Janelle Monáe (the female James Brown)
American soul sensation Janelle Monáe has a career that's going viral!
When this sensation is on stage, "the funky is on!" The amazing energy that Janelle has on stage has earned her the moniker the girl version of James Brown. Her concert at Latitude Festival this weekend was no exception.
Gettin' funky
If you've never seen her go, imagine this: Janelle's fancy footwork would be at home on stage next to Michael Jackson ("We gettin' funky on the scene!") Ability to moonwalk seems to be somewhat of a requirement for Janelle's entourage (as does wearing retro suits).
Janelle shows off her moves on stage but also in her numerous videos (like "Tightrope," where she sings and moonwalks on top of a table.)
Roots..
Janelle was born in Kansas City, Kansas, a city that rivals New Orleans for American jazz. KCK is best known for its rich history of African-American musicians.
J's dancing feet and vocal range were discovered by OutKast's Big Boi and soon after, she was signed with P. Diddy's Bad Boy label. She went on to found Wondaland Arts Society with like-minded musicians.
Since then, Janelle has sung her way into stardom. In 2009, she earned a Grammy shout-out for "Many Moons." In 2010, she was nominated again for a Grammy, this time for her first studio-recorded album "The ArchAndroid."
A recent boost to Janelle's already high profile was a cameo in the music video "We are Young" by the American band fun.
Take a look at her look
Not only does Janelle have a show-stopping voice (the definition of soul) and daring dancing, but she also has a look all her own.
Janelle's look comes in perfect tandem with the retro image of soul sound.
She is known for her serious quiff, which makes for a stunning silhouette (you can see this on her Web site). The other signature part of Janelle's look is her boyish apparel: for Janelle, suspenders are a resounding "yes" as are collared tuxedo shirts, bow-ties and black pants.
"The tux grounds me," she said of her trademark look to "Honey" magazine.
"Ill go crazy"
Janelle balances her statement tomboy chic with a beauty look that is simple, sweet and girly.
"I don't want to cloud myself with too many colours or I'll go crazy," she once said to "Honey" magazine.
While J often uses a simple pink lip gloss, for her concert this past weekend, she chose retro red lipstick and co-ordinating red nails to go with her retro sound and look.
To maximize her batting average, Janelle's lashes tend to be ultra thick, ultra bold and paired with dark eyeliner. A girly shade of rosy blush brings out Janelle's cheeks.
An android herself
Above all, Janelle Monáe confounds music and style categorization.
Example: a music journliast for "The Telegraph" once wrote that Janelle is a "super-musical cross between James Brown, Judy Garland, Andre 3000 and Steve Jobs, invented to test the desperate incredulity of music journalists."
Have mercy on us, Janelle.
