Janelle Monáe is a talented black artist and actress. Born on December 1, 1985, in Kansas City, Kansas. She moved to New York City to attend the American Musical and Dramatic Academy. She started her musical career in 2007 with her debut album, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase). She has since released several other albums, including The ArchAndroid and Dirty Computer. In addition to her music career, she has also acted in several films and TV shows. She has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards and has won several other awards for her music and acting.
Janelle Monáe has made a name for herself in the industry and is a strong supporter of women uplifting themselves in this world and also a great influence on the black culture and community. Last year, she starred in the movie Glass Onion, the sequel to Knives Out film and her performance was epic.
This year, she released her fourth studio album on the 9th of June titled: The Age of Pleasure.
The Age of Pleasure is a 14-track album that blends Afrobeats and disco music to create a joyful listening experience. The album celebrates the pursuit of pure happiness and unbridled joy. Janelle Monáe is a huge fan of Afrobeats, and this time around, she had to incorporate it in her latest album, and it sounded so unique and special. The album got some great Afrobeat features like Ckay (Nigerian artist), Amaarae (Ghanaian American singer), and Femi Kuti & Egypt 80 (Nigerian singer & band).
This is a huge accomplishment for Ckay, born on August 12, 1997, in Kaduna, Nigeria. Ckay started his music career as a producer, working with several Nigerian artists, including Dice Ailes and M.I Abaga. He released his debut single, “Nkechi Turn Up,” in 2016, which was followed by other popular singles like “Gaddemit” and “Container.” In 2017, he released his first EP Who the F*** is CKay? and has since released several other EPs. He has been nominated for several awards, including The Headies Awards and the Soundcity MVP Awards.
He rose to higher prominence with his song “Love Nwantiti,” released in 2019. The song features Joeboy and Kuami Eugene and has become one of CKay’s most popular songs. It is a romantic song that blends Afrobeats and R&B music. “Love Nwantiti” became CKay’s breakout hit and has broken several records. The song has been streamed over 50 million times on YouTube and has been remixed by several other artists. In 2020, the song became the most-Shazamed song in Nigeria and was also listed as one of the top 10 Nigerian songs of the year by several music publications. On 29 March 2022, the song debuted at number one, following the launch of the Billboard Afrobeats chart. On 9 May 2022, it became the first-ever African song to surpass one billion streams on Spotify and has since been deemed “the biggest hit in African history”.
Amaarae is a talented Ghanaian-American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She was born in New York City and raised in Accra, Ghana. She is known for her unique blend of alternative R&B, Pop, and Afrobeats music. She has released several singles and an EP titled Passionfruit Summers.
And lastly, Seun Kuti is a Nigerian musician and the youngest son of the legendary Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. Seun Kuti has continued his father’s legacy of using music as a form of social and political commentary. He is the lead singer of the band Egypt 80, which was originally formed by his father in the 1970s. Egypt 80 is known for its energetic live performances and fusion of Afrobeat, jazz, and funk music.
The Age of Pleasure is a love letter to the pan-African diaspora. The album incorporates Afrobeats and it can be seen that Afrobeats is now fully on the map with other genres. This is a new welcome party for Afrobeats as a genre; which is a fusion of African rhythms and melodies with Western pop music, hip-hop, and electronic dance music. The peak of Afrobeats had long begun since the time of Burna Boy, Wizkid, Davido, and Tiwa Savage. Afrobeats was also part of the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever album and thanks to Tems who has now brought so much attention to the genre. This is for the culture and now it is a sound that everyone listens to and vibes to continuously.
Janelle Monáe is a huge fan of Afrobeats and she is a strong black woman who supports each black person and their community. She has given rise to what Afrobeats truly means in her album and according to her in an interview with Apple Music:
My friends have gotten an opportunity to see a different side of me that nobody gets to see, and this album, this moment that I’m having, I’m allowing myself to show that version of Janelle that friends get to see all the time, I want to own all of me and be all of me.
Janelle is going on tour on July 6 and most likely the Afrobeats stars featured on her album will perform with her. The world will get to hear it and it might probably be nominated due to the fusion of Afrobeats in it and what the album stands for.
Notwithstanding, Janelle Monáe outdid herself in making this album. Other features included: Grace Jones, Nia Long, Doechii, and Sister Nancy. It took Janelle Monáe five years to get back to the game, and she gave the black community and her fans something to enjoy.
The track-by-track description of the Age of Pleasure album by Janelle Monáe.
1. “Float” – pop rap/contemporary R&B opener produced by Nate “Rocket Wonder with elements of both trap & dub music celebrating liberation & confidence
2. “Champagne Shit” – a triumphant track about moving your hips
3. “Black Sugar Beach” – dancehall interlude
4. “Phenomenal” (feat. Doechii) – switches gears into Afrobeats turf as they discuss feeling exceptional
5. “Haute” – talks about looking pretty & sexy over some horns
6. “Oooh La La” (feat. Grace Jones) – French spoken word interlude
7. “Lipstick Lover” – fuses pop reggae & contemporary R&B with some lover’s rock & dancehall undertones admitting that she likes lipstick on her neck
8. “The Rush” (feat. Amaarae) – takes a more atmospheric route with the instrumental talking about their types wanting to feel their legs against their thighs
9. “Water Slide” – catchily groovy ballad saying it’s time for her to backstroke
10. “French 75” – interlude
11. “Know Better” (feat. CKay) – brings back the Afrobeats, discussing that no one does it better than them
12. “Paid in Pleasure” – returns to a pop-reggae sound talking about keeping it coming if you pay her in happiness
13. “Only Have 42 Eyes” – embraces the lover’s rock completely and tackles the fact that she only has eyes for 2
14. “A Dry End” – ends the album with a 2-minute stripped-back acoustic joint telling her significant other to whine for her.
It is great that the artist is exploring new sounds and styles in The Age of Pleasure. While it may not be as strong as some of her previous work, I still appreciate the change of pace and the way she incorporates elements of Afrobeats, Pop Reggae, Dancehall, Pop Rap, and Lover’s Rock into her music. It’s also interesting to see her adopt an Afrofuturist persona and embrace her newfound sense of liberation.
When I got into the music industry, I wasn’t focused on being the most famous artist or even getting a major record deal. It was just to make music on my own terms or create my own image, do my own hair, do my own makeup.
Janelle Monáe, in a 2013 interview with NPR
It’s a great album and has a score of 7.5. It’s on all music streaming platforms and her tour is coming up soon!
