The Age Of Pleasure - Janelle Monae: Review

Janelle Monae

is one of the most versatile entertainers out there. They're talents range from singing to writing and conceptualizing concept albums to acting to modeling and a dozen other things. It's been 5 years since their last project Dirty Computer the first one released not as a part of a Suite assessing futurism and feminine robotics.

Review by Lav:

While I've always been more mixed about Janelle's music than most critics I am still a HUGE Janelle fan. Their uncompromising style is intoxicating enough on its own but when combined with boatloads of charisma it's pretty much irresistible. On their last album Dirty Computer, it felt like they were living up to their full potential for the first time despite its lack of conceptuality. For that reason, I was pretty excited to hear what Janelle would come back with. The result is The Age Of Pleasure a pseudo-reggae album whose only real conceptual tie is being glamorous and sensual throughout.

I wanna get this out of the way now. I like this album but I don't love it. Part of the issue is presentation. The song is loaded with shorter interludes that often don't add up to much. Even when they do its arguably over too soon in order to set up the tracks to lead into one another. I would have much preferred a shorter tracklist whose best moments were more fleshed out. 

In terms of the more substantial outings on the record, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Opening track Float dropped earlier this year and I think it's the perfect opener for the album's core issue of style over substance. While there's charming lyrical imagery throughout and the triumphant horns work especially well for an opener, the chorus just isn't much. I have similar issues with The Rush which has an absolutely gorgeous aesthetic. I love the muted instrumentation and the trio of vocalists involved are all wonderful and pair well together. But like Float the chorus is such a letdown and as a result the track never feels like it becomes a proper song at any point. 

Thankfully, there is some no-frills attached fun to be had in the tracklist. Lipstick Lover first dropped as a single and hearing it in the context of the album makes it sound even better. I think it's a much more direct embrace of the eroticism that the record promises rather than the glamour it often presents. Plus it's packed full of catchy refrains that have been stuck in my head for weeks. More of those can be found on Champagne Shit which certainly beats its refrains to death. Thankfully, Janelle's charm is more than enough to maintain its sultry opulence. My favorite of the deep cuts is Water Slide, a simple but incredibly effective gender-dismantling sensual anthem that I'm 100% behind.

The last song I want to touch on is Phenomenal, my least favorite track. Mainly because it hits on my secondary issue with the album. Calling Beyonce an "influence" on The Age Of Pleasure feels like a severe understatement, the project is basically Beyonce worship. While it pulls from many different Bey eras the most obvious point is on Phenomenal which borrows SO much from specific songs on Renaissance like Alien Superstar. 

Between the lack of substance and the consistent Beyonce worship, it's a testament to how talented Janelle is and how strong their vision is that I still kind of like this album. It pulls off the sometimes contrasting sometimes intertwining crossroads of sensuality and glamour. The wonderful instrumentation throughout also provides a major boost to these songs and adds value to the shorter tracks which move in and out of each other. Listening to this album a few times made me realize it actually was a bit more conceptual than I gave it credit for. Despite that, I think it fails to live up to Dirty Computer though I'm really not sure if it was supposed to in the first place. 6/10

For more R&B check out my review of Kali Uchis' Red Moon In Venus