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I think it' s from a video I heard they shot a video with Miguel in L.A 
)and that he gave her a chance in 2008 when it was risky put under contract an artist like her ( so different from anyone else around musically, visually etc, someone who had already her own recording label ) .. at first yes it was helpful for sure but I also think he never promoted janelle properly sorry.. look at how adele has been promoted for the second record and how her record company contributed to make her succeed...diddy never promoted janelle well..he never promoted her for the talent that she is...sorry but I really want to see what she could do with other people and other money supporting her..
Janelle Monáe: The Year...g Pop Star
Posted by: BUST Magazine in General on Jul 23, 2013 
from the dance apocalyptic video:
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I listened to Harry Nilsson 'song you mentioned and I realized I already knew the track..it's a wonderful track timeless imo | |
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No worries cindymay... . 2 questions: . 1) What's an ArchAndroid? 2) Is Cindymayweather some kind of alter-ego that Janelle created, similar to Beyonce's SashaFierce?
Yes, seeing her live would have to be the next thing for me to check out... She's been around since 2003...why do you think she hasn't achieved worldwide 'success', considering all the work she's put in? Is it because she keeps her clothes on? . | |
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About what the archandroid is:
In an interview for the Chicago Tribune, Monáe said that she was inspired by the quote "The mediator between the hand and the mind is always the heart" for the record.[5] She discussed her incorporation of the android as a metaphor for a minority, whilst being the role of the story's protagonist also. In an interview for Blues & Soul, Monáe said "she represents the MEDIATOR between the haves and the have-nots, the minority and the majority. So in that way she’s very similar to Neo, the Archangel from ‘The Matrix'. And basically her return will mean freedom for the android community".
yes cindi mayweather is her android alter ego...she created a 4 part project consisting of an ep: metropolis , her album the archandroid and the electric lady which is due out in september..in these albums she has a story like a sort of ziggy stardust for bowie.( not beyonce her alter ego says nothing except making her shackin' that ass on stage
she hasn't really been around since 2003 she released in that year a sort of mixtape called the audition fully indipendently in Atlanta when she arrived there from New York ( she was studing there for some months after high school for broadway but she left because she understood that wasn't the best choice for her)..at the time she was selling copies of her cd out of the house where she was living and she was still working at an office at the time but she was fired after beeing' caught selling cds from the office computers ( she even wrote a song about this episode called letting go)...she founded in Atlanta other members of what later became the Wondaland Arts Society ..her own recording label..around 2005 2006 Big boi of Outkast discovered her in a club in Atlanta and wanted to work with her and launch her career..she contributed to some songs on Outkast' Idlewild and she was ft in one of their videos...via Big Boi she made a partnership between her label and Bad Boy( Diddy's label under Atlantic) for having more distribution..she published her ep Metropolis in 2008 and her debut album the archandroid in 2010( yeah she had the audition before but it was released very indipendently)
[Edited 7/12/13 2:05am] [Edited 7/12/13 11:24am] | |
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about some lives:funky andy : some ideas
[Edited 7/12/13 2:24am] [Edited 7/12/13 2:38am] [Edited 7/12/13 5:08am] | |
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and one of my personal favorite songs (so poetic)
[Edited 7/12/13 3:02am] | |
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These are two sketches Janelle posted on Twitter last night. Probably gives some hints on what's next?The first one reminded me of the fact that she said her favorite film is Edward Scissorhands. I could picture a villain chopping off the head of the rose/person she's drawn (maybe I just have a weird imagination).
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I didn't know about Edward Scissorhands being her favorite but I know she is a huge Tim Burton's fan...the second one seems a penis
anyway she posted a picture on twitter 2 days ago that seemed from a video shooting probably for the next single with miguel
this was the picture:
[Edited 7/12/13 11:29am] | |
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A series of professional quality videos from Janelle's 2012 Roskilde concert were just uploaded a few days ago. (They may be re-uploads, but are of amazing sound quality). The crowd here is amazing, and you can see how much Janelle feeds off of their energy. Below is "Mushroom and Roses":
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wOW September huh? They sure did start promoting this project early. I wonder if they'll release a radio friendly song before the release date. | |
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next single will be a song (I think a ballad) with Miguel...the release of the single is still unknown though..hopefully it will get radio airplay..cross fingers.. | |
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new:
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They need to do a song together.
MJ L.O.V.E: https://www.facebook.com/...689&type=2 / YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/us...nderSilent | |
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To the OP, thanks for posting the Q U E E N video. Awesome vid, first time I've seen it. Just as good as her 'Tightrope' vid. Janelle is awesome. Her unique style is so different from many of the younger artists today, and that makes her stand out. So glad more and more people are finding out about her talent. | |
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So... Have any of you lot seen her live at all, or am I the only one? | |
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Great thread. I think her new cd will be excellent and I love her voice. Prince, in you I found a kindred spirit...Rest In Paradise. | |
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If you want to get a better sense of who Janelle is, scroll through her Twitter account (especially older stuff). Make sure you click on "all tweets" (rather than "no replies") - I've tried to set the link up that way.
Janelle can be quite guarded in interviews, but some of her tweets really give you an insight into who she is. For example, she has tweeted about a lot of political issues (gay rights, Trayvon Martin). She also is great about interacting with her fans - Prince could learn something from her
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I did...and I can only say it was the highlight of my last year..she was so so amazing...one of a kind performer...I want to see her again.. | |
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yes she is very socially, politically active...the other day she and erykah also posted a most def's video about guantanamo..it was really interesting..a lot of her tweets are socially inclined like her music is..she said in this album it will be a lot of protesting, social themes, while the archandroid was the album of self realization about could making a difference she said this album will be the album of the self actualization she will take action..she said she will be more raw, more personal, more direct than the archandroid..she also said some love songs on the record were inspired by her real relationships...I'm glad that this album will be more personal we know how amazing her creativity is now it's time to be also a little personal to share more of her( not cindi mayweather) with her public..she also said this lp was inspired by another sci fi book not only metropolis but also a novel called brave new world...
speaking about the featuring I'm very excited about the song Janelle has with Esperanza on the record..Janelle's voice is everything in jazz tracks imo.. [Edited 7/22/13 3:44am] | |
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Totally she is more direct with her fans on her twitter..while in public interviews she is always so guarded like you said on the net with her fans she is way more approachable..I remember last year she did a chat with her fans and they asked her a lot of questions even like the age and the name of the boy she gave her first kiss to lol ..and she anwered..she answered a lot of questions indeed...she should do this more often for us fandroids.
and by the way I agree with that sad smile in the first post: Label: Bad Boy Records
I remember years ago Diddy said he got his dirty hands on the four suites project so this is MEANS and I really HOPE that after this she is free...free to get a better record deal and not renew that damn contract..I blame him and his constantly shitty promotion for her not being at the top where she deserves to be..even for the Bet awards Prince had to call to give her a good spot and not her label? smh but I'm sure Janelle noticed that and she will act like the smart woman she is...in 2008 she jumped on this to make herself and her record company ( the wondaland arts society)more known but now I'm sure she can find better than diddy's ass.. [Edited 7/22/13 4:47am] [Edited 7/22/13 5:58am] | |
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CindyMay -While I generally don't like how Sean Combs has "guided" his label's artists, I think that, thankfully, he has pretty much let Janelle do her own thing. Maybe this is more important than getting her maximum promotion. When I watched the "Many Moons" video, I thought, "This is amazing" and then "somebody put some serious money into this". I think that somebody was Sean Combs, so you have to give him some credit for giving Janelle the financial means to fully realize her visions (high budget short films, a string orchestra on tour, etc).You may be right that after Suite IV is released, Janelle may/should decide to go her own way again. But don't you think being on Bad Boy helped Janelle get her message out there? | |
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I appreciate that he didn't interfere in her creative process at all ...NEVER...(and knowing his history this is already rare [Edited 7/22/13 13:45pm] | |
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Janelle posted this on Twitter yesterday (the first tweet is on the bottom). Very thoughtful and heartfelt.
CindyMay - You might be right that she could find someone better to work with. But I also feel an artist like Janelle may do better in the long run staying a bit "under the radar". | |
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yeah I'm not complaining much about her level of fame( even though I think she deserves more recognition)..but I understand she is not completely a kind of artist that can feed the masses.. the themes in her music are not so easy and immediate and that is one of the reasons why I love her music very much.. especially in this age of music the difference with other black contemporary artist is evident( even with the good ones like frank ocean, miguel etc) she experiments a lot she doesn't want to be categorized in a specific music market she just wants to do the music that she likes and her music is poppy inclined but way more deep than what is around on the charts usually.. ..she is often commercially inclined in her singles but for other aspects she isn't...anyway I just don't like diddy probably | |
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an excerpt from her interview for bust magazine..she is on the cover for august/ september..
Pop star Janelle Monáe is at once retro and futuristic, disarmingly down-to-earth and freakishly abstract. Here, she reveals the strategy behind her trendsetting look, the origins of her “divinely inspired” alter ego, and what it’s like to hang out with the president Janelle Monáe mayhave been born to sing, dance, and write some of the most creative pop albums ever to hit an iPod, but the world wouldn’t have known about her if it weren’t for the video for “Tightrope.” The 2010 breakout single (featuring Big Boi) made her an Internet sensation, garnering more than 11 million hits on YouTube. In the video, the 27-year-old strides on screen with a move that can only be described as an ostrich walk, then treads an imaginary tightrope with a complicated series of swishy steps that make her feet look like they’re on tiny invisible wheels. It’s the kind of routine that almost no living person could pull off without looking like a massive idiot, but Monáe can make anything look good. Plus, the song is awesome. So awesome, in fact, that it earned Monáe multiple invites to the White House to perform for the Obamas, as well as a legion of fans who can’t wait to see what she’ll come up with next. Born in Kansas City, KS, Monáe sounds a bit like Lauryn Hill, if Hill listened to lots of show tunes and Diana Ross and then time-traveled to the year 2113. She draws inspiration from legends like Stevie Wonder and Prince, as well as Michael Jackson, who certainly would have enjoyed the “Tightrope” dance if he had lived to see it. Usually clad in black-and-white menswear (lots of tuxedos and patent-leather oxfords) and often rocking a giant pompadour that would make Elvis cry, she looks like someone from an earlier era. Her music, though, is completely modern. The ArchAndroid, her first full-length, released in 2010, is a kaleidoscopic mix of soul, R&B, funk, and pop, and features cameos from fellow iconoclasts like Saul Williams and Of Montreal’s Kevin Barnes. It is an ambitious record, but she still manages the rare feat of achieving mainstream success without compromising her artistic vision. It’s her artistic vision, however, where things get complicated with Monáe, especially if you’re a label exec looking for a radio hit. The ArchAndroid actually consists of chapters two and three of an ongoing sci-fi saga that began in 2007 with Monáe’s debut EP, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase). The epic tale follows her alter ego Cindi Mayweather, an android sent to free citizens of the future city Metropolis from the oppressive regime of the Great Divide, which uses time travel to suppress freedom and love. Monáe has called Cindi the mediator between the oppressed and the oppressor, quoting the 1927 sci-fi film Metropolis to explain, “‘The mediator between head and hands must be the heart,’ and Cindi is the heart.” Think Neo from The Matrix, but smarter.
Monáe is so committed to her Cindi persona that she gives up very little straightforward information about her personal life. When I ask her a series of innocuous questions about her day-to-day activities, I’m met with a confusing volley of totally out-there responses. Do you have any pets? “A pet llama. The grandson of Michael Jackson’s pet llama at Neverland.” What do you do for fun when you’re not on the road? “Skiing in my backyard, eating with Einstein’s nephew, and giving lectures at Spelman College.” Are you single or in a relationship? “I’m in an open relationship with two androids and a cyborg.” It’s surprising, given sound bites like these, that Monáe has become the face of such mainstream brands as CoverGirl and Sonos. But despite all the billboards bearing her luminous likeness, she hasn’t forgotten her origins. Not long ago, she was living in a boarding house, selling copies of her self-produced EP, The Audition, for five bucks a pop. It wasn’t until 2006 that she caught her big break, working with Big Boi on the Outkast soundtrack Idlewild. He was so impressed that he told his friend Sean Combs (aka Diddy) to check out her tunes, and before long, she had a contract with Diddy’s label, Bad Boy Records. The aforementioned Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) failed to make much of an impact, but The ArchAndroid debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200 and earned spots on the 2010 year-end best lists of The Village Voice, Spin, NME, Vibe, and Pitchfork. Her highly anticipated sophomore album, The Electric Lady, is due out this fall, and while Cindi Mayweather’s goals have changed slightly since The ArchAndroid, Monáe’s unique approach to her music has not. In the spring, she released a video for the single “Q.U.E.E.N.” that found her paired with Erykah Badu in, according to the female narrator, “a Living Museum, where legendary rebels from throughout history are frozen in suspended animation.” The clip also features a skull-shaped record player, a poodle with hair teased to match Badu’s, and Cindi/Janelle leading a chorus line of dancers in mod minidresses.
Monáe took a break from finishing up her new LP in Atlantato chat with BUST about what really makes the woman beneath the pompadour tick. When did you first start singing? I don’t remember. Singing is part of my DNA. Both sides of my family are musically inclined. I had living-room training. That’s when you go in a living room and sing in front of everybody, and then everybody sings with each other. What was it like for you growing up in Kansas City? I grew up in a very big family. My mom has nine sisters and two brothers, so right now I have over 50 first cousins. I never really had any need for outside friends because my family was enough for me. My parents both worked really hard. We were living from check to check, but I never felt like I was in need of anything. My mom supported me when I decided to get into the arts, and it was a great moment for us when I decided to do talent showcases. My family would watch us rehearse and then take me [to the shows] in a little two-door Dodge. The hardest thing for me has been being away from my family. My mother is moving to Atlanta, so I’m excited about that, and my sister is moving to Atlanta too, so I’m really excited about having them here with me. Before you started making albums, you studied drama at a conservatory in New York. What led to that interest? As great as Kansas and my family were, I wanted to leave after high school. I wanted to hone my craft, get better as a performer, and be involved with musical theater. But most importantly, I really just wanted a ticket out of Kansas City. I didn’t finish, but I learned a lot about myself. I grew up in predominantly African-American schools, so it was a culture shock for me when I moved to New York because I was the only black girl in my classes. I had to adjust, and people had to adjust to me. I also learned that I didn’t want to be in musical theater. I think it’s the control freak in me. I didn’t want to go from audition to audition and have my success be dependent on what I look like and whether or not I’m right for the role. So I started to plan for my future: to own my own label and write songs, plays, and concept albums that I could have full creative control over. How did you support yourself before your music career took off? After high school, I needed money to go to New York, but nobody would hire me. Then this lady from my church who was the supervisor at a cleaning service said, “Come here and I’ll hire you.” I was the youngest maid there, and all the women would ask me to sing while we cleaned. I was the only one with a clean record. A lot of the women were ex-convicts trying to get back on their feet. That was one of the most interesting jobs I’ve had. Then, when I moved to Atlanta, I worked at Office Depot. I got fired from that job because they caught me using the computer at the store to respond to my fans who had seen me perform. After that, I didn’t work any more. It was time. It was all or nothing. I pressed my own EP, The Audition, and I sold it for five dollars while living in a boarding house with five other girls. Your last album, The ArchAndroid, referenced Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and had a very sci-fi feel. How did you get so into science fiction? I would always watch The Twilight Zone with my grandmother, and I knew about Star Wars and things. But when I met [my producing partners] Chuck Lightning and Nate Wonder, they got me into Isaac Asimov, artificial intelligence, and cybernetics. Chuck asked me to watch Metropolis, and I was like, Wow. I saw the parallels between growing up in Kansas City and the have-nots living underground, working for the haves. That constant struggle was something I could identify with because my parents worked day and night, trying to make a living. I thought science fiction was a great way of talking about the future. It doesn’t make people feel like you’re talking about things that are happening right now, so they don’t feel like you’re talking down to them. It gives the listener a different perspective. To read the complete interview, pick up the Aug/Sept issue of BUST Magazine. On newsstands now.
anyway : Are you single or in a relationship? “I’m in an open relationship with two androids and a cyborg.. :clap:what an elegant way to say don't mess with my private love life..she reminds me of jack white one day we'll discover she was or still is secretely married to someone | |
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MJ L.O.V.E: https://www.facebook.com/...689&type=2 / YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/us...nderSilent | |
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She could be a great diplomat. Loved the interview too, she's such a cool, interesting person!