MovieChat Forums > Janelle Monáe Discussion > Tightrope kinds sounds like the Jacksons...

Tightrope kinds sounds like the Jacksons...


I was on youtube and I saw that there were quite some comparisons to her and Michael Jackson and the Jacksons. And so I wrote up a comment but it was too long so i decided to put it here. This is what I think of her song and how it is just like the Jacksons Heartbreak Hotel.

I think the reason why this reminds some people of Michael Jackson and the Jackson's is because if you actually listen to the background instrumental.
There is one I guess part of the song that continues from beginning to the end (I think its the bass guitar and then it goes into male vocals in the background doing the same sound as the bass guitar kinda like men humming "a dumb a dumb a dumb". Anyways it kinda threads the whole song together.

I think it is just four notes. She continues it with the horns and then the strings. And in the strings especially the notes sounds just like the Jackson's song "Heartbreak Hotel". If you listen to heartbreak hotel in the beginning there's kind of a strings section that follows the same notes pretty much as this song. Idk if it is as obvious in this song but when I heard it on my i pod and compared both songs they sounded quite similar.

Anyways this song IS amazing I like how it starts off very energetic and then ends off gloomy and haunting which matches the video in the end with those ghost like creatures following her. I would say it sounds just as haunting as heartbreak hotel. It doesn't end how it starts which I like. And I like how she says happy birthday at the end in the background because it sounds like an old 50's song.
Okay well if anyone knows music well and wouldn't mind listening and hearing for the similarities that I heard between heartbreak hotel and tightrope, please comment back!

And also the song many moons with The Humming part that she does throughout the song (do doo do doo do doo do doo do) sounds just like Ne-yo's song "let me hear it". It sounds like let me hear it especially when Neyo says "I've got my boys out, They laughing at me, I look like a jerk Baby you making me look bad."

The way neyo sings it is just like how she hums it pretty much maybe one is slower and one is faster in pace. Does anyone hear it?!?!?!?!?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NO0z8YscAY

reply

I definitely hear it in the vocals, espescially in certain parts the sound of her voice is very reminiscent of a young Micheal Jackson. After listening to the album its fun to hear all of the styles and artists she draws influence, or almost a re-imagined sample. The list is pretty extensive, some obvious ones that I heard were; Stevie Wonder, Prince, Tommy James and the Shondels, B-52's, even Gloria Estefan.

My big question is... whats with the Maya Deren reference in the music video for Tightrope all about?

http://whatsnewinspace.blogspot.com

reply

yeah I'm glad that you can hear it. It was just very distinct to me. I know that all artists borrow from eachother and that maybe all music kinda sounds the same. But when i heard both her songs I could really hear the similarities to other artists like specific actual notes and tunes and melody. I like finding songs that sound similar.

Like Alejandro by Lady Gaga sounds a lot like a 90's ace of base song (I think maybe "I saw the sign")lol. I like it when similar sounds are captured on different records.

reply