Out of This World

Following the Grammys on Sunday night, I thought I should choose an artist who performed as well as was nominated. Janelle Monáe was nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance and Best Contemporary R&B Album (she lost in both). However, her performance was electric and really brought the crowd on its feet. Her album, The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III), has garnered lots of critical praise and has enjoyed popular success since its release in May 2010.

Monáe was born in Kansas City and studied at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She originally intended to pursue a career on Broadway, but she changed her mind when she thought of how music has the ability to “change the world”. Her style is rooted R&B , soul and funk, but she can cross genres in a moment. She has worked with the likes of Big Boi from Outkast, Sean Combs and Of Montreal. ArchAndroid is the next album on my list to review.

#20 – Janelle Monáe, The ArchAndroid (Suites II & III) (Metascore = 90)

The album is based off a character Monáe created called Cindi Mayweather, an android that takes on a messianic role in freeing citizens of Metropolis from a secret society that uses time-travel to suppress freedom and love (borrowing from an article summarized on Wikipedia). I know, this is an odd concept, but concept albums have always been regarded strongly by critics. Monáe has mentioned numerous times in interviews that she got this concept from the movie Metropolis, a classic motion picture that arguably started the science fiction genre for movies. “Dance or Die” (preceded by “Suite II Overture”, which I’ll ignore here) kicks the story off with a fantastic funk groove and Monáe introducing the story from the perspective of those cyborgs that have been oppressed.

“Faster” continues this fantastic groove and brings Cindi into the picture. I cannot fail to mention Monáe’s vocal delivery, which varies from rapping in “Dance or Die” to a soulful croon in “Faster” to classical pop in “Sir Greendown”. From the first time I heard this record I have been entranced by her vocals. Her supporting band blows me away; they segue between numerous musical styles (mostly soul and funk and mixing in some Caribbean and pop throughout). “Locked Inside” fittingly borrows from “Rock with You” by Michael Jackson. “Oh, Maker” emphasizes Monáe’s softer side, sounding closer to Mariah Carey or Alicia Keys.

A listener could easily interpret the lyrics to many of the songs as politically-driven, but this would only be partially true. There are some elements that someone looking to attach political and social comments could do so, but Monáe has emphasized time and again that the lyrics were written around the Metropolis concept. There are elements of oppression, enslavement, and “breaking the chains”, and each strengthens the overall storyline.

This album, like Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs and the Black Keys’ Brothers albums, was one of my favorites from 2010. In some ways this album blows those two out of the water due to its amazing depth lyrically and musically. There are a couple of songs I could do without, and at times the album can get long-winded, but overall I really enjoyed this record.