Dirty Computer is the third studio album by singer and actress Janelle Monae. It was released on April 27, 2018. This album serves as a follow up to her previous albums, The ArchAndroid (2010) and The Electric Lady (2013). This is also her first one to not be a part of the Cindi Mayweather's Metropolis narrative. Dirty Computer has different genres like funk, pop, neo soul, hip hop and R&B. Along with the album, Monae also released a 48 minute film on her YouTube channel titled Dirty Computer [Emotion Film]. You can watch the film on YouTube by clicking on the link you see below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdH2Sy-BlNE
Click to listen to "Dirty Computer"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFK6k-pvXmI
Dirty Computer is about embracing those things that make other people feel uncomfortable while human society, queer, minorities, women, and poor can make you have bugs and viruses. On this track, Monae is an android version of herself called Jane57821. This is also the first collaboration between her and singer Brian Wilson as Janelle sings, "Dirty computer, walk in line/ If you look closer, you'll recognize/ I'm not that special, I'm broke inside/ Crashing slowly, the bugs are in me", and then she begins to talk about her systems failing because of her sexuality, race and gender with the lyrics, "Dirty computer, breaking down/ Picking my face up off the ground/ I'll love you in this space and time/ 'Cause baby, all I'll ever be is/ Your dirty computer/ Dirty computer".
Crazy, Classic, Life is a funk-pop song that talks about discrimination as the track opens up with a spoken intro of the United States "Declaration of Independence" with the saying, "You told us we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men/and women are created equal; and that they are endowed by their/ Creator with certain unalienable rights; among these are life, /liberty, and the-and the pursuit of happiness". This is also a reference to singer Nina Simone as Monae sings, "Young, black, wild and free". She adds a traditional phrase from the "American Dream" and "The American Nightmare" speech by Malcolm X with the lyrics, "We don't need another ruler/ All of my friends are kings/ I'm not America's nightmare/ I'm the American dream/ Just let me live my life".
Take A Byte represents a strong feminist woman influence and it talks about the myths and stories that comes from a diverse group of powerful women, both culturally and historically. She begins to describe a "programmed code" that would create heterosexuality, however, a "glitch" must present in order for this programming to work. Therefore, causing Janelle to have a non-heterosexual attraction between her and the person she's speaking to possibly a female lover. Janelle sings, "I'm not the kind of girl that you can take home to your mama now/ I tell no lies (I tell no lies)/ Your code is programmed not to love me, but you can't pretend/ Oh, what a surprise/ Maybe it's lust, maybe it's love, maybe it never ends/ Ooh, say your goodbyes (say 'em now)/ Play in my hair and nibble there all on my mocha skin/ Yeah, just take a byte".
Jane's Dream is a 19 second instrumental interlude that features the work of Jon Brion. It was inspired by "terrifying nightmares" even though the first sounds of it are considered as "smooth and soothing".
Click to listen to "Screwed"
Screwed featuring Zoe Kravitz is used in two different ways: as an innuendo and to describe the state of America. On the first verse, Janelle sings, "I live my life in magazine/ I live my life on a TV screen/ I live my life on birth control/ I lost my mind to rock and roll", and then her and Zoe come together on the chorus with, "And I, I, I hear the sirens calling/ And the bombs are falling in the streets/ We're all screwed/ And ah, ah, ah, it's not perfect, baby/ But I go sex crazy/ But I feel so screwed/ Sex, body/ We're gonna crash your party/ Let's get screwed/ I don't care". Then the melodies of the hook leads into the next song "Django Jane".
Click to listen to "Django Jane"
Django Jane is where Janelle gives her definition of what screwed really means and the power of women along with her past accomplishments. This track also showcases Monae rapping skills with the lyrics, "This is my palace, champagne in my chalice/ I got it all covered like a wedding band/ Wondaland, so my alias is Alice/ And we gon' start a riot/ Or we gon' have to put 'em on a diet/ A-town, made it out there/ Straight of Kansas City, yeah we made it out there/ Celebrated, graduated, made it pass/fail/ Already got a Oscar for the casa/ Runnin' down the Grammys with the family/ Prolly give a Tony to the homies/ Prolly give an Emmy to dedicated to the/ Highly melanated, ArchAndroid orchestrated/ Yeah, we highly melanated, ArchAndroid orchestrated".
Click on the link to watch the "Pynk" music video
Pynk is a synth-pop song that features singer and producer Grimes. They had previously collaborated on Grimes' 2015 track "Venus Fly". She explores with her forthright decision of sex and celebrates your own body along with another woman. She sings on the first verse with, "Pynk, like the inside of your... baby/ Pynk behind all of the doors... crazy/ Pynk, like the tongue that goes down... maybe/ Pynk, like the paradise found/ Pynk when you're blushing inside... yeah/ Pynk is the truth you can't hide... maybe/ Pynk, like the folds of your brain... crazy/ Pynk as we all go insane".
Click on listen to "Make Me Feel"
Make Me Feel is a funk song that finds Janelle talking about her bisexuality and how people would constantly keep asking her questions with the lyrics, "Baby, don't make me spell it out for you/ All the feelings that I've got for you/ Can't be explained, but I can try for you/ Yeah, baby, don't make me spell it out for you/ You keep on asking me the same questions (why)/ And second-guessing all my intentions/ Should know by the way I use my compression/ That you've got the answers to my confessions", and then she continues with, "It's like I'm powerful with a little bit of tender/ An emotional sexual bender/ Mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better/ There's nothin' better". She also make a homage to Michael Jackson on the chorus with, "That's just the way you make me feel/ (That's just the way you make me feel)/ That's just the way you make me feel/ (That's just the way you make me feel)".
Click on this to listen to "I Got the Juice"
I Got The Juice features a collaboration from singer Pharrell Williams. Janelle also makes an reference to her second studio album The Electric Lady with the lyrics, "You're so damn electric, you (alright)/You know you got the juice (yeah)/ You know you got the juice (uh)/ Squeeze all that passionfruit (squeeze)/ Ain't no one fresher than you (woo, fresher)/ And if they try to break you, you say", and then her and Pharrell share some verses on the chorus with, "Down, love/ Don't think about it/ Down, love/ Don't think about it/ Down, love/ You're the number one/ Down, love/ And don't you doubt it".
Click her to listen to "I Like That"
I Like That is where Janelle is addressing rumors about her sexuality and expresses her feelings about liking anyone singing, "Sometimes a mystery, sometimes I'm free/ Depending on my mood or my attitude/ Sometimes I wanna roll or stay at home/ Walking contradiction, guess I'm factual and fiction". She also alludes to a self assessment about her by using the iconic second studio album by the female girl group TLC saying, "A little crazy, a little sexy, a little cool/ Little rough around the edges but I keep it smooth/ I'm always left of center and that's right where I belong/ I'm the random minor note you hear in major songs".
On "Don't Judge Me", Janelle asks her fans to accept her true self now that she is more spoken about her sexuality like in her interview with Rolling Stone and has delivered a more personal tone on the album. She sings the pre-chorus with, "Even though you tell me that you love me/ I'm afraid that you just love my disguise/ Taste my fears and light your candle to my raging fire/ Of broken desire", and then continues with, "But don't judge me/ I know I got issues but they drown when I kiss you/ Don't judge me/ Baptize me with ocean, recognize my devotion".
Stevie's Dream is the second and last interlude on the album that features a spoken word from Stevie Wonder. It begins with, "Even when you're upset, these words of love/ 'Cause God is love/ Allah is love/ Jehovah is love/ So, don't let your expressions, even of anger/ Be confused or misconstrued/ Turn them into words of expression/ That can be understood by using words of love".
So Afraid shows off Janelle's vulnerable side as she talks about her anxieties over love represented by the "bugs" and "viruses" that by social standards make us "defunct". The chorus suggest otherwise with the lyrics, "And I'm afraid (ahhhh)/ Ah, I'm so afraid (ahhhh)/ Ah, what if I lose?/ Is what I think to myself/ I'm fine in my shell/ I'm afraid of it all, afraid of loving you".
Americans is the closing song on Dirty Computer with an ode to America's racist habits and traditions with lyrics like, "I like my woman in the kitchen/ I teach my children superstitions/ I keep my two guns on my blue nightstand/ A pretty young thang, she can wash my clothes/ But she'll never ever wear my pants", and "I pledge alliance to the flag/ Learned words from my mom and dad/ Cross my heart and I hope to die/ With a big old piece of American pie/ Love me baby, love me for who I am/ Fallen angels singing, "Clap your hands"/ Don't try to take my country, I will defend my land/ I'm not crazy, baby, naw, I'm American/ I'm American, I'm American, I'm American".
I love Janelle Monae and this album so much, that I'm going rate it a 10/10. This was my first time listening to her music and some of her songs actually made me wanna get up and dance.
Make sure that stream Dirty Computer on Amazon Music, Google Play, iTunes and Spotify. Here are the links:
Also, check out Janelle Monae's interview with Rolling Stone magazine when she officially confirmed as herself as pansexual.
