Grammys Preview: The Age of Pleasure | Janelle Monáe
The Grammys underdog story that will most likely not happen.
Ahead of the 2024 Grammy Awards, on slower music release weeks this winter, Pop Lobster will feature some of the most nominated albums for next year’s ceremony hosted by the Recording Academy. To read more about 2024’s Grammys, click here!
Who is Janelle Monáe? You might think you've never heard of her, but you have. First rose to music stardom from her 2011 collaboration with Fun. on We Are Young.
You might have also listened to some of her minor hits Make Me Feel or I Like That, the latter of which was heavily featured in the movie Us. Outside of music, Janelle is also more recognizable for her acting roles in movies like Moonlight, Hidden Figures, and, most recently she was the star of Knives Out sequel Glass Onion.
Janelle’s 4th record, The Age of Pleasure explores pleasure as a theme, told through encounters from Monáe's experience. From romantic encounters to one-night stands to exploration of her own sexuality, this record delivers clever, often raunchy tracks that define "pleasure." Paired with reggae/island vibes and an R&B/Pop sound that Monáe built a career around, this record can feel like a capricious summer night. Monáe feels liberated and confident on Float from the jump: "I used to walk into the room head down, I don't walk, now I float." This intro rap/pop banger sets a strong tone early on for this record that is felt in what follows.
Without skipping a beat, (literally), Janelle brings that same energy to Champagne Shit. The track sounds like it could've been a smash summer hit. Catchy lyricism, a very identifiable melody, and powerful vocal performance create an all-around banger and high point for the album. From these two examples, it is clear that Janelle can make hits comfortably. Knowing this, the album switches directions to accomplish a more ambitious goal.
Janelle isn't trying to make only a few great songs on The Age of Pleasure. She's trying to make a cohesive record that forces you to listen to the album front to back. No shuffling. To accomplish this, Monáe masters the art of the interlude to weave tracks together. Take, for instance, Black Sugar Beach, a 65-second track that follows the album highlight, Champagne Shit. The former is not enjoyable listening to on it's on, but if you don't have it, the latter ends abruptly. I can't help but think this is a way to garner more streaming money since each "spliced" track will get more streams. (Spotify pays out on the number of times streamed, not accounting for the song's length, so a stream for All Too Well 10-minute version is paid the same as a 90-second jingle from PinkPantheress). We love cohesive concept albums that utilize this method of creating a unifying sound. It's challenging to do well without sacrificing somewhere lyrically or sonically. Monáe does an excellent job at avoiding those challenges but struggles in the interludes.
Interludes are often used to connect songs musically and typically thematically in creating cohesive soundscapes. They can act as an aid to tell an album's overall story. It's unsurprising that Monáe employs interludes to discuss pleasure here. The Age of Pleasure features three interludes: Black Sugar Beach, Oooh La La, and The French 75. Each interlude is different in approach; Black Sugar Beach maintains the energy of Champagne Shit and acts as a bridge into Phenomenal; Oooh La La is an extended outro for Haute. And The French 75 accomplishes both tasks. My issue with these interludes is they often don't totally add to the album's theme. The French 75 does an excellent job of putting you into a conversation that sounds straight from the scene Monáe is painting. Still, we do not totally understand the need for the first two.
Overall, this record is an enjoyable vibe, very summery and full of joy. It fails to reach the same heights conceptually as some of her previous work, but it doesn’t need to and it’s not supposed to. The Art of Pleasure is all about delight, basking in gratification, and having fun.
The Age of Pleasure is nominated for Album of The Year at the 66th annual Grammy Awards. Additionally, the album also received a nomination for Best Progressive R&B album. This album is worthy of its R&B category nomination, but I don't see how it made it to AOTY. SZA will easily take Best R&B album, so Janelle will likely head home from the Grammys this year again empty-handed.
Check out our favorite tracks, listen to the album, and see our scores below:
Can’t Miss: Lipstick Lover, Float, Champagne Shit
You Can Skip: A Dry Red
BY THE NUMBERS
Bennett’s Score: 6.71
Carson’s Score: 6.50
Album Score: 13.21
Notes from Bennett:
Look, I love the ways this record transitions, its very clever and done in good taste. The method adds to the record creating a cohesive scene.
I think this album harbors some of the best melodies of 2023. The verses on Champaign Shit, the chorus on Only Have Eyes 42, and the verses on Lipstick Lover are contagious.
omg, the BASS LINES here are so cool. Float, Champaign Shit, Haute, and The Rush sound so good in the mix. hats off to the engineers there.
This is a refreshing breath of good pop music for me, It’s nothing I can see myself coming back to in 2-3 years but, makes an excellent soundtrack for now.
Notes from Carson:
I think this is a good album, but something I wouldn’t listen to often. It’s also very much a summer vibe and something that would be fun to put on while chilling poolside.
Can’t tell if I love or hate the way the tracks are cut in half. In one sense, it forces you to consume the whole album instead of an individual song but frustrating because it feels like more of a cash grab than a way to force the listener to listen to the album front to back.
This album feels like the Bikini Bottom. Like SpongeBob and Squidward would eat this up.
Lipstick Lover sounds like a Destiny’s Child song. The harmonies are lovely.
THE HORNS. Float is such an epic-album opener. The confidence and energy and delivery on this track makes it a standout. Feels like something a car commercial or Apple will utilize one day lol.
The end of the album is dry, literally. Don’t feel like Only Have Eyes 42 or A Dry Red
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Lover | Taylor Swift | Score: 14.42
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In The End It Always Does | The Japanese House | Score: 13.92
Barbie: The Album | Various Artists | Score: 13.88
Gag Order | Kesha | Score: 13.77
The Age of Pleaure | Janelle Monáe | Score: 13.21
Snow Angel | Reneé Rapp | Score: 13.00
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The Album | Jonas Brothers | Score: 12.67
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