Janelle Monae's "Many Moons" video released

It's no secret I'm obsessed with Janelle Monáe.  I don't think I've ever been this excited about an artist.  It's still early in her career (she's only released an EP), but virtually everyone who's seen her perform agrees she's will be a superstar.  Smart lyrics, impeccable image, ecclectic genre-bending music, mind-blowing live performances, thoughtful interviews.  She has it all.  Bloggers are quick to draw OutKast comparisons (especially since Big Boi discovered her), but her appeal is even broader.  If she maintains the quality she's displayed so far, she has 1980s-Michael-Jackson potential (in breadth of appeal if not in album sales -- we may never see those kind of numbers again with the changes in the industry).

Back to the video.  The context is Metropolis' Annual Android Auction.  The arena is populated with characters such as "Moussey, the Neon Valley Crime Lord,"  "Deep Cotton, Punk Prophets" (a nod to her Wondaland labelmates) and Janelle's android alterego, Cindi Mayweather, who performs for the crowd while other androids walk the catwalk.  An array of androids who look like Cindi pepper the video.  It's seems the lookalikes have distinct personalities, a la BSG's humanoid cylons.

It's fun to see the story visualized and expanded a bit.  Mostly, it's great to see her crazy, carefree gyrations and her inimitable style. As crucial as her distinctive style and image are, she demurred on the subject during our interview.  She'd much rather talk about the messsages of her art and her responsibility as an artist.  Metropolis is full of message, and "Many Moons" is no exception.  And it's music is infectious.  "Sincerely, Jane" was the first song to really grab me, but "Many Moons" quickly took hold as a favorite.  Repeated listens revealed new layers and I kept finding bits of melody stuck in my head.

So, without further delay, here is the video.  (A few seconds are cut off the end.  Bad Boy Records has posted another version on YouTube, but it's for private invitation only right now.)



A fun video.  If 6ix Savage looks familiar to you, that's because it's Jimmy Jean-Louis, who plays The Haitian in Heroes.

Still, there's no substitute for the live show.  It's not that the EP isn't up to snuff.  It's just that it takes the live show to really get it.  After I saw her, the album opened up to me in ways it hadn't before.  Many others have reported the same experience.

Here's a little taste of the live show, from her appreance and this summer's Afro-Punk Festival.



Related links:
Janelle Monae, Best of What's Next cover story
Best of What's Next audio podcast
Gnarls Barkley / Janelle live review
Janelle signs to Bad Boy
Janelle's Home Page (which features a behind-the-scenes of this video)