The Reviews Are In: Janelle Monáe Rocks Hollywood

Janelle Monáe played a four song showcase at The Key Club in Hollywood last night to give people a taste of things to come. Five ArjanWrites.com readers each won a pair of tickets to experience the hotness that is Janelle Monáe for themselves. Also in attendance were Sean "P Diddy" Combs (Janelle's label head) and Antwan "Big Boi" Patton who co-produced her album. A big thank you to Will and Nancy for writing me about the show.

"Exploding on the stage with the delicious 'Violet Stars/Happy Hunting,' she took over the Key Club with natural charisma and a type of genius that can’t be taught," ArjanWrites.com reader Will writes me. "I brought a friend of mine with me who’d never heard Janelle. Within the first few minutes of the show, she was enamored.

"If you’ve ever watched a child dance, when the music hits them, they dance like no one is watching… and everyone loves it.  Unlike most people, Janelle Monae never lost that spirit. You can see the music move through her body. You can tell that she isn’t moving because some over-paid choreographer is telling her to do it. She is moving because she feels it. And the audience feels it too."

Will continues, "I’m trying to keep this short, but I could go on and on about how much I loved the high-tech, futuristic motif and her mastery of every type of vocal style (elements of jazz, rap, etc., even opera). I also respected that, through all the glamor and performance, Janelle’s lyrics shine and make a statement about her world-view. This isn’t throwaway pop. How refreshing!

Nancy saw last night's show as well and compared Monáe to Kelis, Mick Jagger and Grace Jones. She argues the point that the singer is not the type of artist you'd expect on Sean Combs Bad Boy roster. "Her look and sound is so different from what Bad Boy is.  She's a risk for Puffy, she writes me. "A number of people next to us left, I think, expecting to hear a certain sound but getting the complete opposite."

"We'd love, love, love for her to go mainstream, but at the same time, we want to keep her all to ourselves," she concludes.

I have to agree with Nancy but Monáe is too much of a good thing not to be shared. (Check out some of Nancy's pictures here.)

(I'm interviewing Janelle later tonight. If you have questions, email me or leave a comment.)