Albums of the Year Number 6: The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monáe When you buy this album on iTunes (which you should, now), you’ll notice that it’s categorised as ‘R&B/Soul’. Although this isn’t an entirely unfair decision, it fails to cover the astonishing array of genres Monáe leaps through as the album progresses. Starting with a short classical track, the album explores soul and R&B with panache, but also has some distinctly indie tones, oodles of hip-hop (her collaboration with Big Boi on Tightrope being a particular moment of genius) but there are also of rock, dance, jazz, funk, indeed pretty much any genre you can think of is here at some point. Which you might think would lead to a disjointed, or at least rather difficult album, but instead it’s a delight to listen to because each track has an unabashed pop sensibility. It reminds me a lot of Michael Jackson’s albums at their peak for the way Monáe picks and chooses from a huge range of music’s history and yet ends up with something eminently listenable. Anyone who can create this, as a debut album, at 25, is going to be one to watch for the future. In the meantime, there’s enough in this album to keep me intrigued and listening for a couple of years. Spotify Link

Albums of the Year

Number 6: The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monáe

When you buy this album on iTunes (which you should, now), you’ll notice that it’s categorised as ‘R&B/Soul’. Although this isn’t an entirely unfair decision, it fails to cover the astonishing array of genres Monáe leaps through as the album progresses. Starting with a short classical track, the album explores soul and R&B with panache, but also has some distinctly indie tones, oodles of hip-hop (her collaboration with Big Boi on Tightrope being a particular moment of genius) but there are also of rock, dance, jazz, funk, indeed pretty much any genre you can think of is here at some point.

Which you might think would lead to a disjointed, or at least rather difficult album, but instead it’s a delight to listen to because each track has an unabashed pop sensibility. It reminds me a lot of Michael Jackson’s albums at their peak for the way Monáe picks and chooses from a huge range of music’s history and yet ends up with something eminently listenable.

Anyone who can create this, as a debut album, at 25, is going to be one to watch for the future. In the meantime, there’s enough in this album to keep me intrigued and listening for a couple of years.

Spotify Link