I'll keep today's post short, only because if I don't limit myself on this one, I'll go on for ages.
Janelle Monáe has been one of my favorite artists since the summer of 2010, having discovered her while on a trip to California with the family. She's a revamped-retro, future-funk, android Queen of soul known for her psychedelic, dancy jams, black-and-white threads, and that oh-so-fabulous coif. You may recognize her from Covergirl advertisements (along with our first Music Monday Lady, P!nk) or from her collaboration with fun. on their supah-crazy hit single We Are Young.
Her voice is ridiculous- she's one of those that changes the way she uses it depending on the song, to great effect- and her albums are some of the coolest albums you'll ever hear, as they combine rock, soul, funk, electronic, jazz, hip-hop, rap, and cinematic influences to tell a story. She's created a world of androids, clones, and humans about which she writes and sings, using this world to not only tell a cool story, but to convey a central message: we should love, accept, and respect each other simply because we're all people.
Some of my favorite songs include:
-Tightrope (ArchAndroid)
-Cold War (ArchAndroid)
-Locked Inside (ArchAndroid)
-Given Em What They Love ft. Prince (The Electric Lady)
-Q.U.E.E.N. ft Erykah Badu (The Electric Lady)
-Dance Apocalyptic (The Electric Lady)
-And all of the Overtures are great.
Much love!
Adam