Janelle Monáe - Tightrope (live on The Late Show with David Letterman)

[jeffgraham91]

is she saying "my or low?"

[forthegreaterdrama]

Now this is the kind of "gospel" I'd much rather listen to.

[kaycia571]

i'm sorry but that performance deserved way more of an applause than what was given....

[effang]

@kaycia571 i hope it is because they were in awe, and not because they were unappreciative of how difficult that performance was.

[miguelmf]

2:14 - JAMES BROWN! Damn, that's fine! :D

[2020lemonjefferson]

this is great!

[19barras]

is that "andre 3000" on bass??? hahaha

[darrelwood]

Wasn't this song written by Jaila Simms????

[jtightrope14]

IS THERE ANY WAY THT I KAN GET DIS VERSION OF DA SONG BUT INSTRUMENTAL????

#VERY IMPORTANT

[linorf]

i liked her, now i love her

[Msbrightside33]

amazing.



[Luizjrf]

nao tem como ficar parado!!!!!!!!!!

[hilda307]

shes great! (:

[emogaara1231]

Man that bass is so good :D

[astutovideo]

Geeez!, 40 years of black music and culture gathered in just one song.

[nilbog44]

@astutovideo yeah! (too bad black people don't buy her albums though)

[mactrek2]

@nilbog44 Last time I looked in the mirror, I was definitely black. lol

[Linelia]

@nilbog44 I am definitely Black and I have her albums, because Janelle is phenomenal!  That lady is bringing our great Black music back to the spectrum!

[nilbog44]

@Linelia I'm glad you like her. She is awesome.

[luvcandi2]

I'm like so happy for her, keep doing your thang monae, show these so called "artist" how a song is supposed to be sung and performed god bless and much succeccess

[MrFreekmaster]

Miss Dynamite! She stole the show during Amy Winehouses tour (Janelle was the opening act) here in Brasil. Amazing artist.

[ThumbonBass]

i LIKE the cape trick!

[psynapsurfa]

yeahp...this is the way they used to drop it... actual talent doin stuff... it aint like it new, it aint like it somethin some of aint seen before,...it is just a fairly standard funk era performance... but boy, it is good to see it being done with some pizazz..

and sheesh, she can move too... fine performance...

[MsTubbytube]

I bet they have to throw water on the stage after she performs to cool it off...what a hot performance!

[nukeystik]

Nah...dass sum shheeeyaaat fo' yo eeeyyyaaasss!!!

[rogerrrubin]

Does anyone reading this know the name of the guitarist (with the long hair) in the band who can best be seen in Janelle's performance on David Letterman May 18 '10

[dainbranage]

very James brown XD

[PicklesNSaltyMonkeys]

I've been watching Letterman for 20 years and I must say that this was one of the best performances that I've ever seen on the show

[rodentcafeteria]

Wow!! An actual great band and actual great singing?? Where's the 25 dancers; the lip-synching; or the auto-tune that we've grown accustomed to these days? This will never last.

[rogerrrubin]

This performance is just screamin', especially Andre 3000 playin' lead guitar--wow! Janelle is the reincaration of James Brown, and knows it. You go, girl.

[rogerrrubin]

@rogerrrubin sorry all---that ain't Andre 3000-----who is it???

[tatianaali93]

The way she dances is so amazing!!

[killazmoney]

she's very talented but guys.. this is pure Andree 3000 (OUTKAST) - he's also playing in the back.

[memyselfandi2311]

@killazmoney That ain't Andre, he's just her guitarist. I've zoomed in too many times to conclude..

[monlynn510]

MY GOD WOMAN RIP THAT STAGE TO PIECES! BRAVA

[nigelubong]

the man who played guitar...is that Andre 3000,Outkast?

[nofancypants]

@nigelubong it's Kellindo Parker

[inxtrmis]

TREMENDOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This girl brought tears to my eyes. What a talent!!! and fantastic live band! REAL MUSIC IS BACK?

[bro2baseball]

letterman loves the funk. ever see his reaction to the heavy?

[DNEye]

Wow! If watching her on screen gave me chill bumps, one can only imagine what would happen if one seen her live! @_@

[Fleshware]

Why do I feel as if I have just witnessed the rebirth of Motown?! Wow... jazzy, funky, and rockin. Hell yeah!

[jellyrollbaker]

Michael...who??

she is so good and pretty and she moves like James Brown!!

[pi4itoo]

probably next Michael Jackson

[tony2crunk]

@pi4itoo whoa whoa whoa easy there young fella lol shes my fave female artist but there will never be another Michael Jackson.. love her music though TRUE TALENT unlike all these other famous singers more for what they do off the mic than on it

[pi4itoo]

@tony2crunk of course,i agree with u but i meant that she dances a little bit like MJ :P

[peamealbaconrules]

she's got an awesome band too

[stinky242]

goosebumps

[red023]

I see more James Brown than either prince or Michael Jackson

[ltjplanet]

@red023 They both copied the crap outta James so your lookin at the essence.

[lynn0511]

@ltjplanet She readily admits she is GREATLY onfluenced by him....there's a segment of an interview on YouTube where she mentions that...do a search...

[zelmoziggy]

@red023 The cape at the end is kind of a dead giveaway.

[stimpii123]

i hope someday the world realize the magnificent talent of this woman.

[waveboi93]

she is a legend

[plprz]

crazed Illuminati freak. she is clearly possessed.

[PubertyAftermath]

@plprz You idiot. She was doing this before she signed with Bad Boy. Just because she has a style you cant identify with something, doesn't mean its the Illumanati. Read a Book and STFU!

[guolha]

boring

[TheNotoriousBOA]

@guolha Oh cock off.

[iwazused]

@guolha what do you consider exciting?

[LodoGrdzak]

She's fun. But what are those things that the others on stage are using? Instruments? What are those for?

[MrsWifey1983]

SHE KILLED IT!!! Haters go kill yourselves...

[RedroomStudios]

killer live performance!

[xxxxmimi]

this ...was..impressive, i had no idea she could sing so well live. better than recording actually.

[zyguraat]

She is irreverent!! Amazing!!

[yolfer]

Is her drummer standing up?

[dancer5611]

@yolfer nope.

but holy would it be hard to drum standing up.

[Deuteronomy213]

greatest bassist ever? I think so

[rhcpphreak20]

INCREDIBLE.

[90mv]

I jus wanna give her a hug lol so cute

[lukazkal]

holy moses!

[spindlegold]

OMG can we talk about that classy-ass capelet?

[TheBrokenLyreMusic]

she must be like 5'1

[punkinpie44]

She is so talented and i love her band!

[passiveMenis]

This happened on TV

[hiimFrankDOTcom]

Most singers aren't as good live as they are on their CDs but she was AMAZING!!!!

[pilotpowell33]

She was on my flight to New York. Her hair gave it away she wears it like this everywhere, and dresses like this too. But she was in all white.

[spindlegold]

@pilotpowell33 I would've lost my MIND if she was on my flight!

And definitely gotten an autograph.

[pilotpowell33]

@spindlegold well the funny thing was, she hauled outta the airport. I was goin to get a picture but she left in a car and her band members got her 4 pieces of luggage for a 2 day stay for a private show before she went to Ohio. But yeah just seeing her was a sight. What you see here is her personality in real life.

[terriers82]

When they said James Brown would never really die, this is what they were talking about.

[punkinpie44]

@terriers82 I concur



[rogerrrubin]

@terriers82 FYI the guitarist with the long hair and rockin' is Kelindo who is the nephew of James Brown's legendary horn player,Macio Parker.  Thanks for the info-- Bolder2009.

[kenyaoa]

I was waiting for her to throw the cape off.

[eronakina]

非常喜歡她！Like her very much.

[Iconnic101]

I like her!

[cjfrumtheK]

great performance

[SuperIvan1994]

NICE REAL MUSIC...

[J742]

Powerful Message!!!!

[kcbully]

You are a BAD young lady. Keep it up and continue to be original !!!

[weedaol]

una dura esta pana

[Meihaquan]

shes got soooooo much talent in that little body

[ourloveourfriendship]

omg she is amazing. her cd is awesome, i actually bought it, she is one of the few artists; bjork, jojo, that i would not dare to steal music from.

[MsJadeHuynh]

only 1 hate. people must rly like it

[DatBitch009]

She is so talented, yet so underrated.

[EZXSniperZzz]

I was shooting some crazy person on a video game while listening to BBC Radio 1, and this song came up.

Made me stop playing just so I could buy the album.

[69shortshit]

look at her go

[errayeah]

wow - the horn section ..just launch to a completely different level ..

incredible performing

[stackedgurl45]

RM: REAL MUSIC....... HER & PRISCILLA RENEA ARE AMAZING -

[jrel2785]

omg this song is crazy hot!! the horns are like some quincy jones sh*t! this chick is the truth!

[BooMMusse]

Damn she's good, Im speechless

[QueenAmiinata]

cant stop watchinq dis video

[vandivas]

Hells Yeah!!

Little Sister with a whole lotta Soul!!

Ow!! That's Tight!!

[tellthetruthoryour]

She is great, very talented!!! It's about time Diddy and the rest of the music world got some FRESH talent instead of every wanna-be-C-rapper off the street, white, black Hispanic or Asian in baggy pants and stupid looking sideways hats!! Finally someone who can sing and she's cute and she can dance!!! She will outsell Eminem and Jay-Z in a few years!!! Just watch!!!

[EvilEscape]

@tellthetruthoryour

Firstly,I love Janelle

But you sound like Eminem is crap,

Eminem is better,obviously

Well,but i do hope she can outsell Jay Z,not that i hate Jay Z,but Janelle is better.

[saron380]

@tellthetruthoryour Um That;'s a very dumb perspective of music.

[tellthetruthoryour]

@saron380 It's my perspective and you have really bad grammar by looking at your page. Perhaps you should spend some more time in Grammar school or go back to school if god forbid you have graduated high school yet. I like her and you obviously don't see that she has potential since you're stuck in your little box of friends and your small town neighborhood and school life. Maybe when you grow up and move away you will realize what real talent is. Janelle has real talent and she can sing.

[tellthetruthoryour]

@saron380 Janelle has real talent and she can sing, unless most rappers who can't sing and have no pitch and now vocal range, hence, that's why they can only rap. Don't think you're smarter than I or anyone else, you may grow up and get some taste, but for right now if you don't think she's great then you are just fooling yourself.

[saron380]

@tellthetruthoryour um, all I said assbag (sorry for language but wanted to say it) is that you're warpped

no where did I say she's horrible or untalented. she's hella talented with moves straight outta the Mj/James brown book of funk (ain't no shame in that ) but you're making the assumtion that rappers take no talent. It actually does, just as as much as playing an instrument because the art of rhyme, metaphors, puns needs to be honed and practiced just as much as chord voicings phrasing,

[saron380]

@tellthetruthoryour modes concepts or anything. Look here you don't know me, you just met me all I'm saying is basically All music has it's place in the world, just because you don't like it doesn't mean it's bad, hell I love classic r&b and jazz (can't solo over Giant steps to save mylife) but I do love hip hop too.

[WookiePUBE]

@tellthetruthoryour lol you still think people buy music.

She is a great talent. Infinitely better than most popular top 40 artists. Go support her by seeing her show.

[TraceurZeno]

A definitive James Brown influenced talented kid.

[ChocodeBonBon]

whoa Sean! I didn't think P. Diddy had any idea what kind of talent he had. i'm glad he respects her and lets her do her own thing. but please promote her more! the world needs janelle monae!

[IllWill894]

Got the CD, this girl is really special and I've never heard a CD like that before. Every track is completely different and flows so well at the same time

And she's an amazing performer brah

[shantytown84]

James Brown girl

[PhyllisMAdams]

This girl is really HOT!!!! I'm a classical harpist in Chicago and my son who's in Manic Sewing Circle told me about her.... one of the best new musical acts of any genre today!! Am definately going to get this CD!!!!

[Gwendy55]

holy shit

[FashionBEYONCE]

She created the " Tightrope " ? :)))

[rcharla1]

She is CRAZY TALENTED, with that rare "It" factor that is captivating. Look out now!

[iwantme1234]

I'm loving the guitar guy..its fucking badass..lol it

[DarkHumorist]

she did great the whole song posibly even better than the actual MP3... the only bad part is that she needs to annunciate the words "High or Low" better(it sounds like my or low)

[ladybluu]

wonderufll voice! lol at the james brown theme, i dont think anyone can pull that hairstyle off.

[EMDANAL]

is she really diggy simmons?

[glassbreaker5791]

DAMN. that was killin'. not many people can perform with that much energy and stage presence that successfully.

[byLivio]

crazy shit!

[Mdizzlefoshow]

YESS!!! vocal stage presence!!!!!!!!!

[fragholrok]

that was crazy good! that's how you slap some stank on the late show!

[RetroVGamer]

If James Brown and Outkast had a baby. It would be Janelle Monáe!

[mnagi23]

holy crap that was good...

[SeanStoneTSG]

Amazing

[deanglo90]

I JUST CANT GET WITH THIS GIRL

[dictionaryjw]

not only can she blow, but her stage presence is bananas...that was sick

[Steffonned]

did she say "put some voodoo on it?"

[cocolahtay]

@Steffonned yes

[iloveyewtube91]

@cocolahtay why did she say "put some voodoo on it" ?

[cocolahtay]

@iloveyewtube91 i don't know but i would imagine she wanted the horn section to bring the funk

[Starlove31]

@iloveyewtube91 Cause it gets ppl talking i gues lol i was wondering the same thing

[OliverKick]

@iloveyewtube91 because she is calling up ghosts

[ChocodeBonBon]

@Steffonned come on, put some juju, some otherworldly stank on it!

[behya01]

She ripped it up! Amazing performance!

[broncofangj]

Thank so much for posting this. I feel asleep before she performed. I love her she is one bad ass woman. I love the way she cuts her step too reminds me of James Brown!!!

[senkamegami]

just killing it on letter. If this didn't give you life, then ya dead. Love you Ms. Monae

[Thatsuperstar]

Just had to watch this again before I went to sleep... ;-) Awesome

[christopherawesome]

I hope she gets super popular and makes big bow ties and capes fashionable.

[tmrprc]

:) this made me smile

[lolujetlagged]

This song is amazing, and she sound just as good live.

[jbyrd130]

"now shut up..." YAAAAAAS!!  She is going iiiiiiiiiinnnnnnn....

[EmilyyyyH]

love the band! love the song! lover her! :)

[DeeTheLight]

For some reason her perfomance reminds so much of Frankie Lymon...lol it's great !

[NyokaTV]

This is just amazing!!! Its just AMAZING!!!

[Speriden]

nothing but chills, I tell ya...

[sstd1]

some people dont know good music

[kool4eva]

killed ittt..

[WERTY317]

Bitch is on a tightrope

[etoo23]

@WERTY317 haha..she's dope though

[JoshFaille]

This is awesome.

[eyoung1993]

she is very good!

[theragingbull14]

man that's some fancy footwork!!!

[Gimpson21]

damn shes good.

[sapiamaia]

Epic.

[RedHotChilli88]

Andre 3000 on the guitar, ladies and genitals

[scfinestbb]

@RedHotChilli88 Nope, thats not Andre 3k

[Placebo422]

Ohhhhh snap. That was fantastic!

[Stankonia3k]

SHE DID THAT!!!

[Sweettricey6]

her first note got me . ; )

[dmii74]

My vids out of sync. Was the band fully live?

[Placebo422]

@dmii74 Yeah. It was all live. There's just a little bit of delay.

[delectable79]

I see a little bit of Lena Horne, Sammy Davis, Michael Jackson, and James Brown in in this girl. Talent doesn't even begin to describe her.

[thefonkykid]

@delectable79 I think you are forgetting her most important influence, PRINCE., she say it many times "Prince is master"

[valenecia]

@thefonkykid When did she say that? Anyway, she's said that MJ was her favorite singer...personally, her voice sometimes reminds me of little Michael, especially at the end of "Faster". Doesn't sound exactly like him, but it reminds me of him.

[powersoulboy]

@delectable79 I totally agree with fonkykid, Michael Jackson NEVER sound like this, NEVER EVER, she sounds more like Prince's jazzy/funky era, from the Parade tour to the Sign O the Times concert movie (86-88).

Great singer.

[RhapsodicAddiction]

@powersoulboy her vocals are like young micheal jackson with the dance and energy of james brown and the rock influence and uniquness of prince

@RhapsodicAddiction are you saying that she sings like a 9 year old boy? LOL! MJ never sound like this, NEVER, that's why you are been out voted by far.

BTW she might be moving like JB but her sound is totally Prince jazzy era Sign O the Times, Lovesexy tours.