Sean “Diddy” Combs has announced yesterday the signing of acclaimed new artist Janelle Monáe to Bad Boy Records.
She makes her solo recording debut with the groundbreaking “METROPOLIS” project, an epic musical journey into the future which introduces Janelle’s android alter ego, Cindi Mayweather, an alien from outer space who is on the run from evil cyborgs who want to capture her because she broke the law by falling in love with a human...
“Metropolis" is a innovative, cheeky, sci-fi themed debut that crosses musical genres: from R&B to Funk to Rock 'n' Roll.
The lyrics are fresh, the vocals are crisp and smooth and Janelle is just bewitching.

She chose to release her album in four different EPs or "suites", the first being the 5-track EP, The Chase. Her debut full-length album (containing all four EPs) will follow in September.

Check out her incredibly polished website and My Space page.

See her live:

03.Apr.2008 19:00	The Blender Theatre at Gramercy	New York, New York
10.-13.Apr. 2008 20:00	Atlanta Ballet (Fox Theatre)	Atlanta, Georgia
25.Apr.2008 20:00	Don Cheadle’s "Darfur Now²" Documentary	Atlanta, Georgia
04.Mai.2008 20:00	Private Event (San Francisco, CA)	San Francisco, California
05.Mai.2008 20:00	Private Event (Los Angeles, CA)	Los Angeles, California

Excerpt from press release:
"On the concept of the suite release:
The concept of the suite release was inspired by the observation that the iPod generation no longer buy or listen to entire albums, they listen to playlists. They grab their favorite three to four songs from a particular album, add those to a playlist, and then discard the rest of the album like yesterday's news. In order to re-excite the public, the label is forced to do guest spots and remixes, additional videos and deluxe CD releases....all in a vain attempt to intrigue the record buyer again. With this in mind, the Wondaland Arts Society has decided to release Janelle Monáe's content in a quarterly "suite" fashion. Like successful serial programs such as Lost or Heroes, this release schedule allows dynamic artists such as Janelle Monáe to always stay fresh: she will always have a new chapter or musical world to visit, a new song raiding blogs and earbuds. As one can imagine, this suite model continually excites the consumer and music lover, while creating countless opportunities for Ms. Monáe to experiment artistically and grow creatively with her audience." (from www.janellemonae.com)