This week I've been listening to Janelle Monáe's first unofficial studio album which she self distributed.

I know she received some popularity lately with fun. but her solo work is a million times more interesting then her feature in that song.

I've always admired her work since I first discovered her in 2008. I loved how she creates this other world and develops it so fully with her own sound and image. I respect her creativity a lot and it is inspiring how she used her imagination and made so much out of it. Compared to other artistes, her works are so tight conceptually it really designs an experience for her audience.

I chose this song to feature as it showed the creation of her fantasy world, Metropolis, that she still continues to build on today. She sings as her alter-ego, Cindi Mayweather, an android who has fallen in love with a human Anthony Greendown. What is interesting is that she uses 'androids' as a metaphor for the 'others' in society, and as such comments on societal problems like alienation and discrimination.

Musically, I really like how it uses the accordion (I think?) and still makes it futuristic through it's rhythmic suspensions, making it feel like I'm floating through space. The song is really soothing and dream like where the futuristic elements blend in perfectly with the more traditional jazz elements. The spoken part in the songs further dramatizes the song, and her delivery really makes it feel like you are watching a movie. Her album is without a doubt a musical experience that is so unique, almost cinematic, and hard to define that she describes the genre as 'Classical Wondafunk'. The album is very fascinating so go check it out! It is available for free download.