xp I'll take this song over goddamned "eat pray love", thanks
― bae sremmurd (monotony), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 13:27 (nine years ago) link
I love Janelle but don't really like this single at all. Sounds way too close to Dark Horse for me.
― Kitchen Person, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 13:52 (nine years ago) link
No this isn't futurism. But at least she sounds present.
― longneck, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 14:17 (nine years ago) link
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 pretend, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 14:26 (nine years ago) link
Lex otm
― longneck, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 14:45 (nine years ago) link
My favorite Monae track was a straight up "Golden Lady" rip, so there's probably some meat on that argument.
― Eric H., Tuesday, 28 April 2015 14:59 (nine years ago) link
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
― DJP, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 15:03 (nine years ago) link
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
― DJP, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 15:04 (nine years ago) link
xxp - which song is this?
― frogbs, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 15:04 (nine years ago) link
"Locked Inside"
― Eric H., Tuesday, 28 April 2015 15:07 (nine years ago) link
i only think this is bad relative to the jidenna single that came first, which is more awesome & in the same style
― deej loaf (D-40), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 15:20 (nine years ago) link
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
― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 28 April 2015 15:21 (nine years ago) link
― 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
― lex pretend, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 15:29 (nine years ago) link
ill agree with that
― deej loaf (D-40), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 16:00 (nine years ago) link
I like current R&B/pop trends but her voice is too shrill for this shit. She works better with more dynamic melodies.
― tsrobodo, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 16:06 (nine years ago) link
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.
― tsrobodo, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 16:08 (nine years ago) link
"Classic Man" is the most awful song
― some dude, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 16:55 (nine years ago) link
how so
― deej loaf (D-40), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 16:58 (nine years ago) link
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.
― some dude, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:07 (nine years ago) link
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
― entry-level umami (mild bleu cheese vibes) (s.clover), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:11 (nine years ago) link
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
― deej loaf (D-40), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:17 (nine years ago) link
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.
― Continue your brooding monologue (Re-Make/Re-Model), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:31 (nine years ago) link
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.
― irl sweatpants (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:33 (nine years ago) link
like it's in a uncanny valley between goofy and actual pop music
― irl sweatpants (Hunt3r), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:36 (nine years ago) link
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
― some dude, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:44 (nine years ago) link
or maybe they're people who just like yoga & dandy culture who are telling u they also like club records
― deej loaf (D-40), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:47 (nine years ago) link
idk my Monae problem is she always sounds too poised.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:51 (nine years ago) link
she's also not a good songwriter
Modern Euro dance music influence on corporate black pop music is the worst thing that ever happened in music.
Lex Pretend is a self parody and completely humdrum predictable. Lex called Kendrick's "For Free" "misogynistic" xD xD
― Arctic Noon Auk, Tuesday, 28 April 2015 17:58 (nine years ago) link
There is a grain of truth in this particular internet hardmanism.
― the joke should be over once the kid is eaten. (chap), Tuesday, 28 April 2015 18:41 (nine years ago) link
Obviously Lex celebrates it as a blow against "weirdness", ie interesting ideas and a distinct personality.
― Continue your brooding monologue (Re-Make/Re-Model), Tuesday, April 28, 2015 5:31 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
i don't think making a song in line with current pop/r&b sounds obviates interesting ideas or a distinct personality but i get the impression a lot of monáe fans do
― lex pretend, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 10:49 (eight years ago) link
Haaaaa I thought I figured out who Tanuki is for a second but then I remembered the person in question isn't British even though I thought he was until he said otherwise.
― The Reverend, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 16:18 (eight years ago) link
― some dude, Tuesday, April 28, 2015 1:07 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
otm
― katherine, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 17:06 (eight years ago) link
this is my issue too
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 17:15 (eight years ago) link
in the end, she's all about making money. she's not in this for music or art.
― Arctic Noon Auk, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 17:53 (eight years ago) link
you don't say
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 29 April 2015 17:54 (eight years ago) link
say do i
― Arctic Noon Auk, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 17:55 (eight years ago) link
in the end, she's all about making money.
just like her hero James Brown
― Οὖτις, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 17:56 (eight years ago) link
im really trying to believe arctic noon auk is a sincere KTTeen, but i'm really struggling
― deej loaf (D-40), Wednesday, 29 April 2015 18:12 (eight years ago) link
janelle money amirite
― Arctic Noon Auk, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 18:20 (eight years ago) link
Just looked up the lyrics, it's "break you in" not "breaking wind", which would have been better for a song nominally about yoga
― Leonard Pine, Wednesday, 29 April 2015 18:32 (eight years ago) link
xp I just don't hear anything interesting here Lex. I don't automatically prefer outre stuff to straightforward club jams - it depends on the song - but to go from one to the other so drastically, and so feebly, is depressing. Re: Monae's fans, I was listening to Blackheart this morning - isn't Dawn Richard's appeal similarly based on "weirdness"/originality/big ideas?
― Continue your brooding monologue (Re-Make/Re-Model), Wednesday, 29 April 2015 19:21 (eight years ago) link
stop being so invested in ~weirdness
never.
― rushomancy, Thursday, 30 April 2015 00:33 (eight years ago) link
xp dawn richard has mainstream-trend songs on all her albums. different situation sure - not lead singles, v much the exceptions - but no one's reacted harshly to "faith", "riot" or "phoenix" simply because of the style she employs
i guess i don't hear how this is a particularly feeble example of rnbass-ish sounds...i'm sure we can all name rnbass songs this year which are much better at conveying interesting ideas/distinct personalities (starting right here with jidenna's own song!) (and peaking with HONEY COCAINE <33333333) but this is fine to me, obviously it's no "q.u.e.e.n." but i prefer it to the majority of her album trax. maybe because i had lower expectations because as many have pointed out, songwriting hasn't been her forte so any sort of hook i remember is a step up?
― lex pretend, Thursday, 30 April 2015 14:58 (eight years ago) link
janelle's album trax aren't that "weird"
― insufficiently familiar with xgau's work to comment intelligently (BradNelson), Thursday, 30 April 2015 15:30 (eight years ago) link
they're mostly all stylistic exercises
where did this "Janelle Monae is a bad songwriter" delusion come from
― DJP, Thursday, 30 April 2015 15:58 (eight years ago) link
when she hit me across the head w/the blackjack called The ArchAndroid.
― The burrito of ennui (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 30 April 2015 16:05 (eight years ago) link
yeah I don't understand this, outside of like "Mushrooms and Roses" I don't think she's really 'weird' at all
― frogbs, Thursday, 30 April 2015 16:13 (eight years ago) link