Released August 24, 2007 Metropolis Suite I (The Chase)
(2007) The ArchAndroid
(2010) Release date 24 August 2007 | Length 17:30 Artist Janelle Monáe | |
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Producer Big Boi (exec.)
Janelle Monáe
Control Z
Chuck "Wolfmaster" Lightning Label Bad Boy Worldwide Entertainment Group Genres Soul music, Funk, Pop music, Rock music, Rhythm and blues, Dance-punk | ||
Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) is the debut extended play (EP) by American recording artist Janelle Monáe, released August 24, 2007 on Bad Boy Records. Produced by Monáe, Control Z, and Chuck Lightning, the EP constitutes the first installment of Monáe's seven-part Metropolis conceptual series.
Contents
The EP debuted at number 115 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 5,200 copies in its first week. It was re-released as a special edition on August 12, 2008 and produced three singles, "Violet Stars Happy Hunting!!!", "Sincerely, Jane.", and "Many Moons".
Upon its release, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) received critical acclaim from music critics, with "Many Moons" being nominated for Best Urban/Alternative Performance at the 51st Annual Grammy Awards.
Concept
Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) is the first installment of Monáe's seven-part Metropolis conceptual series, inspired by Fritz Lang's science fiction classic film, Metropolis (1927). It follows a fictional tale of android Cindi Mayweather who is mass-produced in the year 2719 for a market filled with severe social stratification. Mayweather falls in love with a human, and is sentenced to disassembly.
Critical response
Metropolis received positive reviews and acclaim upon its release. Mark Nero from About.com gave the EP a positive review saying "Though she's new to the mainstream, the quirky, highly-talented singer Janelle Monae has been putting out music for years. ... If you've heard the original version of the EP, there's no need to pick this up unless you're a diehard fan, but if this is your first exposure to Janelle's music, you're in for a treat. Hip-Hop DX gave the EP a positive review saying, "Even without the random interplanetary references and notions of forbidden robot love, Metropolis has the type of production that takes its cues from something made in the past, as well as the future. The drums hit hard, and when combined with the synth keys, strings and the occasional electric guitar, they make for an oddly enjoyable mix." The Kansas City Star gave the EP a positive review.
Commercial performance
Metropolis: Suite I failed to make a large impact; however, the album had minor success in the United States where it peaked at number 115 on the US Billboard 200 chart and fared much better on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart at number 20. The album also charted on the Top Heatseekers chart at number two. The EP spent one week on the Billboard 200, but spent 9 weeks altogether on both the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and the Top Heatseekers chart.
Personnel
Credits for Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) adapted from AllMusic.
Songs
1March of the Wolfmasters1:28
2Violet Stars Happy Hunting!3:14
3Many Moons5:34