'Emotional extremes-- elation, heartbreak, fury, romantic obsession-- are pop's bread and butter; they're inherently dramatic and totally relatable. So it's a curiosity and event when a great pop song comes along about... equanimity. With the moral authority of a Sunday School teacher and showmanship of a Cirque du Soleil ringleader, Monáe rails against high highs and low lows-- specifically, against letting either sycophantic praise or jealous disses go to your head. That's good advice for target-hoisting famous folks like Monáe who get a lot of both, but what about the rest of us?
Everything from "Tightrope"'s taut body-popping funk beats to its note-perfect brass sallies to Big Boi's well-cued entrance make Monáe seem preternaturally confident, in-control, even unapproachable. But consider: In every orchestrated wire walk is the ever-present danger of taking one wrong step. And that's why we're down on the ground, holding our collective breath that she won't.'
--Amy Granzin
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