Janelle Monáe’s Dirty Computer is a cyberpunk dream trip through R&B and pop influences, bouncing around like a pinball amidst the synths, spacey guitars, and percussive elements. There’s an air of hope underpinning each track on the record, a sense of self exploration which drives everything forward thematically.
When combined with all of the hooks (of which there are plenty) on the album it’s a worthwhile listen, even if the entire affair tends to be a bit one note. On paper all of the different instrumentation and featured artists feel eclectic, but in practice everything tends to blend in together. Dirty Computer tastes like a smoothie that combined a bunch of tasty (but also wildly different) ingredients, got thrown into a blender, and came out tasting uniform.
And that’s not a bad thing, as long as this is your thing.
Standout Songs: “Don’t Judge Me”, “So Afraid”, “Make Me Feel”
