MUSIC: Janelle Monáe

Pop music is a fickle thing. On one side, in order to be considered "pop," it needs to be inherently "popular." To be popular it needs to be liked by the masses which usually means any catchy, over-produced, auto-tune filled, drivel. Take a look at the current Top 40 Charts and it becomes evident that many of these "artists" will be one-hit wonders or punch lines on some "Remember the 2000's" rewind show on VH1.

True inventive pop-stars are hard to come by these days, which makes Janelle Monáe a diamond in the rough. Already possessing the young and cute qualities we, as shallow public, demand from our celebrities, Monáe is different. Not in a contrived Lady Gaga or gimmicky Ke$ha kind of way, but in a I've-never-heard-that-before stream of listening. The last time I remember having my ear turned this sharply was the first time I listened to Brit Lilly Allen's debut CD.

Check out Janelle Monáe's debut single "Tightrope", featuring Outkast's Big Boi, off her second album, The Archandroid. Visually combining doowop aspects of the 50's with the years gone by trend of songs that invent a dance, Monáe shuffles and smiles her way through a funk and big band infused piece of musical genius. Let's hope this is not the last time we hear from her.

Sergio del Limonar