mjscarousel said:

mjscarousel said:

cindymay said:

mjscarousel said:

WOW, I had no idea she suffered so much. I know that had to be a lot to endure. She talks more about her mother than her father (maybe that is why since she was mostly there to raise her)

Yes she rarely talks about it but sometimes she does. She said in the past she was against drugs because she grew up with his father shooting heroin in front of her. She mentioned the prison recently. He's clean now apparently. [Edited 4/18/18 14:13pm]

Oh wow that is horrible. This is my first time hearing this. I know she grew up in a working class family and had to struggle during her childhood but I was unaware of this! How sad! I know that had to be a lot to endure as a young girl. I wonder if this played a part in her close friendship with Prince since they both had troubled childhoods. I am glad her father is clean now. Does she have a relationship with him?

cindymay said:

Since you mentioned chance the rapper, when he came out I thought he was a good one but he proved me wrong almost immediately

The direction of the music industry (in terms of stardom) has gotten way more political than ever before. It seems that they create "super stars" out of no where and just nominate them with awards, shower them with awards and promote them excessively despite not there being a high demand for them. I have never heard any of Chance music on the radio but some how he has more Grammy's than Marvin Gaye? The current music industry is corrupt. All of this is strategic and there is an agenda at play.

[Edited 4/18/18 15:27pm]

cindymay said:

mjscarousel said:

Well I disagree with that. Unorthodox Juke Box is not an R&B album. Its a pure Pop album. Bruno did not become a star singing "Black music". Locked Out of Heaven is a inspired Police sounding song, its not R&B. On the other hand, 24k is a R&B influenced POP album but he did not become a super star singing R&B or Black music.

Cardi B is an industry plant. Her trajectory into super stardom has more so to do with politics versus the argument you are making. Cardi B was pushed to replace Nikki because of Nikki's attitude and antics behind the scenes.

Chance the Raper is another plant but he is African American and makes Black music but he sucks.

Same with SZA another African American who was nominated for 5 Grammys this year but the woman cannot sing and her music is not good.

Bruno Mars is popular because he writes good catchy pop songs and doesn't rely on gimmicks, the same with Adele. It has nothing to do with them being Non- Black.

What people need to be asking is why do the Black pop stars make mediocre music instead of displacing their anger at other pop stars who make quality music. In the case of Janelle, I think they won't back her because she doesn't oversexualize her image and she is not willing to play the game.

[Edited 4/18/18 13:57pm]

I think more because you can't tell her what to do and they don't like when they can't control artists. Prince himself spoke a lot about this.

That is how I feel. Janelle is a true artist and she is not willing to compromise her art and intergrity in order to achieve more fame and success and I respect her for that. I feel she should have been an act in the 70s or 80 when the industry was much different and wasn't so political and corrupt (it was always like that.....but not like how it is now). The industry doesn't seem to care about talent or quality music anymore.

mjscarousel said:

Saving my 4 this 1 . Its sounding like fire. I like I Like That, specially when she starts rap/talking. It has a familiar vibe n the beat is hot. Hope the album is a hodgepodge of sounds ...

cindymay said:

purplethunder3121 said:

I'd like to see the "movie" that's supposed to come with the new album... But, frankly, I prefer her Archandroid album to this one. I wanted to see her branch out from that source of inspiration to see where it would take her...

I absolutely adore the archandroid but this album is not a part of the metropolis, archandroid and electric lady saga. It's another concept so I'm not mad about it because I'm interested to see her doing something different. She said recently it's not the end of Cindi Mayeather because that saga is not finished yet and some day she will come back.

That's good news because I absolutely love Archandroid and appreciate Metropolis and Electric Lady. The new album is interesting but I want to see her continue in the vein she started with the three aforementioned albums. A very talented lady with focus and vision to her musical projects. I actually got to see her with my son when she was touring with Bruno Mars and Mayer Hawthorne before Bruno blew up big time. What a great three pack. My only complaint were the iffy acoustics during Janelle's set--the band overwhelmed her lyrics, which pissed me off because she was performing Archandroid. Of course, I was right next to a giant speaker. The other complaint was the screaming teenage girls (and guys!) who overwhelmed Bruno's set. I had no idea who he was but thought he was talented and wanted to see him perform more "mature" songs instead of romantic teen ballads. The best sound of the night was for Mayer Hawthorne, who deserves more attention than he gets for his music. All three performers were, in my opinion, a great example of what real talent there is in the younger generation of performers (my son's age or younger).

cindymay said:

mjscarousel said:

Oh wow that is horrible. This is my first time hearing this. I know she grew up in a working class family and had to struggle during her childhood but I was unaware of this! How sad! I know that had to be a lot to endure as a young girl. I wonder if this played a part in her close friendship with Prince since they both had troubled childhoods. I am glad her father is clean now. Does she have a relationship with him?

I think she does have some kind of relationship with him. I remember when Stevie Wonder did a concert in Kansas City some years ago, Janelle joined him for a song and said she wanted to give a shout out to her dad who was there with her that night. Apparently her father was/is a music lover and he passed his love for music to her. She grew up doing local talent showcases doing music and acting when she was in high school.She explained art saved her because she could evade from her reality and be like Dorothy when she was singing and acting. Yes her and Prince shared some similarities. Janelle had a great grandmother though who took care of her. [Edited 4/18/18 15:45pm]

Okay that is good to hear. I am glad she has a relationship with her dad now. l And speaking of acting, I think Janelle should consider broad way and plays. I think she has the voice for it. Its so threatrical and beautiful, so full of personality. I am glad she tributed Dorothy, she was an amazing entertainer that lived such a tragic life. DE has new meaning to me now after you shared that.

cindymay said:

mjscarousel said:

Oh wow that is horrible. This is my first time hearing this. I know she grew up in a working class family and had to struggle during her childhood but I was unaware of this! How sad! I know that had to be a lot to endure as a young girl. I wonder if this played a part in her close friendship with Prince since they both had troubled childhoods. I am glad her father is clean now. Does she have a relationship with him?

I think she does have some kind of relationship with him. I remember when Stevie Wonder did a concert in Kansas City some years ago, Janelle joined him for a song and said she wanted to give a shout out to her dad who was there with her that night. Apparently her father was/is a music lover and he passed his love for music to her. She grew up doing local talent showcases doing music and acting when she was in high school.She explained art saved her because she could evade from her reality and be like Dorothy when she was singing and acting. Yes her and Prince shared some similarities. Janelle had a great grandmother though who took care of her. [Edited 4/18/18 15:45pm]

Okay that is good to hear. I am glad she has a relationship with her dad now. l And speaking of acting, I think Janelle should consider broad way and plays. I think she has the voice for it. Its so threatrical and beautiful, so full of personality. I am glad she tributed Dorothy, she was an amazing entertainer that lived such a tragic life. DE has new meaning to me now after you shared that.

purplethunder3121 said:

cindymay said:

I absolutely adore the archandroid but this album is not a part of the metropolis, archandroid and electric lady saga. It's another concept so I'm not mad about it because I'm interested to see her doing something different. She said recently it's not the end of Cindi Mayeather because that saga is not finished yet and some day she will come back.

That's good news because I absolutely love Archandroid and appreciate Metropolis and Electric Lady. The new album is interesting but I want to see her continue in the vein she started with the three aforementioned albums. A very talented lady with focus and vision to her musical projects. I actually got to see her with my son when she was touring with Bruno Mars and Mayer Hawthorne before Bruno blew up big time. What a great three pack. My only complaint were the iffy acoustics during Janelle's set--the band overwhelmed her lyrics, which pissed me off because she was performing Archandroid. Of course, I was right next to a giant speaker. The other complaint was the screaming teenage girls (and guys!) who overwhelmed Bruno's set. I had no idea who he was but thought he was talented and wanted to see him perform more "mature" songs instead of romantic teen ballads. The best sound of the night was for Mayer Hawthorne, who deserves more attention than he gets for his music. All three performers were, in my opinion, a great example of what real talent there is in the younger generation of performers (my son's age or younger).

I remember that tour, Bruno Mars himself has really fond memories of it and he mentioned that tour on twitter a lot of times- What happened to Mayer Hawthorne? I lost track of him completely.

Apparently Prince played a big part in the shift as someone suggested on the other thread.

Pieces from an article on the new york times about Prince:

Fans wondered if she would commit to films, where she could attain a level of fame that can be elusive in music. But part of the reason she was slow to return, she told me, is that her mentor, Prince, died unexpectedly. They were working together closely on what would become “Dirty Computer.” “This was the person that I would literally call and talk to about sounds or: ‘How should I say this? Is this saying too much?’ I just never could imagine a time where I couldn’t pick up the phone or email him, and he’d contact me right back and we’d talk about all these things that I was unsure of.”

Monáe, who is 32, told me that she has been circling the themes explored on “Dirty Computer” for at least a decade, but that earlier it felt safer to package herself in metaphors. “I knew I needed to make this album, and I put it off and put it off because the subject is Janelle Monáe.” She’s still having a conversation with herself, she said, about who she wants to be when she’s in the spotlight. The sanitized android version felt more accepted — and more acceptable — than her true self. The public, she explained, doesn’t really “know Janelle Monáe, and I felt like I didn’t really have to be her because they were fine with Cindi.” When Prince died in April 2016, she started to rethink how she would present herself. “I couldn’t fake being vulnerable. In terms of how I will be remembered, I have anxiety around that, like the whole concept about what I’ll be remembered for.”

[Edited 4/19/18 5:00am]

cindymay said:

purplethunder3121 said:

That's good news because I absolutely love Archandroid and appreciate Metropolis and Electric Lady. The new album is interesting but I want to see her continue in the vein she started with the three aforementioned albums. A very talented lady with focus and vision to her musical projects. I actually got to see her with my son when she was touring with Bruno Mars and Mayer Hawthorne before Bruno blew up big time. What a great three pack. My only complaint were the iffy acoustics during Janelle's set--the band overwhelmed her lyrics, which pissed me off because she was performing Archandroid. Of course, I was right next to a giant speaker. The other complaint was the screaming teenage girls (and guys!) who overwhelmed Bruno's set. I had no idea who he was but thought he was talented and wanted to see him perform more "mature" songs instead of romantic teen ballads. The best sound of the night was for Mayer Hawthorne, who deserves more attention than he gets for his music. All three performers were, in my opinion, a great example of what real talent there is in the younger generation of performers (my son's age or younger).

I remember that tour, Bruno Mars himself has really fond memories of it and he mentioned that tour on twitter a lot of times- What happened to Mayer Hawthorne? I lost track of him completely.

He's still performing and making albums. The last one I checked out was with a new group he is in called Tuxedo--a side project.

purplethunder3121 said:

cindymay said:

mjscarousel said:

I think she does have some kind of relationship with him. I remember when Stevie Wonder did a concert in Kansas City some years ago, Janelle joined him for a song and said she wanted to give a shout out to her dad who was there with her that night. Apparently her father was/is a music lover and he passed his love for music to her. She grew up doing local talent showcases doing music and acting when she was in high school.She explained art saved her because she could evade from her reality and be like Dorothy when she was singing and acting. Yes her and Prince shared some similarities. Janelle had a great grandmother though who took care of her. [Edited 4/18/18 15:45pm]

Okay that is good to hear. I am glad she has a relationship with her dad now. l And speaking of acting, I think Janelle should consider broad way and plays. I think she has the voice for it. Its so threatrical and beautiful, so full of personality. I am glad she tributed Dorothy, she was an amazing entertainer that lived such a tragic life. DE has new meaning to me now after you shared that.

[/quote I think she meant Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz that time though because she was speaking about art creating a fantasy world to live in and she added she was from Kansas like her. I'm sure she will do some theater in the future, now she seems more focused on movies or eventually TV in the acting department. She should do a musical movie, a la la Land with actors who can actually sing!

Thanks for the correction. DD often said similiarly things about when she performed on stage. It was a away from her to escape from her depression and troubles. I like to see her do a musical or a play. She looks so much like Dorothy Dandridge to me. I think she would have been perfect to play her and then she sings similiarly to Dorothy (I know a movie has already been made but she looks exactly like her to me just slightly darker).

purplethunder3121 said:

cindymay said:

I remember that tour, Bruno Mars himself has really fond memories of it and he mentioned that tour on twitter a lot of times- What happened to Mayer Hawthorne? I lost track of him completely.

He's still performing and making albums. The last one I checked out was with a new group he is in called Tuxedo--a side project.

I always thought he was a very talented singer.

mjscarousel said:

mjscarousel said:

cindymay said:

I put Bruno in the same categories as them, he benefits from being a non black dude who sings black music exactly like Cardi B. Timberlake on the other hand is the worst because he also disrespects legends and black artists all the time while benefiting from their work something that Bruno doesn't do. The consolation is success is not long term these days for the majority and if you don't have real talent you will go away anyway in some years. In the end artists who are less popular but talented will be recognized for longevity, I hope so at least. I'm sure Janelle prefers a career like that.

Well I disagree with that. Unorthodox Juke Box is not an R&B album. Its a pure Pop album. Bruno did not become a star singing "Black music". Locked Out of Heaven is a inspired Police sounding song, its not R&B. On the other hand, 24k is a R&B influenced POP album but he did not become a super star singing R&B or Black music.

Cardi B is an industry plant. Her trajectory into super stardom has more so to do with politics versus the argument you are making. Cardi B was pushed to replace Nikki because of Nikki's attitude and antics behind the scenes.

Chance the Raper is another plant but he is African American and makes Black music but he sucks.

Same with SZA another African American who was nominated for 5 Grammys this year but the woman cannot sing and her music is not good.

Bruno Mars is popular because he writes good catchy pop songs and doesn't rely on gimmicks, the same with Adele. It has nothing to do with them being Non- Black.

What people need to be asking is why do the Black pop stars make mediocre music instead of displacing their anger at other pop stars who make quality music. In the case of Janelle, I think they won't back her because she doesn't oversexualize her image and she is not willing to play the game.

[Edited 4/18/18 13:57pm]

Quoted for emphasis.

Looking forward to the album and I also hope she does some theatre. She has the voice for it.

cindymay said:

WOW! Look at that cover! Its so beautiful, I love it!

mjscarousel said:

cindymay said:

WOW! Look at that cover! Its so beautiful, I love it!

Yes it is! I think it's the movie poster.

I also wish that Janelle's initial single made even a bigger splash and perhaps it still could at formats other than top 40 radio. While publicity may be a factor, another issue is that so many young people don't get into anything funky/R&B unless you count the popified Bruno Mars. There was some decent sampling of the song on Top Radio 40 but after an initial rise in airplay it stalled quickly. This tells me that the current tastes of radio listeners are also much to blame, as the song apparently didn't do well in the requests and the station's research to sustain the initial radio play. A testament to the sad state of popular music.

gandorb said:

I also wish that Janelle's initial single made even a bigger splash and perhaps it still could at formats other than top 40 radio. While publicity may be a factor, another issue is that so many young people don't get into anything funky/R&B unless you count the popified Bruno Mars. There was some decent sampling of the song on Top Radio 40 but after an initial rise in airplay it stalled quickly. This tells me that the current tastes of radio listeners are also much to blame, as the song apparently didn't do well in the requests and the station's research to sustain the initial radio play. A testament to the sad state of popular music.

I agree. The current mainstream industry is dead and it is in a sad state of affairs.

I think if the single was properly promoted it would have performed much better. I wish she had better management.

cindymay said:

mjscarousel said:

WOW! Look at that cover! Its so beautiful, I love it!

Yes it is! I think it's the movie poster.

Really nice!

mjscarousel said:

gandorb said:

I also wish that Janelle's initial single made even a bigger splash and perhaps it still could at formats other than top 40 radio. While publicity may be a factor, another issue is that so many young people don't get into anything funky/R&B unless you count the popified Bruno Mars. There was some decent sampling of the song on Top Radio 40 but after an initial rise in airplay it stalled quickly. This tells me that the current tastes of radio listeners are also much to blame, as the song apparently didn't do well in the requests and the station's research to sustain the initial radio play. A testament to the sad state of popular music.

I agree. The current mainstream industry is dead and it is in a sad state of affairs.

I think if the single was properly promoted it would have performed much better. I wish she had better management.

I agree. She still hasn't done a live performance of any songs from the album! Her Yoga song did good on urban (and of course it's her worst song by the way speaking about the tragic state of popular music). Make me feel was her first solo single to crossover from urban to pop in the States and on radios in Europe as well. They should have jumped on that with the promotion.

[Edited 4/20/18 2:09am]

Tracklist is basically confirmed, an early review was written and deleted shortly after and it confirmed it. The only artist featured that surprises me is Wilson. He's credited as a co-writer, I didn't even know they knew each other or that he admired her.

Speaking about respect, David Byrne (from Talking Heads) is doing a cover of Janelle's protest song Hell you talmabout on his last tour.

cindymay said:

mjscarousel said:

I agree. The current mainstream industry is dead and it is in a sad state of affairs.

I think if the single was properly promoted it would have performed much better. I wish she had better management.

I agree. She still hasn't done a live performance of any songs from the album! Her Yoga song did good on urban (and of course it's her worst song by the way speaking about the tragic state of popular music). Make me feel was her first solo single to crossover from urban to pop in the States and on radios in Europe as well. They should have jumped on that with the promotion.

[Edited 4/20/18 2:09am]

I agree. I hate that Yoga song. I remember they use to play it all the time on the radio. I didn't know that Make me Feel song was that popular. They still have time to promote it. An act like Janelle cannot just drop singles like that and expect for it to blow up. She needs to do performances and go on talk shows to promote it.

cindymay said:

Tracklist is basically confirmed, an early review was written and deleted shortly after and it confirmed it. The only artist featured that surprises me is Wilson. He's credited as a co-writer, I didn't even know they knew each other or that he admired her.

Speaking about respect, David Byrne (from Talking Heads) is doing a cover of Janelle's protest song Hell you talmabout on his last tour.

That song is so epic honestly. The real Black power song of this generation and its so cool that he covered it. I wonder if Janelle knows about it.