We’ve been rocking Janelle Monáe’s Metropolis Suite I of IV ever since her show last May at the Key Club. Being deeply opposed, as our pal Jason Tallon would say, both in principle and in practice to attending live music performances– and also being way, way, way out of the West Hollywood loop– we didn’t even know that such a thing was happening until too late; but whisper campaigns brought news of Monáe’s music. And there was, as the old folks used to say, much rejoicing.

Monáe’s had a long Summer of being hyped by Diddy– many command performances hither and yon, a re-release of the aforementioned Metropolis Suite and now a new video for “Many Moons.”

The video is reasonably good but comes off a little sub-Kanye Glow in the Dark. Its major, tragic flaw is the one sin that Jesus called unforgivable: the use of quick-cuts and poor framing on an amazing dancer. There was, once, a Golden Age of dance on the silver screen, when cinematographers and DPs knew how to frame action. In those days, if by chance someone could dance then, by God, you would really see them dance.

Which is why amateur Youtube fixed-camera video of Monáe’s live performances is so infinitely preferable. Not to be missed, and wait till about the three minute mark: