clearly got more to her than he does. i enjoyed this way more than i expected, what a mad hotch potch have a go at every style album this is. produced really well and very easy to listen to.

Funky

Wish I could give this 3.5. Not quite a 4 but definitely more then a 3. What a voice she has!

Not what I expected but I enjoyed it.

4.5/5. Really incredible work, the song transitions flow so seamlessly.

I like this a lot more than I thought I would!

liked it

+retro futuristic sound +strings +themes -interludes maybe bog it down -could be tightened a bit especially in the back half

Alltaf gaman að hlusta á þessa. Snilldar verk!

What an interesting find. This draws inspiration from various genres and combines all of it amazingly to the RnB baseline. Top tier production and ideas for days. Some of the songs try to present more classic RnB sound, and that just falls so flat in contrast. Just nothing new there, mainly the vocals start to fall flat. Also, the fact that this is second (and third) part of something and I had to listen to it without knowledge of the first part (still this being a proper debut while the first segment is in a form of an EP) triggered my anxiety.

Ambitious, eclectic, and thoroughly enjoyable. Standout tracks for me: "Dance or Die," "Come Alive," "Make the Bus," "Wondaland," and "57821."

I recognized Janelle Monae from the album cover as an actor. Was not familiar with her as a singer / songwriter / musician. I was pleasantly surprised by this album and thought it was well rounded and diverse. Well done.

This was actually really good. I’d been meaning to give a listen for a long time.

Fun album, really didn’t know it at all but recognised the lead single. Sort of a prog funk epic and enjoyed it.

Så tajt

surprisingly beatlesy but a light 4

groovy and clever stuff!

Weird and wonderful

I am vibing, I think that the album is a tiny bit too long mostly to listen in one go as I usually do. I feel that I had a bad feeling on my first listening. but it grew to me and there are some pretty catchy songs so I might go back to it in the future. 3.5 / 5

I really liked this, i'll need to listen to more, it's pretty good for cleaning the kitchen to, but what about blasting in the car? I think it would be pretty good then, too, but it's cheerfulness may get tiresome. I have never ever heard of this Janelle Monae, but I get she gets pissed when people email her and they don't use the á. I'd be like, bitch I'm an underappreciated artist, at least you can take the time to google how to insert an a with a comma on top of it, or copy and paste the á from somewhere else. That's how I'd be.

4. Solid RnB, really fun album. Incredibly diverse sounds, good guest appearances. Standouts: Dance or Die, Faster, Cold War, Tightrope, Neon Valley Street, Wondaland.

So, I love surprises. And I was actually legitimately surprised with this album. I wasn't sure if the progressive soul and R&B was going to be something I dug, but I did. Speaking of the progressive soul and R&B genres, they are absolute perfect fits for the futurism (specifically afrofuturism!) and science-fiction concepts that make up this album. Janelle has a clear picture of her goal here, as the music and lyrics perfectly aid in building the concepts for this album. To tie it all together and enhance the concepts, the album permeates with various sci-fi sound effects. Janelle expertly derives inspiration from some of the great futurist music artists of our time and finds ways to adapt and make these sounds her own. Her work here just evokes creativity and originality, and I like her fascination with all things digital, computer, and space age.

A spectacular discovery, love the ecclectism and the beautiful voice.

Usually isn't my favorite genre but I really liked this. Sounds something like an evolution of the 1970s R&B sound.

Really good album. Also loved the Art Deco / Metropolis style album cover. Belter.

20th September 2022 Listened during the day while working from home. Supper at mum and dads with guy, Victoria and Richard. She mixes jazz, funk and hip hop with a big band structure. A real piece of ingenuity and originality with a gorgeous voice.

Very enjoyable. I never knew what was coming next, but "The ArchAndroid" excelled in every genre it touched.

Janelle Monae strikes me as someone exceedingly creative and the album is eclectic and interesting as a result.

Love. Her.

pretty fun. listened to this when going through the pitchfork 200 of the 2010s and should revisit more often (listened previously) 2 albums heard/listened previously

4.5

me encantó y AL FIN un poco de pop y also una mujer!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼 la segunda mitad del disco me gustó mucho más. 8,5 /10

Funky, loved it

Fantastic concept album. Loved the meshing of styles.

Eclectic and cool rnb. Lots of great songs and moments. It just lacked cohesion a bit to me.

-Awesome driving bass riff in "Dance or Die" -Respectable catchiness in "Faster" and "Tightrope" -"Tightrope" also has a sweet groovy bass and Big Boi has some cool flows -I really like the punk-ness and intense, screamy vocals in "Come Alive (War of the Roses)" -"Mushrooms and Roses" has a cool, spaced-out type vibe and the guitar jam at the end is solid -"Make the Bus" has cool David Bowie and Prince influences -Overall some really cool and strong stuff. A few calmer tracks that were weaker in my opinion, but a really strong showing for a pop-ish album

Surprising operatic

Would like to listen again. Had some definite bops.

This one surprised me. Never heard of her before and not my genre, but it was very enjoyable. The continuity of the concept throughout was exceptional.

Awesome really new music. Didn't expect that and was pleasantly surprised

Great listen for being in your feeling. Water under the bridge was my favorite.

Kinda good, just not my type

Honestly, very much liked it, though I can't really expound why. Lots of just really good music. Not much else to say

Very interesting album, as is the predecessor. Definitely worth listening to a few more times.

Muy bueno. Ya conocía a la artista de antes.

This was a really fun listen. I had to listen to it more than once to take it all in. Best track: Cold War

Funky, super catchy, very cool pop. The fact that the album has a futuristic sci-fi theme makes it all the more amazing. Get LP.

Very eclectic. This is the kind of album that I'd have never found on my own, but I enjoyed. Almost like a movie soundtrack.

I really liked it, nice, different made me feel good

Sometimes brilliant, sometimes awkward and dorky, this album just barely squeaks into the four star slot. When it's on, it's one of the best R&B albums of the last 40 years. When it's not, Monae still has enough charisma to stick the landing with only mild turbulence.

2010 - Progressive soul; alternative R&B; psychedelic pop; psychedelic soul;

Beautiful, soaring vocals. Interesting instrumentation. Great vibes.

I had heard of Janelle Monae but wasn't familiar with her music. She is a real talent and her music is ambitious and unique. It's like the offspring of Octavia Butler and Prince. I won't give this 5 stars because I felt that it lost steam in the second part.

Never totally clicked for me. Didn’t give it a fair go.

This album was surprisingly enjoyable. I liked the psychedelic aspect of various songs and the concept aspect works great. 8.5/10 Favorite tracks: Locked Inside, Cold War, Oh Maker, Mushroom & Roses

What an eclectic album. Symphony, bangers, soul, rap, pop. Totally enjoyed.

Performance: Great Concept Album: Doesn't feel quite fully fleshed out Music: Exceptional Great stuff!

Vraiment très nice, je m'attendais pas à ça. Un album avec un super bon flow, des très bonnes chansons, très bon vibe.

This I really enjoyed cool upbeat modern soul with a bit of Android thrown in. Listened to it all day.

Lots going on here, enjoyed all of it. Great new discovery

Lots to unpack with this album. It was absolutely not what I was expecting. I enjoyed it, although got a bit lost in the music that I missed many lyrics, will revisit.

8/10

It has a bit of everything. I only knew Tight Rope going in and i was expecting more of a pop/r&b album. This is a lot more then that, i'm not even sure how to define it. Pretty great, i'd listen again.

Heel gevarieerd album. R&B, wat rock soms, wat soul, wat klassiek... Net iets te 'all over the place'. Wel een straffe zangeres en songwriter

4.0

Wow, what a fun album, blending elements of R&B, swing and pop. Definitely will be back for more!

what a great fun album. I've always been intrigued by Janelle Monáe and enjoyed diving into this album. Fave tracks: Cold War, Mushrooms & Roses, Wondaland and Say You'll Go.

This is a required multiple-listen album. I don't even know how to categorize it - it's dense; so many melodies happening within each song. There are elements of alt-rock, modern pop, 70s r&b, traditional folk, psychedelia....all within some odd idea of an android concept throughout? The production and sound are excellent - I don't think it's immediately-accessible enough for it to be a 5 but it's a minimum slamdunk 4 keeper because I feel like each time I've listened I've discovered new favourites (currently: "Tightrope" and "Neon Valley Street"). 8/10 4 stars.

A very interesting experience indeed. Cool concept for an album and it made me listen to her debut ep for suite 1.

What an exciting album to listen to! The use of various instruments such as horns was a nice surprise. Will be listening to more of her music in the future. Standout Songs: Tightrope, Faster, Cold War

not bad. had never heard of Janelle

Only heard good things about Janelle Monáe so I expected this to be decent, but didn't expect to enjoy it so much personally. I thought it might be more straight up funk/soul but there's a smorgasbord of styles and a good mix of invention & bangers. Suite II in particular is a great ride.

listened to again truly a wonderful journey, silky smooth

Eclectic and wonderful. Wonderful singer. Sometimes very reminiscent and familiar, other times strange. Lovely atmosphere, especially the roomy reverb vibe. At some points a little too out there, e.g. the operatic parts aren't really for me. Like a cabaret show in a holographic suite.

This is a great example that good music is still being released after 2010

Amazing voice, amazing beats, a great find

le métro a ouvert ses portes à Gare du Nord sur les applaudissements du premier morceau, et après je me suis endormie dans le thalys

Wow, great! I had heard people raving about this album but hadn't sat down to listen to it before. Definitely starts out stronger than it finishes, but a really creative and artistic set of songs, lots of variety, great musicianship and interesting overall vibes. No wonder it never got the credit it deserves!

During the first song I was worried we had another offering from the "soundtrack without a movie" genre. After hearing Barry Adamason's Moss Side Story, I thought that one offering from this "genre" was one too many. Once the Suite II Overture is over the album picks up with Dance or Die and some lovely melodic R&B and other adventurous fusions. Cold War and Tightrope and others are all quite good. The album does drift in and out of the "soundtrack without a movie" genre but generally stays strong.

Highly eclectic and way out of the box. I give kudos to the record company for financing this debut LP with its orchestras and choirs. I was a fan of Tightrope and Cold War, which I used in my spinning classes, but the rest I was unfamiliar with, and wasn't aware that it was a far-out concept album. She reminds me of early Bowie with the SciFi shtick and not being afraid of sound completely different. There's lots of musical influences and moods from classical to James Bond to Gospel to Star Trek. The Vocal arrangements are complex, especially on the second half. Its an ambitious debut LP. The top 12 songs would get a 5 from me.

Wow! Really did not expect to like this album but was pleasantly surprised. Hard to classify the genre as it seems to me to be a mix of lots of different genres. Strangely satisfying and pleasant to listen to. I can see why it's in the list. I'll listen to this album again.

Janelle shows boundless creativity and talent across these 18 tracks and takes ample time to tip her hat to numerous inspirations. The album is a variable periodic table of musical elements; Funk, Rab, R&B, Classical, Latin, Swing, Pop, Samba, Jazz, Psychedelic, Rock, Folk, Ballads and maybe even some Broadway. Stand out tracks for me are 'Neon Valley Street', 'Dance or Die', 'Come Alive', '57821' and 'Tightrope'.

Confusion is a walrus.

Very eclectic and respect to a concept album. it is too long. Yet another from the digital era which would have benefited from a vinyl mindset. When it's good its excellent.

It's a bit of a curio. Walks the line between exhilarating and being a bit too much.

Lucy will be happy this is on the list. I've always meant to pay Janelle Monae more attention after Lucy played her lots. Really enjoyed this. Very different and varied. I really enjoyed it. Will listen again

Viihdyttävän monipuolinen kokonaisuus

An enjoyable listen, an album I would listen to again.

Pretty darn good. Nice variety

It’s a keeper. Futuristic, seamless.

This is exciting and unique, it's easy to understand why she's a star. It has pop hooks but it doesn't feel formulaic.

What a tour de force of creativity. Definitely going to add this to regular rotation. Only downside is weird/bad mixing in a handful of songs.

Enjoyed the mix of classical with r&b.

Upbeat, but not really my style

very very solid album, I already knew some of the songs like Cold war, but I enjoyed the rest of the album very much, really interesting sounds

Saved Prior: None Off Rip: Faster; Cold War; Oh, Maker; Wondaland; BaBopByeYa Cutting Edge: Mushrooms & Roses Overall Notes: The first half is super funky and groovy while the second half is musical theater-er and jazzier. Don't think I'll be returning to it too often because I'm more of an individual songs guy and this album demands you to enjoy the full hour+ experience, but I'm not mad because it's an enjoyable one. (also saw her live and it's an Event)

I’m not sure I’ve ever heard an album in this genre. I’m not even sure what genre this was but it was a good listen. I enjoyed the album and would listen again.

One of the first times I hung out at my wife’s (we had just started dating at the time) apartment, I caught her having a solo dance party to this album. I had loosely heard of Janelle Monáe, but didn’t really know her music. Well, I joined in on this solo dance party and haven’t looked back since. Her voice is beautiful and could stand on its own. But oh no, she decided to throw some amazing background vocals and music into the mix as well. The result is an amazing musical journey that will have you bopping, sliding, spinning and singing likely in public 😂 Excellent album!

Great surprise! Enjoyed the creativity!