Ok…I’m supposed to be finishing up my New York post but dis Janelle mutha-mutha Monáe has me in low key shock! It’s been like 5 years since her acclaimed last album The Electric Lady, she’s had a ton of success in cinema, and never ceases to amaze the fashion world with her lux partnerships but today decided she wanted to take us to another level.

Dirty Jane

Prince-inspired, colorful, sensual and highly SHEXY – Janelle Monáe came to disrupt the game with Make Me Feel.

Now look, I don’t care that she took her lil clothes off and is bustin’ out as a proud member of the Rainbow Coalition. She looks amazing, has always been fit and has always had her sexuality questioned throughout her career. As a fan, what I care about is chick being true to herself and baby she’s doing just that! She has her lil rumored bae all in the video and is YOLOing all over the place. I definitely clenched my pearls a couple of times but I’m pretty sure I saw this whole situation coming, I mean I am a fan after all.

Y’all know she has never really been the overtly sexual so it’s pretty interesting to see her explore this part of herself. And I mean there were some slightly awkward moments in there but hey, Janelle and her see-through pants decided to shoot her shot. I know it’s going to be some HIGHLY upset mothers out there because Dirty Jane obviously gives no effs and is making it all the way known. Check it out below.

Django Jane

And because one video clearly wasn’t enough to snatch wigs…chick came out with TWO! I mean seriously, this is probably my favorite side so far. Give me Django Jane any day of the week and I will live my rapper fantasies out through her.

I feel like this was also a long time coming, especially after that epicness she dropped in Q.U.E.E.N. and that whole introduction to the video about legendary rebels. Come on, we saw this coming too. I also feel like her artist/labelmate Jidenna definitely had some influence on this woke-Jane we have here. It’s such a culturally rich visual with beautiful colors and strong punchlines declaring her femininity and power. We definitely need more of this strength from our fave artists.

And y’all! She was even cussing in these songs and I’m just sitting like OhMahGah!!! She’s doing all the things! Take a listen if you don’t believe me.

Read more about Ms. Monáe’s liberation HERE. Believe me, it’s dope and I’m too excited about Dirty Computer dropping in April. <3

-D.Wright

What up party peoppppppppllleeeee!?

Ok, it’s been a month and I will try to never do that again. I totes missed writing to you all and was keeping myself busy between the Sounds About Wright Facebook and Instagram. Anywho, all the things have been going on and maybe I’ll draft up a post for tomorrow to run it back but I wanted to tell you about my new fave…Rhyon Brown.

I mean COME ON! We’re both pocket-sized, we both have “boy” names, AND we both had the woes of our college years to build the drive for our musical aspirations. I was sold in like 2 seconds, ok five minutes but she’s adorbs. Rhyon sings dances and acts. Can we say triple threat?

Note: The only acting I plan on doing is voiceover work for Disney cartoons but this girl it the real deal!

This cute little nugget has apparently been on the scene in LA for quite some time, acting and singing on a couple very popular shows, and released her Pretty Girl film just last week! Needless to say it’s winning over hearts and ears with each passing day.

I don’t want to dive in too deep right now, but check it out! She has a great story that is so relatable and easy to follow. You can absolutely feel her authenticity which is definitely rare for me to experience from these cute little pop-tarts born and bred from the glitzy streets of Los Angeles. However, this girl is different. She’s got a good blend of slick and real going on here. Rhyon comes off as a young woman with a message, a journey to share and a spirit that can spread some much needed light in the ever so dark world of entertainment.

Let me know what you think! I’m excited to hear from you. <3

-D.Wright

I’m not much of a Taylor Swift fan, I mean I’m not technically in her demo of listeners…but when I heard she was coming out with a new song for her upcoming album release, I was interested in seeing where she would take her creative direction.

Then the internet blew up. Two Wednesdays ago, clips of her “controversial” single and press was released around Taylor’s new visual for “Look What You Made Me Do” and social media did not disappoint with there reaction. People were big mad. The memes were savage, and the think-piecies overflowed with criticism of Taylor’s whole victim-image and rip-off Lemonade persona. Dude, they even dubbed her video Minute Maid. And yes, I laughed because it was clever as all get out (#IAintSorry) but the criticism was so raw even Joseph Kahn felt the need to step in and defend their work.

You know what though…I love music so I watched it. Even past the whole “I don’t like your tilted stage” line (giggles). I’m sitting there like “ohhhh she really thinks she’s doing something.” I mean everyone knows they hate each other and we’re all sadly entertained by it but I was hoping it wouldn’t be all she would lead with. And I’m glad to say it wasn’t. Tay-Tay went all kinds of cray cray and with her video and there were secret messages galore. Exciting, I know right. If you’re a Swifty, you can check out a few of them HERE or HERE.

Now you might be wondering how I personally feel about the song and the clip. It’s not for me but I get it. I’m sure it’s already #1 on the charts, her fans adore her. The video did give me a few chuckles and it was not as Beyoncé-esk as one might think. Kahn was right. People call it genius, I just call it well directed. It’s not hard to reference things in the video if you follow her story. It didn’t use enough of my brain cells for me to think it was deep. I just know she’s definitely got a chip on her shoulder and is telling the world little nice Tay-Tay is dead. Now she’s sassy, edgy Tay-Tay that twirls with “the kids” and doesn’t need to play guitar or write hit songs for huge pop stars to prove she’s hot. Yeah girl, go you! And by the way…I still don’t know “what they made her do.” Kill her old self and bring out her inner tigress? I dunno, maybe that.

Anywho, give it a go for yourself and leave me your thoughts below! <3

-D.Wright

Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone.

I love Haim. Why do I love them? They’re a quirky, rhythmic, poppy yet soulful rock band – that’s why. The Haim sisters are winning fans over left and right, so I naturally have to introduce you to them.

One of my best friends put me on to their music some summers ago and I never let up. I’ve gone years playing their first album, Days Are Gone just up until last week and that’s only because their new LP (Something to Tell You) was released. It’s fun, you have to check it out.

These girls are genuine and have a sweet natural chemistry. I guess they should since they’re sisters and all. Danielle, Este and Alana are your quintessential girls-next-door who are super goofy and cute in this perfect mix of anti-hipster meets rock goddess. The stories they tell are relatable and there’s something groovy about their music. Yes, groovy. I just feel like I want to dance when I listen to them and I seriously mean it. You can’t help it! I literally cook in the kitchen and dance to their albums with no tragic grease fires or missing limbs to report. You might not be so lucky but try a good Haim inspired kitchen jam session at least once.

Last thought, I appreciate how their interesting blend of influences organically resonate through their sound. They’re the perfect recipe of your favorite meal and worth at least one good listen. The jury is still out on my favorite song but just know, I’ll be keeping this little musical jewel on repeat. <3

-D. Wright

Photo courtesy of Electric Guest’s iTunes.

We all have that one thing we’ve had a hard time letting go of and LA pop duo, Electric Guest, found a cool way to sing about it. Their rhythmic, yet troubled Summer banger “Oh Devil” draws you in and before you know it, you’re grooving like Kuzco. I enjoy it so much that I’ve officially made it my car jam until the Fall drops. I bump it with the windows down as if they’re talking about me being this irresistible vixen they couldn’t detox from. I don’t even want to be that person or know what they’re really talking about, but that’s how shexy (yes shexy) this track is. The crazy thing is this song is likely about any devil you might be dealing with. It’s deep, but sooooooo fun. It makes me want to bust out the red lipstick and fluff my hair for a night out on the town. I don’t care what devil it is, I just want to dance about it.

Photo courtesy of Billboard.

I mean when I first heard it, I was checking out the LA Pops playlist on Spotify (it’s amazing by the way, if you’re into discovering new talent). The song took me away and I immediately felt like I should be dancing somewhere with warm LED lights bouncing off my skin. Note to you: play this, if you want to get me going. It’s totally Ellen-worthy, she only dances to the best and I could see her busting moves on this one. And if you can get past the slightly creepy chant at the end, you’ll be fine. Just heed my warning, when you hear it, you’ll definitely want to get your groove on.

Photo courtesy of The Line of Best Fit.

Oh Devil naturally reminded of pop contemporaries from the 90’s/00’s era. It felt slick and familiar on the first listen. If you dig into the rest of the Plural album, it gets pretty interesting. This eccentric duo does not disappoint on bringing out colorful, warm sounds and moody mid-tempo tunes. They experiment with your vibe and tickle at your emotions. If you can’t sing, you will by the end of it.

And you might be wondering who these dudes actually are. Electric Guest is an indie-pop band from LA, comprised of two super eclectic guys (Asa Taccone and Michael Compton). They met by chance and immediately started collaborating on music. The duo released their first album “Mondo” in 2012, independently, and has steadily grown their base over the last five years. As for the obvious. I like them. There are a few songs on the album that might be a less relatable and oddly placed/selected but their music makes sense for me. Even if you check out their site, you’ll see that it all works in the favor of their interesting aesthetic.

If you’re someone who’s adventurous, I think you’ll like them. They are not too experimental where they fly over your head but too obvious to where you feel like you’ve lost brain cells because you enjoyed them. No guilty pleasure vibes here buddy, not at all. <3

-D.Wright