Janelle Monae

janelle money amirite

Just looked up the lyrics, it's "break you in" not "breaking wind", which would have been better for a song nominally about yoga

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?

stop being so invested in ~weirdness

never.

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?

janelle's album trax aren't that "weird"

they're mostly all stylistic exercises

where did this "Janelle Monae is a bad songwriter" delusion come from

when she hit me across the head w/the blackjack called The ArchAndroid.

yeah I don't understand this, outside of like "Mushrooms and Roses" I don't think she's really 'weird' at all

they're mostly all stylistic exercises

yeah if anything they're too straight imo. which qualifies as bad songwriting

"Yoga" is growing on me, the lyrical content maybe not so much but the melody in the verse is great as is Monae's delivery!

find this youtube comment p hilarious

and for the people who say don't put her in a box, my response is SHE WAS IN FUCKING BEAUTIFUL DIVERSE UNIQUE BOX!!!!!!

"yoga" becomes her first ever hot 100 entry

other than the time she was featured on a #1 obv

sigh

other than the time she was featured on a #1 obv

― some dude, Thursday, July 2, 2015 1:12 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

right, yes

Still can't decide what I think of "Yoga"

Likewise. I hate it more in theory than in practice.

that means you like it

fyi
Three days into the whirlwind “Eephus” tour, featuring eight concerts in such cities as Philadelphia, D.C. and Los Angeles, it’s become pretty clear that Monáe and her labelmates are turning the Toyota-sponsored tour into a political roadshow. So far, they’re three for three, leading public protests before each night’s show. The tour stops — and subsequent marches — began in Philadelphia on Wednesday and continued the next day in New York, where the group led a rally against police brutality in Times Square. The group moves on to Chicago on Monday, then Los Angeles, San Francisco and Portland, Ore., before wrapping up in Atlanta at the end of the month

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style-blog/wp/2015/08/16/janelle-monae-leads-protest-before-secret-concert-in-washington-d-c/

righteous

not righteous: http://consequenceofsound.net/2015/08/janelle-monaes-speaks-out-against-police-brutality-immediatly-cut-off-by-today-show/

http://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2015/08/18/385202798/janelle-mon-e-releases-visceral-protest-song-hell-you-talmbout

eh, I'm not a big fan of the implications of that article. not saying it wasn't on purpose but she wasn't "immediately" cut off nor was this something out of the ordinary, performers who stay on to say a few words about whatever routinely get cut off

yeah, i get why people look at that clip and feel mad or disheartened, but a show like that is timed within an inch of its life, they were gonna cut to the next segment when they were gonna cut no matter what. if she's said that stuff over the bridge of the song during their scheduled time, i doubt they would've cut away.

daaaamn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7dUfv6_Qs24

not a great song exactly, but something i can imagine being really great at shows/rallies. and actually its better than some over earnestly political attempt to Say Something about what's happening. could do with a little more colour in the music but its maybe the first time ive heard JM break a sweat vocally too (though i think i prefer her sounding cooler).

I appreciate "Hell You Talmbout," but I don't think I want to listen to it again. Prince's "Baltimore" is perhaps less angry, but a lot more tuneful.

for such a spare track, the drums sound really cold/thin.

wish she would re-appear with something new

Have we lost her to Hollywood?

hope not

we lost her to the GAP

yeah, feels that way

that's too bad because I don't think she's actually that great an actress (she was good in moonlight but everything she did in hidden figures was so self-serious and actor-ly....whole movie was kind of like that though). more music please! obv she is very beautiful so I'm not surprised she has a million makeup endorsement deals.

i just saw her in moonlight and thought she was great

i can't blame her for Hidden Figures, that was clearly the direction/tone of the film. i mean, you know Kevin Costner signed up just for that ridiculous scene with the bathroom sign. Moonlight is great proof that Monae can act well in the right role

Well this is an interview and a half

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/feb/22/you-dont-own-or-control-me-janelle-monae-on-her-music-politics-and-undefinable-sexuality

These new songs are fucking great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGRzz0oqgUE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTjQq5rMlEY

The first one's great, the second one's just okay (though there's some terrific bass playing buried in there).

Yeah, don't know that I need a ton of hip hop-style Janelle, but her saucy Prince-mode is A+.

Django Jane sounds good to me.

It's not just a pure "Kiss" knockoff, either; I hear some Janet Jackson in "Make Me Feel," too.

Ahem.. Janelle Monáe - Dirty Computer album/film

The search function does not conflate accents. :-D

the collective realisation that JM wld make a perfect willy wonka has ruined JM for me

Sorry?

OMG this how you announce new material

💄❤️‍🔥💋 tomm. pic.twitter.com/lBlgYuEBvl

— Janelle Monáe👽🚆🤖🚀🪐 (@JanelleMonae) May 10, 2023

bout to do some cartoon wolf shit

subtle!!

https://store.jmonae.com/en/janelle-mon%C3%A1e/the-age-of-pleasure-sea-blue-vinyl/075678626876.html