Janelle Monae

yikes, sounds like it's good i stayed out

well this is a surprising move
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OkB6p_FZAw

That's kind of horrible.

We weren't fans either.

i've no idea what's meant to be so awful about this song. OH NO SHE MADE A REASONABLY PROFICIENT MAINSTREAM-SOUNDING SONG

stop being so invested in ~weirdness

it pairs well with jidenna's own single

Jeez, I just think it's corny and irritating and actually TOO kooky if anything.

The production is certainly proficient, I will agree with you there.

i've no idea what's meant to be so awful about this song. OH NO SHE MADE A REASONABLY PROFICIENT MAINSTREAM-SOUNDING SONG

― lex pretend,

she totally did this with "Primetime."

And "Tightrope."

Also Tightrope is not exactly avant-noise.

xp

I'm with Lex. This is a step in the right direction. The retro has been smothering her futurism for a while now.

I wouldn't call this futurism.

"Yoga pants are sexy" is pretty of-the-moment tbh.

i really like this and was surprised by the lukewarm reaction on TSJ

reminds me more than anything of "7/11" and i recall people being a bit "what is this basic mess" when that premiered too

http://f.tqn.com/y/yoga/1/L/u/6/hydemens.jpg

(゜-゜) @ the persistant myth she ever had any talent anyway

(゜-゜) @ that idea she hasn't always been a fraud

(゜-゜) @ it finally all being exposed in a song about bending over doing yoga exposing your ass

what's it like exposing yourself as an ass?

She's always been a derivative fraudulent leech so this comes as no surprise and may be the current nadir of western appropriation of a spiritual meditation practice. Fuck that, look how great your ass looks.

"get off my areola"...hah

xp I'll take this song over goddamned "eat pray love", thanks

I love Janelle but don't really like this single at all. Sounds way too close to Dark Horse for me.

No this isn't futurism. But at least she sounds present.

she sounds in line with current r&b/pop trends from "7/11" to rnbass and does a decent job at it; maybe this isn't world-stoppingly great but if you really need the smelling salts for it, it does reveal how much of monáe's original retro appeal was defined against "other/mainstream r&b singers"

Lex otm

My favorite Monae track was a straight up "Golden Lady" rip, so there's probably some meat on that argument.

she sounds in line with current r&b/pop trends

this is a large part of what I find boring about this song

she still sounds great, mind you

also I flat-out hated "Dance Apocalyptic" until I saw the Letterman performance of it so I now know to reserve judgment on her singles until I see her perform them live

xxp - which song is this?

"Locked Inside"

i only think this is bad relative to the jidenna single that came first, which is more awesome & in the same style

i don't have a problem w/ this song but it is kinda hilarious. the phrase "let me see you do that yoga," which doesn't really make sense, doesn't really help this feel natural. like "7/11" it has the faint whiff of lonely island to me.

also donmonique "pilates" did the concept 100x better at the same time, and that kinda nags at me

she sounds in line with current r&b/pop trends

this is a large part of what I find boring about this song

― DJP, Tuesday, April 28, 2015 3:03 PM (23 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yes but i like current r&b/pop trends, or these ones at any rate, and i don't think current r&b/pop trends as either practiced here or as a concept generally are objectionable

i would agree that the jidenna single is better - hard to stan for "yoga" especially, but there's just been a lot of negative overreaction

ill agree with that

I like current R&B/pop trends but her voice is too shrill for this shit. She works better with more dynamic melodies.

Much as I like it "Primetime" is redolent of this; Miguel seduces while she puts you on edge. Her voice just doesn't do sensuality all that well.

"Classic Man" is the most awful song

how so

it sounds bad. like an offbrand knockoff of something popular. i thought it was some shit independent thing that a local radio station was trying to make happen the first couple times i heard it.

or, like, the return of Ron Browz's rap-singing career or something.

this is a seriously goofy record, and that's the best thing about it i think

idk i like 'classic man,' such a strange record, good melody, i like how the lyrics are like an inkblot test

'yoga' is weird bc janelle sounds so poised

Proficient is the word. Boring song that barely sounds like her. Obviously Lex celebrates it as a blow against "weirdness", ie interesting ideas and a distinct personality.

it does not sound that good to me, but it comes across even worse somehow just like all wrong. the vid needs more papyrus font to emphasize how yoga it is.

like it's in a uncanny valley between goofy and actual pop music

yeah they're kinda doing a Macklemore-style facsimile of club records that tell you how much classier and smarter they are than other club records

or maybe they're people who just like yoga & dandy culture who are telling u they also like club records

idk my Monae problem is she always sounds too poised.