Janelle Monáe preps Metropolis, announces live dates

photo by Pier Nicola D'Amico

Everyone's soon-to-be favorite tuxedo-sporting, Big-Boi-beloved cybergirl Janelle Monáe is finally gearing up to release the next installment of her multi-suite Metropolis project. The upcoming Paste cover gal will release Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition) Aug. 12, the follow-up to last year's, Metropolis: Suite I of IV.

A mix of old-time soul meets out-there, funkified hip-hop, Monáe's concept album pledges to take earthling listeners on a futuristic sonic joyride. The Chase Suite follows the story of Cindi Mayweather, an "Alpha Platinum 9000" on the lam from the law because of her love for a human, strictly forbidden in the fantasyland of Metropolis.

In support of her release, Monáe has scheduled a peformance at Atlanta's Variety Playhouse on Aug. 11, where she'll open for Gnarls Barkley. She'll then play an in-store performance at Alanta's Criminal Records and appear on Fox's Good Day Atlanta! the day of her release, followed by a spot at the Chicago Soul Music Festival on Sept. 6.

Monáe will likely release a full-length in early 2009.