Richard Parks Journal #7

Janelle Monae’s Metropolis is an inspirational, game-changing album which seems to effortlessly combine the genres of jazz, pop, and funk. This is evident in the use of a combination of fast and slow-paced songs, all with tones of drums, horns, guitars and/or other electric sounds. The balance of speed among the song choices is a common technique of all artists to capture their listeners’ attention. Sometimes listeners prefer steadier, calmer songs, while other times, they feel the urge to enjoy quick, spontaneously energetic sounds.

This detailed choice of song speed couples with the messages she tries to get across to her audience. She speaks about some of the most controversial issues facing society, today. She basically does this by starting the album with a story of an android which has fallen in love with a human. An omniscient voice speaks over a loud speaker and announces that the android “Cindi Mayweather” broke the rules by falling in love with a human and is ordered for immediate disassembly. This most likely is an allusion to society’s strong-hold on the common citizen. This is the tool used to capture and identify with the album’s audience, which targets everyone from people living in poverty to privileged political leaders. The songs, as a whole, aim to uplift people and challenge society’s mechanics to bring about a great change that will benefit all who fall under the influence of the message Monae is trying to get across.

 A few of the messages that are touched upon include political rulers’ decisions and their effects on its citizens. Specifically, in the track “Mr. President”, the song declares, “A book is worth more than a bomb, any day.” This line speaks volumes as it brings up two big issues facing the world, which are education of children and the devastation of war among nations. The song also advises “Mr. President” to act as Moses and lead his people through. This alludes to the Biblical story of Moses when he parts the Red Sea and leads a group of oppressed people out of the tyrannical rule of Egypt.

It seems as though she chose to title the album “Metropolis”, to evoke that the metropolis that society is striving for does indeed not exist. This is most likely why Janelle Monae ends the album with an uplifting selection called “Smile” which wraps up the album on an inspirational tone. This is a tribute to her audience as a reminder to keep their heads up and smile through any situation that they are faced with because there is no true metropolis. There is only life and everything that comes with it, so the best thing to do is to stay positive and smile.