On The ArchAndroid, the real story ... is her arrival as an uncontainable new talent.
It may not seem restrained, but trust when I say that nothing less than a dissertation or thesis will suffice for such a mind-bogglingly massive album.
The ArchAndroid is ... a career-defining performance and is deserving of all the accolades it and Cindy Mayweather’s hyper-creative brainchild are sure to receive.
One can but marvel at the impressive range, ambition (realised) and detail of this deeply polished, professional yet utterly, brilliantly bonkers album. An album destined, surely, to take its place among the classics of its age.
Suite II boasts a range of moods and musical styles that could be released on its own. Suite III, while maintaining the quality of the other Suites, wouldn’t be my choice for a standalone release—largely because it’s really strange.
For a first album, The ArchAndroid is astoundingly accomplished.
She is what we say we want. The ArchAndroid is not my favorite album of the year so far, but it is undoubtedly the best.
Where many concept albums run a high risk of being pompous, cryptic, and self-important, Monáe keeps things playful, lively, and accessible.
She's turned out a landmark debut that contains a full LP's worth of excellent songs and almost no bad ones, and she's done it entirely on her own highly idiosyncratic terms. And where her ambition just barely gets the better of her abilities, she puts on such a relentlessly entertaining show that you can certainly understand why she thought she could pull the whole thing off.
Her major label debut is blowing minds the way Outkast once could, with a musical creativity that can’t be denied.
ArchAndroid is nothing short of stunning, and should serve as an example to those stuck exploring exhausted archetypes.
The ArchAngel [sic] succeeds at being an album of strong songs that incorporate the theme, providing a satisfying whole without struggling to wring songs from its story.
In spite of the album’s potential obesity at 18 tracks of wildly different musical ideas, the three keep the weight off by welcoming coherence and by evenly spreading out their interests.
Her full-length debut ... is so ambitious, so freighted with sounds and ideas and allusions, it threatens at times to sink under its own weight.
🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤
Monáe, Monáe... where have you been all my life?
"The ArchAndroid", is the kind of record that puts the American singer about a million steps ahead of her competition. You can argue that... as far as contemporaries go, by far she has the superior level of artistry under her belt. And when it comes to her discussions of political and social drawbacks, her approach has turned out to be far more prevalent and descriptive compared to the rest... she ... read more
The ArchAndroid is an album I can safely say should be put in cinemas.
I have not listened to much of Janelle Monae's music, and I've been meaning to. I really like Django Jane, but that was the last thing I was expecting stepping into this album. Based on the cover art alone, I knew I'd be in for something of a cinematic quality. I've heard this twice now, and both times I came to the same conclusion, that this is easily one of the most cinematic and intricately made albums I've ever heard. ... read more
Little special 300 Follower Review! (sorry very late lol)
Firstly, I want to thank all for being such an awesome community, Music has become such a massive part of my life over the past 3 years as I deal with my rapidly changing life and reclaim the time and person I lost during my childhood. Sharing thoughts and discovering new music with you all is an absolute pleasure!
Ok. The ArchAndroid. Where do I begin? This is beyond a concept album. Whatever comes after a concept album this is it. ... read more
Uma viagem além de charts e fama.
Uma dor não ter descoberto esse álbum antes, as transições de faixa que são sutis e difíceis de perceber quando é uma ou outra. Além dos arranjos, tendo em vista o álbum de estreia, e os ritmos abordados, tudo para fornecer uma experiencia diferente, complexa e imersiva.
Ter feito essa viagem com os fones de ouvido dão uma dimensão ainda melhor de tudo que a música de ... read more
1 | Suite II Overture 2:31 | 87 |
2 | Dance or Die 3:12 feat. Saul Williams | 93 |
3 | Faster 3:19 | 92 |
4 | Locked Inside 4:16 | 93 |
5 | Sir Greendown 2:14 | 87 |
6 | Cold War 3:23 | 94 |
7 | Tightrope 4:22 feat. Big Boi | 95 |
8 | Neon Gumbo 1:37 | 78 |
9 | Oh, Maker 3:46 | 91 |
10 | Come Alive (War of the Roses) 3:21 | 89 |
11 | Mushrooms & Roses 5:41 | 86 |
12 | Suite III Overture 1:41 | 88 |
13 | Neon Valley Street 4:11 | 90 |
14 | Make the Bus 3:18 feat. of Montreal | 80 |
15 | Wondaland 3:36 | 88 |
16 | 57821 3:16 feat. Deep Cotton | 89 |
17 | Say You'll Go 6:00 | 89 |
18 | Babopbye Ya 8:47 | 94 |
#1 | / | PopMatters |
#1 | / | The Guardian |
#2 | / | Paste |
#3 | / | musicOMH |
#3 | / | Slant |
#3 | / | Treble |
#5 | / | NOW Magazine |
#5 | / | Rhapsody SoundBoard |
#5 | / | Under the Radar |
#5 | / | Vibe |