Award winning futuristic soul artist Janelle Monae will be releasing her first new album in five years. The Kansas City born singer announced on February 16 that the release will be titled Dirty Computer and will be the follow up offering to 2013’s The Electric Lady.
Monae has also released a trailer for the album which is combined with a “film narrative” to be aired before screenings of Marvel’s Black Panther, which is showing now nationwide. Monae is calling the narrative an “emotion picture” and she will star alongside Tessa Thompson.
The 32 year old has shifted her focus back to making hit records after her roles in the critically acclaimed films Hidden Figures and Moonlight as well as a role in the television series Philip K. Dick’s Electric Dreams as Alice in 2017.
The album will be Monae’s long-awaited third studio release however she did release an EP called Wondaland Presents: The Eephus in 2015 featuring various acts signed to her label Wondaland Arts Society. She has also made guest appearances on other artists work such as on the song “Venus Fly” by Grimes.
Her first full release was a concept album called The ArchAndroid and was nominated for Best Contemporary R&B Album at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards. Her single “Tightrope” was also nominated at the same award show for Best Urban/Alternative Performance; so like her last two releases Dirty Computer will have much to live up to.
UPDATE (4/25): Janelle Monae has released the track list for the upcoming Dirty Computer. The reveal was posted on her Twitter account, leading the user to web page which requires entering the phrase “I am a dirty computer” before giving detailed notes on each track.
There are some exciting guest appearances on the album, including Brian Wilson on the title track, which will open the record. Meanwhile, “Crazy. Classic. Life” is inspired by Wakandan vibranium and wild mushroom tea parties in Mexico. Zoe Kravitz makes an appearance mid-album on “Screwed,” the previously-released “Pynk” features Grimes and Pharrell jumps on the track “I Got The Juice.” The record will close with “Americans,” a song inspired by President Barack Obama’s “A More Perfect Union” speech.
Dirty Computer track list
01. Dirty Computer (ft. Brian Wilson)
02. Crazy, Classic, Life
03. Take a Byte
04. Jane’s Dream
05. Screwed (ft. Zoë Kravitz)
06. Django Jane
07. PYNK (ft. Grimes)
08. Make Me Feel
09. I Got the Juice (ft. Pharrell Williams)
10. I Like That
11. Stevie’s Dream
12. Don’t Judge Me
13. So Afraid
14. Americans
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