Listening to Janelle Monáe sing becomes a test of patience for me. It becomes frustrating and a huge annoyance after a while, because it always sounds as if she's singing everywhere and never entirely in one direction. Like, she'll take a song all across the world, but never in an actual path. I think this became apparent when my friend and I watched her singing on some late night talk show and we thought that maybe it was just the equipment messing up. Though, after hearing her critically acclaimed album and hearing some more of her live we came to the conclusion that it wasn't the equipment. It's actually her. The only time I can even bear to stand her is when she's 'sing talking' like Ke$ha, in such songs as: Tightrope and Dance or Die. Curious about a musician's opinion I showed my friend, who is an opera singer, some of her work and then we started to talk about music and singing. Also, we discussed who he considered were some of the standout singers in the pop music & opera world.

When I showed her to him he pretty much agreed with me, but put it in better words: He said that while her songs are very simple she never actually hits any of the notes. She sings around the notes all the while avoiding the actual notes themselves. There are times when she will hit them, but it's just too inconsistant and makes for some squirm inducing singing. She does have a lovely voice, but she, herself, has a hard time singing with it, which is unfortunate. The worst is when the band is playing one thing and she's singing something else entirely different from them. They are not even on the same page half of the time. Hearing her perform makes me upset sometimes...it's like listening to Taylor Swift sing, only that Janelle Monáe singing makes me want to sleep as opposed to Taylor's which makes me want to tear out my eardrums.

My friend said that he could only explain this as 'abstract music,' but he was done with listening to her as it was putting his nerves on edge. So I talked about how I really like a lot of Motown singers, because they sang with the beat. Then he said that was why Michael Jackson could break the rules later , because he already knew them. So, because of that many singers try to follow that, but it just hurts them because they don't really have a strong grasp of the actual foundation themselves. (I want to liken this as being similar to the postmodern/post-impressionism eras in Western art...kinda. But even then most of those artists had very strong foundations in the basics, i.e. Picasso, before they went out and broke all the rules later.)

tl; dr? Does Janelle Monae sing that way on purpose because it's some kind of artistic decision that she feels is neccessary for her music or is it because she's tone deaf and can't really sing all that well? Like, is she in desperate need of a vocal coach?

My friend didn't really answer this, but I figure that some of you JM buffs would, possibly, know a little bit more.

Unholyalliance said:

Listening to Janelle Monáe sing becomes a test of patience for me. It becomes frustrating and a huge annoyance after a while, because it always sounds as if she's singing everywhere and never entirely in one direction. Like, she'll take a song all across the world, but never in an actual path. I think this became apparent when my friend and I watched her singing on some late night talk show and we thought that maybe it was just the equipment messing up. Though, after hearing her critically acclaimed album and hearing some more of her live we came to the conclusion that it wasn't the equipment. It's actually her. The only time I can even bear to stand her is when she's 'sing talking' like Ke$ha, in such songs as: Tightrope and Dance or Die. Curious about a musician's opinion I showed my friend, who is an opera singer, some of her work and then we started to talk about music and singing. Also, we discussed who he considered were some of the standout singers in the pop music & opera world.

When I showed her to him he pretty much agreed with me, but put it in better words: He said that while her songs are very simple she never actually hits any of the notes. She sings around the notes all the while avoiding the actual notes themselves. There are times when she will hit them, but it's just too inconsistant and makes for some squirm inducing singing. She does have a lovely voice, but she, herself, has a hard time singing with it, which is unfortunate. The worst is when the band is playing one thing and she's singing something else entirely different from them. They are not even on the same page half of the time. Hearing her perform makes me upset sometimes...it's like listening to Taylor Swift sing, only that Janelle Monáe singing makes me want to sleep as opposed to Taylor's which makes me want to tear out my eardrums.

My friend said that he could only explain this as 'abstract music,' but he was done with listening to her as it was putting his nerves on edge. So I talked about how I really like a lot of Motown singers, because they sang with the beat. Then he said that was why Michael Jackson could break the rules later , because he already knew them. So, because of that many singers try to follow that, but it just hurts them because they don't really have a strong grasp of the actual foundation themselves. (I want to liken this as being similar to the postmodern/post-impressionism eras in Western art...kinda. But even then most of those artists had very strong foundations in the basics, i.e. Picasso, before they went out and broke all the rules later.)

tl; dr? Does Janelle Monae sing that way on purpose because it's some kind of artistic decision that she feels is neccessary for her music or is it because she's tone deaf and can't really sing all that well? Like, is she in desperate need of a vocal coach?

My friend didn't really answer this, but I figure that some of you JM buffs would, possibly, know a little bit more.

OK....I'm not a JM buff by any means, but I agree with pretty much everything you have said. I have wondered ever since she came onto the scene why so many people have been raving about her because her music is pretty mediocre and average. I believe she sings like that on purpose.....its part of her style......and she does have style. BUT her style does not make up for her music.

You would think by the way people talk about her that;

a) Her voice and singing are just BLOW YOU AWAY good, or

b) Her voice is so unique that it makes you notice in a good way (Like say Bjork or David Byrne) or

c) Her music is so different and unique that it BLOWS YOU AWAY.

I don't think any of these 3 apply to Janelle.

I don't think she's tone deaf, I actually like her voice...however I'm not that crazy about her music, and there are many more talented vocalists out there as well.

Opera singers are out of tune all the time. Not to mention many of them are using vibrato so much that it's silly.

Unholyalliance...Thank you! Thank you! THANK YOU!

I have been saying since I first heard of Janelle Monae that her performances makes me feel like I'm about to have a seizure. Everything about them is just so all over the place with absolutely no direction!

I was really beginning to think that I was the only one that could see and hear it!

I want to give her the benefit of the doubt because I really do think she's talented and has a lovely voice but to me it's like somebody took little bits and pieces of every musical great of the last 60 or so years, crammed them all into her, for her to try and unleash all at once.

It's just too much of everything and not enough of anything!!!

I think I´m getting old. I don´t really get her. Nor do I get what is so great about most other contemporary artists. As far as I´m concerned, I´m stuck somewhere in the mid to late 90s.

I don´t get Kanye West either (sure, he´s a decent producer,but he ain´t all that). I don´t get Janelle Monae, I don´t get that other chick that Prince and Obama like so much, I don´t understand all the rave about Drake, I find the BEPs obnoxious...I don´t really understand why all these artists are so full of themselves, I liked bits and pieces of some Alica Keys albums but no,I wouldn´t say I like her.

Send me to an old people´s home already, I feel like Arthur Spooner and his clique.

I don't hear it - to me she can sing, and actually pretty well and seems pretty on-the-beat to me. At least on record. Live she's bit spotty (like during the BET tribute to Prince).

Check out the songs "Violet Stars Happy Hunting" and "Tightrope". To me on those she actually sounds like Michael Jackson when he was little, and he obviously could sing his ass off.

My issue is with most of the actual songs themselves, because barring the two I just named off, I just can't get into her work and it annoys me because it's like - everything else works for me, I just don't like most of the songs she sings.

I enjoy her "various" styles of singing she gives to the tracks of her song from her talk/sing approach to the sometimes operatic (?sp) sounds in her music. Her style of music takes time for some to grow on. She does have a different sound not similar to the manufactured artists on the scene today, who are just direct carbon copies of earlier artists, who don't know how to adopt a style and make it their own. It's not unusual for artists to copy or emulate another's style, it's another thing though, to be creative with it, and mold it into your own recipe. Janelle, in my opinion, isn't an artist you can "put in a box" and is not as predictable as artists like Beyonce, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Gaga, etc. Just my 2 cents.

[Edited 3/30/11 12:01pm]

I saw her in Boston last June opening for Erykah Badu and couldn't STAND her voice, her music or even her entire act. It was noisy, although energized and apparent that she did not perform a sound check prior to her performance. I don't think she's any big deal really. BUT, I WILL SAY that she's a step up from the droves of other women today who are dominating the R&B charts; just not THAT much of step up in my opinion. I've seen/heard WAY better.

I enjoy Janelle and her performances and her CD. My only issue with her is the whole costume getup which I hope she changes soon because it has grown tired. She has a wonderful voice, gurl can sang! She has character and is a breath of fresh air from the crap that is constantly played on the radio.

wonder505 said:

I enjoy Janelle and her performances and her CD. My only issue with her is the whole costume getup which I hope she changes soon because it has grown tired. She has a wonderful voice, gurl can sang! She has character and is a breath of fresh air from the crap that is constantly played on the radio.

I agree

so she's no longer an associated artist?

2elijah said:

I enjoy her "various" styles of singing she gives to the tracks of her song from her talk/sing approach to the sometimes operatic (?sp) sounds in her music. Her style of music takes time for some to grow on. She does have a different sound not similar to the manufactured artists on the scene today, who are just direct carbon copies of earlier artists, who don't know how to adopt a style and make it their own. It's not unusual for artists to copy or emulate another's style, it's another thing though, to be creative with it, and mold it into your own recipe. Janelle, in my opinion, isn't an artist you can "put in a box" and is not as predictable as artists like Beyonce, Jay-Z, Rihanna, Gaga, etc. Just my 2 cents.

I don't know what her not being able to be 'put in a box' has to do with the fact that she is unable to sing her own songs properly and hit the notes in a consistent manner. Last time I checked...I don't even think that they two have anything to do with each other.

They are still off, but her live performances tend to be far worse.

When I listen to this:

This doesn't sound off to me. She sounds as if her voice is flowing with the instruments, as if they are one. Ella is not fighting against it, but flowing with it. They sound as one. Together. In harmony.

Or even here:

The vocals and instrumentals sound as if they are making sweet love together as they are totally in sync with one another. Also, this was as pop music as you can get back at that time as well. So it should not matter if it's mainstream or not. The only thing that should matter is how the music sounds and only that. I don't care if the performer is completely naked, wearing a potato sack, looks like Jabba the Hut, or whatever. All that should matter is the music and how it sounds. If something is off...is doesn't sound as pleasant. Which is what I believe to be the point of this kind of music:

Tightrope sounds more like older MJ kinda like in 'Jam'. Well, to me anyways.

So...what does this have to do with Janelle Monáe? Are you trying to imply that opera singers are so out of tune, as a collective, that they are unable to judge when someone else is in or out of tune?

Also, to the Janelle Monáe defense brigade that's making their way in here, whether or not you like her is is all good and not the point. This doesn't make her any better of a vocalist or singer. Her being 'different' from the mainstream doesn't mean that makes her any better of a vocalist or singer either. It's one thing if she's doing it for a greater purpose, but many times...it just doesn't seem to be the case.

[Edited 3/30/11 14:31pm]

I think she is adorable, but her music is overrated imo.

Is there anyone that this board like?

I would like to thank the OP for this thread. I went and looked up Janelle Monae on Youtube and found the song Cold War- which I'm diggin!

I think the girl can sing, she just can't improvise notes. Not everyone can do it.

Curtwill1975 said:

Curtwill1975 said:

Is there anyone that this board like?

I LOVE her.

Curtwill1975 said:

Is there anyone that this board like?

lovesoundz said:

I would like to thank the OP for this thread. I went and looked up Janelle Monae on Youtube and found the song Cold War- which I'm diggin!

Your welcome. =D

Timmy84 said:

Curtwill1975 said:

Is there anyone that this board like?

I LOVE her.

SAME!!!!!!!!

I Saw her at the Stevie Wonder show i did she was fantastic

Gunsnhalen said:

Timmy84 said:

I LOVE her.

SAME!!!!!!!!

I Saw her at the Stevie Wonder show i did she was fantastic

^^^ Guess some people are tone-deaf to the fabulous sounds that we hear!!!

Unholyalliance said:

novabrkr said:

Opera singers are out of tune all the time. Not to mention many of them are using vibrato so much that it's silly.

So...what does this have to do with Janelle Monáe? Are you trying to imply that opera singers are so out of tune, as a collective, that they are unable to judge when someone else is in or out of tune?

Well, you brought up opera singers yourself in the first place. Your friend being an opera singer and telling us about his views was supposed to give validity to your own views on Janelle Monae being out of tune all the time. So why did you even mention it if you feel now that it is irrelevant?

I'm not a Janelle Monae fan and neither have I even listened to her new album from start to finish. I might do that one of these days, but it's not on the list of my priorities. However, calling her material "abstract music" is definitely an overstatement by your friend. You really shouldn't have quoted that, because it just exposes he doesn't have much of an idea how abstract music can be. Janelle Monae's music is not abstract music.

To answer your question: The implication was not that "opera singers are so out of tune as, a collective, that they are unable to to judge when someone else is in or out of tune". The implication was that using an opera singer's view really doesn't back up your views as much as you seem to have thought it would. I found it ironic that an opera singer would criticize an R&B / pop singer doing something similar when a very large percentage of opera singers warble around the correct notes all the time.

I'd like to comment on something else as well. You wrote:

In case you are wondering why I am giving you such a long response: I personally dislike long diatribes about someone's artistic or intellectual output when the argumentation is illogical and contains obvious overstatements.

I think she is fantatic! Great singer! Great songs! Great live peformer!! And I'm not the only one...

and as long as I got Stevie Wonder and Prince on my team! I'm winning!!

[Edited 3/31/11 0:45am]

she actually sounds like frankie lymon... she has a cute voice... it does sound like that typical black kid church voice...

she has the tools... not the technique.....

All I know is that I really like listening to her music

I love her work, but I admit I haven't enjoyed the two covers I've seen her do (Let's Go Crazy at the BET awards and Smile, somewhere on yt). Maybe what you've said here has something to do with it (ie. her unique style doesn't translate well to singing other people's songs) or maybe I just enjoy other versions more

novabrkr said:

Opera singers are out of tune all the time. Not to mention many of them are using vibrato so much that it's silly.

utter nonsense

I'll take a listen with this perspective in mind.

I definitely think she's talented and interesting but there's two things stopping me from getting into her yet.

1) Her vocal skills are mediocre.

2) Her songs are generally kinda incoherent and all over the place.

If she can improve number two and write some classic tunes I may become a fan!