Janelle Monáe
Encyclopedia
Janelle Monáe (born December 1, 1985) is an American R&B/soul musician signed to Bad Boy Records
and Atlantic Records
.
Monáe debuted with a conceptual EP
, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase). The EP failed to make much of an impact commercially speaking with the general public; however, the EP at the time peaked at the 115th Spot on the Billboard Charts in the United States.
In 2010, Janelle Monáe released her debut studio album, The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
, a concept album
sequel to her first EP; it was released widely to the general public under Bad Boy Records
. This album received acclaim from critics and gained a Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The song "Tightrope
" was also nominated for "Best Urban/Alternative Performance"; this album was also more successful commercially officially reaching the 17th Spot on the Billboard Charts.
, where she spent her early life; Monáe has stated that the fictional character of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz
has been one of her musical influences. She has told reporters that she has dreamed of being a singer and a performer since she was very young. Monáe moved from Kansas City, Kansas
to New York to study drama at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy
.
She attended a Performing Arts School called Freedom Theatre, which is the oldest African-American theatre in Philadelphia. After moving to Atlanta, Georgia, where she met OutKast
's Big Boi, Monáe founded the Wondaland Arts Society with like-minded young artists and made appearances on Idlewild
, where she is featured on the songs "Call the Law" and "In Your Dreams". Big Boi told his friend Sean Combs
about Monáe, whom he had not heard of before. Combs promptly visited her MySpace page, and according to Bad Boy Records' A&R Daniel 'Skid' Mitchell in an interview with HitQuarters
, the label boss loved it straight away, "[He] loved her look, loved that you couldn’t see her body, loved the way she was dancing, and just loved the vibe. He felt like she has something that was different - something new and fresh." Monáe signed to Bad Boy in 2006. The label's chief role was in facilitating her exposure on a much broader scale rather than developing the artist and her music, because in the words of Mitchell, "She was already moving, she already had her records - she had a self-contained movement." Combs and Big Boi wanted to take their time and build her profile organically and allow the music to grow rather than put out "A hot single which everyone jumps on, and then they fade because it's just something of the moment."
download sites. After the release of the first part of the series, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) in mid-2007, these plans were altered following her signing with Sean "Diddy" Combs
's label, Bad Boy Records, later in the year. The label gave an official and physical release to the first "suite" in August 2008, which was retitled Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition) and included two new tracks. The EP was generally well-received by critics, garnering Monáe a 2009 Grammy nomination in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance for her single "Many Moons", festival appearances and opening slots for the indie pop band Of Montreal
. Monáe also toured as the opening act for band No Doubt
on their summer 2009 tour. Her single "Open Happiness" was featured in the 2009 season finale of American Idol
. Monáe told MTV about her concept for her new album and also discussed her alter-ego named Cindi Mayweather, she said:
In a November 2009 interview, Monáe revealed the title and concept behind her album, The ArchAndroid
. The album was released on 18 May 2010. The second and third suites of Metropolis are combined into this full-length release, in which Monáe's alter-ego, Cindi Mayweather—also the protagonist of Metropolis: The Chase Suite— becomes a messianic
figure to the android community of Metropolis. Monáe noted that she plans to shoot a video for each song on The ArchAndroid and create both a movie and graphic novel based on the album. The Metropolis concept series draws inspiration from a wide range of musical, cinematic and other sources, ranging from Alfred Hitchcock
to Debussy to Philip K. Dick
. However, the series puts Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film Metropolis
, which Monáe referred to as "the godfather of science-fiction movies," in special regard. Aside from sharing a name, they also share visual styles (the cover for The ArchAndroid is inspired by the iconic poster for Metropolis), conceptual themes and political goals, using expressionistic future scenarios to examine and explode contemporary ideas of prejudice and class. Both also include a performing female android, though to very different effect. Where Metropolis android Maria is the evil, havoc-sowing double of the messianic figure to the city's strictly segregated working class, Monáe's messianic android muse Cindi Mayweather represents an interpretation of androids as that segregated minority, which Monáe describes as "... the Other
. And I feel like all of us, whether in the majority or the minority, felt like the Other at some point."
Monáe received the Vanguard Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers at the Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in 2010. Monáe covered Charlie Chaplin
's Smile on Billboard.com in June 2010. In an NPR interview in September 2010, Monae stated that she is a believer in, and a proponent of time travel. Monáe performed "Tightrope
" during the second elimination episode of the 11th Season of Dancing with the Stars on September 28, 2010. Monáe performed at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011 alongside artists Bruno Mars
and B.o.B
; Monáe performed the synth section of B.o.B's song "Nothin' On You" and she then performed her track "Cold War" with B.o.B on the Guitar and Mars on the drums. Her performance received a standing ovation.
Her single, "Tightrope
" was featured on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011
, performed by Pia Toscano
, Haley Reinhart
, Naima Adedapo
, and Thia Megia
.
released their interview with Monáe talking about her first studio album where they said "I begin to worry for a moment that Monáe may not just be a humourless science-fiction nerd, but actually an android herself, created in a laboratory as a super-musical cross between James Brown, Judy Garland, Andre 3000 and Steve Jobs, invented to test the desperate incredulity of music journalists". They also compared Monáe to artists such as Lady Gaga
, Annie Lennox
and Lauryn Hill
. Her musical styles have been described as "a soaring orchestral trip enlivened with blockbuster vocals, mysterious imagery and notes of Sixties pop and jazz". The Guardian
have noted some of her influences as: Michael Jackson
, Prince
, OutKast
, Erykah Badu
, James Brown
, Grace Jones
, Stevie Wonder
, David Bowie
, Jimi Hendrix
, Bernard Herrmann
, Funkadelic
and the Incredible String Band
. Monáe has stated that she has an alter-ego named Cindi Mayweather who according to Monáe is from the year 2719. In her first EP she gave her alter-ego a back-story stating that she is on the run after breaking the law in her home town of Metropolis after falling in love with a human named Anthony Greendown. Monáe explained about Cindi, saying "The Archandroid, Cindi, is the mediator, between the mind and the hand. She's the mediator between the haves and the have-nots, the oppressed and the oppressor. She's like the Archangel in the Bible, and what Neo represents to the Matrix."
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
and Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records
Atlantic Records is an American record label best known for its many recordings of rhythm and blues, rock and roll, and jazz...
.
Monáe debuted with a conceptual EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase). The EP failed to make much of an impact commercially speaking with the general public; however, the EP at the time peaked at the 115th Spot on the Billboard Charts in the United States.
In 2010, Janelle Monáe released her debut studio album, The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
The ArchAndroid is the debut studio album of American recording artist Janelle Monáe, released May 18, 2010, on Wondaland Arts Society and Bad Boy Records...
, a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
sequel to her first EP; it was released widely to the general public under Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records
Bad Boy Records is a record label founded in 1993 by producer/rapper/entrepreneur Sean "Diddy" Combs. Today it operates as a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, and is distributed by Atlantic Records.-Beginnings:...
. This album received acclaim from critics and gained a Grammy Nomination for Best Contemporary R&B Album. The song "Tightrope
Tightrope (Janelle Monáe song)
"Tightrope" is a 2010 song by American singer Janelle Monáe.It is the first official single from The ArchAndroid . The single premiered on February 11 on Pitchfork Media website, earning an immediate 9/10 rating and their coveted "Best New Music" tag with the companion song entitled "Cold War"...
" was also nominated for "Best Urban/Alternative Performance"; this album was also more successful commercially officially reaching the 17th Spot on the Billboard Charts.
Early life and career
Monáe was born Janelle Monáe Robinson in Kansas City, KansasKansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
, where she spent her early life; Monáe has stated that the fictional character of Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz
The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)
The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
has been one of her musical influences. She has told reporters that she has dreamed of being a singer and a performer since she was very young. Monáe moved from Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City is the third-largest city in the state of Kansas and is the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri, and is the third largest city in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area. The city is part of a consolidated city-county government known as the "Unified...
to New York to study drama at the American Musical and Dramatic Academy
American Musical and Dramatic Academy
The American Musical and Dramatic Academy , is a college conservatory for the performing arts located in New York City and Los Angeles, California....
.
She attended a Performing Arts School called Freedom Theatre, which is the oldest African-American theatre in Philadelphia. After moving to Atlanta, Georgia, where she met OutKast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
's Big Boi, Monáe founded the Wondaland Arts Society with like-minded young artists and made appearances on Idlewild
Idlewild (OutKast album)
Idlewild is the sixth studio album by American hip hop duo OutKast, released August 22, 2006 on LaFace Records. It also serves as the soundtrack album to the duo's musical film of the same name, released by Universal Pictures in August 2006...
, where she is featured on the songs "Call the Law" and "In Your Dreams". Big Boi told his friend Sean Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
about Monáe, whom he had not heard of before. Combs promptly visited her MySpace page, and according to Bad Boy Records' A&R Daniel 'Skid' Mitchell in an interview with HitQuarters
HitQuarters
HitQuarters is an international music industry publication and contact database founded in 1999. It is noted for in-depth interviews with industry figures, with past subjects including Simon Cowell, Martin Kierszenbaum, Jason Flom, Diane Warren, Peter Edge, Ron Fair and RedOne, as well as its A&R...
, the label boss loved it straight away, "[He] loved her look, loved that you couldn’t see her body, loved the way she was dancing, and just loved the vibe. He felt like she has something that was different - something new and fresh." Monáe signed to Bad Boy in 2006. The label's chief role was in facilitating her exposure on a much broader scale rather than developing the artist and her music, because in the words of Mitchell, "She was already moving, she already had her records - she had a self-contained movement." Combs and Big Boi wanted to take their time and build her profile organically and allow the music to grow rather than put out "A hot single which everyone jumps on, and then they fade because it's just something of the moment."
2007 to 2010: Metropolis - The Chase Suite and The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
In 2007, Monáe released her first solo work, titled Metropolis. It was originally conceived as a concept album in four parts, or "suites", which were to be released through her website and mp3MP3
MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III, more commonly referred to as MP3, is a patented digital audio encoding format using a form of lossy data compression...
download sites. After the release of the first part of the series, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) in mid-2007, these plans were altered following her signing with Sean "Diddy" Combs
Sean Combs
Sean John Combs , also known by his stage names Diddy and P. Diddy, is an American rapper, singer, record producer, actor, and entrepreneur. He has won three Grammy Awards and two MTV Video Music Awards, and his clothing line earned a Council of Fashion Designers of America award. He was originally...
's label, Bad Boy Records, later in the year. The label gave an official and physical release to the first "suite" in August 2008, which was retitled Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition) and included two new tracks. The EP was generally well-received by critics, garnering Monáe a 2009 Grammy nomination in the Best Urban/Alternative Performance for her single "Many Moons", festival appearances and opening slots for the indie pop band Of Montreal
Of Montreal
Of Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
. Monáe also toured as the opening act for band No Doubt
No Doubt
No Doubt is an American rock band from Anaheim, California that formed in 1986. The ska-pop sound of their first album No Doubt , failed to make an impact...
on their summer 2009 tour. Her single "Open Happiness" was featured in the 2009 season finale of American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
. Monáe told MTV about her concept for her new album and also discussed her alter-ego named Cindi Mayweather, she said:
"Cindi is an android and I love speaking about the android because they are the new “other”. People are afraid of the other and I believe we’re going to live in a world with androids because of technology and the way it advances. The first album she was running because she had fallen in love with a human and she was being disassembled for that."
In a November 2009 interview, Monáe revealed the title and concept behind her album, The ArchAndroid
The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
The ArchAndroid is the debut studio album of American recording artist Janelle Monáe, released May 18, 2010, on Wondaland Arts Society and Bad Boy Records...
. The album was released on 18 May 2010. The second and third suites of Metropolis are combined into this full-length release, in which Monáe's alter-ego, Cindi Mayweather—also the protagonist of Metropolis: The Chase Suite— becomes a messianic
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
figure to the android community of Metropolis. Monáe noted that she plans to shoot a video for each song on The ArchAndroid and create both a movie and graphic novel based on the album. The Metropolis concept series draws inspiration from a wide range of musical, cinematic and other sources, ranging from Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
to Debussy to Philip K. Dick
Philip K. Dick
Philip Kindred Dick was an American novelist, short story writer and essayist whose published work is almost entirely in the science fiction genre. Dick explored sociological, political and metaphysical themes in novels dominated by monopolistic corporations, authoritarian governments and altered...
. However, the series puts Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film Metropolis
Metropolis (film)
Metropolis is a 1927 German expressionist film in the science-fiction genre directed by Fritz Lang. Produced in Germany during a stable period of the Weimar Republic, Metropolis is set in a futuristic urban dystopia and makes use of this context to explore the social crisis between workers and...
, which Monáe referred to as "the godfather of science-fiction movies," in special regard. Aside from sharing a name, they also share visual styles (the cover for The ArchAndroid is inspired by the iconic poster for Metropolis), conceptual themes and political goals, using expressionistic future scenarios to examine and explode contemporary ideas of prejudice and class. Both also include a performing female android, though to very different effect. Where Metropolis android Maria is the evil, havoc-sowing double of the messianic figure to the city's strictly segregated working class, Monáe's messianic android muse Cindi Mayweather represents an interpretation of androids as that segregated minority, which Monáe describes as "... the Other
Other
The Other or Constitutive Other is a key concept in continental philosophy; it opposes the Same. The Other refers, or attempts to refer, to that which is Other than the initial concept being considered...
. And I feel like all of us, whether in the majority or the minority, felt like the Other at some point."
Monáe received the Vanguard Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers at the Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in 2010. Monáe covered Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin
Sir Charles Spencer "Charlie" Chaplin, KBE was an English comic actor, film director and composer best known for his work during the silent film era. He became the most famous film star in the world before the end of World War I...
's Smile on Billboard.com in June 2010. In an NPR interview in September 2010, Monae stated that she is a believer in, and a proponent of time travel. Monáe performed "Tightrope
Tightrope (Janelle Monáe song)
"Tightrope" is a 2010 song by American singer Janelle Monáe.It is the first official single from The ArchAndroid . The single premiered on February 11 on Pitchfork Media website, earning an immediate 9/10 rating and their coveted "Best New Music" tag with the companion song entitled "Cold War"...
" during the second elimination episode of the 11th Season of Dancing with the Stars on September 28, 2010. Monáe performed at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011 alongside artists Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars
Peter Gene Hernandez , better known by his stage name Bruno Mars, is an Filipino-American singer-songwriter and record producer. Raised in Honolulu, Hawaii by a family of musicians, Mars began making music at a young age...
and B.o.B
B.o.B
Bobby Ray Simmons, Jr. , better known by his stage name B.o.B, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and record producer. He is currently signed under the labels of Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. His debut single "Nothin' on You" reached number one in both...
; Monáe performed the synth section of B.o.B's song "Nothin' On You" and she then performed her track "Cold War" with B.o.B on the Guitar and Mars on the drums. Her performance received a standing ovation.
Her single, "Tightrope
Tightrope (Janelle Monáe song)
"Tightrope" is a 2010 song by American singer Janelle Monáe.It is the first official single from The ArchAndroid . The single premiered on February 11 on Pitchfork Media website, earning an immediate 9/10 rating and their coveted "Best New Music" tag with the companion song entitled "Cold War"...
" was featured on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011
American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011
The American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011 is a summer concert tour in the United States, Canada and The Philippines that features the Top 11 contestants of the tenth season of American Idol. The 49-date tour started in West Valley City, Utah, on July 6, and its North American leg will end in Rochester,...
, performed by Pia Toscano
Pia Toscano
Pia Ann Rose Toscano is an American singer from Howard Beach, New York. Toscano placed ninth on the tenth season of American Idol. Considered to be a frontrunner in the competition, her elimination came as a shock to judges Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez, and Steven Tyler, all of whom were visibly...
, Haley Reinhart
Haley Reinhart
Haley Reinhart is an American singer from Wheeling, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois who placed third in the tenth season of American Idol. Reinhart is currently signed to 19 and Interscope Records.-Early life:...
, Naima Adedapo
Naima Adedapo
Naima Adedapo is an American singer and dancer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Adedapo placed in the top 11 on the tenth season of American Idol.-Early life:...
, and Thia Megia
Thia Megia
Thia Megia is an American singer from Mountain House, San Joaquin County, California. Megia finished in the top 11 of the tenth season of American Idol...
.
2011 to Present Day: New Album & Other Projects
In an interview, Monae stated that she plans to release two albums in 2012. In the same interview, Monae said that she plans to tour with some "big names" and "a big band" in 2012. While the tour is not yet announced, Monae did say that she will perform at Staples Center for three nights in a row. In another interview with Forbes, Monae also said that she plans to release an ArchAndroid inspired film.Musical styles and influences
The TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
released their interview with Monáe talking about her first studio album where they said "I begin to worry for a moment that Monáe may not just be a humourless science-fiction nerd, but actually an android herself, created in a laboratory as a super-musical cross between James Brown, Judy Garland, Andre 3000 and Steve Jobs, invented to test the desperate incredulity of music journalists". They also compared Monáe to artists such as Lady Gaga
Lady GaGa
Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
, Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox
Annie Lennox, OBE , born Ann Lennox, is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist. After achieving minor success in the late 1970s with The Tourists, with fellow musician David A...
and Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Noelle Hill is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress.Early in her career, she established her reputation as a member of the Fugees. In 1998, she launched her solo career with the release of the commercially successful and critically acclaimed album, The Miseducation of...
. Her musical styles have been described as "a soaring orchestral trip enlivened with blockbuster vocals, mysterious imagery and notes of Sixties pop and jazz". The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
have noted some of her influences as: Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
, Prince
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson , often known simply as Prince, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Prince has produced ten platinum albums and thirty Top 40 singles during his career. Prince founded his own recording studio and label; writing, self-producing and playing most, or all, of...
, OutKast
OutKast
Outkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
, Erykah Badu
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright , better known by her stage name Erykah Badu , is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Her work includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz. She is best known for her role in the rise of the neo soul sub-genre, and for her eccentric, cerebral musical...
, James Brown
James Brown
James Joseph Brown was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and recording artist. He is the originator of Funk and is recognized as a major figure in the 20th century popular music for both his vocals and dancing. He has been referred to as "The Godfather of Soul," "Mr...
, Grace Jones
Grace Jones
Grace Jones is a Jamaican-American singer, model and actress.Jones secured a record deal with Island Records in 1977, which resulted in a string of dance-club hits. In the late 1970s, she adapted the emerging electronic music style and adopted a severe, androgynous look with square-cut hair and...
, Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
, David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann was an American composer noted for his work in motion pictures.An Academy Award-winner , Herrmann is particularly known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo...
, Funkadelic
Funkadelic
Funkadelic was an American band most prominent during the 1970s. The band and its sister act Parliament, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
and the Incredible String Band
Incredible String Band
The Incredible String Band were a psychedelic folk band formed in Scotland in 1966. The band built a considerable following, especially within British counterculture, before splitting up in 1974...
. Monáe has stated that she has an alter-ego named Cindi Mayweather who according to Monáe is from the year 2719. In her first EP she gave her alter-ego a back-story stating that she is on the run after breaking the law in her home town of Metropolis after falling in love with a human named Anthony Greendown. Monáe explained about Cindi, saying "The Archandroid, Cindi, is the mediator, between the mind and the hand. She's the mediator between the haves and the have-nots, the oppressed and the oppressor. She's like the Archangel in the Bible, and what Neo represents to the Matrix."
Public image
Monáe has gained a signature clothing style of wearing a Tuxedo wardrobe and she said on the matter to Honey Magazine "I bathe in it, I swim in it, and I could be buried in it. A tux is such a standard uniform, it’s so classy and it’s a lifestyle I enjoy. The tux keeps me balanced. I look at myself as a canvas. I don’t want to cloud myself with too many colors or I’ll go crazy. It’s an experiment I’m doing. I think I want to be in the Guinness Book of World Records." In Monáe's concerts she has been noted to hand out her Ten Droid Commandments which encourages her fans to be individuals. The Telegraph also commented on her image as an artist saying "Sitting in a grey, airless record company office, this slight, stiff young woman delivers her speech in slow, deliberate tones, utterly expressionless. Dressed in her trademark starched shirt and tuxedo, hair immaculately coiffed, Monáe’s face is an opaque mask of perfection: all silken smooth skin, button nose and glassy brown eyes. I begin to worry for a moment that Monáe may not just be a humourless science-fiction nerd, but actually an android herself." She has described her Tuxedos as being a uniform for her career and she has stated that when she wears them that she is working. She also featured in the "Style 100" of InStyle Magazine.Unreleased albums
| Year | Album details |
|---|---|
| 2003 | The Audition (Janelle Monáe) The Audition (Janelle Monáe) - Track listing :# "Intro" – 1:43# "Lettin' Go" – 4:31# "Party Girl" – 3:49# "Cindi" – 2:15# "It's Not Fair" – 3:48# "Time Will Reveal – 3:33# "My Favorite Nothing – 3:57# "Warm Up – 0:47# "Cloud 9 – 4:15# "The Chase – 3:33...
|
Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
GER |
IRE Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
SWI Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
UK UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
NLD |
||
| 2010 | The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) The ArchAndroid is the debut studio album of American recording artist Janelle Monáe, released May 18, 2010, on Wondaland Arts Society and Bad Boy Records...
|
17 | 4 | 12 | 24 | 36 | 51 | 96 |
Extended plays
| Year | Album details | Peak chart positions |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
US R&B Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
US Heat Top Heatseekers Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical... |
||
| 2007 | Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase)
|
115 | 20 | 2 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Peachtree Blues" | Broadcasting The Definition |
| 2006 | "Lettin' Go Lettin' Go "Lettin' Go" is a 2006 single by American R&B singer Janelle Monáe, included on the Purple Ribbon All-Stars compilation album Got Purp? Vol 2, as well as the self-distributed 2003 CD The Audition... " |
Got Purp? Vol 2 |
| 2007 | "Violet Stars Happy Hunting! Violet Stars Happy Hunting! "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!" is a 2007 Indie pop single by American R&B singer Janelle Monáe, included on her debut solo EP Metropolis: Suite I .... " |
Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) |
| 2008 | "Sincerely, Jane" | |
| "Many Moons Many Moons (song) "Many Moons" is a 2008 song by American singer Janelle Monáe, included on the Metropolis: Suite I album. It was number 47 on Rolling Stones list of the 100 Best Songs of 2008. The song was also nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 51st Grammy Awards... " |
||
| 2009 | "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)" | The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) |
| 2010 | "Tightrope Tightrope (Janelle Monáe song) "Tightrope" is a 2010 song by American singer Janelle Monáe.It is the first official single from The ArchAndroid . The single premiered on February 11 on Pitchfork Media website, earning an immediate 9/10 rating and their coveted "Best New Music" tag with the companion song entitled "Cold War"... " (featuring Big Boi Big Boi Antwan André Patton , better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André... ) |
|
| "Cold War Cold War (song) "Cold War" is a 2010 song by American singer Janelle Monáe. It is the second official single from The ArchAndroid and her second to receive Pitchfork's coveted "Best New Music" tag. The single premiered on February 12, 2010 on Monáe's official website one day after "Tightrope" premiered on... " |
Guest appearances
- 2005: In "House" Sessions
- 2005: Broadcasting the Definition
- 2005: Purple Ribbon All-StarsPurple Ribbon All-StarsPurple Ribbon All-Stars is a southern hip-hop supergroup under the Purple Ribbon Records label. The group consists of Big Boi, Killer Mike, Sleepy Brown, Konkrete, C-Bone, Rock D, and Vonnegutt.-Singles:...
- Got Purp? Vol 2 ("Time Will Reveal," "Lettin' Go") - 2006: OutkastOutKastOutkast is an American hip hop duo based in East Point, Georgia, consisting of Atlanta native André "André 3000" Benjamin and Savannah, Georgia-born Antwan "Big Boi" Patton. They were originally known as Two Shades Deep but later changed the group's name to OutKast...
- IdlewildIdlewild (OutKast album)Idlewild is the sixth studio album by American hip hop duo OutKast, released August 22, 2006 on LaFace Records. It also serves as the soundtrack album to the duo's musical film of the same name, released by Universal Pictures in August 2006...
("Call the Law," "In Your Dreams") - 2008: "Big" Collaboration with Big Boi and the Atlanta Ballet
- 2009: Chester FrenchChester FrenchChester French is an American indie pop band consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter David-Andrew 'D.A.' Wallach and multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Maxwell Drummey...
- Jacques Jams, Vol. 1: Endurance (Mixtape) ("Nerd Girl") - 2009: Open HappinessOpen HappinessOpen Happiness is a global marketing campaign for The Coca-Cola Company that was rolled out worldwide in the first half of 2009, following the company's "Coke Side of Life" advertising campaign...
- 2009: Stargate UniverseStargate UniverseStargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...
- "Earth" Episode 7, Season 1 - 2010: B.o.B.B.O.B.B.O.B. is a video game that was released in 1993. It is a side-scrolling game developed by Gray Matter Interactive and Foley Hi-Tech Systems, and published by Electronic Arts. It is both a 2D shooter and a platform game, and is available for both the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega...
- B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby RayB.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby RayB.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray is the debut studio album of American rapper B.o.B, released April 27, 2010, on Grand Hustle Records, Rebel Rock Entertainment, and Atlantic Records. Production for the album took place during 2008 to 2010 and was handled by B.o.B, Crada, Dr...
("The Kids") - 2010: Big BoiBig BoiAntwan André Patton , better known by his stage name Big Boi, is an American rapper, song-writer, record producer and actor, best known for being a member of American hip hop duo OutKast alongside André 3000. His work in the duo has produced six studio albums. During the duo's hiatus, he and André...
- Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty ("Be Still") - 2010: of MontrealOf MontrealOf Montreal is an American rock band from Athens, Georgia. It was founded by frontman Kevin Barnes in 1996, named after a failed romance with a woman "of Montreal." The band is one of the bands of the Elephant 6 collective...
- False PriestFalse PriestFalse Priest is the tenth full-length studio album by indie-pop group of Montreal, released on September 14, 2010 on Polyvinyl Records. The band is also touring with Janelle Monáe to promote their new album where she appears several times. Polyvinyl Record Co released the album on CD, Digital,...
("Our Riotous Defects," "Enemy Gene") - 2010: Without a Fight - For Colored Girls: Music From and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture SoundtrackFor Colored Girls: Music From and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture SoundtrackFor Colored Girls: Music From and Inspired by the Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is a soundtrack album for the feature film For Colored Girls , released on November 2, 2010.-Critical Reception:...
- 2011: fun. - We Are Young
- 2011: ("TightropeTightrope (Janelle Monáe song)"Tightrope" is a 2010 song by American singer Janelle Monáe.It is the first official single from The ArchAndroid . The single premiered on February 11 on Pitchfork Media website, earning an immediate 9/10 rating and their coveted "Best New Music" tag with the companion song entitled "Cold War"...
") (featuring Big Boi) - performance on Later With Jools HollandLater with Jools HollandLater... with Jools Holland is a contemporary British music television show hosted by Jools Holland. A spin-off of The Late Show, it has been running in short series since 1992 and is a part of BBC Two's late-night line-up, usually at around 11pm to 12 midnight...
- BBC Television
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Grammy Awards | Best Urban/Alternative Performance ("Many Moons") | |
| 2010 | ASCAP Awards | Vanguard Award | |
| MTV Video Music Awards MTV Video Music Awards An MTV Video Music Award , is an award presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in music videos... |
Best Choreography ("Tightrope Tightrope (Janelle Monáe song) "Tightrope" is a 2010 song by American singer Janelle Monáe.It is the first official single from The ArchAndroid . The single premiered on February 11 on Pitchfork Media website, earning an immediate 9/10 rating and their coveted "Best New Music" tag with the companion song entitled "Cold War"... ") |
||
| MTV Video Music Brazil 2010 MTV Video Music Brazil The 2010 MTV Video Music Brazil, known as VMB 2010 in Brazil, was held on September 16, 2010, hosted by Marcelo Adnet and took place at the Credicard Hall, São Paulo. It awarded the best in Brazilian music, popular culture and internet culture in the year of 2010... |
Aposta Internacional (International Bet) | ||
| Soul Train Awards | Centric Award | ||
| 2011 | Best of the Booth Award | Best R&B/Pop Album of 2010 | |
| Grammy Awards | Best Contemporary R&B Album (The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) The ArchAndroid is the debut studio album of American recording artist Janelle Monáe, released May 18, 2010, on Wondaland Arts Society and Bad Boy Records... ) |
||
| Best Urban/Alternative Performance ("Tightrope") |
External links
- Official website
- Janelle Monáe discography at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- Janelle Monae interview by Pete Lewis, 'Blues & Soul' June 2010
- Janelle Monáe Interview
- Janelle Monáe interview at URB
- Janelle Monáe interview with SPINSpin (magazine)Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
- Review of Tightrope (feat. Big Boi)
- Q & A with Janelle Monae
- "Janelle Monáe on BackPocketMag.com