Been waiting too long for another full-length intergalactic odyssey from Janelle Monae? Well, the wait to take another ride on her new genre-spanning musical whirligig is almost over. Since her 2010 album The ArchAndroid, Janelle has done a lot of touring, opening for the likes of Of Montreal and Prince, and serving as a guest on a slew of tracks (for Estelle, fun., and Big Boi to name just a few), but until the Erykah Badu-guesting single “Q.U.E.E.N.” that came out back in April, we’d all been without any truly original Monae for a long, long time.
Thankfully, Monae’s new album The Electric Lady will be released September 10 on Atlantic Records, and in anticipation of the album, a second single has been released. Titled “Dance Apocalyptic,” it’s a lot less funky that the riffy “Q.U.E.E.N.,” but that’s not too surprising considering Monae rarely frequents the same sonic galaxy from track to track. Instead, “Apocalyptic” is a jaunty summer jam meant to get you dancing on the tips of your toe, though the lyrics and the outro hint at a darker tone for Janelle’s new concept of The Electric Lady.
Based on this video where Janelle talks about the inspiration for the new album, Monae definitely wants to explore her political and philosophical ponderings through the lens of her increased stardom. With her past success at myth-building and world-creating, this slow roll-out leading up to the new album makes me excited to see what we end up with come fall. Should have something new to dance to if nothing else!
• Janelle Monae: http://www.jmonae.com
• Atlantic: http://atlanticrecords.com
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