Janelle Monáe's sound is both unique and imitative at the same time. Some of her tracks have a James Brown funk and groove, others seem like a renewed Shirley Bassey, while others are completely unprecedented flows of soul, R&B and hip-hop. She burst onto the scene with her first solo album, Metroplolis: Suite I (The Chase), in 2007. Her subsequent albums are sequels, completing an ongoing futuristic and tragic love story. On stage, she packs a barrel of energy, feeding a fire of fun and excitement. Her sense of entertainment and imagination propel her in her mission to create great music.