You can have your Drake and Bun B albums. ArchAndroid is by far the best album to come out in 2010 and one of the best projects I’ve heard in years. “Cold War” is one of the gems on the LP: the song is schizophrenic, not just for the seemingly helter skelter beat, but for the way the poppy instrumental and Janelle’s vibrant delivery betray the solemn nature of her lyrics.
The song, as the name implies, is about duality; a cold war of inner strife (“being alone’s the only place to be”) that can be buried under smiles, electric guitars and up-tempo drum patterns. In the middle of the song, Monáe even yells out “Calinda,” a hat-tip to the double meanings of her music. Calinda is a Caribbean martial art that has also been mostly seen as a dance during Carnival – both frivolity and violence wrapped in one package. I’ve always known “Colinda” as the subject of old Congo Square songs from New Orleans where lyrics, shrouded in code, are used to entice women to perform a bevy of freaky acts. The ostensibly playful lyrics are used to cover up the fact that the woman is essentially objectified by the singers.
The ArchAndroid is full of coded lyrics, hidden meanings and cross-cultural influences, so you better believe Monáe had these references in mind when she yelled out “Calinda”.
The video carries on the idea of dual meanings and emotional strife. The video is a one-take, single-shot that breaks the fourth wall by having Monáe show that she is trying to cry before her tear falls. She laughs, jumps up and down and even mouths “I can’t cry” before transforming back into the performer, letting a single tear drop down her cheek. Though the audience knows it’s coming, we still can’t help but be drawn by the emotions of the last few seconds.
Beyond that, Monáe has a captivating beauty that’s impossible not to stare at. So if you want, ignore all that other stuff and just look at her face. That’s pretty awesome, too.
Where’s the video?
And yeah, The ArchAndroid is just…wow. Why no rating?
Am I the only one that thinks Janelle Monae can get it all day on Broadway?
Kellindo is actually the name of Ms. Monae’s guitarist. She screams it right before he drops his ill ass guitar solo.
I agree about this album being 2010′s best. The way its going I only see KanYe competing.
Now ony if she started rapping….
But nonetheless, she is very talented.
One of the best albums of 2010. the last one ” Metropolis” was dope as well. I’m still a little skeptical of her doing business with diddy though seeing as he’s like a male version of Rogue from the X-men.
And yeah…she’s qualified to get the peen.
The question is whether she’ll accept it or not
@thecool11o3,
she sorta kind of raps on the tighrope remix [www.youtube.com]
kind of.
“You can have your Drake and Bun B albums. ArchAndroid is by far the best album to come out in 2010 and one of the best projects I’ve heard in years.”
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co-sign…to the fullest extent!
The question is whether she’ll accept it or not
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of course she would….I’m Tiddimilk.
Black Canseco
AUGUST 4, ’10 AT 1:05 AM
We brought Nicki Minaj upon ourselves.
that is all.
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Takin’ it all the way back to the last Nicki Minaj post and what BC was saying…. what would happen if she DID start rapping to the full extent…
I’d think she would really give Minaj a run for her young money.
shit is whack playa….. sounds liek a commercial for summers eve
“I’m still a little skeptical of her doing business with diddy though seeing as he’s like a male version of Rogue from the X-men.”
Ha ha! Word.
she is other worldly talented.
THITHI IS A COLD ASS ALBUM I GOING TO BUY IT AGIAN FOR THE FUCK OF IT SUPPORT MY GAL MS MONET. DUECES
i could’ve sworn she yelled, “kellindo!”, in reference to her guitarist; nonetheless, she is a beautiful & talented woman. and the archandroid is a instant classic.
Umm…I mean no disrespect but whoever wrote this doesn’t seem to know what they are talking about. “Kellindo” (the name she yells) is her lead guitarist. And when she starts to cry it’s because she was moved by the lyrics. “I was made to believe there’s something wrong with me.” She was clear trying to hold back her tears before she just let loose and felt that shit. I don’t think it was the original intent of the director to just do one take ut as we can see it was a bomb ass take. But this is all just from watching the video 50 times. LOL. I don’t KNOW anymore than the next man but I think this was unintentional art; nevertheless it was beautiful. I digress.