Sirens go do do

Janelle Monáe - "Violet Stars/Happy Hunting!"

I don't know much about Janelle Monáe, other than that she's Big Boi's protegé and that she was egregiously misused on the Idlewild soundtrack. Oh, and on the strength of "Violet Stars/Happy Hunting!" she's about to blow up. I just can't believe it hasn't happened yet.

The prevailing buzzword, of course, is "freak," and I couldn't conjure a better or more flattering descriptor. Monáe's as outrageous as Betty Davis; she writes pop songs about aliens (which puts her in the very respectable company of, I don't know, Kool Keith and David Bowie?); and her spiritual channelling of Prince is at least as convincing as Andre 3000's. Hell, she had me at "I'm a cyber girl without a face."

All pop music should be this smart.