Janelle Monáe - The ArchAndroid

Janelle Monáe
The ArchAndroid
(2010, Bad Boy Entertainment)
RIYL = Andre 3000, Michael Jackson, P-Funk, pop

Beloved Reader,

Just a note to check in, see how you’re doing (did you get my last message?), and tell you about a new thing you might benefit from. How are you? Has your summer started yet? How’re the dogs?

Okay, honey, I’ll cut to the chase: have you listened to The ArchAndroid yet? I know, I know, the album doesn’t need this nudge… I’m pretty sure that legiterally every critic in the entire nation has fawned over it already – but that’s actually why I thought it might be a good idea for us to talk a little about it.

Reader, I feel that, sometimes, you’re probably a bit like me. We share some similar tastes, and use some of the same outlets to help find fulfillment of those tastes. And one thing that I sometimes do when everyone in the entire world is talking about an album, and particularly, gushing over an album, is never ever listen to it ever. I try not to be reactionary like this. I pride myself on being a great accepter of music, of giving everything its fair chance. But sometimes, I guess, I don’t know… I like being able to stand outside the influence of others, and say, “Nope, haven’t listened to that.” Anyway, if you know what I’m talking about, well, that’s why I’m writing:

Don’t let ArchAndroid be that album for you right now.

The only person getting hurt is you, and it kills me to see you this way.

I’ll try not to contribute to the issue: I won’t sit here and extol all the virtues of the album, its complexities, its genre-blasting, its disparate and wonderful influences, its high-flying concept. Heck, I’ll even give you negative criticism: The of Montreal song is stupid and sucks and makes me so angry I almost get shaky, it’s so out of place and poor and should never ever ever have been included on this otherwise beautifully of-a-piece work. Just delete it from your iTunes.

But, okay, if I’m afraid of scaring you away with positive analysis, I’ll leave you only with this: The ArchAndroid will make you happy. It is blissful, smart, fresh, pure pop music. You need not analyze. Don’t do what the critics have done; don’t diagram, don’t treat this like the undisputed-album-of-the-year or the-album-to-finally-push-pop-forward or whatever. Just listen. Monáe kills it, kills it, kills it, and listening will make you smile. You might feel a little energetic. You might want to dance. You might want to build a spaceship and fly it into the sun. It’s cool.

So baby, please try it. Please? For me?

Thanks and love –

Mantis

xoxo