I had a request the other day that I take a look at some of Janelle Monae's music in a blog post, and it didn't seem like a bad idea, so here's her hit "Tightrope" featuring Big Boi.
"Tightrope" from The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III)
by Janelle Monae (2010)
While listening to this track, I saw vague ivory or beige shapes quickly turning back and forth with the rhythm, like (please bear with me) socked feet dancing in place while seated! Perhaps why I was so reminded of feet was that the blurry cream-colored shapes seemed to be attached to a dark brown surface, almost like a dance floor. The motion is fun and energetic, but still very grounded, like everything that's happening in the music (vocals, horns, etc.) is glued to the rhythm section, hence the being seated while dancing. The rhythm also has a very natural, earthy quality which probably gives it that rich brown shade.
During Big Boi's interlude, the bass line really comes out, and suddenly within the image are these popping greens, emanating from the brown surface but moving away from it and always to the left. It's like the bass line is it's own entity, reflecting the rhythm but not restricted by it, adding it's own little beat and color to the mix.
Another great element of the song occurs around 3:15, when the song shifts into this more sultry, '70s jazz style. All the individual elements of the song up to that point (the rhythm, the vocals, the horns, the bass) suddenly ooze into this more mellow sound and become a single unit, and as a result, all the colors sort of blend together and the image becomes abstract and vague, like your looking at it across a smoke-filled room.
And that's Janelle Monae's "Tightrope." To be honest, it may have been a self-fulfilling prophecy, but after listening to the track non-stop while putting this post together, I am sitting here in my worn out, white socks dancing back and forth across the brown hardwood floor underneath my chair. I guess some of this "musical imagery" isn't so far-fetched after all!
GET THE LOOK: JANELLE MONAE
Janelle Monae rocks a one-of-a-kind look that is thoroughly vintage menswear but somehow still comes across as contemporary women's fashion that is way ahead of the curve. From tuxedos to prep school blazers, I would've sworn she was raised in London rather than Kansas City, MO. Here are some pieces to help recreate her look!
I love this girl. Her style is so rad!
ReplyDeleteI heard Tightrope a while back and have been meaning to download her whole album. Great post.