Janelle Monáe // The Electric Lady

Will Nixon 12 September 2013

It’s not all space-aged eccentricity!

Janelle Monáe has had a trajectory from a nobody to respected singer, musician, composer, fashion icon, record producer and every other accolade pinned to her, so fast, that it could easily be mistaken for a rocket from the futuristic metropolis that Monáe has vibrantly drawn throughout her career.

Creating a concept album, with detailed characters and storyline is one thing. However to carry on this depiction of the make-believe through-out your career and make it continually interesting takes a lot of dedication and also courage, for this fact alone, Monáe deserves all the praise she receives. This exploration into the an imaginary future, coupled with the fact that The Electric Lady is a superb blend of Soul, Funk, Rap, Blues, R&B and Pop, means you have yourself one mighty fine album.

Here, the tuxedo wearing Kansan (that’s someone who’s from Kansas, for those who don’t know), serves up fourteen equally unique songs, two instrumentals that wouldn’t seem out of place in a Hollywood blockbuster, plus three skits from the android radio presenter; DJ Crash Crash. Enough to satisfy anyone’s appetite and leave some left over.

It’s not all space-aged eccentricity; there are also political, racial, social messages plus female sexuality wrapped around the heart of this glossy, robotic being. If, so far through reading this, you’re not enticed to give even the briefest of listens to this album, then, this next bit may be the final beckoning finger. This album features the vocal talents of Prince, Erykah Badu, Solange Knowles, Miguel and Esperanza Spalding. Monáe out does every single one!

The Electric Lady is a fantastic album that sweeps from booty shaker to melting ballad and back again, eventually halting with final song, What An Experience, which sums up the whole journey through the album very suitably.