Janelle MonΓ΅e ft. Big Boi - 'Tightrope'
We should've seen this coming. The signs were there for anyone to spot, and no-one did.
People have been mucking about with a hybrid of energised '60s soul and pop, fleet-footed '70s funk and startling '50s hair / clothing for quite some time now, almost as if the world was willing this thing to happen. The proportions of each ingredient may have been different from person to person - VV Brown is clearly not Rox, Rox is clearly not the Noisettes etc - but the main thrust is the same. These ladies are on a mission to plunder the past, to see if we can't find a new way to step into the future.
Well, it looks like the search is over. And the person who found what everyone was looking for is a hyperactive, kooky-quiffed, jumpy bandleader with brilliant hair, brilliant clothes, a brilliant voice and a bewilderingly brilliant album - 'The Archandroid'.
Plus the goodwill of Big Boi, and Diddy, and what appears to be everyone on the internet. How can she fail?
(. Two words: Yow. Sers.)
Now I'm not here just to reiterate what the web-tastemakers are already saying. I mean that IS what is going to happen, but only because they're right. And here's why:
If you saw Stevie Wonder's jaw-dropping greatest hits set at Glastonbury and wondered why people don't bother to bring together huge gangs of great musicians to make ambitious, compelling songs any more, well Janelle does. She makes loads of them. Some of them are brittle, sugary funk like this - 'Get UR Freak On' as if played by Curtis Mayfield, basically - some of them sound like opera. Proper opera too, not just ballads with aria ambitions.
If you listened to 'Shutterbug', marvelled at Big Boi's vocal talents and wished he would spread them around a bit further, well have a gander at him modelling his flow around the bassline to this song. A bassline which is HARD TO RAP TO. It's a thing of wonder.
If you hear a lot of modern songs that chase the tiny tail of club-banging-autotuned-bragging-and-croaking-stuff-about-sexy-ladies-and-big-wallets and wonder if there's anything around which can provide some light relief, while still getting excited bodies to throw crazy shapes, 'Tightrope' is what you need. Even though it's about a million times faster than anything else and could cause whiplash injuries if not handled with care.
And if it IS too frantic for your tender sensibilities, then you'd be well advised to investigate the remix which features BOB (yes, him again) and Lupe Fiasco. It hits all the same spots, while being more spacious and woozy. Every palate is catered for.
Now, get out there and give thanks. The messiess has arrived!
Download: Out now
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Music page
(Fraser McAlpine)
"A masterful blend of old school feel and contemporary delivery."
"I haven't stopped listening to her album - classic material."
"'Tightrope'...is filled with some of the funkiest rhythms and horns that I've heard since early Outkast albums."
Comment number 1.
At 2nd Jul 2010, U14429597 wrote:Not heard the song, but Janelle Monae is AMAZIMG!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 1)
Comment number 2.
At 2nd Jul 2010, OddOne wrote:I have heard the song, and it's AMAZIMG. ;)
Complain about this comment (Comment number 2)
Comment number 3.
At 2nd Jul 2010, flatknees wrote:all i can say that this monae woman is very special. special in the good way.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 3)
Comment number 4.
At 6th Jul 2010, S_a_N_j wrote:listening to the album on spotify... THERE ARE NO WORDS .
Complain about this comment (Comment number 4)
Comment number 5.
At 10th Jul 2010, U14429597 wrote:I cant find the album on spotify :'(
Complain about this comment (Comment number 5)
Comment number 6.
At 10th Jul 2010, SamuraisShadow wrote:potential number one here. release date is...?
Complain about this comment (Comment number 6)
Comment number 7.
At 10th Jul 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:It won't get to no.1 over here, most people don't even know her name, she might stand a chance of gettting a good posistion in america though.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 7)
Comment number 8.
At 10th Jul 2010, Jordananan wrote:I've been reading these for a long, long time but I've never got around to actually joining, as it used to just be a very casual thing, me checking these, however I feel now I'd like to join, though my timing is clearly a bit awful with the masses of JLS fans signing up to attempt to get their questions answered.
Anyway, this song is incredible, the album is incredible, I love this woman!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 8)
Comment number 9.
At 10th Jul 2010, RandomEnigma wrote:Nope, Tightrope failed miserably in the US. Hopefully, it gets promotion over here and it should.
Welcome, Jordananan.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 9)
Comment number 10.
At 10th Jul 2010, SamuraisShadow wrote:But this is the sort of song that would do well here. It just needs a lot of promotion.
But, this is the nation where 'In my Head' can get to number one. Don't worry, this will top the charts.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 10)
Comment number 11.
At 11th Jul 2010, OddOne wrote:Don't worry about it Jordananan, by saying "awful JLS fans" you've already proved to us you're worthy of sticking around without having to post rubbish like
"OMG ASTON'S SOOO FIT HE'S MY FUTURE HUSBAND HE JUST DON'T KNOW IT YET.
Aston, Marry me!?!? From SUGAAAA LOLXXXXX"
So if you can steer clear of those kind of posts, which I'm sure you will, you'll have no problem fitting in.
Apart from Randy and his hormones, we're actuall quite a nice bunch :) ;)
Complain about this comment (Comment number 11)
Comment number 12.
At 11th Jul 2010, Jordananan wrote:Oh don't worry, I have no intention of posting anything of the sort, maybe if it was in a sarcastic, mocking sense :)
And i've been listening to the album again, "Tightrope" is great but isn't "Cold War" something else? I really do hope that this gets the charting position it deserves.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 12)
Comment number 13.
At 11th Jul 2010, harrythedog10 wrote:The album's absolutely brilliant, even if it is a bit hard to process in one sitting, suprised no-ones mentioned Dance Or Die yet that songs amazing.
Complain about this comment (Comment number 13)
Comment number 14.
At 25th Jul 2010, mangsy wrote:Best tune at the moment, hands down... AMAZIMG is a word that isnΒ΄t in the dictionary is it? Neither is this song, so thatΒ΄s alright then...
Complain about this comment (Comment number 14)
Comment number 15.
At 25th Jul 2010, mangsy wrote:Hi Jordanan I love you!
Complain about this comment (Comment number 15)