All I have to say is that the ladies did not come to play this month. Janelle Monae and Kali Uchis both dropped full-length projects that I can’t stop listening to and one of my favorite pop singers, Ariana Grande, is back with a triumphant single and a trippy music video to go with it.
Janelle Monae- Dirty Computer
I honestly don’t even know where to start with this because I have so many feelings about Janelle Monae’s afro-futuristic storyline about an android named Cindi Mayweather. It’s spanned over, now, four albums containing anything between seven to nineteen tracks. While it is a daunting task to even begin to dissect this modern epic, there’s no shortage of people dissecting it on the internet. All the albums are available on streaming services as well if you wanted to dive in yourself. Long story short: Monae is an extremely talented and creative individual in anything she puts her mind to whether it be music or more recently, acting, where she had roles in both the Oscar-winning Moonlight and Oscar-nominated Hidden Figures.
In her Rolling Stone cover story published ahead of the album release, she revealed that she was worried about the character of Cindi Mayweather being more interesting than herself. As a result, this album is less cryptic and more honest about who the human is behind the persona. She uses the term “dirty computer” to describe those who don’t fit the norm, herself included. She says “I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you…This album is for you. Be proud.” This plays into the emotion picture, defined as “a narrative film and accompanying musical album”, of the same name that goes through the memories of a rebellious android named Jane 57821 as they’re being erased in order to “cleanse” her.
This album is a testament to her personal growth and a soundtrack for the summer for all the weird black kids trying to find themselves. The lyrics of Crazy, Classic, Life and Screwed are reminiscent of the rock n’ roll rebellion of the 1950’s while bringing it back to its black musical roots and modernizing the sentiments by making space for queer black kids who wouldn’t have gotten the chance to participate previously. Django Jane is a passionately rapped bad bitch anthem with a bumping bass and dramatic flairs from the strings. Make Me Feel, a funky jam possibly featuring a synth line written by Prince before his passing about sexual fluidity, is a stand out as well. I can already tell this whole album will remain in heavy rotation for me.
Kali Uchis- Isolation
Before I was familiar with her music, Kali Uchis’s visuals, which she directs herself, were what stood out to me the most. The video for Loner is so vivid and memorable. As Kali croons about wanting to be alone, she stalks abandoned diners and drive-ins bathed in neon pink and blue lights, hazy car parks, and an ominously lit hotel room. This track was featured on her 2015 EP titled Por Vida, a project that showed off her potential and creativity and put her on many peoples radar. From here, we patiently awaited her debut album, only imagining what she could do with more polished production and stronger vocals.
After three years, she released her 2017 single, Tyrant featuring fellow R&B singer/songwriter Jorja Smith, signaling that a whole album of new music was on the way. In the following year, she released her debut album, Isolation, serving us a dreamy exploration of self that only she could pull off. Thanks to all of the different producers that partnered with Uchis on this record, each song has a fully-developed sound according to the content of the lyrics. The lyrics of this album explore the topics of female empowerment, toxic relationships, and escapism. With this project, Uchis showcases her unique versatility in both sound and vocals and I can’t wait to see what else she can do. Until then, I’ll just listen to Your Teeth In My Neck on repeat. I’m also a really big fan of when she sings in Spanish in Nuestro Planeta and the Spanish version of Tyrant (Tirano), so hopefully, we’ll get more of that in the future as well.
Ariana Grande- No Tears Left To Cry
I’ve always found Ariana to be one of the most talented vocalists in pop music right now. She’s got a quality of voice that I enjoy and her live vocal abilities are even more impressive than how she sounds on her albums. I’ve been following her since 2012 before she had released her debut album, Yours Truly. All the material I had from her was audio ripped from small concerts where she performed Pink Champagne and the old version of Honeymoon Avenue. She’s come so far in three album cycles (and two Christmas EP’s) and I am 100% pumped for her fourth album if No Tears Left To Cry is any indication of what’s to come.
No Tears Left To Cry starts out like a heartfelt ballad a la Just A Little Bit of Your Heart or Tattooed Heart but does a 180 and starts “pickin’ it up” (“it” being the pace). The song transitions into a keyboard driven melody and sparse percussion that reminds me of everything I love about Be Alright. The upside down, topsy-turvy music video to go with it is also a work of art.
Honorable Mentions:
Fitness- Lizzo
SADE IN THE 90’s- Qveen Herby
Quiz- Cupcakke
dani writes 