You’re So Inspired, You Touch My Wires

Janelle Monáe “Wondaland”

Janelle Monáe is incredibly ambitious and gleefully eccentric, but her talent is much deeper than just coming up with a fabulous shtick. The ArchAndroid is eclectic to the point of being a bit show-offy, but the material is consistently great no matter how far she gets from what would seem to be her comfort zone of zippy space-age R&B. Think of it this way — it’s like Andre 3000’s The Love Below in terms of stylistic reach and vision, but without any of the dud tracks that cluttered up that album. It’s also surprising how little you need to invest in her sci-fi concepts to plug into her larger themes, or simply enjoy her tunes. “Wondaland”, a highlight from the album’s second half, is part of an ongoing storyline involving androids and super powers, but that’s really just something that adds to the essential thrill of its shimmering melodies and floating grooves. Monáe has style for miles and miles, but it’s not wasted on gorgeous moments such as the middle eight of this song, which is astounding enough to totally transcend narrative or affectation.

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