Janelle Monae

She’s been called ‘ a different kind of dive’ by Vogue Magazine and ‘ a true visionary … one of the most important signings of my career’ by Sean ‘Diddy combs. For singer, songwriter, and high funkstress Janelle Monáe, however the impetus remains the same as it’s been since before her Grammy-nomitaed debut EP ‘Metropolis, Suite 1: The Chase’ captured the imaginations of fans and fellow artists. The focus of her debut full length LP, ‘The ArchAndroid’ remains on stirring your soul, moving your feet and simply creating good music.

The ArchAndroid is a soaring, orchestral trip enlivened with blockbuster vocals, mysterious imagery, and notes of 60s pop and jazz. “It’s an organic symphonic sound,” says Monáe, who enlisted the talents of the Wondaland ArchOchestra to realize her sound. Elaborate orchestral arrangements were composed and conducted by Nate “Rocket” Wonder and Roman GianArthur for Wondaland Productions. Featured guests include the legendary Big Boi of OutKast, renowned poet Saul Williams, the psychedelic dance-punk troupe Of Montreal and punk prophets Deep Cotton.

The album realizes the next chapter in the story of Cindi Mayweather, the heroine of Monáe’s debut EP Metropolis. She has been sent to free the citizens of Metropolis from the Great Divide, a secret society using time travel to suppress freedom and love throughout the ages. “It’s said that when the ArchAndroid returns, it will mean freedom for the android community,” explains Monáe. “Cindi Mayweather realizes that she is indeed the ArchAndroid.”

The journey of the past two years, she says, has taught her to “embrace the things that make me unique and to continue being an even bigger agent of change, especially as an artist.” Her hope is that listeners, inspired by the album, “embrace their own superpowers and become the voice of change, the hero—or The ArchAndroid—in their own communities.”