You can't fault Janelle Monae for having ambition. At 27, she's already clocked up three albums and shows no signs of stopping. If anything, her boundless creativity seems to shine through in everything she turns her hand to, whether it's the artwork for her albums or her live performances. Either way, she's determined to do something different.
The Electric Lady follows on from her previous album with her alter-ego, Cindi Mayweather, and her continuing adventures in the far-off future of 2197. Yeah, really. Even though concept albums – even the idea of albums – are fast becoming a thing of the past, Monae is determined to keep to the format and push it forward. There hasn't been a real concept album in R'n'B since Stevie Wonder's Secret Life of Plants and that was over thirty years ago.
The first half of the album leads with her collaboration with Prince, Givin 'Em What They Love, followed hotly by her other collaboration with Erykah Badu, Q.U.E.E.N. In fact, it's front-loaded with her collaborations as the first four songs have featuring artists. Fast-paced and undeniably radio-friendly, the title track Electric Lady, with Solange Knowles adding her unique voice to the track, stands out as the best song of the album's first half, followed closely by Primetime. Her influences on this section of the album are pretty obvious from the outset – James Brown, Prince, pop-punk and more.
The second half – and it's clearly marked in both the liner notes and in the songs themselves – departs from the uptempo feel that came before. Songs like It's Code, Can't Live Without Your Love and Victory sound more mature, delicate and intense than anything she's done before. Victory, in particular, sounds like it could have been written by Lauryn Hill. Likewise, Dorothy Dandridge Eyes could be passed off as an obscure Stevie Wonder cover. It's hard to know if this marks a shift in her output going forward as she's stated many times that her albums are one, continuous experience.
If there's a complaint to be made, it's that her sound isn't exactly new. Yet, the songs are so polished and enjoyable that it doesn't matter if it sounds like something you've heard before. The feel and influences may be easily identified, sure, but Janelle's stamp is very much apparent throughout.
Overall, The Electric Lady is infectious, achingly cool and can be enjoyed in either in a nightclub or with the headphones on. Easily Janelle Monae's strongest album to date.
Star Rating: Four out of Five