Janelle Monae’s Metropolis: The Chase Suite took all of us by surprise. With no questions asked, we sat in the passenger’s seat, letting all of Janelle sink in. The aliens, the cyborgs, the social commentary, all set to Andre 3000 to the max.
She may have taken a few pointers from the book of 3000, but Janelle Monae is undeniably original. Unfortunately, Janelle has been slow to follow-up on her last release. However, she is not a stranger to commercial jingles. She has already worked with Coke and GAP — now car-maker Kia has commissioned Janelle Monae for their Kia Soul Collective, a group of artists promoting the Kia Soul. According to a press release:
The Collective is comprised of some of today’s hottest artists, thought leaders and influencers, including designer Jeff Staple, musician Janelle Monae, filmmakers Jonas + Francois and more. For the program, the participating members will generate original free content demonstrating “how they roll,” including original films, games and music. The original content will begin this month and be released throughout the year.
“Come Alive (The War of the Roses)” is Janelle’s contribution to the Kia Soul Collective. Janelle abandons the futuristic urban feel of Metropolis, and adapts her funky style into an overpowering, almost frightening rock ‘n’ roll number. I’ll file this one under “complete WIN.” That’s all. Listen to it below: Continue reading →
