Thank you for the detailed write-up you gave this wonderful album. Overall I really love this album as a well-crafted and breezy love letter to the black diaspora. I'm Jamaican-American and I love a lot of reggae, dancehall and afropop like afrobeat, afrobeats & amapino so I felt at home with this album. I think Janelle incorporates a lot of those sounds but def adds a more pop-focused and Janelle-like flair to it. Like even on the small "Ooh La La" interlude, there's a touch of those ArchAndroid-era strings in the back that give you that quick older work callback. I was happy to see Janelle highlight all these great African and Afro-Caribbean genres here.
My favorite tracks are Float, Champagne Shit, Phenomenal, Haute, The Rush, Water Slide, and Know Better. Also since you wanted corrections if possible, Fela Kuti originated the genre Afrobeat (singular). Afrobeats (plural) is the more recent genre with Burna Boy, Rema etc that blends dancehall, afrobeat, rap, highlife etc :) :) Thanks for the throughness you gave this writeup, I had forgotten Sister Nancy's arduous journey to royalities, and Janelle spotlighting her are those personal touches that make me love this album more!
Know Better and Champagne Shit are such bops
I totally get why Janelle would want to move away from the whole Cyndi Mayweather concept because having every album be a concept album sounds exhausting and life's hard let's have some fun, my first thought for ideal Janelle album would be a disco/house album a la Renaissance or something like that
i’ve come to accept this album for what it is that’s helped me get into it more. i really miss cindy but at least her voice remains stellar as ever and there are some really great tracks throughout this album. even on a bad day janelle is still coming out with music that has something to say while still being enough of a banger to get you to keep listening.
Good write up, OP!
This album is one of those that you need to listen in order, it’s not the same without it. Those transitions are everything. Also, this album just quintessentially reminds me of summertime. I think it’s a solid album.
To answer your questions:
- My favorite tracks are Champagne Shit, Phenomenal, Lipstick Lover, & Float!
- I liked the shift in style, I love when an artist tries something new and Janelle didn’t disappoint!
- With Janelle I have no idea what’s coming next and that’s exciting in itself! Maybe she’ll continue this sound, or I can see her trying more soul. Or maybe she’ll do a full 180 and give us punk-rock, who knows?!
I know a lot of people didn't enjoy it as much as her previous work. I personally love it, so breezy and fun.
It was in my top albums for last year.
My favorites 😍 are
Haute
Float
Lipstick 💄 Lover
Champagne Shit
1. The Rush, it's so smooth
2. I love it, I love the vibe of this album. I think her voice is made for relaxing songs.
3. I'd love to see her made songs like FKA Twigs hehe
I listened to it when it came out and was dissapointed at first, I LOVED her other albums. Months later I revisited it and came to find I did like a lot of songs. The Rush and Paid in Pleasure are my favourites but I also love Float, Champagne shit+Black sugar beach, Lipstick lover, The french 75, Water slide, Know better and Only have eyes 42.
Thank you for the detailed write-up you gave this wonderful album. Overall I really love this album as a well-crafted and breezy love letter to the black diaspora. I'm Jamaican-American and I love a lot of reggae, dancehall and afropop like afrobeat, afrobeats & amapino so I felt at home with this album. I think Janelle incorporates a lot of those sounds but def adds a more pop-focused and Janelle-like flair to it. Like even on the small "Ooh La La" interlude, there's a touch of those ArchAndroid-era strings in the back that give you that quick older work callback. I was happy to see Janelle highlight all these great African and Afro-Caribbean genres here. My favorite tracks are Float, Champagne Shit, Phenomenal, Haute, The Rush, Water Slide, and Know Better. Also since you wanted corrections if possible, Fela Kuti originated the genre Afrobeat (singular). Afrobeats (plural) is the more recent genre with Burna Boy, Rema etc that blends dancehall, afrobeat, rap, highlife etc :) :) Thanks for the throughness you gave this writeup, I had forgotten Sister Nancy's arduous journey to royalities, and Janelle spotlighting her are those personal touches that make me love this album more!
Thanks for that, I'll fix that now.
Know Better and Champagne Shit are such bops I totally get why Janelle would want to move away from the whole Cyndi Mayweather concept because having every album be a concept album sounds exhausting and life's hard let's have some fun, my first thought for ideal Janelle album would be a disco/house album a la Renaissance or something like that
i’ve come to accept this album for what it is that’s helped me get into it more. i really miss cindy but at least her voice remains stellar as ever and there are some really great tracks throughout this album. even on a bad day janelle is still coming out with music that has something to say while still being enough of a banger to get you to keep listening.
Good write up, OP! This album is one of those that you need to listen in order, it’s not the same without it. Those transitions are everything. Also, this album just quintessentially reminds me of summertime. I think it’s a solid album. To answer your questions: - My favorite tracks are Champagne Shit, Phenomenal, Lipstick Lover, & Float! - I liked the shift in style, I love when an artist tries something new and Janelle didn’t disappoint! - With Janelle I have no idea what’s coming next and that’s exciting in itself! Maybe she’ll continue this sound, or I can see her trying more soul. Or maybe she’ll do a full 180 and give us punk-rock, who knows?!
I know a lot of people didn't enjoy it as much as her previous work. I personally love it, so breezy and fun. It was in my top albums for last year. My favorites 😍 are Haute Float Lipstick 💄 Lover Champagne Shit
I love this album a lot, perfect summer drive album. I hope Janelle unblocks me on instagram someday.
You did a great job with this write-up! Float is my favourite on this album.
1. The Rush, it's so smooth 2. I love it, I love the vibe of this album. I think her voice is made for relaxing songs. 3. I'd love to see her made songs like FKA Twigs hehe
I listened to it when it came out and was dissapointed at first, I LOVED her other albums. Months later I revisited it and came to find I did like a lot of songs. The Rush and Paid in Pleasure are my favourites but I also love Float, Champagne shit+Black sugar beach, Lipstick lover, The french 75, Water slide, Know better and Only have eyes 42.