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I have dedicated a fair amount of my time to find Janelle Monae’s other projects ever since I discovered her Tightrope song on a Skip detergent advert in high school. On my quest, I stumbled upon Dirty Computer, her third studio album that includes pop, R&B, electropop and funk genres to name a few.
The fourteen-track album is a visual masterpiece that features aspects of Afrofuturism and representations of femininity. Ideally, the album is what modern women need to hear as it covers subjects of authenticity, self-discovery and empowerment. It breaks media barriers of what is acceptable or appropriate in mainstream media. In one music video, PYNK, the women are wearing vagina pants.
One of its singles Django Jane has been a personal favorite and an inspiration to my blog ‘Let the Vagina Have a Monologue”. The album delivered in every way except one, melodies. Listening to it felt like a chore I constantly needed a break from. Dirty Computer received critical acclaim and has done well commercially, so maybe my displeasure is misplaced but I will say this: she could have done better!
Firstly, the songs sound like movie soundtracks of the movies you’d find her in, Hidden Figures and the like. She does a commendable job fighting against the struggles of the most marginalized species which reflects in her movies and music. But must I also struggle listening her songs?
Secondly, the album is for women. Janelle has been quoted saying it is a “homage to women and sexual identities” but the making of it was crowded by male writers and producers. Why is Prince influencing your album when Etta James and Chimamande Ngozi Adichie can?
Dirty computer is a representation of a visually and lyrically appealing piece of art but it is not the album you get out of your way to find; you stumble upon on it like I did. Multiple plays might get you to like the album but if one spent their whole lives without listening to it, I would not hold it against them.
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