The ArchAndroid
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CRITIC REVIEWS
100
Monáe might not have much appeal beyond musical theater geeks, sci-fi nerds, and those who like their genres crossed-up, but no one can deny that very few are on her creative level.
11y
100
Behold, pop music has found its latest superstar.
100
It's a debut that goes against the grain and is all the better for it.
100
It's a breathtaking blizzard of creative imagination.
100
The biggest question of all after this supernova, jawdropping experience is where the hell Monae goes from here.
91
Monáe may be an alien or an android, but if this is just the beginning, she may wind up a legend.
11y
91
Monáe’s inexhaustible swagger and singular style sell both the high-concept theatrics and the schizophrenic sonics.
11y
91
On The ArchAndroid, the real story ... is her arrival as an uncontainable new talent.
90
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.
11y
90
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.
11y
90
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.
11y
90
Monáe can really sing; she could follow in Beyoncé’s designer pumps if she wanted, but she’s clearing a new path for black female entertainers.
11y
90
For a first album, The ArchAndroid is astoundingly accomplished.
11y
90
As it stands, this is the pop album of the year, and it's tough to see how anything is going to beat it.
90
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.
89
Monáe may be one of the fresh artists to help redefine pop music in the new decade. And even if she doesn’t – even if this album doesn’t sell much and she never quite breaks into the mainstream – at least she’s walking the tightrope and doing her own thing on her own terms.
85
Where many concept albums run a high risk of being pompous, cryptic, and self-important, Monáe keeps things playful, lively, and accessible.
11y
80
Her ambition is flabbergasting, let alone that she executes it with bundles of fun and a fizzing personality.
11y
80
ArchAndroid is nothing short of stunning, and should serve as an example to those stuck exploring exhausted archetypes.
80
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.
80
There is a masterpiece here, but it’ll take a little skipping to find it.
80
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.
80
“The ArchAndroid” could be the stuff of stage or screen, 3-D without the annoying glasses.
80
Her major label debut is blowing minds the way Outkast once could, with a musical creativity that can’t be denied.
80
All animae references aside, this thing is great for dozens of reasons: immediate, conceptual, varied, and engaging.
80
Impeccable inspirations brought together by an extraordinary new talent.
70
Monáe is able to accomplish something rarely seen in pop music: an epic album that stretches across multiple genres while still holding the majority of the listener’s attention with catchy hooks and beats.
11y
70
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.
Em uma estreia magnífica, Janelle Monáe é apresentada ao mundo da maneira mais impressionante e criativa o possível - através do suprassumo artístico chamado: 'The ArchAndroid (Suítes II and III)', no qual é basicamente a segunda e terceira parte de um conceito criado com base na histórica obra cinematográfica 'Metropolis' de 1927 - que na versão de Monáe, narra os passos de Cindi Mayweather, uma android ... read more
🎤🎤🎤🎤🎤
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
This is an epic. Spanning this vast world through some funk, RnB and jazz is such a great experience. One of my favorite albums of all time and will forever return to it.
For me, the only reason keeping this album from a higher score is the length. 15 minutes shorter could've been enough. Still, there are some great songs on here.
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Track List
| 1 | Suite II Overture 2:31 | 88 |
| 2 | Dance or Die 3:12 feat. Saul Williams | 89 |
| 3 | Faster 3:19 | 86 |
| 4 | Locked Inside 4:16 | 93 |
| 5 | Sir Greendown 2:14 | 87 |
| 6 | Cold War 3:23 | 88 |
| 7 | Tightrope 4:22 feat. Big Boi | 96 |
| 8 | Neon Gumbo 1:37 | 73 |
| 9 | Oh, Maker 3:46 | 92 |
| 10 | Come Alive (War of the Roses) 3:21 | 92 |
| 11 | Mushrooms & Roses 5:41 | 87 |
| 12 | Suite III Overture 1:41 | 87 |
| 13 | Neon Valley Street 4:11 | 86 |
| 14 | Make the Bus 3:18 feat. of Montreal | 82 |
| 15 | Wondaland 3:36 | 88 |
| 16 | 57821 3:16 feat. Deep Cotton | 88 |
| 17 | Say You'll Go 6:00 | 89 |
| 18 | Babopbye Ya 8:47 | 95 |
Total Length: 1 hour, 8 minutes
Year End Lists
| #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 |
More Lists
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1w
did NOT expect to love this so much. reminds me of the velvet rope, gives me that same feeling
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