[Review] Janelle Monae Comes Out... With Two New BOPS!!!!

Post by: Montrez Rambo

I wanna start this off by stating that I know there hasn't been a lot of... 'diversity' with the past few posts. Things will change.

Now Janelle Monae, you have outdone yourself! Two new singles- Make Me Feel and Django Jane- and both are bops! Wonderful lyrics, good vocals/flow and pretty interesting productions. However, what I love most though is the visuals she gave in each. They were wildly different from previous visuals and I'm here for it!

[Watch] Jennifer Hudson, Janelle Monae, Erykah Badu and Tori Kelly Tribute Prince @ BET Awards 2016

Totally forgot about Erykah when making the image...mybad

After the hastily put together Madonna Prince tribute at the Billboard Awards was savaged by critics and fans alike, BET sent out this shady message. With guns so publicly drawn, the BET Awards 2016 had to deliver. So who'd they call on to help bring their rebuttal tribute to life? Jennifer Hudson, Janelle Monae, Tori Kelly and Erykah Badu that's who! There were also some dudes about, too....

[Music Video] Janelle Monae and Jidenna - "Yoga"

Janelle Monae and Jidenna's collaboration Yoga has just had its video released!

[Potential Panic!!!] Janelle Monae Changes Lanes with "Yoga"

In a move that is sure to alienate fans of the Diva who consider themselves more on the cerebral side, Janelle Monae has apparently turned to the dark side with the first song from her new EP, Eephus.

Yoga isn't expressly explicit in its content, but it doesn't make it too hard to figure out something more racy is going on than the title suggests. With lines such as "baby, bend over", and the obligatory mention of  *shock horror* booty in the chorus, this sunny track, on paper, sounds like someone taking aim at the top-40.  But of course, this is still Janelle we're talking about, so there's no laziness in her suggestiveness or the track's production.

Just give it a try. You might like it. I sure did!

[Music Video] Janelle [Music Video] Janelle Monae - ‘Electric Lady’

Janelle Monae continues to bring me mountain air with her output. Freshness unfettered.

Newest video, for album title track Electric Lady, finds the Diva more chilled than seen in previous videos; enjoying the delights of a house party with her cool crew. (I'm in the background somewhere, don't let no one tell you any different!) It's just good vibes all round.

[Vocal Profile] Janelle Monae

Vocal Type: Light-lyric soprano
Vocal Range: 3 Octaves, 7 Notes And 1 Semitone C#3-C7
Whistle Register: Yes
Vocal Pluses: Elastic, bright and feminine voice that is full of frenetic energy- particularly when the Diva belts [Tightrope]. Her anounication is clear and distinct throughout the range and this, in combination with not being one for floral or lengthy melisma, mean her lyrics remain consistently discernible. Having a background in theater also bolsters the Divas ability to effectively emote.

Midrange is of mid-weight, darkish and carries the character of the rest of her range. It connects to the lower-range, which is supported and without the huskiness/fogginess that some have when pushing their voices to their lower extremes [ Mr President]. The upper part of the mid-range is warm and rounded with an undeniable sweetness to it [Locked Inside].

Excellent understanding of her voice means she can manipulate her belting range exceptionally. For the most part her belt is head-voice dominant, thus it is smooth and without texture. She can however alter the balance of her mix, giving her a palette of varied tones to play with. An extreme example of this control is showcased in Come Alive (The War of the Roses) where she imitates an electric guitar.

The Diva moves effortlessly into her head-voice, where she shows great control. She is capable of singing with an operatic tone, which is full and measured [ Cybertronic Purgatory ] but can make her upper-range more contemporary, being light and agile [ Harmonies in Many Moons].


Vocal Negatives: Her vocal styling can be quite wild and eccentric, and not to the taste of everyone

[Watch] Ariana Grande Covers Whitney Houston's "I Have Nothing" @ "Women of Soul" Concert

Perhaps keen to move away from the Mariah Carey comparisons, Ariana Grande has now taken to covering Whitney Houston's material in her setlist. For her part in the Women of Soul concert, held at the White House, the Diva did her best to recreate Whitney's classic, I Have Nothing. But how did she fair? Take a look below!

The cover was good, but Arina's voice doesn't have the weight or gravitas that Whitney's legendary voice had. As such, the voice sounded to be struggling in parts, especially with its dynamics and a consistent tone, with the Diva trying too hard to mimic the original vocal. I was also surprised to hear quite a bit of tension in the voice- which is something I can't say I've noticed in Arina'a voice before.

The vocals improved greatly when it came to singing her own material, which consisted of a stripped back version of Tattooed Heart. However, her part in the closing ensemble- which featured Patti Labelle, Janelle Monáe, Jill Scott, Tessanne Chin and Melissa Etheridge- had the Diva coming in WAY too high, thus sounding like she didn't know the melody!! Either that or I've heard a different version of Proud Mary.

Still, I enjoyed watching this little video- especially since it was for a good cause.

Janelle Monae Tributes The Jackson 5 @ BET Honors

Honoring the Jackson 5 at the 2014 BET Honors was everyone's favorite Electric Lady: Janelle Monae!

The monochromatic-loving Diva managed to nicely capture the essence of the young Jacko's voice while covering Want You Back and ABC. But she wasn't just content singing! Janelle also rocked the choreography, putting on an energetic and exuberant show for the distinguished crowd.

Side note: has anyone seen Janelle Monae and Bruno Mars together at the same time. The more I see of the pair, the more I'm convinced they're the same person. Anyone who disagrees is clearly in on the ruse- so don't even try it!

[Spam Post] Live Performances From Black Girls Rock, The EMAs and The X-Factor

There has been a whole host of live events that I haven't managed to cover on the blog- most notably Black Girls Rock and the European Music Awards. I did consider just letting the events float by, undocumented, but decided you guys deserve more! So here goes!

[Watch] Janelle Monáe Performs "Electric Lady" @ SNL

Janelle Monáe is one talented firecracker of a Diva. Enjoying (much deserved) critical acclaim with album number three, The Electric Lady, the singer took to Saturday Night Live to give the audience a taster of the LP's title track, where she not only impressed with her elastic pipes, but also her skills as a rapper. (Seriously, I would buy an album of her just spitting bars.)

The monochromatic wonder also performed Dance Apocalyptic, where she apparently knocked over her microphone (but recovered like a boss). However I can't find that clip on video sites, and NBC player won't let me watch it from my country! DARN YOU!  I'm sure it'll pop up at some point. I'll amend the post when that happens!

Enjoy!