Introduction
The Age of Pleasure, Janelle Monae’s fourth studio album was released on June 9, 2023. The project was published through Atlantic Records. The Age of Pleasure marked Monae’s first release since her 2018 project, Dirty Computer. Monae described the album as an honest and open space for her during its recording. She often worked on the project at parties, and even played the project for her friends. She released two singles preceding the album: “Float” and “Lipstick Lover.” These singles were released in February and May respectively. Upon the release, the album debuted at number 17 on the Billboard 200. Since, it has been nominated not only for Album of the Year, but also Best Progressive R&B Album. It certainly has been commericially successful, but it also marked a meaningful project as well.
Meaning
The Age of Pleasure is filled with overall meanings, as well as each line packing a punch. The overarching message is woman power and self-empowerment, being touched on at least a little bit in each track. The first two songs, “Float” and “Champagne Shit,” celebrate liberation and confidence, starting the project with a heavy tone. Monae moves onto hyping her own self up, as well as the person she is with. She cites self empowerment as one of her main fights in life, however, she is often depicted as respecting herself greatly. Instead of the typical “wanting to get back together” or “showing pity,” Monae has no desire for either. She also hints at freedom and peace, which also tie back into the overarching message. All in all, upon listening, the project is packed with a plethora of strong messages that can attest to anyone, inspiring many.
Production
Production is certainly a diverse topic on this project, as the beginning sees more of a jazz or rock feel, while towards the end it sounds more reggae than all. The first two tracks feature trumpets and other brass instruments, which often bring the jazz or rock sensation. Monae also switches flows a handful of times in these early on tracks. Production utilizes breaks between lines or words, bringing more emphasis to the instrumental and the meaning. Getting further into the project, synthesizers are brought in, which creates an electric sound, of which Monae excels with. In “The Rush,” guitars are brought in to add more diversity, however, it falls short in many aspects. By the end of the project, the instrumentals are more geared towards reggae music, which again suits Monae quite well.
Vocal Performance
Monae’s vocals, alongside the stellar production, are at the top of the hill on The Age of Pleasure. Starting from the beginning to the end, there is very little shortage of good vocals. She conssitenly changes tempos, sounding phenomenal in each facet of them. There are songs in which Monae is heard singing, where she demonstrates clear vocal control and range. And then, there are songs in which she raps, where she also demonstrates great control, as well as flow. Oftentimes, she mends her voice flawlessly to match the production, which brings the best out of the songs she does. Tracks like, “Paid in Pleasure” or “Only Have Eyes 42,” feature wonderful vocals that are the highlight of the songs. In the latter of the two, Monae borders vocals of the great Bob Marley, where she again excels at, proving her strength in reggae.
Conclusion
The Age of Pleasure, although a great project, is definitely a weaker link in terms of the Album of the Year nominees. The meaningful project packs a punch from track one to track fourteen, elevating the desired listening. Vocals and production are also no short of excellent, as Monae masterfully meshes her vocals with the desired production techniques. All in all, The Age of Pleasure is a wonderful example of perfecting a diverse nature for an album, whilst still sticking true to your roots in the music world.
Song Rankings
- “Know Better” (feat. CKay, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80)
- “Float” (feat. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80)
- “Champagne Shit”
- “Paid In Pleasure”
- “Only Have Eyes 42”
- “Phenomenal” (feat. Doechi)
- “Water Slide”
- “Lipstick Lover”
- “The Rush” (feat. Nia Long & Amaarae)
- “A Dry Red”
- “Black Sugar Beach”
- “Haute”
- “The French 75” (feat. Sister Nancy)
- “Oooh La La” (feat. Grace Jones)
Strongest Track
“Know Better” is certainly the strongest track of the project. The production level on this song is nearly unmatched. Almost immediately, the listener is met with what sounds to be a whole band. The instruments brought on include: brass, drums, winds, etc… The tempo is wonderfully kept alongside Monae’s vocal performance. The features of the song all match the intentions, elevating the track to the top of the track list.
Final Notes
As always, take the reviews as opinion pieces. Not everyone will share the same views. As for these opinions, leave them below to share your thoughts. We also suggest subscribing to our emails to keep up to date with posts. To do so, go under the tab “Contact” and fill out the contact form. This will allow you to receive weekly emails of recaps. Finally, go give The Age of Pleasure a listen for yourself.