Skepticism used to predominate my musical household when it came to contemporary music, and particularly when it came to our generation’s artists who tried to do jazz or soul or something along those lines. I would’ve pshawed at pretty much any artist releasing a funk or blues or whatever genre record, and dismiss them for not  playing the trumpet at the same level as Miles Davis or the guitar like T-Bone Walker. If it wasn’t Motown hero Berry Gordy who shone the spotlight on them, there was a only a  minuscule chance left I would accept them into my heart. They would have to be really, really good for me to embrace them. The worst actually was that tidal wave of pretty styled jazz singers that collectively took over the charts a couple of years ago with  shitty covers of Thelonious Monk and Ray Charles, it made me rage. Rage against the machine that was called The Charts, and I decided that in order to fight the system, I had to dig my way to the underground music. I held pride in supporting experimental bands with two demos and a good looking bass player from St. Rubbishbridge and Whateverchester, but soon realized magazines started to get in synch with my taste or rather me starting to get in synch with the magazines –  and I gave up.

I mean, slutever! If you look at it, popular music now is much better than it used to be ten years ago. And the soul and jazz artists are getting better, too. Take the sweet Janelle Monáe for example who is signed under Daddy Combs’ label; this beautiful lady from Kansas is blessed with a very sweet and powerful voice, and excellent producers and songwriters. This is pop music in its best form, which isn’t surprising looking at the fact that she has been working with Outkast for quite some time now. The single Tightrope is her fantastic first single from her upcoming science-funktion concept album the ArchAndroid, where she has a robot alter ego. Isn’t that just lovely?

This track makes me want to drink cocktails and dance the night away with my friends. The atmosphere of this song urges me to: the African vibration it has, the lovely bassline, the handclaps, the fast tempo vocals, Big Boi – who for once doesn’t run away with someone else’s crown -, a gospel choir, trumpets, ukuleles. I don’t know what to do with myself anymore. To make this even better, she even says hello to Yeasayer in her video! You see, Yeasayer is a band that is close to my heart. This band has previously released a song with the same title, and have used the mirror men that appear in this video for one of theirs before, see here. And it has excellent geography. I love her a little. A little to infinity. Miss Janelle, please stay with me me this Spring. ?

Janelle Monáe ft. Big Boi – Tightrope