“Janelle Monae took more than a few cues from James Brown, but in logical conclusions rather than in carbon copy. There are definite nods to Grace Jones as well, which is no bad place to be. But aside from the established soul group name-dropping, this is great original soul music with an impressive aesthetic attached to it.” – Ryan Stark, Berkeley

This amazingly talented young soul princess has a captivating voice and writes super-catchy pop jams, but on top of that has a wondrously weird futuristic aesthetic that she's transmitted to her entire band of Afro-cyborg kids, as seen in the jaw-dropping new video for her hit "Tightrope." That song is a masterful fusion of '60s Motown and the best moments of Outkast (well, every moment of Outkast is best, but I was thinking of "Hey Ya" and "Bombs Over Baghdad"). But the ArchAndroid doesn't stop there, tackling Pink Floyd-esque prog and peppy indie-rock as well! Ms. Monae has grand ambitions, a literate mind and oodles of charm, and unlike the Lady Gagas of the world, can rock the party without stripping down to a g-string. Smart, fearless feminist pop from a lady who's ready to conquer the world and the future!