Grammy's Album Of The Year Review: "Dirty Computer" - Janelle Monae

I've decided to bring back my Album Of The Year nominee reviews. The field got expanded this year, so expect a review a week or thereabout. I'll draw at random which album I'll review week to week. I score each track on whether it stands out, is merely okay, or is a miss. The final score will be out of a high of 200. 

(All Rights To Wondaland/Bad Boy/Atlantic Records)

"Dirty Computer" - Janelle Monae

1) "Dirty Computer" (ft/ Brian Wilson)

It contains a nice choir backing. This has a really nice groove.

2) "Crazy, Classic, Life"

This track is about just getting to be yourself; "We don't need another ruler, All of my friends are kings. I'm not America's nightmare, I'm the American dream". It gets sort of repetitive, but it picks back up in the outro.

3) "Take A Byte"

There's a 80's vibe to this. The backing instrumentals are really moving.

4) "Jane's Dream"

This is a brief interlude.

5) "Screwed" (ft/ Zoe Kravitz)

This really grooves. Its really catchy. "Screwed" goes into both innuendo and the general state of the U.S. In the bridge, Janelle demonstrates how sex can be used for both pleasure and power; "See if everything is sex except sex, which is power. You know power is just sex, you screw me and I'll screw you too...". 

6) "Django Jane"

This is about female empowerment. Janelle shouts out 'Pussy Riot' in the first verse; "And we gon' start a pussy riot, Or we gon' have to put 'em on a pussy diet. Look at that , I guarantee I got 'em quiet, Look at that I guarantee they all inspired".

7) "Pynk" (ft/ Grimes)

This has a funk beat. It tends to meander a bit.

8) "Make me Feel"

Starts out with a trippy sounding into, transitioning to a nice dance beat. This sounds very Janet Jackson-esque. 

9) "I Got The Juice" (ft/ Pharrell Williams)

There's a rough transition from "Make Me Feel" to this track. Overall it tends to be all over the place.

10) "I Like That"

This has a nice slow beat with smooth vocals. "I Like That" shares themes with "Make Me Feel" and "Django Jane".

11) "Don't Judge Me"

This track really changes it up. The flow of the backing instrumentals is really interesting.

12) "Stevie's Dream"

This is another interlude, containing spoken word from Stevie Wonder.

13) "So Afraid"

This has more of a 90's feel with a big moving vocal. "So Afraid" deals with Janelle's anxiety and vulnerabilities.

14) "Americans"

This is a really powerful closing track. It starts off with a gospel/choir intro, transitioning to a Madonna "Vogue" feel. Janelle gets into the various social issues ongoing in America, from racism to gender pay equity; "Seventy-nine cent to your dollar, All that bullshit from white-collars. You see my color before my vision, Sometimes I wonder if you were blind. Would it help you make a better decision?".

Unlike my last reviewed album (Drake's 'Scorpion'), "Dirty Computer" really flies and finds it place. From the beat to the thematic messaging and backing instrumentals, the album feels like its constantly flowing. 

 "Golden Hour": Kacey Musgraves - 169.2

"Invasion of Privacy": Cardi B - 161.5

"Dirty Computer": Janelle Monae - 150.1

"Black Panther: The Album" - 135.7

"Scorpion": Drake - 128