Currently Idolizing: Janelle Monae

I generally refuse to idolize anyone.  I feel like most of the celebrities in our modern culture are kinda vapid and boring (and addictive), and the other half are sort of flash in the pan and then they do something stupid and I give up all hope.  With Janelle Monae, that is not the case.

I first heard about Janelle Monae sometime last year after P. Diddy made some comment along the lines of "Janelle Monae is the most important artist of the decade" (I could be making this up, but I thought I read that at the time).  Well, if P. Diddy thinks she's super important, I have to listen to her and disagree.

Only, I didn't disagree.

Janelle Monae is awesome.  She started out working with Big Boi, is classically trained in musical theater, has opened for No Doubt, and is signed to Bad Boy Records.  And you thought that was impressive? How about the fact that she has probably the coolest conceptual album since The Grey Album.  Monae's concept album is divided into four parts (or suites) and it is based on Blade Runner and Fritz Lang's Metropolis.  Yeah...I'm gonna let that sink in.

Now pick your jaw up off the floor, and continue reading.

Her music is danceable, fun, and completely addictive.  I've had the first suite, Metropolis: The Chase Suite on my iPod for about a year, and although I've listened to it a million times, I listen to it every morning to get me pumped for work.  The second suite is dropping on May 18, entitled The ArchAndroid.  Her first two singles from the album are available for purchase, or to just check out on her website.

If you haven't check her out yet, I suggest you go do so immediately.  It's not every day a girl from Kansas City makes an album based on two of the greatest and most influential science fiction films ever.