Bill McCloskey wrote:
I think she has one of those talents that certain rare people have: when you hear one of her songs, the hooks are so strong and infectious that you think you've heard the song all your life.
That's because you have been hearing them all your life--her music is just recycled music and her melodies are frequently too close to other melodies. For instance, the song Bad Romance contains some stuff that sounds remarkably similar to ELO's Don't Bring Me Down. Plus, it's cheesy 80s dance music...who listens to this crap besides girls? She's got a modicum of musical talent, but shouldn't that at least be expected of every musical star? I guess it's pretty obvious I'm not a fan.
it's hard not to sounds like other music with so many people doing music these days.
I kinda like hearing pseudo quotes of other songs.
she's good not great, good. she could progress and grow.
the one thing I admire about her is her entertainer mentality.
Her performance art method is very much Bowie-like. She has cited Bowie and Queen (Radio Gaga) as big influences.
I find her die hard loyalty to her fan base refreshing with so many 'performers' being all about the love me' mentality.
she has a huge club goer and gay fan base. So not 'just'girls.
Great! Someone else's opinion about someone else's opinion about someone else are very important to me! Now I know to like her.... What does she do, anyway?
That solo performance on Howard Stern (Lee's link) shows the real musical talent she has. Only unfortunate thing was that, like so many performers these days, she drove it into the ground. If she'd ended a minute or so earlier, it would have been just right.
I've had decades to try to accept it, but the whole singer-and-platoon-of-dancers-gymnastic-choreographed-routine-with-pyrotechnics approach to musical performance still just does nothing for me.
I don't normally like to compare or pit one artist against another, but to my ears Janelle Monae is twice the talent that Lady Gaga is--I am talking stricty from a musical standpoint. I have nothing against Gaga except for the fact that her music is unimaginative and insipid to my ears.
Check out these 2 tracks by Janelle Monae and tell me what you think--they both cover a pretty wide spectrum and are both on the same record.
Superb melodic sense on this one and reminds me of a young Ella: BaBopByeYa
What does she do, anyway?
