Janelle Monae On World Cafe
Janelle Monae performed lived on World Cafe.
Set List
- "Dance or Die"
- "Faster"
- "Locked Inside"
- "Tightrope"
Janelle Monae is a fiery and energetic wonderball of a performer, one who sings, writes songs, dances and acts
Monae first tried her hand on Broadway, but soon realized that her true calling was music. And what a strange calling it is. Monae's music involves a futuristic vision centered around her android alter-ego, Cindy Mayweather, a hero and rebel within the android community. Her Metropolis EP, originally released on her own Wondaland Arts Society label and later on Bad Boy Records, opens the epic tale and serves as the first movement of her four-movement concept, which was later explored on this year's full-length, The ArchAndroid, one of NPR Music's Favorite 50 albums of 2010.
Mixing orchestral arrangements with funk, soul, pop and rock, Monae covers it all. Listen to her perform live in the WXPN studios and chat with World Cafe host David Dye.
This World Cafe segment originally aired Dec. 22, 2010.
More World Cafe

World Cafe
Janiva Magness On World Cafe
The blues singer plays songs from her new album, Stronger For It, live in the studio.

World Cafe
The History Of The Wrecking Crew On World Cafe
The author of The Wrecking Crew talks about the influential group of 1960s musicians.

World Cafe
Joachim Cooder On World Cafe
The drummer and son of Ry Cooder performs songs from his "soundtrack without a film."


Comments
Please keep your community civil. All comments must follow the NPR.org Community rules and terms of use. See also the Community FAQ.
NPR reserves the right to read on the air and/or publish on its website or in any medium now known or unknown the e-mails and letters that we receive. We may edit them for clarity or brevity and identify authors by name and location. For additional information, please consult our Terms of Use.