By Carolyn Richardson
In seven days, 25-year-old Janelle Monae, a rock & soul princess, has risen from seeming obscurity to taking on The King of Pop's rumored favorite song "Smile" and Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" -- two colossal songs that helped define their respective eras. With her electrifying performances of each, her talent ensures she won't be letting the elevator bring her down anytime soon.
The first song, Charlie Chaplin's "Smile," was featured on Billboard's Mashup Mondays last week with an intimate live performance of the song, with Monae's sultry voice only accompanied by soulful electric guitar. While many first learned of her unique style and James Brown-esque dance moves during her "Let's Go Crazy" tribute to Prince at last night's BET Awards, she has already amassed accolades for her own music.
Her first album release, Metropolis: The Chase Suite, included "Many Moons," which garnered a Grammy nod in 2009. She's even touched "American Idol," as the 2009 finale featured "Open Happiness," an inspirational song co-written by Monae. With the momentum that she continues to gain, a Grammy win may be in order with last month's release of her second album, The ArchAndroid, with its lead single "Tightrope" carrying a dance that is as entertaining and infectious as Michael Jackson's Moonwalk. A master in the studio and on stage, the singer/songwriter has shared the same stage as mega stars No Doubt, Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco and is currently on tour with Of Montreal. She's also firing up the tube, having appeared on "The Late Show with David Letterman," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" and “The Mo'Nique Show.”
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