"Dance Apocalyptic" is a song by
Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe Robinson (; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, rapper and actress. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as to her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe has received eight Grammy Award nominations. Monà ...
, issued as the second
single from her second studio album, ''
The Electric Lady''. The song was co-written with Charles Joseph II and Nathaniel Irvin III, and Monae, Chuck Lightning and Nate "Rocket" Wonder providing production. "Dance Apocalyptic" is a
dance-pop song with elements of hip-hop, doo-wop, rock, Motown, and new wave. The song is built on
kick-drums,
keyboards, an
electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gu ...
,
scratching
Scratching, sometimes referred to as scrubbing, is a DJ and turntablist technique of moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable to produce percussive or rhythmic sounds. A crossfader on a DJ mixer may be used to fade between two record ...
and
synthesizers. Lyrically, the song is about
dancing
Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its reperto ...
and liberation.
"Dance Apocalyptic" received widespread positive reviews, with critics noting its catchiness and feel-good lyrics.
Composition and lyrics
"Dance Apocalyptic" is a
dance-pop,
new wave rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...
,
doo-wop,
Motown and
hip-hop song.
Reception
Keith Murphy of ''
Vibe
''Vibe'' is an American music and entertainment magazine founded by producers David Salzman and Quincy Jones. The publication predominantly features R&B and hip hop music artists, actors and other entertainers. After shutting down producti ...
'' praised the song, calling it an "infectious rave-up" and "the soundtrack to endless summer cookouts".
Music video
The
music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a music marketing device ...
was directed by Wendy Morgan.
Live performances
On September 9, 2013, Monáe performed the song on the ''
Late Show with David Letterman''.
She then performed the song (along with "
Electric Lady") on ''
Saturday Night Live
''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...
'' on October 26.
Track listing
Charts
References
External links
*
{{authority control
2013 singles
Bad Boy Records singles
Janelle Monáe songs
Songs written by Janelle Monáe
2013 songs
Rock-and-roll songs
American new wave songs