Reviews (page 9 of 14)
Very enjoyable album
Interesting album. I didn't know what to expect (which always makes for a great listening experience) and was surprised to hear how many different musical genres are touched upon. Tight performances from musicians and production too.
Very unique. Not like anything I've ever heard before.
Great album, good beats, great singing
Wow... such a mix of genres. I liked Come Alive and Mushrooms & Roses a lot. It's a neat album well executed. Some of the songs didn't really resonate, with me. I also listenened to Suite I and liked it, but it's mostly more of an R&B sound.
This was a very enjoyable listen! I especially loved the transitions/smooth flow from one song to another. You could tell a lot of care was put into the order and flow of this album
Wow, I was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. Her voice is incredible and liked every song on this album I think. I'll be coming back to this one!
Very fun!
This album was a lot of fun and probably not one I would have listened to if it wasn't for this list generator. Hoping for more discoveries like this one as I continue to listen.
The best of this album IMO: - Dance Or Die - Faster - Tightrope - Neon Valley Street I love how fast-paced it sounds. C'est limite big beat. Great voice. Fantastic beats. Colorful! Great variety in the songs with the voice effects and whatnot. 4.3/5
This is an exhaustive album. Janelle Monáe has taken me on a musical history lesson that spans the last century. Eclectic is one way to describe it and in a way I am reminded of Beck who did a similar kind of genre smashing. Needs a few listens to capture what is going on, and no interruptions which has been hard listening to it while working in a busy office. Maybe a bit over long and unaccessible in places but I'm OK with that
This album drips with style and confidence. Great production, vocals, and just a super interesting listen all the way through. 4.5/5
She has an amazing voice and I really enjoyed the more upbeat songs.
I guess this album was influenced by a lot of artist, like Prince, Kate Bush and Lauryn Hill. A concept album that marked a quantum leap forward in musical ambition. (8/10) FT: Say You'll Go, Come Alive
This started very strong with jam after jam but it lost me towards the end. There were a few that just didn't quite hit for me. Still a strong enough album for me to rate a 4/5.
So very very close to a 5 for me. I did not expect to love this album as much as I did, what a JAM. There's a lot of weird experimental stuff going on, her voice is absolutely AMAZING and the beats I can't help but bop along to and the orchestra is just... Fantastic. The reason why I won't give it a full 5 is because it fell a bit flat for me after Suite III Overture (except for maybe Wondaland). I think if it'd stopped there it'd have gotten a full 5 stars. And tbh had a bit of an off day as well so might actually have given it a 5 if I was feeling more generous. Adding to my regular album rotation.
Un album très sympathique et varié de la part de notre Janelle préférée. On notera toutefois une outro complètement chapardée à l'ami Debussy. J'ai prévenu les ayants droit du compositeur qui m'ont confié leur intention de porter plainte dans les prochains jours. Affaire à suivre.
Janelle commet ici une des erreurs élémentaires du générateur: nous proposer un album bien trop long. Ceci est la preuve d'une arrogance la plus absolue, Janelle pensant pouvoir nous tenir intéressé pendant une heure. Cela n'est evidemment pas le cas, mais le grand début d'album lui assure tout de même un 4/5 bien mérité. A noter que mon camarade d'écoute robteillère fait preuve de la même arrogance vis a vis de sa propre musique, ce dernier se permettant de donner des concerts payants. En effet, ce dernier s'est reproduit en Pologne ce week end, devant un auditoire d'environ 4 personnes. La non plus, impossible pour rob de tenir son auditoire pendant une heure, mais cela va même plus loin, puisque 3 des 4 spectateurs ont quitté le concert dès le premier refrain entamé par rob. Un fiasco pour la salle de concert, qui ejectera rob sans même lui payer son cachet.
Eine wirklich interessante Künstlerin. Weiter beobachten. 06.12.2021
Very experimental
Great album, first half stronger than the second.
Sometimes it’s really cheesy but you gotta respect the boldness of this album
Very Theatrical with a variety of styles throughout and fascinating lyrical content to dig into. Favorites: Faster, Tightrope, Oh Maker
solid 4.5. Her albums are so good, great sound peppered with theming you don't tend to find in non-electronic music.
The scope and range are very impressive. Special album. I love this app. Has shown me some excellent music I would never have gone near otherwise.
It's a lot different feel to what I normally listen to but I liked it.
it ate my review but the short of it is that this is some kind of prog r&b i didn't know existed and it's cool as hell
When this came up it wasn't one that I expected to enjoy, just that it would be one to get through to tick off. But you know what, I enjoyed it. It's a really complex and varied album. The production is brilliant.
Wow. This was really surprising, in a good way. I've never heard of Janelle Monáe, and didn't know what to expect. I certainly didn't expect something super eclectic ranging from pop/R&B to songs that were reminiscent of David Bowie, Prince, Bjork, even one that reminded me of Enya. I need to listen to this a few times to totally get it, and I plan to. 4 stars.
This one was good, but hard to describe. I'd like to listen to it again sometime. 0RS
Enjoyable if not a little weird. I don’t know her stuff all that well but it’s always entertaining.
What a surprise from someone I only know as an actress. Great almost cinematic concept album. Reminds me of the great pieces of art from the 70s album greats. Massive respect to Janelle, and what a voice!
Looks like I am in for a real ride on this one. Yea this is all over the map in terms of genres and feels. Locked Inside is a groove at the end of the universe. Cold War is a great track made mediocre by too much heavy handed mastering compression. Tightrope is a banger. Come Alive is a another one. yea all of Suite II is good, lets see Suite III. I don't get Make The Bus. I like the vocal texture on Wonderland. I got lost about halfway through Suite III. It launches into these lavish soundscapes, and if you haven't been locked into the story, you will feel lost. But Monae's voice is so rich and plays so nicely with the the elegance of the soundscape.
Not sure what i listened to. A lot of different types of music, but it was good.
very cohesive, very good fave tracks: faster, tightrope, locked inside
Another pleasant surprise
Right between a 3 and a 4, but trending toward a 4 for the sheer variety and ambitiousness. So many genres are here, and such virtuosic singing.
i'm hella late on this album. janelle really cultivated a beautiful and lush soundscape with this one.
13.75 7.639/10
Nearly gave this 5*, went back for a second listen. It gets muddled and shabby after the second overture but in general very enjoyable.
First impression: looks like comercial pop, not big expectations. First song is a classical overture. Already had a big start, probably will have to take my prejudice to the garbage. Love how the first songs flow like it's a single song. It just follows from a song to the next and you don't notice it.
Musically really in interesting pulling from upbeat swing tunes to classical samples and other influences, really took me off guard
Primer disc majestuós de Monae. Ja quan va sortir es va convertir en un secret a veus i des d'aleshores no ha perdut un bri de la seva frescura. Hi ha temes immediats, com 'Faster' o 'Cold War' i d'altres que requereixen més atenció, però com a estrena discogràfica és molt meritòria
Never heard this before, am not super familiar with Janelle Monae in general. But man this album goes all kinds of places. This album has what feels like a dash of everything. R&b, Funk, Electronic, Rap, Jazz, Orchestral, Disco, Film scores, Even like some psychedelics rock and like some like British Folk influence. Like this mash of Some David Bowie and outkast. Just so much weird stuff it's pretty neat. Especially with the whole using metropolis as a foundational idea. It's really good.
Really a 4.5
I don't listen to much "pop" music, full albums almost never. This is the best pop music album I have heard in a long time. So varied in musical genres and always interesting. It plays like a concept album but with changes of mood and style that keep it interesting. Changes of style are nothing if the music isn't interesting and this album held my interest throughout. I was shocked at how the album flew by so quickly. I am tempted to give it a 5, but 4.5 is all I can muster. A discovery! 4.5 stars
I consider this a bit of a modern classic but had to downgrade it to a 4, i'd forgotten how much it loses steam near the end. Still a great variety of sounds and layers
A great album with some really electrifying tracks
Takes its time to get going but encompasses a wide swath of well-blended influences at its end. Swing, acid house, a touch of Tropicana and more are blended into unique pop operas that have a life all their own. The interludes could be trimmed (even in the context of the narrative) and some fat cut from overlong arrangements, but a great concept album over all.
Way better than I thought coming into this. Adding her to the rotation.
Oh, Maker is a good one. Say You'll Go. 57821. Mushrooms & Roses.
Pretty good, although Dancing Queen is the obvious standout.
Bombastic. The backing band is great throughout, and she goes all-in the whole album. The first couple tracks are a rough start but once it gets going it never hits the brakes.
Sounded very theatrical, big. There we’re some parts where I wanted the song to end but it went a little longer, but overall a great album with a lot of different and unique songs.
Muy bueno, algunos de los temas no fueron para nada de mi estilo y probablemente no elegiría escucharlos de nuevo. Sin embargo, overall, experiencia positiva. Difícil encasillar lx artista en un género musical. Increíblemente versátil.
My first listen, so taking it with a grain of salt. Album felt all over the place, no two songs similar but overall the sound was great. Not something I’d return to frequently but I would listen again.
I've heard such good things about this record, excited to listen to it! Shit was dope.
An amazing album containing some of Janelle Monáes all time great songs, let down only slightly by the run length.
"Tightrope" might be the only track I've heard from this album, but it's not the only track I've heard from Monáe. This album was a happy surprise, with and overall happy sound and several tracks that I really enjoyed. Monáe frequently reaches back to earlier say close enough.
Интересный альбом. Необычный жанр. Талантливо.
So much variety! It's as if she is an artists trying diverse genres until she finds one that lands on a hit. Loved cold war, tightrope, oh maker, the overtures, and the surprise inclusion of Of Montreal. This album is one to spin when you're tired of boring music!
Eclectic! Very interesting and enjoyable. Haven't even had a chance to take in the lyrics and themes to see the project as a concept album. So many influences and I think I even heard some Smiths on Oh, Maker! Unfair to just say she is "like Prince". Her ambition is quite different. Impressive.
Unexpected delight! Great album; really upbeat.
miks svega ali sve ide do jaja zajedno
Sweet
This was a wild entry, and now I'm curious about Janelle Monáe.
Mushrooms and Rose's, Sir Greendown, Neon Valley Street, 57821,Babopbyeya all make for a very interesting album. Having not heard of the artist I was really impressed. Something different.
This was an eye-opener. I knew her name but had not listened to her. Excellent stuff - good songs and great production. Good diversity in styles. I liked it.
Another great album. Enjoyed the Suite II tracks much more than Suite III. Upbeat tracks. I think Emily talked about this at some point, but the fact that an album from 2010 made the list shows how standout it is.
This was more constantly upbeat than most albums I listen to so I was a bit overwhelmed by the end, but it was good! I really liked Tightrope and tbh it was nice to have a female artist. Awesome sounds, loved her voice. I didn't listen as hard to the lyrics as I'd have liked so no comment there. 4/5 stars
Oops I'm really behind in this. Good album! I really like the sci-fi vibe and Monaé has a great voice.
Ruchira: 3.5.
Glad to see Janelle take the spot of most current album on this list. And what an album this is. I’ve grown to love Janelle more and more over the years especially with her most recent album, Dirty Computer and her film roles. I’m glad I’m getting to hear her on this album as well because this is a kaleidoscope of different songs and styles that fits her so well. Her whole persona has always felt so otherworldly and that is on full display in this album especially with the gorgeous cover art and title. She really is an android in the best way. I really enjoyed Faster, Locked Inside, Cold War (which was sampled by a super underground musician named Santoma). I’m still listening to it and just hit Oh, Maker which at the start could have been a Carpenter’s song. She breezes through so many different genres and even though the album is listed as R&B it could be hip hop or pop or electronic. I would also equate her to a more sophisticated and technologically advanced (keeping with android theme) of Nikki Minaj where she does voice changes and quick verses along with serenades. But most of Janelle’s songs are focus on very different things than Ms. Minaj. The best compliment I can give this (along with her other albums) is it always feels like I’m listening to the future.
Pop, soul, música clásica... Recuerda a Michael Jackson en parajes.
Sounds good. Production reminds me of Pyramids throughout a lot of the album which is, of course, great.
Sympatyczne
This was a really cool album. Musically, it moved all over the place between things that were straight R&B to English Folk to borderline Punk Rock. Big Boi's influence on the album was pretty apparent to me as it sounded liked Janelle was channeling Outkast at times. Good listen
Very nice
Love her. Great record.
Interesting. R&B is not my cup of tea, but this is nice.
like most critics I can heap high praise upon the concept and musical range. i can imagine Fela Kuti really enjoying this
Knew great album
Was pretty great, like a more soul inspired bjork type deal. Favorite tracks were war of roses, neon gumbo, mushroom roses
Definitely kept me entertained, I liked the first half of the album better than the back half. It felt like a Broadway play how it flowed through the entire album.
Nice album, cool beats and baselines, beautiful singing.
I can tell it's a good album, but it's not my taste.
This was way more nuanced than I was anticipating, and while I didn't keep track of individual songs, I loved it as a collection. Absolutely going back in for a relisten.
Didn’t know janelle went hard like this some tracks were weak but really enjoyed it
This is pretty fire, although I'm not sure if the extreme diversity of styles quite holds together to support it as a Concept piece. A few more listens might bring me around on that though.
Fucking sick, but I’m also a Janelle stan.....it loses me in the middle just a tad
1 funky
A really solid neosoul record. Had some great grooves and the singing was on point. I’d say it’s downfall would be some of the songs aren’t that memorable and the length is a bit daunting for this music but overall enjoyed this one. Favorite track: Dance or Die Least favorite track: Neon Valley Street
Not what I expected. I’ll have to check this out when I can pay more attention.
Some real cool songs mixed in this album, featuring Of Montreal & Big Boi pushes this from solid 3 to a 4
Loved it! Seemed to fluctuate between a number of different genres (rap, alternative, one other I can't recall at the moment). Saved a few songs!
So many sounds on a single album!
Afrofuturist
Thought this was great. Much better than the more recent album. All over the place, but in a great way.
Really cool, interesting, soulfull, poppy... and long.
This album is such a ride. It's got vibes ranging from 90's euro pop to 60's folk to soul to classical to trippy futuristic sci-fi (looking at you, Neon Gumbo). As a whole it feels very experimental, but it's the kind where I can't tell if it is done as a result of genuine artistic choice or as a result of wanting to be unique. Wondaland is one of those songs that I find catchy and am secretly into but don't want to admit the fact. Ngl, the percussion reminds me a lot of the Futurama theme. Oh, Maker has the chill yet melancholy overtone in its instrumental I'm looking for this autumn, but I think the vocalising ruins that. So I'm torn between a 3-star and 4-star rating but since I find Wondaland good enough to go ahead and admit I'm fond of it, I'll give it that 4.
Nice, but some highlight is missing.
It's great to see this much innovation in popular music and hearing an artist explore a concept album like this. She obviously put a lot of work into this. Some of the tracks individually don't connect with me, but others definitely do, especially when she explores styles that aren't quite so obvious as in "Come Alive" and "Mushrooms and Roses". Very ambitious! This is one that I wish was more popular among popular music even if it doesn't always speak to me, it still shows what amazing things can happen if people break the mold of popular music and explore, leaving behind the cookie cutter world.
I’ve never really listened to Janelle Monáe before, but this album is good and the songs are nicely varied.
Overall a great album. New to me, but i really like Janelle Monáe and i definitely plan on listening to more of her, and revisiting multiple songs on this album. Really a good introduction with relistenability
A bit weird but in a good way, gives me galactic vibes, very space like if that makes sense, I feel like she’s an alien.
Pulls at a lot of threads, kinda all over the place. Enjoyable enough. Monae has been a fixture in the culture since this album, but I honestly hadn't listened to any full albums before now.
When she rocks, I am totally there. When she is ambling down the road, it's good to have on if only for her voice. It isn't groundbreaking to me, more on the competent side of the fence.
Janelle Monáe has a beautiful voice, and there are transcendent moments on this. I struggled to find a foothold, which isn't exactly a criticism so much as reflected in the 3-star review. I think I'd need a bit more time with this to have a real opinion. As it is, I appreciated a lot of what I heard.
Well put together, very artistic, however most of the songs were not my taste.
started quite good but then became more or less meh
Not really for me, but not bad! Kind of goes in a lot of different directions. I really liked Sir Greendown though. I may not have ever heard that song if I hadn't listened to this album bc of this site.
My weak 2026 sensibilities don’t know how to handle the phrase “shakin’ like a schizo” anymore. I burst out laughing. It’s very good but I don’t think I can be bothered listening again.
Very much an album of two halves. Starts out strong but really runs out of steam and focus towards the end.
Gonna go straight down the middle with this one, album was like a ramp, nice steady ascent, peaked in the middle, then declined to the end. 70 minutes was a bit too long.
I appreciate what she’s trying to do with this album, but I don’t think I’m her target audience. It was fine, but I didn’t understand the hype.
One or two interesting tracks but overall it’s pretty unremarkable. Jumping from style to style isn’t showing range if you make them all sound the same. I’m not picking up what she’s putting down. It’s just pretty basic pop to my ears.
I expected more life to this album. I remember cold war and tight rope, and always really enjoyed both songs. I expected more of that vibe and was dissappointed that wasn't the case. She's clearly a talented artist, but I did not enjoy this album at all. Likely a result of my expectations going in, but overall just a boring record.
I wanted to like this one! I think this was too long for me to really enjoy though. I'm not an epic/opera album kind of girl for the most part. 6/10
Too bland
Not bad, well produced but just not what I wanted to listen to
You've got to applaud the ambition here and it was much better than feared! Although to be fair when I've heard her on the radio, she's done some decent stuff so maybe I shouldn't have been surprised. It's ostensibly a pop and R&B album, but there's a lot of influences and styles here, which make that descriptor a little unfair. I'd liken this more to someone like FKA Twigs, not so much in how it sounds but in that she's trying to push boundaries, It's not exactly my taste but I can hear the appeal and perhaps I'd listen again on the basis that it's something my daughter might get into and it would be infinitely preferable to High School Musical and Camp Rock.
Album intéressant qui mélange pas mal de genres ! Y a du néo-classique (si c'est bien ça le terme), et des trucs qui sonnent plus modernes (R&B, hip-hop, soul). Belle découverte, même si je n'écouterais pas ça tous les jours. J'ai bien aimé 57281 en particulier.
Very unique album. Lots of variety within from hip hop to jazzy R&B. There were some very uninteresting tracks and the album dragged a bit especially the last song but still an interesting record
A very interesting album with a lot of different styles. Kinda liked it.
1. 3.5 2. 4.5 3. 4.5 4. 4.5 5. 4 6. 5 7. 5 8. 3.5 9. 4 10. 4.5 11. 4 12. 3.5 13. 4 14. 3 15. 4.5 16. 4 17. 3.5 18. 3.5
Enough variety for a comfortable 3 despite being very long
3.8/5
Fun super unique album just not quite my taste but I respect it
Pleasantly surprised
Норм, 3,5 из плюсов дикое разнообразие и эклектика, из минусов - ни один трек не зацепил и не запомнился олдскульный рнб все же вайбовее
Not necessarily my thing but I appreciate it a lot
Ensin ajattelin, että kyseessä on elokuvallista taustamusiikkia. No ehkä vähän sitäkin mutta ehdottomasti genressään hyvä levy. Ei siis missään tapauksessa minun ”kuppi teetä” mutta tykkäsin silti. 3/5
More style than substance
I saw Janelle Monae open for Of Montreal at First Avenue around the time of this album. The one-two punch Cold War into Tightrope really pumps you up! It’s long. And conceptually it waivers
Jag hör många bra saker här. Jag hör funk, motown soul, snygga popmelodier, bra sång. Men också en lite spretig helhet med kast mellan olika stilar. Uppföljaren Electric lady vill jag minnas är mer sammanhållen.
I admire its scope and some interesting treatment, but not really my taste musically. Had fun, and can see why this albums is in the 1001 listing, but wouldn’t choose to listen again. That makes it a 3
3.5
Monae tries to make rock, rap, soul, pop, sometimes on different songs, sometimes more than one thing at the same time and she has the talent to make a very interesting product while she tries but at some moments she doesn't achieve that during this album. She gets better results on the next one The Electric Lady. A good album that dares to try but doesn't succeed as much as it wanted to.
I like Janelle Monae
- I liked her until she went to Bezo's Met Gala, so now I'm boycotting, but I only really knew her Dirty Computer era. - I like the album, overall - especially her voice. Wow, it's so beautiful! I also like the orchestration - it's sweeping and feels symphonic. - The Of Montreal feature was a nice surprise - the song sounded VERY Of Montreal and nothing like any of the rest of the album... like they actually wrote it. And, that is the thing that I didn't really enjoy as much about the album - it felt disjointed, like there wasn't one main point of view. It felt like there were random songs thrown in that didn't really make sense to me in the context of the album. - Also, I didn't really find that any of the songs stayed with me after the album was over. - Last, this album is also way too long.
전체적으로 꽤 노래 느낌이 좋았다. Overall, the song had a really good vibe.
Nice
Alot of good ideas that unfortunately never got a chance to grow makes for an inconsistent vibe throughout the album
Interesting blend of musical styles, but doesn't quite reach me.
Well that was a big one. For me, it had its moments.
6 keepers, 33% 2 bangers, 11% 3 stars
671/1001 2026.08.03
I can tell it’s incredible but tightrope reminds me too much of walking around a Macy’s
Maybe I needed to pay attention more, but this felt less cohesive than I was expecting. I was really looking forward to listening to this album but was left feeling a bit "Meh".
Certainly a well made album with impressive production and vocals, but not one I can bring myself to care much about. Everything is just too slick and perfected. A couple songs sounded like Disney music for adults.
While often advertised as an afro-futurist album, this was more show-tune like.
5/10
Ambitious concept album. Didn’t hate it, however it has some big problems: her voice is a bit robotic and polished without conveying feel. The production is often very run of the mill, and cery commercial sounding- which is odd for a concept album. the drums sound very generic for example, and there is simply too much going on. It’s a big hot mess. There are lots of bad guitar solos.
This takes two of my favorite genres - progressive rock and hip hop - and mixes them together in a very cool, funky way. Also love Janelle Monáe for being an innovator, fashion icon and representing ATL! 3.5⭐️
soy muy basic para este trip. it grew into me pero como que no es tanto mi estilo, un 3.5 pero como no puedo le pongo un 3 :p
5/10 - Some interesting songs on here btw a few lackluster ones bring it down
High energy, funky
This album is somewhat Bipolar. It is mostly pop and theatrical, but in the middle there are few songs that are indie, post punk and even Psychedelic rock. For the most part though it is straight pop. I did enjoy the collab with Of Montreal which makes Make the bus my standout song. 3 stars
This one was kinda fun def an interesting vibe to it but didn’t exceed my expectations
I was wary, but this was decent. Not my genre of choice but made it through with no skips which is a win.
Love how maximalist and ambitious this is, but it feels a little bloated too. Starting with an instrumental intro called "Suite II Overture" is so crazy - never want an album to feel like a sequel. And it's so long I was checking the time a lot while listening to this album which is not a great sign. She's obviously very talented - great singer and really strong rapper, backing tracks are very interesting and prince-y. There's something about that 2010s production though it's so smooth and put-together that it never really feels very emotional or expressive even though she's wailing and hitting great high notes. Maybe that's the android part. Tightrope is a great song though.
oooo this one back half is looking mighty long tho yep 💥dance or die 💥faster 💥cold war 💥tightrope
Es un proyecto bastante ambicioso bastante teatral dramático, con una mezcla de varios ritmos, bastante creativo, diría
Just judging by the album cover alone, I thought this would be another shitty pop album. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
I have a feeling that if this album had been released 20 years earlier, it would be much better known. It's very good, but it sounds like thousands of other albums. 3 stars
This is a real case of my recency bias, this may be a good newish album, I think it is but I just struggle with pops production now, it's so shiny, so formulated when the actual songs here aren't, well after the homogeneous first few where I didn't know we had changed tracks and actually shut it off for a few hours, and was going down the 1 star route. I came back and This is a good album I can hear that but it just leaves me cold, and that's production and all those algorithm-friendly choices that are so safe. If i was as said into modern music this would be higher but I am not but it's still good, 3 star
*2010. R&B, soul. *Never a dull moment in this album - R&B, pop, funk, classical/opera, psychedelic... we're all over the place in an interesting way. *She has a very nice voice. *I wouldn't listen again, but she's an obvious talent and I get the appeal. RATING - 6/10
Cold War Tightrope
No idea who this lady is, unless she's one of the Cosby kids? Lots of invention and styles which is good. On first listen, no single song stood out for me but I imagine I'd enjoy it more if I listened and followed the lyrics and the concept.
Every genre, style, & type of music all mixed together in one album, sometimes even in one song! It was a bit much for me. It was everything mixed all together in unique ways, but I didn’t love it. I don’t think I’d ever give it another listen.
crazy vocals, catchy, not my regular genre but could get behind it. didn't finish the whole album. nb queen
I remember listening to this when it came out and kind of bouncing off of it. I liked it much more this time. It may be a bit long but the songs I like I like quite a bit.
Nice voice. Some songs reminded me of the lead in songs for James Bond movies. She also threw in done disco and rap tainted songs. Was wort a listen.
Is it bad that I didn't know Janelle Monáe was a singer? 🫣
Dance or Die
Really weird experience
Beautiful voice, excellent production, varied and inventive arrangements, big scope and ambition ... this album has it all. It just doesn't click for me. There are parts I like (the bass on Neon Street, the bubbly marimba synth on Wondaland), but ... it's just not doing it for me. It often sounds like something between tribute and pastiche lies at the heart or seed of many songs (Make the Bus ... Prince meets Queen ... ? Before giving way to ... something else, not sure what ... ?) The energy level picks up notably on Come Alive, though that sounds like it might have a working title of Grunge Song, and the grungy guitars are a little much. I can admire this, but not very interested in listening to it.
really interesting and varied, 3 stars for me but may try and revisit it. i want to watch the movie now!
Enjoyable but a bit too out there for repeat listens.
First impressions! Nice as background while reading. Didn't care too much for the first half, but it got catchier later on. Fave songs! "Make the Bus" "Come Alive"
I wasn't looking forward to listening this album but I was pleasantly surprised. Well worth a listen and id happily listen again.
a relisten. her vocals are really nice. ive never been as big of a fan of her as some other people are, but thats alright. shes still solid. really dont like the lyrics for Come Alive, but what can u do. favorite tracks: Tightrope
variato e variegato
not bad.... interesting...
Tämä oli aika hyvä, vaikkakin kokonaisuutena vähän epätasainen. Joitakin biisejä voisin vielä joskus kuunnella uudestaan.
not a bad album, I enjoyed a number of the songs. A few were duds for me but overall a nice album
This was the first time I ever heard of this artist. I enjoyed her album. I liked that you never really knew what the next song would sound like. One of my favorite songs was "Oh, Maker".
Tenía mucha expectativa de este álbum porque me lo vendieron como una obra majestuosa. No es malo, pero tampoco me pareció una maravilla. Sí me gustó como mantiene a lo largo del álbum ese sonido androide/futurístico, pero lo combina a su vez con géneros actuales e inclusive antiguos, eso me da la vibra de utopía retro. Probablemente lo vuelva a escuchar en un futuro y quizás me guste más.
Ça tire dans tous les sens, c'est bien exécuté, mais sans jamais vraiment être excellent. C'est impressionnant mais je vois pas le jour où j'aurai envie de donner une deuxième écoute.
I thought I was gonna hate this after having the (lesser) Portishead, and then the Goldfrapp album, but this was a pleasant surprise. Much better than I expected based on what little knowledge I have of Janelle Monae and the godawful album title.
Number: 167 Date: 06/20/26 Artist: Janelle Monáe Album: The ArchAndroid Year: 2010 Style: Neo Soul Familiarity: Aware (2) Rating: 3 Before: ======= Never heard of this one either. Or maybe I have. Some of her album covers look familiar and it looks like I've previously Liked one of the songs on this album, Mushrooms & Roses. During: ======= 3 Suite II Overture 3 Dance Or Die 3 Faster 3 Locked Inside 4 Sir Greendown 3 Cold War 3 Tightrope 3 Neon Gumbo 3 Oh, Maker 4 Come Alive (The War Of The Roses) 4 Mushrooms & Roses 3 Suite III Overture 3 Neon Valley Street 3 Make The Bus 3 Wondaland 3 57821 3 Say You'll Go 4 BabopbyeYa ----------------------------------------------------- 3.29 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= Interesting album but most songs are a 3 for me. My favorite was Come Alive, followed by Mushrooms & Roses. 3 my personal rating 5 suitability for this list 4 impact ----------------------------------------------- 4 composite rating
the vocals on "come alive (war of the roses)" are insane. this was my first time listening to Janelle Monáe and i like the variation, range and vocals. will def listen to some songs again. absolutely in love with "57821".
3 stars Half this album is pretty damn good. The first half. I actually first listened to this in 2013. But I never made it more than halfway through. Like I legitimately had no idea there was an of Montreal song on this album. But in listening to it all, I caught the better half already. I know the album is long because it’s supposed to be cinematic and all. But it’s just too long. Cut it down to 40 minutes and you’ve got a nice album. But this was a double album for no reason. Still, the good is good.
Todella mielenkiintoinen levy ja todella hieno tunnelma. Alkusoiton aikana tuntui niin kuin alkaisi katsomaan elokuvaa, konseptialbumistahan oli kyse. Levyssä on todella hienosti yhdistelty erilaisia genrejä ja Monáe on taitava laulaja. Kuitenkin levyn pituus alkaa jossain kohtaa väsyttämään ja erilaiset genrekikkailut alkavat tuntumaan itseääntoistavilta eikä varsinaisia huippukohtia jää kovin montaa mieleen. Kokonaisarvio voisi vielä parantua, jos levyn kuuntelisi kiinnittäen tarkempaa huomiota lyriikoihin. Arvostan kuitenkin levyn musikaalisuuttaa, tarinan juonta ja mihin lyriikoilla pyritään ottamaan kantaa.
Cool variety of music in this album. A good pop alternative to regular top 40
This is a very average album
I know this deserves more of my more attention and is at least worthy of another listen. It's good. But realistically, I probably won't come back to it. File under, "music I would happily listen to with a friend." 3.49 stars, just barely scraping a round up to 4.
enjoyable
It was a very good album. It is not really to my taste, but I really enjoyed the last track. Perhaps I could grow to appreciate this genre more.
++: Dance or Die, Locked Inside, Tightrope, Oh, Maker, Come Alive ( The War of the Roses), Mushrooms & Roses +: Faster, Suite III Overture, Neon Valley Street, Make the Bus, Wondaland, Say You'll Go +-: Sir Greendown, Cold War, Neon Gumbo, 57821, BabopbyeYa -: Suite II Overture 6,9/10
Kult dette, Tightrope har jeg hørt før. Ikke helt treff på min smak så blir med en 3, men ser absolutt appellen.
Enda bedre live. Kult. 3-4
Beep. But also sometimes boop.
Good 3. It's really special but I struggled to connect sometimes
very grand soundscape reaching out to probably every (?) genre yet is somehow as cohesive and accesible as a single genre/texture album. Not necessarily my taste, but Oh, Maker stood out to me as a clear indication of how talented this musician really is.
really interesting and was surprised by how good it was. Not really my thing though
Now that’s how you do a pop album! Very interesting and unique
Was decent. Very 'produced' though. Her live stuff seems good to see. This is pretty far away from that. Shes got a bit of an understated vocal thing going on which i like. Feels like she could yope more if she wanted but holds it back for special occasions. Tightrope for instance. Really liked Neon Valley Street. Too long though. The last few songs felt like some sort of Andrew Loyd Webber Musical audition. Just pissing about at that point.
Pleasant enough
Espectacular voice but kind of boring album.
Los 2000 hecho disco
Songs flowed very nicely but didn't particularly enjoy the music itself
im sure this is great to some but it's not made for me and that's OK
Fun
not my type but its ok
I like this, I really do, but I'd be lying if I said I got what most of these songs were about on my first listen. That never took me out, per say- the hooks never stopped hooking and the beautiful production never stopped being beautiful- but I think one of the down sides of listening to a new album like this every day is that certain things are worth gestating on. Attack of the killer genre-fusion poppy concept record from outerspace? I'll relisten to this at some point soon.
Zo fucking veel bloat. Janelle Monáe is echt een toffe artiest, maar dit is gewoon 2 keer zo lang als het hoort te zijn. Nummers als Tightrope en Come Alive zijn top, maar ze krijgen geen ruimte om te shinen tussen tientallen minuten aan B-side materiaal.
Probably the coolest album we’ve had rather than the best.
A tale of two halfs, the first one amazing, full of range and vigor, but by the end of the record I am exhausted and ready for it to be over. I recognize the ambition and I tip my hat to her ambition, but yeah it doesn't align perfectly for me. I guess half is fair, cause we need an editor in there but her vocals are stellar
Full disclosure, I stopped listening to this halfway through. There was nothing wrong with it, it's just not for me. 3 Stars because I know that's what it would get. Thanks for trying
My wife laughed when I said that I think this album suffers by not being able to see her, but I didn't just mean she's attractive. I meant that her performance is so VISUAL and her dancing is amazing. I've never said the same thing about James Brown though, so maybe she has a point. Janelle was at Bonnaroo one of the years I went (before she had gotten quite so huge) and I regret not making a point to see her. I'm sure whatever I saw instead was great too, but that was a real missed opportunity.
hmmm. this didn't work for me very much. stylistically it's all over the place in terms of janelle monáe's inspirations, and conceptually that's interesting to me in a way that i would expect to like but i just... didn't? it's just fine. there's really good pop songs like "wondaland" that are total bangers and relaxing ethereal tracks like "sir greendown" for instance, but i think if anything much of this was just Too Much for me. there's just a lot of everything and i don't know if congealed together for me. i respect the creativity and the ambition but it feels like they took every single impulse they had and stuffed it all into this one album. it obviously works for a lot of people but it did not for me.
ah yes. the era of bad digital patches/samples, and Big Boi making an unwelcome appearance. Don't get me wrong, outkast is great, but the whole thing of him showing up for 10 seconds of lyrics for a check got old quick. Other than that, the album is pretty decent, actually.
Better than I expected.
Algunas si, otras no
Diverse and interesting overall concept but at the end, nothing stands out as memorable. There's the aspiration to something musically much grander than a regular pop album but not the substance to support it. It feels like an extended high school portfolio with a load of expensive production trimmings stuck round the edges 2.5
A very strange rock opera (that's what I'm calling it at least). It just didn't pull me in. Production quality and her vocals are top notch though.
The kind of album I might start really loving after a couple of listens, but for now this
Because I don’t listen carefully to the lyrics and don’t like musicals, concept albums kinda go over my head: I’m assuming Sir Greenwood is importantly the story? But her voice is an ASMR experience for me. First half is better than the second half
I was moving and grooving to this but it's not really my taste
not really my style (5.5/10)
The first half of this album sounded pretty fresh but it kind of lost it's edge towards the end. Maybe shorter album would have worked better. Still quite groovy stuff and Janelle has really pleasant and versatile voice that covers many different styles.
Like it 3/5
Enjoyable but nothing super memorable for me here. I loved how all the different genres blended together. 3/5.
Страшно непонятно, но вполне музыкально
I absolutely love Janelle Monae's Dirty Computer and her work with Of Montreal but this album just doesn't seem to reach those heights. It's fine but nothing super exciting for me.
Buen descubrimiento El disco tiene canciones que parecen de banda sonora y otros muy tranquis para tener de fondo
Fine but too long
Dance pop is always fun
This isn't really my bag but I have to recognise talent when I hear it. Monae is not only a great vocalist but this is highly creative music that resists easy categorisation: it's kind of like "prog soul", freely genre bending to create a unique sound.
Ok
Third, maybe fourth time listening to this album and I can safely conclude that I don’t really understand why this album is so well loved. Not sure what I’m missing. 2.5/5
75
Nogle fine ting også noget som jeg synes er knap så fed. Store og det hele ok.
Det lød godt, men sikke en rode. Man kunne snildt have skåret 20 minutter af uden at forringe kvaliteten.
Indbegrebet af 'all over the place'. Et konceptalbum vil næsten altid bære én stjerne i sig selv for mig. Der er også nogle helt fantastiske enkelte slaskere på det her album, men der er godt nok også meget science fiction. 3.2
Aldrig hørt albummet før. Lidt høje forventninger efter at have læst om det. Nok lidt skuffet. Nogle okay numre uden det for alvor er noget jeg komme op at ringe over. Der er bonus point for ideen og ambitionsniveauet, men det føles også lidt forceret.
There's a lot I like about Janelle Monáe, while also realizing that it's not totally for me. I do really like the genre bending. Some songs will have a chorus that sounds like a Beyonce tune, some songs sounds like indie pop rock, some songs sound like Amy Winehouse tunes. These are compliments, but I can't help but feel like it does spread her sound a little too thin at times. Like "Cold War" outside of a few specific vocal moments is a song that really doesn't work for me. She's of course theatrical, but on this tune it feels like fake theatrics if that makes sense? Its got that theater production perfect sheen to it, where the vocal and guitar tones and performances are so perfectly rehearsed that is sounds canned, a bit corny, and it feels like I'm listening to a song that wants to be the hit song on a musical's soundtrack but doesn't really do it. The lyrics fall flat and it's all kind of campy. I appreciate her striving for a big epic track but it just doesn't do it. I saw Janelle live at Governor's Ball in like 2015 or so and thought she was great. That was probably my first time hearing her too and it's always cool to see an act like and that be your first time hearing them. "Tightrope" is great. Maybe I'm failing to elaborate on why I like these songs without referencing other acts, but this is a really tight Bruno Mars & Beyonce-esque groove fest that is a delight to listen and bounce to. The one thing I'd like more on this album is more pauses, and more time to breath. The songs flow into eachother, which is great, but you don't really get any respite until track 5, which is around minute 14 or so into the experience.
Good! "Mushrooms and Roses", "Say You'll Go", "BaBopByeYa", great songs.
Didn't expect the production/mix to be so fun, detailed. Not familiar with her sound or adjacent artists/genres but I enjoyed the listen. Single standout for me was Cold War.
It's good, but not my thing
Estuvo muy intesante
C'est bien, très bien par moments même, mais c'est long et inégal aussi
Not bad, kinda chill. Ok.
There are things I like and don’t like about this album, the blending of genres was good and made this album very varied and cool that I didn’t know what was coming next. Their voice on the more tender songs and also their rapping ability was really good so that was an unexpected surprise and why I wanted to do this challenge because it got me out of my music bubble. I did think some of the songs weren’t needed and I needed the whole weekend to get through the album, some songs should’ve been cut in my opinion, there are some real good songs on here but I felt like I needed to get through filler to find them.
I'm a fan of Janelle Monae. When crazy classic life came out I listened to it a lot. This one doesn't land like that one did but it's well produced and interesting enough.
A lot of talent went in to this and produced a modern soul/funk musical that sounds incredible and is highly produced and polished. Honestly I was bored to death but she’s a great singer and I love the idea of this, just not my kind of music.
6,5. Una fusión muy divertida y movidita, me encanta también como algunas pistas se fusionan con la anterior, pero muchas canciones no siguen mi estilo y se hace repetitivo
*Interesting soul/funk/R&B concept album
between a 3 and 4 but siding with 3 because i’m not sure how likely i am to come back to it
I really want to like Janelle monae albums. I think she is brilliant, the way you make me feel is one of my favourite tracks, but whenever I listen to a bunch of her stuff it never seems to really connect. This is all over the place musically. Almost like she wanted a different style for every song. Some have the pop sensibilities she is really good at, but a lot of it just passed me by. I feel like her videos are often a nice visualisation of the tracks and maybe by putting some of them on i'd get it more. I haven't though. Maybe later Man, I really wanted to like this.
Not really my jam. Was okay though. A lot of different styles on here
Noen hits, men litt all over the place.
Enjoyed this one. Very cinematic at some parts and a nice blend of modern sounds with some classics. I will likely revisit this artist in the future
It's fine. Unexciting for the most part but still had a few fun songs (Cold War and Tightrope are decent) 5.9/10
I can dig this in smaller doses maybe
Pretty chill R&B album, nothing life changing to be honest but a very solid and good listen, some weirder more experimental bits which I liked and were interesting to hear in an R&B album
I've never heard her music, only seen her acting, and was pleasantly surprised. I enjoyed this album.
It's ok. The mix of genres is interesting, but it also sounds bloated and pretentious. It's sung well, played well, but it was too long and the songs didn't really capture me. 3/5
Not bad but pretty long without any particularly memorable songs
3.5
I don't know about this. On one hand, it seems ambitious, but also too all over the place. I also thought Suite II was more enjoyable than Suite III. Favorite tracks were "Dance or Die", "Tightrope", and "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)". 3.5 stars.
Very fresh when this came out. Great synthesis of pop, hip hop, future funk and RnB along with ambitious orchestral movements. Locked Inside and Cold War are two very tasty poppy anthemic heavy hitters and there is a nice snatch of Debussy chucked near the end. It’s an album that could have done with being 38 minutes as opposed to 68 though. In terms of quality tunage it ended up being a ‘parched’ android for most of the runtime during the second half.
Listened to it while sitting on the porch. Nothing really broke through. Good songs, but not a record I'd go back to.
It felt very art deco to me for some reason but I did enjoy it, nothing new to my playlist but it was quality music
At first I thought this was going to be a Beyonce knock off, but it turned into a surprisingly varied album. Still not fully my cup of tea.
Very good, varied.
4th April 2026. 6pm. Really pleasant, idk if I'll listen to it again tho. Maybe it just need to grow more on me 7/10
Momentos súper enérgicos, me gustó la vibe. No es algo que escucharía siempre pero está buena, la fusión musical y los arreglos que tiene
Good album
Sounds like the soundtrack to an animated movie. Has like 5 genres in it.
After a painfully slow start, this really got going in the middle with Cold War, and from then on it had impressive variety even if I didn't actually like most of the songs.
I actually really enjoyed another song by her that I realized after I started the album. The album was interesting, different, and fun, but I didn't love it as much as I know I like some other stuff by her. I'm curious to check more of her stuff out, though. This will definitely put it more on the map for me. Album was decent, but not great.
It’s cool, but a bit all over the place Stand-outs - Cold War - Mushrooms & Roses
Very talented artist with a beautiful voice. Album is inventive, safely experimental, and rich, but not really my personal cup of tea (other than Sir Greendown, which has been a fav song for years). Emulating a variety of styles, genres and artists is cool and shows an impressive knowledge of music, but then you’re that artist that sounds like a bunch of other artists rather than your own unique style. Nothing wrong with that.
Theatrical in a way I’m not sure if I love or hate
Melodías increíbles, se siente la continuidad del álbum cómo si fuese eso una pieza completa y no un tema por separado y que se le diga álbum. La voz de Janelle es hermosa y no había tenido la oportunidad de escucharla.
fresh
Not my fav but can see where it’s fits and has a few songs I’ll go back to!
meh
This is an interesting album. A very wide range of styles done well. I don't know the base material and I didn't listen closely enough to figure out the concept. There were a couple of standout songs, specifically Come Alive. I think this would grow a lot on me if I listened to it more.
Slick debut album but…. too much going on. Lots of bells and whistles, possibly too many. Tightrope is a massive ear worm. A very talented musician/show person. On my “must see live” list.
Expected to like this a lot more than I did. Found it to be extremely long and tedious at times. Some bangers, I think says a lot about growth in curation for future albums.
Hmm… nice voice, easy on the eyes. Just another in a long line.
This album is cool, i will listen to it if I have time.
I’d never heard of this artist. A bit of reading revealed the album to be a sci-fi concept album. I listened without reading the lyrics and wouldn’t have picked up on the narrative without having known about it in advance. The album is beautifully produced: it sounds great. I was less excited by the musical content (which, genre-wise, is a bit of everything) but this is a clearly a talented and imaginative artist. Overall, I found it more impressive than likeable, but that’s probably just because the music and theme isn’t really to my taste. Glad to have become aware of the artist though.
Interesting album that I've not heard before that includes a variety of styles. Lively vocals and good music to go along with them. I'll probably listen to this one again sometime.
Lost my notes! The start was really bland/weak and I settled on 3 stars based on the first half of the album. That might have been premature, I really enjoyed the second half. The range of genres really is engaging. She is just SUCH a better singer than rapper, and every song early on was high BPM high-energy. I'll keep it at 3 stars because it's SO long and there was plenty I didn't like. But it should be closer to a 4 than I'm giving it credit for.
Never listened to this before. Really enjoyed it, so much fun and very diverse. Love her voice. Great production firework, however at times it felt a little overproduced…
It was good but not great.