Razor’s Edge 9/10
Janelle Monáe - The Electric Lady
I love that this album kicks your face in and starts off with a strong start. Givin’ Em What They Love featuring Prince is just an awesome track. She pulls out the big guns on that first track. I’m not really going to go into the mythos behind Janelle’s concept story but I just want you guys to know that this album contains part 4 and 5 of her story and there should be two more parts or it is supposed to end at 7. Who knows if she will do another two parts on her next album or just focus on one part. The main reason I’m not breaking down the story is because I’m sure that I would do it a major disservice trying to explain it.
Back to some of my favorite tracks then. Queen featuring Erykah Badu was one of the first singles that she released from this album and I love how during the breakdown she decides to rap for a little bit. Primetime with Miguel and We Were Rock and Roll are probably my two favorite tracks on the whole album though. She usually plows through ballads like a grizzly bear trying to perform a ballet routine but I think Miguel’s assistance on the track helped her along. She had a good dance partner.
Later on in the album, “It’s code” shows up and she sounds surprisingly like a young Michael Jackson on this track. Ghetto woman starts up and I feel like I’m on a cruise or something. It has a very loungy cruise ship vibe going on but I love it nonetheless. This is definitely one of those albums that I love and just feel the need to listen to from time to time. I do have to admit that near the end of the second half of the album those tracks seem to get a bit muddled and become very uninteresting.