My 100 Favourite Albums of 2010
#5 Janelle Monaé - Suites II and III: The Archandroid
I admit that I was really skeptical of Monaé at first - the whole idea of an r’n’b concept album based on Metropolis seemed to be pretty questionable in my mind, and her initial EP didn’t really do much to dissuade this notion. My natural aversion to anything musical theatre-ish kicked in big time when listening to this woman.
Thankfully, however, this album has completely changed my opinion of her. Yes, she’s still a bit arch and overdramatic for my tastes, but she’s managed to compile a really clever, catchy, and original set of songs. The clear highlight for me is the twin-punch of ‘Cold War’ and ‘Tightrope’, but the entire album is remarkably consistent, in spite of its length.
