I love the song and the pornographic video!! I like ragga Janelle Imma play the album for sure!

StrangeButTrue said:

RJOrion said:

ShellyMcG said:

RJOrion said:

Her music is garbage...Lipstick Lover is over the top sleazy...lately she's just doin' too much...she used to have a little class about her...now she's becoming a tacky attention whore...disgusting...she has no real musical talent, so i guess she gotta do what she gotta do to stay relevant in an increasingly wicked industry...she should just release a sex tape at this point...cute girl but something's missing

Jesus why don't you tell us how you really feel

Nah, I think you're being a bit too harsh there.

We're a long way from 'Cold War' and not in a good way either.

RJOrion said:

Her music is garbage...Lipstick Lover is over the top sleazy...lately she's just doin' too much...she used to have a little class about her...now she's becoming a tacky attention whore...disgusting...she has no real musical talent, so i guess she gotta do what she gotta do to stay relevant in an increasingly wicked industry...she should just release a sex tape at this point...cute girl but something's missing

It's interesting because the whole hype about Janelle Monae in this and other "alternative R&B" type communities and safe havens was that she wasn't like them other R&B gals. People would pen these soliloquys about how she's the last bastion of aristry in cookie-cutter assembly-line acts blah blah blah. Fast forward a mere 4-5 years later and she's working all the mainstream 2020s titiliation gimmicks on overdrive cubed. It's like she's trying to make up for lost time.

As someone who dgaf all that ancillary B.S., it's whatever. Her music was meh before and meh since, from someone who doesn't care about image or whatever and the overarching implications for social morays or whatever the reason people who do care really do seem to really care.

"Sincerely, Jane" was the only great track she had so far, probably because the brass section reminded me of Wu Tang's "Rushing Elephants". The rest is very derivative and recycled. If you dislike her tracks now you werre probably too focused on what she was wearing or her approach to notice it was always bland and mediocre.

[Edited 6/7/23 17:23pm]

Not feeling the Lipstick joint. Hard 2 believe that was a "lead" single.

I haven't liked any of her albums since ArchAndroid.

WhisperingDandelions said:

RJOrion said:

Her music is garbage...Lipstick Lover is over the top sleazy...lately she's just doin' too much...she used to have a little class about her...now she's becoming a tacky attention whore...disgusting...she has no real musical talent, so i guess she gotta do what she gotta do to stay relevant in an increasingly wicked industry...she should just release a sex tape at this point...cute girl but something's missing

It's interesting because the whole hype about Janelle Monae in this and other "alternative R&B" type communities and safe havens was that she wasn't like them other R&B gals. People would pen these soliloquys about how she's the last bastion of aristry in cookie-cutter assembly-line acts blah blah blah. Fast forward a mere 4-5 years later and she's working all the mainstream 2020s titiliation gimmicks on overdrive cubed. It's like she's trying to make up for lost time.

As someone who dgaf all that ancillary B.S., it's whatever. Her music was meh before and meh since, from someone who doesn't care about image or whatever and the overarching implications for social morays or whatever the reason people who do care really do seem to really care.

"Sincerely, Jane" was the only great track she had so far, probably because the brass section reminded me of Wu Tang's "Rushing Elephants". The rest is very derivative and recycled. If you dislike her tracks now you werre probably too focused on what she was wearing or her approach to notice it was always bland and mediocre.

[Edited 6/7/23 17:23pm]

Or maybe our tastes differ from yours. Your reaction is a little strong for an artist you consider mediocre. I don't even comment on the artists I have no interest in. I haven't heard anything post Dirty Computer- which had mixed results for me- but I liked everything up till then. Similarly to my appreciation for Prince it's all about the music. I couldn't care less about the rest.

whodknee said:

Or maybe our tastes differ from yours.

Hope so! You are a separate person, not a clone, robot, or doppelganger.

whodknee said:

Your reaction is a little strong for an artist you consider mediocre.

Maybe? She's been recommended to me a lot, some of my social circle are big Monae fans, this site has historically most definitely been a pro-Janelle Monae bastion on the internet long before any other when generally the org hates other artists... I get tired of giving her a genuine shot which I generally do.

Also, generally I type strong reactions because I find them more fun to read back than generic, passive responses,

whodknee said:

I don't even comment on the artists I have no interest in.

uh, Cool? What is this response exactly, do you want some kind of morality medal for stifling your negative opinions on unimportant subject matter? Good for you, mate. But much like your comment on different tastes...

whodknee said:

Similarly to my appreciation for Prince it's all about the music. I couldn't care less about the rest.

Same here, which is why I said, it was mediocre/deriviative when she was wearing a full pants suit and it's mediocre/derivative when she's prancing around half-naked. You Monae fans are the ones who act like there was some major transition that took place.

[Edited 6/9/23 22:40pm]

Not feeling this new album.

Dig the new album, 8 solid tracks on it imo, A Dry Red, Only Have Eyes 4 2, Paid Pleasure, Know Better, Water Slide, The French 75, The Rush, and Lipstick Lover.

Is it her best work, probably not, but its a great fun, sexy, summer time album, one I think Prince would have dug too.

I've dug her stuff off and on over the years but really liked Electric Lady.

*

Been checking this thread for honest opinions, understand the criticism, not feeling (but not complaining about) the sexualization of the marketing of this project, but still may hold out a bit before purchasing. *

Starting to feel like a real old-head as I still "purchase" my music instead of streaming.

RJOrion said:

Woke porno lol

luv2tha99s said:

RJOrion said:

luv2tha99s said:

Ya the album is a bit of a let down for me but no musical talent? Her singing voice and rapping are heartfelt, emotional and unique. You've got to admit that at least.

She can adequately carry a tune, and she can sufficiently rhyme on beat, but she has so singular or standout talents or gifts that set her apart at all, from her contemporaries...and it appears that somehow someway, she suddenly realized that, and made the necessary changes in her visual presentations...

100%

RJOrion said:

I listened to it today...it was good. It wasn't as 'huge' as her other albums, but, I liked it a lot. It's short so easy to digest....i'm going to listen a few more times.

I'm checking this out now--some adult fluff! I think I'm down for this--I can play this against some Cali Uchis and roll along.

WhisperingDandelions said:

whodknee said:

Or maybe our tastes differ from yours.

Hope so! You are a separate person, not a clone, robot, or doppelganger.

uh, Cool? What is this response exactly, do you want some kind of morality medal for stifling your negative opinions on unimportant subject matter? Good for you, mate. But much like your comment on different tastes...

whodknee said:

Similarly to my appreciation for Prince it's all about the music. I couldn't care less about the rest.

Same here, which is why I said, it was mediocre/deriviative when she was wearing a full pants suit and it's mediocre/derivative when she's prancing around half-naked. You Monae fans are the ones who act like there was some major transition that took place.

[Edited 6/9/23 22:40pm]

I couldn't tell you what transitions she did or didn't make. I've listened to and enjoyed ArchAndroid, Electric Lady and parts of Dirty Computer. That's it. My comments weren't all directed at you per se. In fact we would probably agree that many people are propping her music because of her persona/fashion to some degree. What we seem to disagree on is that there is some merit to the music without all that. Hence, the mentions of different tastes.

Not near her best but not bad.