Janelle Monáe: The ArchAndroid (Suites II And III)

Introducing Endless Mode: A New Games & Anime Site from Paste
The term “genre-bending” is applied pretty liberally in music, more often referring to occasional digressions from a generally homogenous sound than to sweeping stylistic oscillations. But Janelle Monáe truly earns the tag on The ArchAndroid (Suites II And III). Her sophomore album bounds among tracks that stray far outside the boundaries of her loose “soul” designation, and frequently strain at the basic conventions of pop music itself. Monáe’s chameleonic nature extends to every aspect of her performance, including her ever-changing vocals, which swing from Beyoncé-like diva strut on “Cold War” to punk-rock-cabaret snarl on “Come Alive” to pastoral, madrigal-esque balladry on “57821.”