As a member of our procurement department, Grady Tyree has the chance to taste everything that passes into our library. This year, he features Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer was as the best of 2018! Check out his review!
Relevant. On-topic. Powerful. Liberating. Sexy. Funky. These are all adjectives that can be attached to the newest album from the multi-talented songstress, Janelle Monae. Her album, Dirty Computer, is another brilliant conceptual piece of musical resistance. Monae began working on Dirty Computer back in 2016, but features in two Hollywood releases (Hidden Figures and Moonlight), as well as the untimely death of her collaborator, Prince, delayed the completion until 2018.
“Make Me Feel” and “Django Jane” were the first cuts released from the album, both hitting digital queues and earphones two months prior to the album release, and the singles were perfect snapshots of how the album was going to sound. “Make Me Feel” was upbeat, fun, funky and free-feeling, while “Django Jane” was more urban, direct and powerful, dropping the playful vibe of previous songs to be serious for 3:10, speaking to the power of women and especially women of color.
If you want sexy, put the needle down on “Pynk” and “I Got The Juice”. Both tracks feature guest appearances from Grimes and Pharrell Williams, and both will hit the mark! Her latest single, “I Like That”, was the fourth single from Dirty Computer, recently reaching #1 on the Adult R&B Songs Chart – a first for the Kansas City native! All said, Dirty Computer is an amazing musical journey to embark on. From start to finish, it’s a complete story and one that blurs the boundaries between funk/soul/R&B/jazz/hip-hop and rock. Don’t miss this!
Artist: Janelle Monae
Track: Make Me Feel
Album: Dirty Computer
Twitter: @JanelleMonae
