The ArchAndroid - Janelle Monae (2010)

Ideated from: a Black History Month reminder that black artists largely built the modern world of music

Allmusic describes them as a “Grammy-nominated singer/rapper, songwriter, arranger, producer, actor, and author” which isn’t really a put-on.

I tend to use the word “eclectic” pretty often (and the phrase “all over the place” when I feel like I’ve used “eclectic” too often lately). But this is really what those terms were made for. Popping funk, smooth soul, blissed-out baroque pop, scuzzed-up psych rock, a ballad that kind of inexplicably sounds like karaoke of Hey There Delilah, and the hip hop of her background (hailing from Atlanta and releasing this record on Bad Boy records).

The story is something that you’d have to work at more than I have to follow, and it’s continued from her previous record. But the Afro-futurist influence is prevalent: using sci fi to examine modern social issues.

This thing is a treat from beginning to end.

Is Tightrope a good track?

See below, but yes. maybe the best.

Tracks I Liked

Tightrope - one of my favorite tracks from that year

Come Alive (War of the Roses) - I mean… it’s Rock Lobster without even a lot of embellishment, but holy shit it smacks.

Wondaland - something between a Dua Lipa pop smash, 60s Beach Boys, and a soundtrack to a Japanese video game.