(Single cover)




Feb 11, 2010


Janelle Monáe has announced the release of her eagerly awaited debut album. “The ArchAndroid” will arrive in stores and at all DSPs on May 18th.

The album will be heralded by the first single, “Tightrope (Feat. Big Boi).” The track will premiered today on Pitchfork.com, with a companion song from “The ArchAndroid,” entitled “Cold War,” debuting the following day right here on janellemonae.com. Both songs will be available for purchase exclusively at the site beginning February 12th, and then at all DSPs on February 23rd. In addition, a music video for “Tightrope” is currently in pre-production.

“The ArchAndroid” is an “EMOTION PICTURE” brought to you by Janelle Monáe and the Mad Minds of the Wondaland Arts Society. The star-studded featured cast includes the legendary Big Boi of OutKast, renowned poet Saul Williams, psychedelic dance-punk troupe Of Montreal, punk prophets Deep Cotton, and the Wondaland Arch Orchestra.

The album was recorded at Wondaland Studios in Atlanta, but written all over the world, including but not limited to Moscow, Prague, Istanbul, Berlin, Amsterdam, New York, and the Palace of the Dogs. “The ArchAndroid” was inspired not only by the energy of these places, but by such revolutionary musicians and artistic visionaries as Salvador Dalí, Walt Disney, OutKast, Stevie Wonder, Octavia Butler, David Bowie, Andy Warhol, and John Williams. The album was Executive Produced by Nate Wonder, Chuck Lightning, Janelle Monáe, and Sean “Diddy” Combs, with Co-Executive Production from Big Boi of OutKast.

Monáe is slated for a variety of live dates and TV appearances surrounding the release of “The ArchAndroid.” A charismatic and unique live performer who has previously toured with No Doubt, Paramore, Erykah Badu, and Raphael Saadiq, she will also be doing a series of exclusive residencies in a number of cities across North America (see attached itinerary below) – full details will be announced shortly.

What’s more, Monáe is set to join this summer’s much anticipated 2010 Lilith Tour, joining a star-studded array of female artists including Sarah MacLachlan, Norah Jones, Mary J. Blige, Loretta Lynn, Tegan & Sara, Sara Bareilles, Colbie Caillat, and many others. Full tour details will be unveiled shortly.

Janelle Monáe On Tour 2010:

MARCH

15 Washington, DC Black Cat

17 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s

18 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s

21 San Francisco, CA Café Du Nord

22 San Francisco, CA Café Du Nord

23 Los Angeles, CA The Viper Room

24 Los Angeles, CA The Viper Room

29 Schubas Tavern Chicago, IL

30 Schubas Tavern Chicago, IL

31 Varsity Theater Minneapolis, MN

APRIL

2 St. Andrews Detroit, MI

5 Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta, GA

6 Smith’s Olde Bar Atlanta, GA

9 Joe’s Pub New York, NY

10 Joe’s Pub New York, NY




http://www.jmonae.com/new...new-music/
[Edited 4/6/10 9:34am]

That's a great single cover!

Maybe I should go check her out when she comes to Philly. I hear she's a helluva live performer.

Not that it matters but is she a lesbian?

In that new song, her voice sounds similar to Frankie Lymon/15 year old Michael Jackson. Cool song though.

Wowugotit said:

no

Wowugotit said:

I'm not a chick.

Big Boi's input adds very little dimension to the song, but I'm diggin' it.
[Edited 2/12/10 4:55am]

WaterInYourBath said:

She also sounds like young stevie.

Damn! She never dissapoints. Aint nobody touching her.

I'll buy her album, she is so diffreent than most any black female artist right now.

elem55 said:

I'm tryin' to

Funky track!

I didn't care much for the songs I've previously heard from her, but "Tightrope" is freakin' awesome. I'll be checking out the album when it's released.

Love the James Brown hint

Another track is available to stream at her website called "Cold War".

i'm all for different shit, but she just bores the fuck out of me on all levels

Janelle's Private Listening Session
March 2010



Last Thursday night, industry insiders sipped cocktails in the lobby of New York City’s Rubin Museum of Art for the unveiling of Janelle Monáe’s latest masterpiece. A vacation from the expected gallery unveiling, the crowd skeptically eyed tall shadowy figures in mirrored masks that floated around, greeting guests. Portions of the Grammy-nominated singer’s eagerly-awaited debut The ArchAndroid, due May 18, played in the background of a short “Emotion Picture” that the eclectic chanteuse co-directed starring OutKast’s Big Boi, poet Saul Williams, psychedelic dance-punk troupe Of Montreal, and the Wondaland Arch Orchestra.


As guests situated themselves, the radiantly quirky Ms. Monáe appeared on stage in kimono-like garb, hair coiffed to perfection. In a state of doe-eyed effervescence, she urged her guests to enjoy, dance, and “act a fool.” Diddy’s short on-screen introduction and endorsement of Monáe’s work was superfluous—she had ‘em singlehandedly sold. Genre-bending tracks such as “Dance or Die” and “Wondaland” exemplified her cyber-soul persona with celestial beats and vocals.

A true testament to her fans’ loyalty, as well as the quality of the music, everyone definitely loosened up and transformed into concertgoers. Shoulder shimmies turned into all-out “shake it like a Polaroid picture” mode within 10 minutes. And if this album moved a crowd of critics out of their seats, we think it just might move the rest of us to click the “Buy” button next to her pretty little pout on iTunes.

Here are some of our favorites:

1. “Cold War”

It’s easy to detect OutKast’s influence on Monáe’s composition on this up-tempo track. The snare-induced beat sets a solid background for her strong vocals, which she actually allows to upstage everything else. The lyrics run with the intensity of the beat as she sings, “This is a cold war/ You better know what you’re fighting for,” guitar solos playing into her warning.

2. “Tightrope” featuring Big Boi

“I’ll take your pain away,” Monáe promises as she opens the Big Boi-assisted first single. And she does. The crowd lost it during this one, fresh yet familiar, and boasting a retro beat that brings back all the pleasurable convulsing from OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” music video. Big Boi’s verse complements her delightfully scattered disposition as well.

3. “Locked Inside”

Soulful and somewhat revealing, this song slows it down a little bit in the name of love. “Oh how I need you love, you are so crazy/ I need you baby,” she croons to the beat of a laid-back summer jam. With somewhat of a throwback feel, Monáe seems to be channeling Michael Jackson’s versatility and Estelle’s sensual vocals.

4. “Mushrooms & Roses”

This hippie-fied, jazz guitar-ridden track excavates Monáe’s electro-sensibility; the snare-heavy number pushes the blurred vocals to the back burner. It’s reflective, swaying music, a little psychedelic but not enough to drive it away from the soul of the rest of the album. Monáe shies away from flaunting her vocal chops on this one, letting herself echo in the background.

There will be 18 tracks on The ArchAndroid. The tracklisting below is not final and is in no particular order.

“Suite II Overture”
“Dance or Die”
“Faster”
“Locked Inside”
“Sir Greendown”
“Cold War”
“Tightrope”
“Mushrooms & Roses”
“Suite III Overture”
“Neon Valley Street”
“Wondaland”
“57821”


http://www.rap-up.com/201...rk-museum/

I need this album now!!!!

OMG...jotting down May 18...

This is a must have album...

Interview: "I want to create a purple state, not a red or a ]blue one…"


"I like to think of The ArchAndroid as an 'Emotion Picture,'" says Janelle Monáe about her new album with a wide smile.

There's really no other way to adequately describe Monáe 's new full-length and follow-up to her acclaimed debut EP Metropolis Suite I of IV: The Chase. It's sonic cinema at its finest; and it's actually more interesting and progressive than most big budget studio flicks. The world will get to experience Monáe's sci-fi soul when The ArchAndroid lands on May 18th. It's a strange and wondrous concept record propelled by epic jazzy pop and Monáe's heavenly melodies. "Tightrope" her otherworldly collaboration with Outkast's Big Boi is the perfect gateway into this world.

Janelle Monáe sat down with ARTISTdirect.com editor and Dolor author Rick Florino to talk about the story at the heart of The ArchAndroid, seeing music in color and rocking with Outkast's Big Boi.

If you were to compare The ArchAndroid to a movie what would you compare it to?

Wow! The ArchAndroid is like a movie that I've never seen anybody write. It's the unwritten movie, and it'll be here May 18th. There are certain composers that could've scored the soundtrack to this like John Williams. Think of a combination of Williams, music from James Bond and Walter E. Disney. It has a lot of those influences because we do like to think of this experience as very cinematic. We take our cues from movies. It's transformative music more than anything. I can say I've listened to certain songs on The ArchAndroid and I've cried. It's something that I couldn't even imagine myself taking part in and something I'd never heard before.

It doesn't fit into any classifications at all. You've created your own sound.
Well, thank you! I've listened to it and I've been moved in a way that I've never been moved before even by my favorite albums. It's touched me in a way that I could not have planned. A lot of the songs came to me in my dreams. I would wake up in the middle of the morning with them. Thank God I had my recorder right by me [Laughs]. I would record the ideas for songs as they were coming.

Do you also tend to read a lot while you're writing?

Yes! The funny thing is—and it's weird but true—I don't remember how most of the songs were recorded. I know we did a lot of traveling to Prague and Turkey. We recorded at the Palace of the Dogs and The Sanitarium here in Atlanta. We experimented with so many different sounds as well. Visual artists like Salvador Dali were a huge inspiration for me because when I'm describing a certain song that I want to create, I refer to it as a color. I'll say, "Oh, I want this to feel more lime green" or "I'd love for this to feel like a sky blue, a really deep red or purple." We communicate in colors. We did study Alfred Hitchcock films. The common denominator in creating this was the dreams that the producers and I would have. Full songs would really come to us like that. We'd simply have to make ourselves available.

Which Hitchcock films stood out in particular?

One was Vertigo and another was Psycho. I love Vertigo! I think it's so beautiful, and I adore the way it was shot. That definitely was an inspiration.

What's the story behind "Tightrope?"

"Tightrope" deals with balance. Early on in my career, and even now, it's a daily struggle to stay balanced and not get too high or too low. It was something that I hadn't really heard in a song. If I was telling somebody how to make it through life, I would definitely tell them that balance is important. You can't get too high on praises and you can't get too low on any one situation. I wanted that song to be an empowerment song. I wanted people to find their inner confidence and to feel more self-empowered in understanding that they have to stay more balanced in life. That was my goal. James Brown influenced it, of course.

I wanted it to be that 2010 beyond anthem—that classic song that you can go to in any moment when you feel like things are out of control in life. That'll be your little medicine. Big Boi brought a different perspective in too. He's been in the music industry for awhile. There are so many lows and highs in this business. For him to be a part of this song only felt right. He's a friend of mine, and I can talk to him about anything. I thought he was definitely a person who could have a believable and inspirational perspective for this song.

He's a similarly boundless artist as well.

I try to surround myself with other artists who are committed to their craft and are passionate about what they're doing.—Of Montreal, Saul Williams, Andre 3000, Big Boi, to name a few. It's about creating great music that empowers the listener. I love to be around people who trust their imaginations and don't get caught up in categories. They let their music connect. I try to do that. I want to create a purple state not a red or a blue one.

You're taking big picture concepts and making them really personal with the story on the album.

That's good that idea translates. I have to believe in whatever I'm singing enough to share it. They are personal experiences, but I think they apply to so many different beings from androids to humans to cyborgs. There are so many parallels that we miss out on. I want the listener to think about other places and what other things are going through.

Have you had the story of The ArchAndroid for a while or did the music dictate it?

The story of The ArchAndroid is one that's been going around for centuries in Metropolis. Lots of people didn't believe in The ArchAndroid at all. It's very similar to The Archangel or if you think about Neyo in The Matrix—it's "The One." For the android community, The ArchAndroid signifies freedom and is a beacon of hope because they're locked in spells cast upon them and they're discriminated against.

They're not treated fairly at all, and they're just excited about The ArchAndroid coming. Cindi Mayweather finds out that she is indeed The ArchAndroid. The story spoke so much to me, and it's one that I wanted people to know. It's a self-realizational album. I realized a lot about myself through creating this project. I learned to embrace things that make me unique even if they make myself uncomfortable sometimes . I also learned to use that as my superpower to become an even bigger agent of change. I wanted the story to be told because it helped transform my thinking and the way I see music and its power.




http://www.artistdirect.c...ne/6512523

Identity said:

Wow! I think I'm in love I love her imagination and the ability to trust her instincts. We need that.

...


Kool!!!!!





...

I dig JM. Looking 4ward 2 the new project.

The video for "Tightrope" was released today..

http://www.okayplayer.com...g-Boi.html

Tortilla said:

That "tightrope" dance is hot.

Gee....A female who sounds like a young Mike/Stevie sometimes, and dances like James Brown. I have never seen that before, lol. I'm starting to like her image.