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10.0
14070
10.0 |
The Irish Times
The biggest question of all after this supernova, jawdropping experience is where the hell Monae goes from here. You certainly won’t be alone in wanting to hitch a ride in her spaceship to get a taste of what comes next
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10.0
14123
10.0 |
State
The album is grounded in classic soul and funk and things get off to a manic start as songs flow into each other, one uptempo dance number after another
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10.0
14332
10.0 |
The Independent
Comparable to Prince in both her ambition and her reach
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10.0
14337
10.0 |
The Guardian
Behold, pop music has found its latest superstar
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10.0
18320
10.0 |
God Is In The TV
An album where futuristic eclectic tracks flow seamlessly into one and another, creating an 4th dimensional realm where Monae's elaborate and astonishing ideas are given room to breathe and grow
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9.1
19791
9.1 |
A.V. Club
Monáe’s inexhaustible swagger and singular style sell both the high-concept theatrics and the schizophrenic sonics
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9.0
14278
9.0 |
No Ripcord
Sometimes when albums garner seemingly endless praise - especially first efforts - it’s tempting to see it as little more than hyperbole, but with The ArchAndroid, Janelle Monáe has displayed that the excitement is entirely justified
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9.0
14402
9.0 |
Independent on Sunday
There's enough pop virtuosity to have you feasting until Christmas
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9.0
14201
9.0 |
Drowned In Sound
It’s brilliant; pretty much all of it ... Monáe has managed to flawlessly meld her influences into an unstoppable pop album that seems to have come from nowhere
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9.0
13947
9.0 |
BBC
She is an easy, natural star, and The ArchAndroid is a kaleidoscopic, breathless run through the genres and eras that have inspired her
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9.0
13010
9.0 |
PopMatters
It's funky and fantastic, futuristic but retro. It’s in a category of its own
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9.0
13012
9.0 |
Spin
Even at 18 tracks, The ArchAndroid feels condensed. What does it all mean? It feels like freedom
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9.0
13632
9.0 |
Rave Magazine
It’s a dense experience, both musically and lyrically, which rewards re-listening by opening like a puzzle box full of fantastic pop music
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9.0
13633
9.0 |
musicOMH
An album destined, surely, to take its place among the classics of its age
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9.0
13662
9.0 |
Sputnik Music (staff)
Monae has earned her place at the forefront of black music in 2010. This ballsy, funky, and furiously intelligent album is pop as everybody wishes it would be
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8.7
13007
8.7 |
Beats Per Minute
It’s easy to indulge in lazy hyperbole when you’re wowed by the introduction of an impressive new talent, but somehow, it doesn’t seem unfair to assume, based on the merits of her album, that Monáe may be one of the fresh artists to help redefine pop music in the new decade
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8.5
13014
8.5 |
Pitchfork
Where many concept albums run a high risk of being pompous, cryptic, and self-important, Monáe keeps things playful, lively, and accessible. It's a delicate balancing act, but Monáe and her band pull it off, resulting in an eccentric breakthrough that transcends its novelty
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8.0
13997
8.0 |
The Digital Fix
Will The ArchAndroid make it into our best of 2010 lists? The omens are good
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8.0
13771
8.0 |
The Skinny
There is a masterpiece here, but it’ll take a little skipping to find it
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8.0
14274
8.0 |
NME
Less a marriage of genres, more a sonic orgy. Print edition only
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8.0
14358
8.0 |
Evening Standard
Impeccable inspirations brought together by an extraordinary new talent
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8.0
14479
8.0 |
The Scotsman
More than a formidable natural-born soul star, she exhibits visionary ambition in realising such an audacious, layered piece of work
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8.0
14809
8.0 |
The Quietus
Is The ArchAndroid too sprawling for its own good, then? Absolutely. But brilliant pop is occasionally messy....the mightiest pop stars never backed away from a potentially gauche idea. Monae embraces her fair share. Welcome to pop salvation 3.0: bold, ambitious and now with a complimentary jar of brylcreem
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8.0
15983
8.0 |
Under The Radar
The ArchAngel succeeds at being an album of strong songs that incorporate the theme, providing a satisfying whole without struggling to wring songs from its story
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8.0
19803
8.0 |
All Music
Might not have much appeal beyond musical theater geeks, sci-fi nerds, and those who like their genres crossed-up, but no one can deny that very few are on her creative level
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8.0
19790
8.0 |
Slant Magazine
Where her ambition just barely gets the better of her abilities, she puts on such a relentlessly entertaining show that you can certainly understand why she thought she could pull the whole thing off
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7.5
13746
7.5 |
Prefix
Monáe has crafted an album that freely borrows ideas without adding much to the process
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7.0
13631
7.0 |
Rolling Stone
A sound and a look that are both visionary and retro, steeped in OutKast-style hip-hop while hearkening back to Cab Calloway and Fifties doo-wop and James Brown
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4.0
13874
4.0 |
Mojo
A case of bombastic ambition only occasionally matched by musical nous. Print edition only
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