Janelle Monáe is an Atlanta-based singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and model, among several other things. who broke through with some EPs that go as far back as 2007 before really hitting it big with her first studio album “The ArchAndroid” back in 2010. She followed that with “The Electric Lady” back in 2013 (though not before receiving a prominent feature on the Billboard Hot 100 #1 single “We Are Young” by fun. back in 2012), and she also saw some major acting roles in films liked “Hidden Figures” and the Academy Award winner for Best Picture in 2017, “Moonlight.” Now, she’s here with this new album, one that’s not only been getting rave reviews but has gotten a lot of buzz thanks to its early singles, specifically “Make Me Feel.”
Now, while Janelle isn’t an artist I’ve listened to regularly, I’ve always had respect for her. Back in high school, I took a class known as “Black Music as Rebellion,” and while I don’t really remember a lot of the class, I do recall Janelle’s music being featured quite a bit (it probably helps that I took the class in the 2013-14 school year, and “The Electric Lady” released pretty much right at the beginning of the school year), and I do remember enjoying it quite a bit. Not only that, but having recently listened to “Make Me Feel,” I thought it was a very infectious and really great single, so I wanted to give this record a shot and see what it’s all about. Is it worth the hype? Let’s find out!
Dirty Computer (ft. Brian Wilson): The first track on this album introduces the complexities of what is the “dirty computer” and how we are all essentially born as computers. Right off the top, I like the somewhat swingy feel of this track, and I love Janelle’s harmonizing with Brian Wilson as well. Right when it started, I fell in love. There’s a really beautiful vibe to the track that I’m sure will keep me listening far in the future.
Crazy, Classic, Life: Moving right along, we have a song where Janelle talks about how she wants to be able to live in a world where people can feel like they want to be themselves without being so harshly judged. I feel that, Janelle. I really like the very bright, vibrant instrumentals on here, and I think Janelle’s performance oozes charisma. The hook on this one might need to grow on me a little, but I feel like it’s got a really good vibe to it and some strong lyrical content (especially in the outro). I really liked this track!
Take A Byte: When this started, it almost felt like an extension of “Crazy, Classic, Life.” It keeps the very danceable and bright feel of the last track, and it features Janelle making several biblical references, taking inspiration from the Book of Genesis. She’s got some great vocals as always, her performance is very charismatic, and the song once again has a really great vibe to it. And if nothing else, how many artists do you know that can mix the story of Adam and Eve with computer language? Probably not many, so Janelle has my respect not only for doing that but for pulling through with a great song in the process.
Jane’s Dream: It’s a 19-second instrumental that leads into the next song. I’m sure Janelle, being forward-thinking and unique like she is, placed this track on here for a significant reason (probably has something to do with computer jargon again), but without the context of the 46-minute short film Janelle released with this, it’s just an interlude, so there’s not much to say.
Screwed (ft. Zoë Kravitz): A song with a pair of meanings, in that it talks about sex, while also talking about America, with its use of the term “screwed.” Again, Janelle is over here making double-meanings out of some completely different things, and dammit all, she’s sticking the landing. This song has a really cool vibe with a really great guitar track, good vocal interplay between Janelle and featured artist Zoë Kravitz, and some pretty great lyrics. I found myself chuckling about how Janelle and Zoë were constantly saying “let’s get screwed” on this track, and how she related sex to the state of America on here. Really good track!
Django Jane: Something of a continuation of “Screwed,” this is a straight rap track where Janelle talks about female empowerment and her past accomplishments. I have to ask after hearing this, why is Janelle Monáe not charting on the same level of girls like Nicki Minaj and Cardi B? No disrespect to them at all, and obviously, I’m not trying to turn this into a competition, but wow, Janelle really has some great bars on here, strong flow, and a performance that just oozes genuine, effortless confidence. Janelle really pulls through with an amazing track right here, one that begs you to come back more and more in the future!
Pynk (ft. Grimes): A synth-driven song featuring Canadian musician Grimes, this one uses the color pink (or, “pynk,” as the song says) as a euphemism for vaginas, though it's also used in several other metaphorical ways. The song is essentially Janelle celebrating the female body in all of its forms and variations. Janelle’s voice has a much softer tone this time around, but her vocals remain very beautiful, and Grimes comes through with some really gorgeous production and a very danceable beat on this track. I think I’ll definitely come back to this one quite a bit in the future!
Make Me Feel: The first single released from the album, and one that kinda shook the music world upon release as everyone immediately fell in love with it (myself included), this track sees Janelle embracing her sexuality, and doing so over some absolutely brilliant production. Her vocals also remain incredibly charismatic and exciting, the hook is possibly one of the most captivating choruses of the year, and the song itself feels like an incredible throwback to the 80s. Forget being one of the best on the album, this might end up being one of the best singles of the year when all is said and done.
I Got the Juice (ft. Pharrell Williams): Janelle collaborates on here with Pharrell Williams and it seems like she says “down, dog” as a way to tell men to stop trying to be “dominant.” I really like the production on this track, and I like the pre-chorus a lot, though I’m not 100% hooked on it. Probably because the chorus itself isn’t the strongest on the album. Still, I do like Janelle’s charismatic vocals on this one, and Pharrell’s verse is plenty of fun, too. Not my favorite on the album, but it’s still a good track!
I Like That: Another track that sees Janelle talk about her sexuality and embrace it, I really love her vocals a lot here. This song in particular is a great showcase of her vocal talents, and I also find something really clever in the lyric where she says “I’m the random minor note you hear in major songs.” The production is also sharp, with a really solid 808-driven beat and a nice, bright sound. The vocal harmonizing is also really great, and Janelle’s rapping on her third verse is very strong as well. Definitely one of my favorites on the album.
Don’t Judge Me: Here, we have Janelle talking to us about the media and her fans, and she basically tells them to accept her for who she is. It’s got a very nice, slow-jam kind of feel, and it’s got more of Janelle’s very beautiful vocals. The lyrical content is also pretty great, I particularly like the line “even though you tell me you love me, I’m afraid that you just love my disguise.” That honestly sounds like nothing I’ve heard before in a song, so respect to Janelle on that. It does feel like the song goes on a bit too long at points (it is 6 minutes long, mind you), but it’s definitely a really enjoyable track.
Stevie’s Dream: A track with a spoken word bit from the legend himself, Stevie Wonder, this 47-second cut once again probably makes more sense in the context of the short film Janelle released alongside this album. As it is now, it’s just a short interlude, but it’s still an interesting concept and the little bits of instrumentals behind it are nice enough.
So Afraid: Given the name “So Afraid,” it seemed likely that this track would see Janelle in a more vulnerable state. And sure enough, it does, as Janelle legitimately talks on the hook about how she’s afraid of love. It’s a lighter, more downbeat track compared to a lot of the rest of the album, and it features a somewhat more minimal instrumental behind it, but it has cool guitar riffs and some very beautiful vocals from Janelle. Not one of my favorites on the album, but I feel like this one will grow on me with repeat listens.
Americans: Ending off the album, we have a track that tackles racism head-on. She does that over a bright, poppy instrumental and she sings some great lyrics that talk about a number of the societal problems America is still facing, from sexism to homophobia to immigration to police brutality. It’s an important call for action, and it’s the one we need. Beyond the great lyrical content, the song itself is also a great general listen, with even more charismatic vocals from Janelle and very punchy production. This is how you end an album right here, definitely an amazing track!
Overall, Janelle Monáe comes through with what will most likely end up being one of 2018’s best albums. Janelle tackles a number of different important topics on this album, some personal and some pertinent to the world around us, and she circles them back to this interesting concept about “computers.” She proves here that she’s great with concepts and she’s very forward-thinking, and she takes the album down several roads while showcasing the ability to tie them all together nicely. And beyond the very great lyrical content throughout these songs, it also just so happens that Janelle is an amazing singer and rapper with quite an ear for production, thus allowing her to make an album that has plenty of very vibrant, energetic songs that are accessible but stronger than the average pop song. This was a fantastic album, and I’m glad I got to look at it for my 90th review. No better way to celebrate a milestone than with an album that will go down as one of the year’s best!
Favorite tracks: Dirty Computer, Crazy, Classic, Life, Take A Byte, Screwed, Django Jane, Pynk, Make Me Feel, I Like That, Don’t Judge Me, Americans
Least favorite tracks: I guess the “Dream” tracks? Nah, it's not fair to be that harsh to tracks that aren't even a minute (and probably make more sense in the context of the short film), so……yeah, none of them, really.
Rating: Excellent
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