Whether you're high or low, you got to tip on the tightrope... and Kirk's got to tip right into a Strong Songs analysis of "Tightrope" by Janelle Monáe. It's time for some thump, some pop, and some sizzle, along with some clever rap phrasing, phrygian harmonies, surprise ukulele, and the funkiest horn section in Metropolis.

Band/Artist: Janelle Monáe

Album: The ArchAndroid, 2010

Composed by: Janelle Monáe, Nathaniel Irvin III, Charles Joseph II, Antwan “Big Boi” Patton

Listen/Buy via Album.Link

ALSO REFERENCED/DISCUSSED:

• Several other songs from The ArchAndroid; "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder from Natural Wonder Live; re-created beats from Strong Songs episodes on Beyoncé's "Single Ladies" and Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
• For more on the lore behind Monáe's Metropolis suite, read this great summary by Charles Pulliam-Moore at io9: https://io9.gizmodo.com/from-metropolis-to-dirty-computer-a-guide-to-janelle-m-1825580195

OUTRO SOLOIST: BJ CORD

This episode's outro soloist is BJ Cord, a fantastic trumpet player based in Portland by way of Chicago. BJ works at Monette trumpets making some of the most beautiful horns in the world, and is a regular presence on their Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/monettetrumpets

THE STRONG SONGS THEME!

You can listen to a (basically) final mix of the Strong Songs Theme Song on Kirk's Soundcloud here: https://soundcloud.com/kirkhamilton/strong-songs-theme-song

----LINKS-----

💰 SUPPORT STRONG SONGS! 
Patreon | Paypal

 🏠 HOMEPAGE
strongsongspodcast.com

 👚 MERCH
strongsongspodcast.com/store

 📬 KIRK'S NEWSLETTER
newsletter.kirkhamilton.com

📷 SOCIAL MEDIA 
Instagram: @Kirk_Hamilton
Bluesky: @kirkhamilton.com

💬 STRONG SONGS DISCORD SERVER 
strongsongspodcast.com/discord

🎧 STRONG SONGS PLAYLISTS 
Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube Music

🎸 KIRK'S GEAR & INSTRUMENTS 
kirkhamilton.com/gear

🎶 KIRK'S MUSIC 
kirkhamilton.com/music

🎨 SHOW ART 
Tom Deja, Bossman Graphics

--------------------

JUNE 2019 WHOLE-NOTE PATRONS

Caleb Rotach Chad Barnard Dan Apczynski Dave Florey Sara Walsh

JUNE 2019 HALF-NOTE PATRONS

Andre Bremer Andrew Lee Arjun Sharma Chas Lednicky Earl Lozada Emily Williams Fishbones Forrest Chang Jaehoon Jeong James Johnson Jasmine Fellows Jeff Dixon John and Sharon Stenglein Jon O’Keefe joujou Justin Liew Justin McElroy Kevin Morrell Kevin Pennyfeather Kyle Simons Max Schechter Michael Blackwell Shane DeLeon Tom Lauer

Thanks, too, to everyone who has signed up in the last couple weeks.