An Alien from Outer Space

I was inclined to believe Janelle Monáe when the first words she sang as she bounded onto the stage at Highline Ballroom were, “I’m an alien from outer space.” But perhaps it was Cindi Mayweather singing. You see, Monáe is in the process of writing Metropolis, an ambitious concept album (there’s also a movie, and a comic book titled Cyber Girl in the works) about an android named Cindi in the year 2719 who has fallen in love with a human. As a result of this forbidden love, she’s on the run from bounty hunters who want to cash in on the price placed on her soul. 

Still with me? Good. Because with no disrespect to Monáe and her collaborators, the story was rendered irrelevant the moment she launched into her blistering, 30-minute set of cyber-blues space funk. Rock shows aren’t for thinking, and she is definitely a rock star. Her concerts are filled with pounding drums, screeching guitar riffs, microphone stand abuse and yes, even crowd surfing. She performs as if possessed—by music, by joy and, when she glares with her eyes impossibly wide at her audience, as if daring them, by something slightly ominous. 

Instead of releasing Metropolis as one large concept album, Monáe originally intended four EPs; the first of which, The Chase Suite, she released last year through Wondaland Arts Society, the independent label she founded with writing partners Chuck Lightning and Nate “Rocket” Wonder. But after Diddy came across her music on MySpace, she was signed to Bad Boy Records, where she’ll soon be releasing parts two and three as one full-length album. And what will the album sound like? “I can’t spoil it for you,” she says, grinning. “We’re dealing with some different sounds right now. We’ve been listening to a lot of Pink Floyd.”

While her contributions to Outkast’s Idlewild soundtrack and Big Boi’s Got Purp? Volume 2 mixtape have long been available, some unreleased Metropolis songs, as well as some older demos, leaked online recently. And while Monáe says it’s sad when people take a sneak peek at an artist’s work before they’re ready to unveil it, she seems to have made peace with the vintage material leaking. “That was me a long time ago. I’ve grown,” she explains. “Those are my older songs. It gives people a chance to see how I’ve evolved.”

Another pre-existing song found its way onto the special edition of The Chase Suite. “I didn’t want to give any new, new material,” she says. “‘Mr. President’ I wrote three years ago, but it’s really a call not to jump on the bandwagon of bashing the president but more to empower people to become their own president and become the change that they want to be.”

Inspiring people is a passion for the singer, whose Summerstage concert was filled with people holding her “Imagination Inspires Nations” signs. So who makes music that inspires her these days? “Gnarls Barkley. They’re freedom fighters. They’re helping erase those boundaries. Outkast and Bjork. I love Solange Knowles. I like what she’s doing; I think she’s a great girl. I like artists who are trying to help redefine certain stereotypes and erase those boundaries. I hope, by leading by example, I can help erase boundaries,” she says. “I wanna help save the next generation. I think music is supposed to be life-changing, it’s supposed to be influential.”

And the musicians who’ve changed her life? “James Brown, Judy Garland [and] Elvis Presley. I love Elvis.” She confirms a wide-ranging list of other artists who have influenced her, from Cab Calloway to George Clinton to Lauryn Hill, though Grace Jones elicits the strongest reaction. “Love her. I used to be scared of her and Prince growing up. I had dreams of both of them. But I love her now. Now, I’m like, ‘I want to be scarier than Grace Jones!’” 

Speaking of Prince, Monáe was recently summoned by The Purple One himself. “He said he thought it was important that two emperors meet each other. And I’m like, OK, are you calling me an emperor, because you are the emperor! It was overwhelming. He invited me over to Paisley Park and we were up from like 1 to 6 in the morning. He jammed, I sang a little.”

But were there pancakes? “No. I was looking for them.”