Janelle Monae Talks Robots, Diddy, and Her Genre-Bursting New Album

Photo by Andrew Zaeh In the notes for futuristic soul diva Janelle Monae's debut LP The ArchAndroid (out May 18), she cites the following as inspirations: Princess Leia's cinnamon buns hairstyle, Fela Kuti's cigarettes, Jack White's mustache. The oddball influences make more sense within the anything-goes context of the album, which flies from Afrobeat to psych rock to James Brown funk to Fantasia-soundtrack whimsy across its 18 tracks. You could call it a trip. The ArchAndroid is most certainly...

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