# The ArchAndroid

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2010 studio album by Janelle Monáe

The ArchAndroid Studio album by Janelle Monáe Released May 18, 2010 (2010-05-18) Studio Wondaland, Atlanta, Georgia Genre Progressive soul[1] alternative R&B[2] psychedelic pop[3] psychedelic soul[4] Length 68:35 Label Wondaland Arts Society Bad Boy Atlantic Producer Chuck Lightning Janelle Monáe Kevin Barnes Nate "Rocket" Wonder Roman GianArthur Janelle Monáe chronology Metropolis: The Chase Suite (2007) The ArchAndroid (2010) The Electric Lady (2013) Singles from The ArchAndroid "Tightrope" Released: February 11, 2010 "Cold War" Released: August 8, 2010

***The ArchAndroid*** is the debut studio album by American singer and songwriter [Janelle Monáe](/source/Janelle_Mon%C3%A1e), released on May 18, 2010, by Wondaland Arts Society, [Bad Boy Records](/source/Bad_Boy_Records), and [Atlantic Records](/source/Atlantic_Records). Production for the album took place at Wondaland Studios in Atlanta and was primarily handled by Monáe, Nate "Rocket" Wonder, and Chuck Lightning, with only one song without production by Monáe. She also collaborated for certain songs with [Saul Williams](/source/Saul_Williams), [Big Boi](/source/Big_Boi), [of Montreal](/source/Of_Montreal), and [Deep Cotton](/source/Deep_Cotton).

The album is composed of the second and third parts to Monáe's *Metropolis* [concept album](/source/Concept_album) series. Incorporating conceptual elements of [Afrofuturism](/source/Afrofuturism) and [science fiction](/source/Science_fiction), *The ArchAndroid* continues the series' fictional tale of a messianic [android](/source/Android_(robot)) and features lyrical themes of love, identity, and self-realization. Critical commentaries have compared the album to the works of [David Bowie](/source/David_Bowie), [Outkast](/source/Outkast), [Prince](/source/Prince_(musician)) and [Michael Jackson](/source/Michael_Jackson).

*The ArchAndroid* debuted at number 17 on the US [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200), selling 21,000 copies in its first week, while charting modestly in several other countries. Monáe promoted the album with the release of two singles – "[Tightrope](/source/Tightrope_(Janelle_Mon%C3%A1e_song))" and "[Cold War](/source/Cold_War_(song))" – and [concert tours](/source/Concert_tour) in 2010 and 2011. A widespread critical success, *The ArchAndroid* received praise for its thematic concepts and Monáe's eclectic musical range. It later ranked among 2010's best albums in many critics' lists and earned the singer a [Grammy Award](/source/Grammy_Award) nomination for [Best Contemporary R&B Album](/source/Best_Contemporary_R%26B_Album).

## Writing and recording

Monáe discussing the album at the 2010 [Pop Conference](/source/Museum_of_Pop_Culture)

*The ArchAndroid* follows [Janelle Monáe](/source/Janelle_Mon%C3%A1e)'s debut EP *[Metropolis: The Chase Suite](/source/Metropolis%3A_The_Chase_Suite)* (2007) and is composed as the second and third parts to her *Metropolis* [concept](/source/Concept_album) series.[5] Partly inspired by the 1927 [film of the same name](/source/Metropolis_(1927_film)),[6] the series involves the fictional tale of Cindi Mayweather, a messianic [android](/source/Android_(robot)) sent back in time to free the citizens of Metropolis from The Great Divide, a secret society that uses [time travel](/source/Time_travel) to suppress freedom and love.[5]

In an interview for the *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*, Monáe said that she drew inspiration for the album from the quotation, "The mediator between the hand and the mind is always the heart".[6] She explained her incorporation of the android as a metaphor for the [minority](/source/Minority_group), in addition to being the role of the story's protagonist. In an interview for *[Blues & Soul](/source/Blues_%26_Soul)*, Monáe said the character "represents the mediator between the haves and the have-nots, the minority and the majority. So in that way she's very similar to [Neo](/source/Neo_(The_Matrix)), the Archangel from '*[The Matrix](/source/The_Matrix)*'. And basically her return will mean freedom for the android community".[5]

Monáe has said about the recording sessions, "Over the last year and a half when we were recording the *ArchAndroid* I went through a very transformative period in my life". Monáe completed the album in Atlanta at the Wondaland Studios.[7] Monáe has stated that the album signifies "breaking the chains that enslave minorities of all types".[8] She has said of recording the album, "Overall, this music came from various corners of the world—from Turkey to Prague to Atlanta—places we were on tour. While recording, we’d experiment with different sounds. Once we became engulfed in the sound, we all had an emotional connection to the album. It has definitely transformed my way of thinking, the way that I approach the stage and overall, my life".[7]

## Music and lyrics

Monáe has stated that the album's musical influences encompass "all the things I love, scores for films like *[Goldfinger](/source/Goldfinger_(film))* mixed with albums like [Stevie Wonder](/source/Stevie_Wonder)'s *[Music of My Mind](/source/Music_of_My_Mind)* and [David Bowie](/source/David_Bowie)'s *[Ziggy Stardust](/source/The_Rise_and_Fall_of_Ziggy_Stardust_and_the_Spiders_from_Mars)*, along with [experimental](/source/Experimental_music) [hip hop](/source/Hip_hop) influences from albums such as [Outkast](/source/Outkast)'s *[Stankonia](/source/Stankonia)*".[5] Huw Jones of *[Slant Magazine](/source/Slant_Magazine)* described her sound as "a unique gray area between [neo soul](/source/Neo_soul), [funk](/source/Funk), and [art rock](/source/Art_rock)".[9] Music writer [Greg Kot](/source/Greg_Kot) stated that the album "touches on" musical genres such as funk, hip hop, [folk](/source/Folk_music), [electro-pop](/source/Synth-pop), [glam rock](/source/Glam_rock), [big-band jazz](/source/Big-band_jazz), [rock](/source/Rock_music) and [classical music](/source/Classical_music).[6]

Advertisement for the 1927 film *[Metropolis](/source/Metropolis_(1927_film))*; the album draws heavily on the film's futuristic themes.

Monáe has stated that the album's lyrical themes and storyline were heavily influenced by [Fritz Lang](/source/Fritz_Lang)'s *[Metropolis](/source/Metropolis_(1927_film))*. Conceptually, Kot described the album as "a self-empowerment manifesto couched inside a futuristic 'emotion-picture' about an android’s battle to overcome oppression. The notion of space travel and 'new worlds' becomes a metaphor for breaking the chains that enslave minorities of all types – a theme that has a long tradition in [African-American music](/source/African-American_music), from [Sun Ra](/source/Sun_Ra) and [Parliament-Funkadelic](/source/Parliament-Funkadelic) to [Cannibal Ox](/source/Cannibal_Ox) and OutKast".[6] *[The Atlantic](/source/The_Atlantic)*'s Brentin Mock called *The ArchAndroid* "unique, forward-looking, and apoplectic... something of a jitterbug between Prince's 1986 movie *[Under the Cherry Moon](/source/Under_the_Cherry_Moon)* and the 1977 Watts movie *[Killer of Sheep](/source/Killer_of_Sheep)*, and *[Daughters of the Dust](/source/Daughters_of_the_Dust)*".[10] Seth Colter Walls of *[Newsweek](/source/Newsweek)* described the album as "rocking in parts like *[Dirty Mind](/source/Dirty_Mind)*–era [Prince](/source/Prince_(musician)), unfolding in a suite form that recalls *[Abbey Road](/source/Abbey_Road)*'s side two, and bumping throughout with the best innovations of contemporary hip-hop".[11]

The opening song "Dance or Die" features performer [Saul Williams](/source/Saul_Williams) and contains neo soul influences. It then transitions into "Faster", which has [new wave](/source/New_wave_music),[12] [gospel](/source/Gospel_music) and [retro](/source/Retro_art) [pop](/source/Pop_music) influences. The song "Locked Inside" features a rhythm similar to the opening [break](/source/Break_(music)) from "[Rock with You](/source/Rock_with_You)" by [Michael Jackson](/source/Michael_Jackson), and it has been compared to Jackson's music with [Quincy Jones](/source/Quincy_Jones).[13] It has also been noted[*[by whom?](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Manual_of_Style/Words_to_watch#Unsupported_attributions)*] for similarities to artists such as [Estelle](/source/Estelle_(musician)) and [The Jackson 5](/source/The_Jackson_5). The track features a more mellow [R&B](/source/Contemporary_R%26B) style in contrast to the previous tracks. "Sir Greendown" continues with this theme and has "old-fashioned" pop themes. The track "[Cold War](/source/Cold_War_(song))" is a song with new wave tendencies which has big hooks and "sugar fuelled" beat influences.[13]

The track "[Tightrope](/source/Tightrope_(Janelle_Mon%C3%A1e_song))", featuring vocals by [Big Boi](/source/Big_Boi) (from the hip hop duo Outkast), has influences from the duo's single "[Hey Ya!](/source/Hey_Ya!)" (2003) and a sound described as "[funky](/source/Funk) [soul](/source/Soul_music)"[12] and [neojump blues](/source/Jump_blues).[14] The album's ninth track is "Oh, Maker", a song with [English pastoral folk](/source/English_folk_music) influences.[15] "[Come Alive (The War of the Roses)](/source/Come_Alive_(The_War_of_the_Roses))" has been described as having rock and [punk](/source/Punk_rock) themes. "Mushrooms & Roses" is the next track on the album and it has themes of [psychedelic music](/source/Psychedelic_music) and it has influences by such songs as [The Beatles](/source/The_Beatles)' "[Strawberry Fields Forever](/source/Strawberry_Fields_Forever)" and Prince's "[Purple Rain](/source/Purple_Rain_(song))". The next track, "Make the Bus", features [of Montreal](/source/Of_Montreal) on vocal parts and it has been compared to such artists as [Placebo](/source/Placebo_(band)) and [George Clinton](/source/George_Clinton_(funk_musician)). The song "Wondaland" has a [synth-pop](/source/Synth-pop) sound and has been compared to the work of [Tom Tom Club](/source/Tom_Tom_Club).[12] [Deep Cotton](/source/Deep_Cotton) guest-stars on the song "57821" which has been described as "[space](/source/Space_rock)-folk"[12] and has been compared to works by [Simon & Garfunkel](/source/Simon_%26_Garfunkel). This is followed by the track "Say You'll Go" and features a segment from "[Clair de lune](/source/Clair_de_lune_(Debussy))" by [Claude Debussy](/source/Claude_Debussy).[16]

## Marketing and sales

In late September 2009, "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)" was released as a free promotional single by [Kia Motors](/source/Kia_Motors), which featured Monáe as a member of their "Kia Soul Collective" of musicians and artists.[17][18] "Tightrope" (featuring Big Boi) was released as *The ArchAndroid*'s [lead single](/source/Lead_single) on February 11, 2010, through *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))*'s website, with a companion song entitled "Cold War" debuting the following day via Monáe's official website.[19] On March 31, the video for "Tightrope" was released presenting Monáe dancing in the Palace of the Dogs also starring Big Boi.[20] Monáe performed the song on the *[Late Show with David Letterman](/source/Late_Show_with_David_Letterman)* on May 18, 2010,[21] *[The Ellen DeGeneres Show](/source/The_Ellen_DeGeneres_Show)* on May 26, *[Lopez Tonight](/source/Lopez_Tonight)* on May 27, *[Last Call with Carson Daly](/source/Last_Call_with_Carson_Daly)* on May 28,[22] and *[The Mo'Nique Show](/source/The_Mo'Nique_Show)* on June 9.[23] *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)* later named "Tightrope" as the eighth best single of 2010.[24]

To promote the album, Monáe hosted a listening session for press and VIPs at Rubin Museum of Art in New York City on March 4, 2010.[25] A short film, teaser trailer style, was released on April 14 on [YouTube](/source/YouTube) showing an aerial view of the fictional futuristic city of Metropolis.[26] Monáe also performed at the [2010 ESPY Awards](/source/2010_ESPY_Awards) (joined on stage by comedian [Will Ferrell](/source/Will_Ferrell)),[27] *[Later... with Jools Holland](/source/Later..._with_Jools_Holland)* (where she performed the album-track "Faster"),[28] and *Last Call with Carson Daly* (where she performed "Cold War").[29][30]

Monáe performing with her band at the 2011 [Sudoeste Festival](/source/MEO_Sudoeste)

*The ArchAndroid* was released on May 18, 2010, through Wondaland Arts Society and [Bad Boy Records](/source/Bad_Boy_Records).[19] In the week of June 5, it debuted at number 17 on the US [*Billboard* 200](/source/Billboard_200) chart,[31] selling 21,000 copies.[32] During the week of February 23, 2011, the album re-entered the *Billboard* 200 at number 171, after selling 3,000 copies that week.[33] In the United Kingdom, *The ArchAndroid* debuted at number 51 on the [UK Albums Chart](/source/UK_Albums_Chart).[34]

Monáe [toured](/source/Concert_tour) in further support of the album. She joined recording artist [Erykah Badu](/source/Erykah_Badu) on the latter's [Out My Mind, Just in Time Tour](/source/Out_My_Mind%2C_Just_in_Time_Tour) during May to June 2010.[26] In February 2011, Hooligans in Wondaland [*[sic](/source/Sic)*] – a joint co-headlining tour by Monáe with [Bruno Mars](/source/Bruno_Mars) – was announced. The concert tour featured dates throughout North America from May to June.[35][36] Monáe also toured as a supporting act for [No Doubt](/source/No_Doubt) and [Paramore](/source/Paramore).[7]

## Critical reception

The ArchAndroid ratings Aggregate scores Source Rating AnyDecentMusic? 8.5/10[37] Metacritic 91/100[38] Review scores Source Rating AllMusic [12] The A.V. Club A−[39] Chicago Tribune [40] Entertainment Weekly A−[41] The Guardian [15] Los Angeles Times [42] NME 8/10[43] Pitchfork 8.5/10[44] Rolling Stone [14] Spin 9/10[45]

*The ArchAndroid* was met with widespread critical acclaim. At [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic), which assigns a [normalized](/source/Standard_score) rating out of 100 to reviews from professional publications, the album received an [average](/source/Weighted_arithmetic_mean) score of 91, based on 28 reviews.[38] One of 2010's best-reviewed releases, the album received praise for its Afrofuturistic concept and Monáe's eclectic musical range.[46]

Reviewing for the *Chicago Tribune*, Greg Kot hailed *The ArchAndroid* as "an audacious, sometimes bewildering statement",[40] and [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) critic Andy Kellman called it "an extravagant 70-minute album involving more imagination, conceptual detail, and stylistic turnabouts than most gatefold prog rock epics".[12] *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)*'s Michael Cragg found the "sheer musical scope" of the album "spellbinding",[15] while Barry Walters of *[Spin](/source/Spin_(magazine))* noted [German Expressionism](/source/German_Expressionism_(cinema)) and [Afrofuturism](/source/Afrofuturism) as conceptual elements on an album wherein Monáe ventures "so far away from soul that she's come back around to it".[45] [Jon Pareles](/source/Jon_Pareles) from *[The New York Times](/source/The_New_York_Times)* remarked that "Monáe gets away with most of her metamorphoses, and the sheer ambition is exhilarating even when she stretches too far".[47] Matthew Cole from *Slant Magazine* described it as "an elaborately performed and consummately freaky [cyberpunk](/source/Cyberpunk) epic ... so stylistically leftfield in terms of its sound".[48] *[The A.V. Club](/source/The_A.V._Club)*'s Genevieve Koski wrote that "Monáe’s inexhaustible swagger and singular style sell both the high-concept theatrics and the schizophrenic sonics".[39] *Pitchfork*'s Matthew Perpetua called the album "about as bold as mainstream music gets, marrying the world-building possibilities of the concept album to the big tent genre-mutating pop of Michael Jackson and Prince in their prime".[44] Perpetua elaborated on Monáe's incorporation of science-fiction and Afrofuturist concepts and the album's "basic appeal", stating:

Her imagination and iconography deepen the record as an experience and give her license to go far out, but it ultimately serves as a fun, flashy framework for pop songs with universal lyrical sentiments. The first of the two suites mainly deals with identity and self-realization; the second is essentially a set of love songs. As with all the musical genres blended into *The ArchAndroid*, Monáe uses the conventions of science fiction as a means of communication, tapping into mythic archetypes for their immediate resonance and power. And where many concept albums run a high risk of being pompous, cryptic, and self-important, Monáe keeps things playful, lively, and accessible. It's a delicate balancing act ... resulting in an eccentric breakthrough that transcends its novelty.[44]

*[Urb](/source/Urb_(magazine))*'s Dan Vidal called the album "a spectrum of sound—packed and arranged perfectly into a masterfully composed (debut) full-length body of work... [a] genre-defying masterpiece".[49] Comparing it to singer [Janet Jackson](/source/Janet_Jackson)'s *[Rhythm Nation 1814](/source/Rhythm_Nation_1814)* (1989), Brentin Mock of *The Atlantic* called *The ArchAndroid* "a smothered funk, though perhaps at times too thick, too inaccessible, but not so much I didn't want to shake my ass" and viewed it as musically progressive, stating "Monáe has given pop music its first [Toni Morrison](/source/Toni_Morrison) moment, where fantasy, funk, and the ancestors come together for an experience that evolves one's soul... You really don't know whether you want to diagram it, dance to it, or just be dumbstruck. It owes as much to Parliament-Funkadelic as it does to [Samuel R. Delany](/source/Samuel_R._Delany) and [Octavia E. Butler](/source/Octavia_E._Butler). She is finally doing what a number of artists—particularly black artists—have not been able to do in years, and that's move pop music forward".[10] [Robert Christgau](/source/Robert_Christgau) was less impressed in *[The Barnes & Noble Review](/source/The_Barnes_%26_Noble_Review)*, deeming it "the most overrated album of the year" while writing that Monáe's "songwriting is 60th percentile, her singing technical, her sci-fi plot the usual rot".[50]

### Accolades

*The ArchAndroid* appeared on many year-end critics lists ranking the best albums of 2010.[51] It topped lists by several publications,[52] including *PopMatters*,[53] the *Chicago Tribune*,[54] and *The Guardian*, which published the following assessment: "No other album this year seems so alive with possibility. Monáe is young and fearless enough to try anything, gifted enough to pull almost all of it off, and large-hearted enough to make it feel like a communal experience: Us rather than Me".[55] In other year-end lists, *The ArchAndroid* placed second (*[Paste](/source/Paste_(magazine))*),[56] fifth (*[Vibe](/source/Vibe_(magazine))*'s Chris Yuscavage),[57] sixth (Nitsuh Abebe of *[New York](/source/New_York_(magazine))*[58] and *Spin*),[59] eighth ([MTV](/source/MTV)[60] and *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)*),[61] and 21st (*[NME](/source/NME)*).[62] In ranking it number 12, *Pitchfork* called it a "hugely ambitious full-length debut—more *[Sign o' the Times](/source/Sign_o'_the_Times)* than *[Kid A](/source/Kid_A)*".[63] The publication also included the album at number 116 on a list ranking the best from the 2010s decade.[64]

In *[The Village Voice](/source/The_Village_Voice)*'s annual [Pazz & Jop](/source/Pazz_%26_Jop) critics poll, *The ArchAndroid* was voted the fourth best album of 2010,[65] while five of its songs appeared in the poll's singles list: "Tightrope" (number two), "Cold War" (number 22), "Wondaland", "Locked Inside", and "Sir Greendown" (the latter three tied for number 549).[66] Additionally, *The ArchAndroid* was nominated for a [Grammy Award](/source/Grammy_Award) in the category of [Best Contemporary R&B Album](/source/Best_Contemporary_R%26B_Album) for the [53rd Annual Grammy Awards](/source/53rd_Annual_Grammy_Awards) (2011).[67] The album later featured in the book *[1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die](/source/1001_Albums_You_Must_Hear_Before_You_Die)* (2014).[68]

## Track listing

All tracks produced by [Nate "Rocket" Wonder](/source/Nate_%22Rocket%22_Wonder), [Chuck Lightning](/source/Chuck_Lightning), and [Janelle Monáe](/source/Janelle_Mon%C3%A1e), except track 14 by [Kevin Barnes](/source/Kevin_Barnes) and tracks 1, 12, and 18 by [Roman GianArthur](/source/Roman_GianArthur).[69]

Suite II No. Title Writer(s) Length 1. "Suite II Overture" Janelle Monáe Robinson Roman GianArthur Nathaniel Irvin III Charles Joseph II 2:31 2. "Dance or Die" (featuring Saul Williams) Robinson Irvin III Joseph II Saul Williams Kellis Parker Jr. 3:12 3. "Faster" Robinson Irvin III Joseph II 3:19 4. "Locked Inside" Robinson Irvin III 4:16 5. "Sir Greendown" Robinson Irvin III Joseph II 2:14 6. "Cold War" Robinson Irvin III Joseph II 3:23 7. "Tightrope" (featuring Big Boi) Robinson Irvin III Joseph II Antwan Patton 4:22 8. "Neon Gumbo" Irvin III Robinson Joseph II 1:37 9. "Oh, Maker" Robinson Irvin III Joseph II 3:46 10. "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)" Robinson Joseph II Irvin III Parker Jr. 3:22 11. "Mushrooms & Roses" Robinson Irvin III Joseph II Parker Jr. 5:42

Suite III No. Title Writer(s) Length 12. "Suite III Overture" Robinson Irvin Irvin III Joseph II 1:41 13. "Neon Valley Street" Robinson Irvin III Joseph II Richard Rodgers Lorenz Hart 4:11 14. "Make the Bus" (featuring of Montreal) Kevin Barnes 3:19 15. "Wondaland" Robinson Irvin III Joseph II 3:36 16. "57821" (featuring Deep Cotton) Robinson Irvin III Joseph II 3:16 17. "Say You'll Go" Robinson Irvin Irvin III Joseph II 6:01 18. "BabopbyeYa" Robinson Irvin Irvin II Irvin III Joseph II 8:47

Australian tour edition (bonus tracks) (from Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition)) No. Title Writer(s) Length 19. "The March of the Wolfmasters" Joseph II Irvin III 1:27 20. "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!!" (featuring The Skunks) Robinson Joseph II Irvin III 3:13 21. "Many Moons" Robinson Joseph II Irvin III 5:34 22. "Cybertronic Purgatory" Robinson Joseph II Irvin III 1:40 23. "Sincerely, Jane." Robinson Joseph II Irvin III 5:36 24. "Mr. President" Robinson Joseph II Irvin III 4:59 25. "Smile" Charlie Chaplin Geoffrey Parsons John Turner 3:58

## Personnel

Information is taken from [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic).[70]

### Musicians

- Young Pete Alexander – drums, string arrangements

- Kevin Barnes – synthesizer, drums, guitar (bass), keyboards, vocals, vocals (background), producer, drum programming

- Terrence Brown – organ, piano

- [Deep Cotton](/source/Deep_Cotton) – vocals (background)

- DJ Cutmaster Swiff – scratching, cut

- Jason Freeman – horn arrangements

- Jerry Freeman – horn arrangements

- Roman GianArthur – percussion, piano, arranger, conductor, vocals (background), producer, engineer, vocal arrangement, string arrangements, mixing

- Hornz Unlimited – horn

- Felicia Long – flute

- Janelle Monáe – arranger, vocals, vocals (background), producer

- The Neon Valley St. Anthony Choir – vocals (background)

- The Neon Valley Street Chancel Choir – vocals (background)

- Monroe Nervine – dulcimer, clarinet, mandolin, bassoon, harp, oboe

- Tang Nivri – percussion

- Kyle O'Brien – french horn

- Alexander Page – violin, viola

- Kellindo Parker – arranger, ukulele, guitar, guitar (rhythm), vocal arrangement, soloist

- Grace Shim – cello

- Kellis Parker – guitar arrangements

- Skinks – vocals (background)

- The Skunks – vocals (background)

- Dashill "Sunnovah" Smith – trumpet, soloist

- Kelly Sparker – brass

- Thesaurus Rex – harp

- Saul Williams – vocals

- Wolfmaster Z – drums, guitar (bass), guitar (rhythm), theremin, tubular bells, bass marimba

- The Wondaland ArchOrchestra – strings

- Wondaland String Ensemble – strings

- Nate "Rocket" Wonder – organ, guitar (acoustic), bass, guitar, percussion, arranger, conductor, drums, guitar (bass), guitar (electric), keyboards, vocals, vocals (background), producer, mellotron, vibraphone, horn arrangements, string arrangements, editing, mixing, Hammond B3

- Nathan Yelurvin – percussion, glockenspiel, harp, Mellotron, woodwind

### Production

- Larry Anthony – mastering

- Christopher Carmouche – mixing

- Jessee Clarkson – wardrobe

- Sean "Diddy" Combs – executive producer

- Control Z – engineer, mastering, mixing

- Nate "Rocket" Wonder – arranger

- Jeff Gillies – wardrobe

- Dr. Nathaniel Irvin III – arranger

- Charles Joseph II – arranger

- Damien Lewis – engineer, editing

- Chuck Lightning – arranger, vocals (background), producer

- Lord Mitchell A. "MitchOW!ski" Martian – mastering, mixing

- Antwan "Big Boi" Patton – executive producer, vocals (background)

- Max Stellings – liner notes

- [Phil Tan](/source/Phil_Tan) – editing, mixing

- Carolyn Tracey – package production

- Chad Weatherford – costume design

- Andrew Zaeh – photography

## Charts

Weekly charts Chart performance for The ArchAndroid Chart (2010–2011) Peak position Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[71] 63 Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[72] 57 Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[73] 15 Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[74] 65 Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[75] 47 French Albums (SNEP)[76] 155 German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[77] 12 Irish Albums (IRMA)[78] 24 Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[79] 22 Spanish Albums (Promusicae)[80] 100 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[81] 36 UK Albums (OCC)[34] 51 UK R&B Albums (OCC)[82] 11 US Billboard 200[83] 17 US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[84] 4 Year-end charts 2010 year-end chart performance for The ArchAndroid Chart (2010) Position US Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (Billboard)[85] 59

## Certifications

Certifications for The ArchAndroid Region Certification Certified units/sales United Kingdom (BPI)[86] Silver 60,000‡ ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** [Kot, Greg](/source/Greg_Kot) (April 27, 2018). ["Janelle Monae comes back down to earth on 'Dirty Computer'"](https://www.baltimoresun.com/sc-ent-janelle-monae-album-review-0427-story.html). *[Chicago Tribune](/source/Chicago_Tribune)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20210625084155/https://www.baltimoresun.com/sc-ent-janelle-monae-album-review-0427-story.html) from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 24, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** Abebe, Nitsuh (August 14, 2011). ["R&B Records With an Indie Affect"](http://nymag.com/arts/popmusic/features/indie-r-and-b-albums-2011-8/). *[New York](/source/New_York_(magazine))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20200320063037/https://nymag.com/arts/popmusic/features/indie-r-and-b-albums-2011-8/) from the original on March 20, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Scholtes, Peter S. (September 15, 2011). ["Janelle Monae"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140220154330/http://www.citypages.com/2010-09-15/calendar/janelle-monae/full/). *[City Pages](/source/City_Pages)*. Minneapolis. Archived from [the original](http://www.citypages.com/2010-09-15/calendar/janelle-monae/full/) on February 20, 2014. Retrieved May 12, 2013.

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1. **[^](#cite_ref-liner_69-0)** *The ArchAndroid* (CD liner). [Janelle Monáe](/source/Janelle_Mon%C3%A1e). Wondaland Arts Society, [Bad Boy Records](/source/Bad_Boy_Records) and [Atlantic Records](/source/Atlantic_Records). 512256-2.{{[cite AV media notes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_AV_media_notes)}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_others_in_cite_AV_media_(notes)))

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## External links

- *[The ArchAndroid](https://www.discogs.com/master/260095)* at [Discogs](/source/Discogs) (list of releases)

v t e Janelle Monáe Awards and nominations Discography Studio albums The ArchAndroid The Electric Lady Dirty Computer The Age of Pleasure Other releases The Audition Metropolis: The Chase Suite Songs "Many Moons" "Come Alive (The War of the Roses)" "Tightrope" "Cold War" "Q.U.E.E.N." "Dance Apocalyptic" "PrimeTime" "Electric Lady" "Yoga" "Hell You Talmbout" "Make Me Feel" "Django Jane" "Pynk" "I Like That" Collaborations "We Are Young" "Special Education" "You Thought" Related topics Wondaland Presents: The Eephus Dirty Computer (film) The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer Hooligans in Wondaland Tour (with Bruno Mars)

Authority control databases MusicBrainz release group

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [The ArchAndroid](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_ArchAndroid) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_ArchAndroid?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.