The Age of Pleasure / Janelle Monáe / June 9, 2023
- Joshua Yoo
- Jul 12, 2023
- 1 min read
A chameleon in the artistic world, Janelle Monae is no stranger to making her talented presence felt in her music, cinema, and fashion to name a few. Usually pushing more forward-thinking narratives on race, sexuality, and wealth however, she seems to be more content with letting loose and indulging this time around, soundtracking the freedom of summer in a fun and carefree way.
The reggae, Afrobeat, and trap influences on the R&B presented here are pretty dominant, which gives the whole album its very summer-y, beach-friendly sound. And with how cohesive the track-list is, transitioning from song to song inaudibly at times, the listening experience is perfect for the mid-day kickback. It also justifies some of the diminished song lengths and number of interludes laced throughout.
However the lack of emphasis on individual songs doesn’t always work in the album’s favor. When instrumentals start to drag or stiffen up (“Lipstick Lover”), the reggae influences start to fall flat to the genre’s standards. Janelle Monae’s strong, clean vocal performances and confident demeanor (“Float”) do more of the heavy-lifting.
In the grand scheme of her acclaimed discography, ‘The Age of Pleasure’ isn’t quite going to standout like some of its predecessors. But it’s certainly quality enough and fun enough to at least last the summer season.
Highlight(s): Champagne Shit, Float, Only Have Eyes 42, Phenomenal
Lowlight(s): Lipstick Lover, Know Better
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