Dirty Computer
by Janelle Monáe
  • Record Label: Bad Boy
  • Release Date: Apr 27, 2018
User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 679 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 608 out of 679
  2. Mixed: 29 out of 679
  3. Negative: 42 out of 679
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  1. Ricko
    Oct 29, 2018
    7
    Bar the odd interesting sample and collaboration the music is straightforward pop, easily digested with little lasting satisfaction. Lyrically it's a bit all over the shop. Lots of talk about sex but more for the sake of it than to make any particular point about liberation etc ( I got the juice wtf???) in the vein of St Vincent's "Masseduction". A decent pop record with a few highlightsBar the odd interesting sample and collaboration the music is straightforward pop, easily digested with little lasting satisfaction. Lyrically it's a bit all over the shop. Lots of talk about sex but more for the sake of it than to make any particular point about liberation etc ( I got the juice wtf???) in the vein of St Vincent's "Masseduction". A decent pop record with a few highlights and a few clangers.… Expand
  2. vojtamarek
    Sep 18, 2020
    7
    We’re lucky to live in the same time as this woman. Janelle Monáe is one of a kind. Her voice speaks for many and her talent amazes us all. Dirty Computer is a special pop record. I’m not gonna review it properly, just listen to Django Jane. That song is everything.
  3. ProteinBoy
    May 30, 2018
    7
    A brave lyrical and musical effort which makes me want to explore her music further; I feel that this may be a more commercial release and some of this is a bit too mainstream RnB for my taste. All the same, some great music here - 'Don't Judge Me' is masterful.
  4. All_ButTrU4
    Aug 6, 2022
    7
    Delightful pure pop. It sounds sweet and lush . Like all of Monae albums it tells a larger conceptual story that reflects some real life problem through an afro futuristic lense. This is the least serious out of the series and instead seeks to revel in the joy of self discovery. The Brian Wilson feature is a big deal and continues her streak (see: Prince,Erykah& Big boi). The record canDelightful pure pop. It sounds sweet and lush . Like all of Monae albums it tells a larger conceptual story that reflects some real life problem through an afro futuristic lense. This is the least serious out of the series and instead seeks to revel in the joy of self discovery. The Brian Wilson feature is a big deal and continues her streak (see: Prince,Erykah& Big boi). The record can be a bit on the nose with it's politics with some lyrics feeling underdone ,generic and awkward but the music feels so carefree it's difficult to focus on it.… Expand
  5. Enterka
    Nov 14, 2019
    7
    good! only good! make me feel is best song in this album. Thanks to Janelle. Love/
  6. sambartlett2004
    Jan 24, 2021
    7
    Some great songs on here, every song is definitely unique, but I didn’t love all of them. Overall I would definitely give it another listen some time and I’m excited for Janelle’s future projects she is definitely a star in the making. She’s like a modern day Prince almost.
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best Album of 2018
17
#17 Most Discussed Album of 2018
6
#6 Most Shared Album of 2018

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 33 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 33
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 33
  3. Negative: 0 out of 33
  1. Austin Chronicle
    Oct 5, 2018
    67
    Hints of Michael Jackson's melodic moonwalking lace in the type of hip-hop ennui that will appeal to fans of Solange's A Seat at the Table, plus a sexy swagger of feminist liberation that screams 2018.
    Read full review
  2. The Wire
    Jul 13, 2018
    80
    She mostly succeeds at marrying that [transcendent black pop] to a sound that’s broader and more accessible than anything she’s put out to date. [Jul 2018, p.53]
  3. Tiny Mix Tapes
    Jun 27, 2018
    70
    After navigating complex matrices of identity under an indulgent, accessible veneer, Dirty Computer is ultimately--even “simply”--a cathartic assertion of self in a hostile system.
    Read full review
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