Janelle Monáe

Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Bad Boy)

By Eavvon O'Neal
Published: August 13th, 2008 | 9:00am

News of Janelle Monáe has been flying in from all mediums and musical authorities, vouching for her genius and music ingenuity. With Metropolis: The Chase Suite finally in front of us, redone and altered in key places from the independent release, the treasury note is now to be cashed in for its backed gold, silver, or “guaranteed” value. And to its credit (the album, not the guarantee), it’s worth its word.

The EP, in every aspect, is progressively orchestral. And the claims that there are Outkast-ian elements cloaked in outer-universe George Clinton, circa Computer Games, are justified in the brief, yet fully realized moments found within “Many Moons” (which opens with a Pointer Sisters’ reference that slaps you with warm, but somehow mechanically calculated execution). This tone is then enforced with “Cybertronic Purgatory,” and further backed with the single “Violet Stars Happy Hunting!”

One of the best executions of Monáe’s musical ability is her tactical movement. On “Sincerely, Jane,” she provides a finished project that shelters an easily transformable spawn. Within the track lies a beautifully developed opera ballad, complete with a dance break tucked into its chorus. The possibilities provided in her arrangement allot the track space to morph and grow while nodding at DJs to try their hand.

While “Mr. President,” vocally conjures up the throaty, lifted sound of Beyoncé, the song screams Lauren Hill’s criticisms — with less of the crazy. It’d be easy to dismiss it as too blatant a devotion to political advocacy, but if Lil’ Wanye can pontificate on “Misunderstood” and make up random words, we should welcome such refreshing attempts from Monáe. “Smile” closes out this introduction, this first aspiration of greatness, with all ingredients; it’s really a spectacular offering: direct, motivational lyrics, bound with gospel sensibilities offer a wink toward all of Monáe’s work, and toward the reaction she hopes to create with this EP. Chances are, Metropolis: The Chase Suite will receive the reaction it seeks.

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