REVIEW: Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer
Janelle Monae is back as she takes on a journey through the past, present, and future of America.
Dirty Computers is simultaneously her ode and lamentation to a society where she can express herself freely, but does so with critique waiting around the corner to pounce on her very freedom of expression. Her 2018 album grapples with the intersection of being a sexually awakened, Black, queer woman in world that regards such as an anomaly.
Monae dares to enter in conversation that falls on silent ears in the opening of the album with “Crazy, Classic, Life,” setting the scene for what is to come. It opens with a Black man reciting the famous lines from the Declaration of Independence saying, “You told us, ‘we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal’,” and continues with Monae making a case for living a crazy, classic life. She says, “We don’t need another ruler / all my friends are kings / I am not the American nightmare / I am the American dream.” Here she forms her argument for the album and drafts her own preamble for her declaration of independence.
Monae takes elements of pop, hip-hop, funk, and R&B to create an album that speaks to the complexities of her individuality. She is a queer woman with an affinity to vibrancy and life and so is seen in the funky, rhythmic guitar sounds of “Take a Byte” and “Screwed.” Both songs are synth heavy with a strong bassline, and both speak to Monae’s sexual awareness. In “Screwed,” her lyrics are packed with power as the song is a double entendre advocating for sexual freedom in lieu of problems that exist. She sings, “We’re so screwed / Let’s get screwed, I don’t care.” Sex is an escape from the wrongdoings in the world, and Monae makes that clear. However, even in her attempts to avoid harsh realities, Monae still recognizes the real world and the cruel plight that she and many in America face.
Contrary to the façade of fun “Screwed” presents, Monae fades into “Django Jane” that is raw with her storytelling. She throws the story back to her humble roots with her working-class family to now being a part of the Oscar-winning team that produced “Moonlight.” Her verses are powerful and the trap beat adds to the intensity of her lyrics. She presents the challenges she faces in this a racist, patriarchal world and “Hit[s] the mute button/ [to] let the vagina have a monologue” in “Django Jane.”
Monae spends much of the album exploring the themes of sexual liberation and defining her identity, but “Don’t Judge Me” lends her the platform to bring emotional vulnerability to the table. Monae wants sex and lots of it, but she still yearns for intimacy, and “Don’t Judge Me” is that confession. The R&B number is Monae’s tribute to Prince with her suave verses and smooth funk sound. The track is bass-heavy and doused with soft guitar riffs to create a delicate setting to question the legitimacy of relationships dominated by sex. “Even though ya tell me ya love me / I’m afraid that you just love my disguise,” she sings in the chorus. Monae is the most vulnerable here, and she draws a sharp juxtaposition between the brute Django Jane she presents and this insecure woman hiding behind a cold exterior. “Don’t Judge Me” demonstrates the complexity of Monae, not only as an artist, but as an individual.
Monae makes room for a queer, Black woman in the world with Dirty Computers. Her songs are cathartic, and she engages in honest conversation around issues regarding race, gender, and sexuality. She concludes with “Americans,” an up-beat, gospel-meets-country song that allows her to stake a claim in this world. She says, “Don’t try to take my country / I will defend my land / I’m not crazy, baby / No I’m American.” In an America that does not capture all the intersections of its population, Monae makes her case to say that she is an American, regardless of what others have to say. Dirty Computers is her moment to present her qualms and find liberation in an America not quite fit for her. It is her real-life Declaration of Independence to have the freedom to be whomever she decides.
-Archelle Thelemaque