Janelle Monae

i'm with you, miss the Android stuff but she was bound to change styles/gimmicks at some point

I like this more than the earlier stuff myself. The Android thing was never very convincing to me and actively detracted from my enjoyment of those albums. Maybe I am boring.

I like this album, its low stakes-ness seems like part of the point? It is like a (more) poolside ready version of Meshell Ndgeocello’s Comfort Woman.

yeah I've come around to it too. No great songs, but she masters a groove where make believing is the real thing.

I dug it ok, can't remember how any songs go though. but sounded good.

monae just has theater kid vibes she can't ever completely shake is the thing.

low stakes albums are cool and all but it's kind of a weird choice at this point in her career. her last one was 5 years ago and it got a lot of hype, she's landed a starring role in a fairly big movie since and is starting to become sort of a household name, so now would be the time to drop a big magnum opus with a dozen guest spots and a bunch of singles. I mean I get it she probably just didn't have time for it but idk it feels like right now could have been her moment

so now would be the time to drop a big magnum opus with a dozen guest spots and a bunch of singles

would this be preferable though?

the guest spots on here are largely wasted imo

amaarae sounds great, ckay okay, but grace and sister nancy seem to be here because monae admires them, not because she had any great ideas about how to collaborate with them

would this be preferable though?

I think so. idk maybe that Off the Wall thread is making me think of how MJ absolutely seized the moment, because that's what superstars do. and I think Monae wants to be a superstar. so yeah putting out an album that's been mostly received as "it's nice but I don't remember any of the songs" seems kinda bad