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106-523: Dirty Computer is the third studio album by American singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe , released on April 27, 2018, by Wondaland Arts Society, Bad Boy Records and Atlantic Records . It is the follow-up to her studio albums The ArchAndroid (2010) and The Electric Lady (2013) and her first album not to continue the Cindi Mayweather Metropolis narrative. A departure from the more psychedelic sound of her early work, Dirty Computer

212-801: A Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award . Monáe has also been honored with the ASCAP Vanguard Award ; as well as the Rising Star Award (2015) and the Trailblazer of the Year Award (2018) from Billboard Women in Music . Monáe began her musical career in 2003 with the release of her demo album , The Audition . She signed with Bad Boy Records to release her debut extended play (EP), Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) (2007). It received critical acclaim and narrowly entered

318-459: A totalitarian landscape   ... and what the costs might be when trying to unravel and weave them into freedoms." In May 2022, Deadline reported Monáe was set to act as Josephine Baker in the TV series De La Resistance . In December 2022, Atlantic Records' CEO Craig Kallman said in an interview with Variety that Monáe had new music scheduled for 2023. On February 16, 2023, Monáe released

424-475: A "funkstress". Monáe's roots in Kansas City, Kansas, where she was born and raised, are evident in her lyrics and style. According to Carrie Battan's Pitchfork feature on Monáe, the song "Ghetto Woman" directly addresses Monáe's working-class K.C., Kansas mother – as well as the portrayal of working-class black women in U.S. culture – with the line "Carry on, ghetto woman, even when

530-466: A "mini-mogul" because of the deal and revealed that "the partnership will bow in May with a 5-song compilation EP called The Eephus , including tracks from rapper Jidenna   [...], Roman, St. Beauty , Deep Cotton and Monáe herself." With this move, Monáe became one of the few black women who run their own independent record label in conjunction with a major record label. In late March 2015, Monáe released

636-418: A 10-part series of animated music videos premiered on Netflix, created by Chris Nee , with Kenya Barris as a showrunner and produced by Barack and Michelle Obama. Monáe performed a number of songs for the series. This included a reggae -influenced number, titled "Stronger," which focuses on the "fight for justice and unity   ... unity, liberty and equality" and the title track for the series. She won

742-473: A 1990 study by the Social Organization of Sexuality, only 15.7% of women and 34.9% of men who reported some level of same-sex attraction had a homosexual or bisexual identity. Sexual identity is more closely related to sexual behavior than sexual orientation is. The same survey found that 96% of women and 87% of men with a homosexual or bisexual identity had engaged in sexual activity with someone of

848-627: A canoe, with no memory of how she got there or who she is." On March 29, 2019, in Brooklyn, NY, she inducted Janet Jackson into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame . Also in 2019, she co-starred in the film Harriet , about abolitionist Harriet Tubman . Monáe returned to the big screen twice in 2020, with her first lead role in September 2020 with horror film Antebellum , and another supporting role with biopic The Glorias . On February 9, 2020, Monáe opened

954-513: A commercial for the Sonos Wireless HiFi home audio system, and appeared in a Sonos commercial in 2012 with Deep Cotton . The Boston City Council named October 16, 2013, "Janelle Monáe Day" in the city of Boston , Massachusetts , in recognition of her artistry and social leadership. Monáe's first single from The Electric Lady , " Q.U.E.E.N. ", featuring Erykah Badu , premiered on SoundCloud and made available for download purchase at

1060-455: A contender for album of the year, in more ways than one... [Monáe]'s layered sound is as contemporary as that of such digital trailblazers as Kendrick Lamar or Kanye West , yet it has an old-fashioned organic quality that comes from a bedrock of live musicianship. Dirty Computer sounds like 2018 distilled into a sci-fi funk pop extravaganza by a female Black Panther ." The Independent reviewer Roisin O'Connor stated that Dirty Computer

1166-534: A cover of the Jackson 5's 'I Want You Back'. Monáe was also featured on "Do My Thing" for Estelle 's studio album, All of Me . In June 2012, Monáe performed two new songs, "Electric Lady" and "Dorothy Dandridge Eyes" – from her then-upcoming sophomore studio album, The Electric Lady  – at the Toronto Jazz Festival. In July 2012, for the second year in a row, Monáe appeared at

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1272-575: A formulated rating on a ten-point scale, the album has an aggregate score of 8.4 based on 32 reviews. Reviewing the album for AllMusic , Andy Kellman said that "While this is easily the most loaded Monáe album in terms of guests, with Brian Wilson , Stevie Wonder , and Grimes among the contributors, there's no doubt that it's a Wondaland product. It demonstrates that artful resistance and pop music are not mutually exclusive." Neil McCormick for The Daily Telegraph called Dirty Computer "unblushingly and unsparingly direct...[It] establishes itself as

1378-693: A gender identity different from the norm of the society. According to Rosario, Schrimshaw, Hunter, Braun (2006), "the development of a lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) sexual identity is a complex and often difficult process. Unlike members of other minority groups (e.g., ethnic and racial minorities), most LGB individuals are not raised in a community of similar others from whom they learn about their identity and who reinforce and support that identity" and "[r]ather, LGB individuals are often raised in communities that are either ignorant of or openly hostile toward homosexuality." Some individuals with unwanted sexual attractions may choose to actively dis-identify with

1484-505: A joint venture with Epic Records in 2015, and has signed artists including Jidenna , Roman GianArthur and St. Beauty . There was a lot of confusion and nonsense where I grew up, so I reacted by creating my own little world.   [...] I began to see how music could change lives, and I began to dream about a world where every day was like anime and Broadway, where music fell from the sky and anything could happen. —Monáe, on her childhood musical inspiration Janelle Monáe Robinson

1590-682: A laboratory as a super-musical cross between James Brown , Judy Garland , André 3000 and Steve Jobs , invented to test the desperate incredulity of music journalists." She also compared Monáe to artists such as Annie Lennox , Lauryn Hill , and Corinne Bailey Rae . Monáe's musical styles have been described as "a soaring orchestral trip enlivened with blockbuster vocals, mysterious imagery and notes of Sixties pop and jazz". The Guardian has noted some of Monáe's influences as Michael Jackson , Janet Jackson , Prince , Outkast , Erykah Badu , James Brown , Grace Jones , Stevie Wonder , David Bowie , Jimi Hendrix , Bernard Herrmann , Funkadelic and

1696-437: A line with everybody wanting to play the same person." After a year and a half, Monáe dropped out of the academy and relocated to Atlanta , enrolling at Georgia Perimeter College . She began writing her own music and performing around the campus. In 2003, Monáe self-released a demo album titled The Audition , which she sold out of the trunk of a Mitsubishi Galant . During this period she worked at an Office Depot but

1802-416: A mass audience might be because her desire to work with concepts and characters, rather than unburden herself, suggests a certain aloofness... She is as elusive as ever, and her mystery remains intact. Without a true loosening of her poise, her position on the margins of pop could remain intact as well." Zachary Hoskins from Slant Magazine declared that "while the songs here are consistently hooky, they lack

1908-415: A name, they also share visual styles (the cover for The ArchAndroid is inspired by the iconic poster for Metropolis ), conceptual themes and political goals, using expressionistic future scenarios to examine and explore contemporary ideas of prejudice and class. Both also include a performing female android, though to very different effect. Where Metropolis android Maria is the evil, havoc-sowing double of

2014-486: A sci-fi twist". Matthew Valnes describes Monáe as innovating a more contemporary Neo-Afrofuturism, where the android role is used as a tool to critique the representation of Black female musicians in the funk genre. Funk music of 1960s through 1980s is a prevalent music style influencing Monáe. The website for Monáe's Wondaland Arts Society Collective asserts, "We believe there are only three forms of music; good music, bad music, and funk." Monáe has also referred to herself as

2120-464: A sexual identity. Several models have been created to describe coming out as a process for gay and lesbian identity development (e.g. Dank, 1971; Cass, 1984; Coleman, 1989; Troiden, 1989). These historical models have taken a view of sexual identity formation as a sexual-minority process only. However, not every LGBT person follows such a model. For example, some LGBT youth become aware of and accept their same-sex desires or gender identity at puberty in

2226-504: A sexual minority identity, which creates a different sexual orientation identity from their actual sexual orientation. Sexual orientation identity, but not sexual orientation, can change through psychotherapy , support groups , and life events. A person who has homosexual feelings can self-identify in various ways. An individual may come to accept an LGB identity, to develop a heterosexual identity, to reject an LGB identity while choosing to identify as ex-gay , or to refrain from specifying

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2332-619: A speech about police brutality after the performance on NBC's Today Show, "Yes Lord! God bless America! God bless all the lost lives to police brutality. We want white America to know that we stand tall today. We want black America to know we stand tall today. We will not be silenced   ..." By March 15, 2016, First Lady Michelle Obama proclaimed that she had assembled a collaborative track featuring vocals from Monáe, Kelly Clarkson , Zendaya and Missy Elliott , alongside production credit from pop songwriter Diane Warren and Elliott, titled "This Is for My Girls". The iTunes -exclusive record

2438-519: A teaser video on YouTube. The album was accompanied by a narrative film project, and the teaser video aired nationwide in select theaters prior to screenings of Black Panther . She held a series of "top-secret" listening sessions in Los Angeles and New York in support of the album. On February 22, 2018, Monáe released " Make Me Feel " and " Django Jane " as the first two singles from Dirty Computer , both accompanied by music videos and announced that

2544-505: A very vast career: "The amount of roles: Willy Wonka to Sweeney Todd to all of the dramatic roles. Whatever the Janelle Monáe version of that is. Maybe something even better..." Sexual identity Historical models of sexual identity have tended to view its formation as a process undergone only by sexual minorities , while more contemporary models view the process as far more universal and attempt to present sexual identity within

2650-804: A way similar to which heterosexual teens become aware of their sexuality, i.e. free of any notion of difference, stigma or shame in terms of the gender of the people to whom they are attracted. More contemporary models take the stance that it is a more universal process. Current models for the development of sexual identity attempt to incorporate other models of identity development, such as Marcia 's ego-identity statuses. The Cass identity model , established by Vivienne Cass, outlines six discrete stages transited by individuals who successfully come out: (1) identity confusion, (2) identity comparison, (3) identity tolerance, (4) identity acceptance, (5) identity pride, and (6) identity synthesis. Fassinger's model of gay and lesbian identity development contains four stages at

2756-488: A world with androids because of technology and the way it advances. The first album she was running because she had fallen in love with a human and she was being disassembled for that. In a November 2009 interview, Monáe revealed the title and concept behind her album, The ArchAndroid . The album was released on May 18, 2010. The second and third suites of Metropolis are combined into this full-length release, in which Monáe's alter ego, Cindi Mayweather – also

2862-580: Is "a record that will go down as a milestone not just as a work of art in its own right, but as the perfect celebration of queerness , female power , and self-worth ." Danette Chavez of The A.V. Club described that, on Dirty Computer , "the erstwhile ' Electric Lady ' loses the metal and circuitry , but none of her power or artistry, cementing her status alongside Prince in the hall of hyper-talented, gender-fluid icons who love and promote blackness ." Josh Hurst for Flood Magazine wrote that "Every generation needs its own soundtrack for kicking against

2968-418: Is Monáe's attempt to "step into a more authentic self". On February 16, 2018, Monáe revealed her third studio album and the accompanying narrative film, entitled Dirty Computer , through a teaser video released on YouTube. The teaser video aired nationwide in select theaters prior to screenings of Black Panther . Monáe held a series of "top-secret" listening sessions in Los Angeles and New York City prior to

3074-473: Is a pop, funk , hip hop , R&B , and neo soul record, featuring elements of electropop , space rock , pop rock , Minneapolis soul , trap , futurepop , new wave , synthpop , and Latin music . Four singles, " Make Me Feel ", " Django Jane ", " Pynk ", and " I Like That ", were chosen to promote the album. Its release was accompanied by a 46-minute narrative film project of the same name . The album received universal critical acclaim upon release; it

3180-406: Is also similar to unlabeled in the sense that it defines the rejection of preexisting or mainstream labels. Most of the research on sexual orientation identity development focuses on the development of people who are attracted to the same sex. Many people who feel attracted to members of their own sex come out at some point in their lives. Coming out is described in three phases. The first phase

3286-695: Is an opaque mask of perfection: all silken smooth skin, button nose and glassy brown eyes." Monáe describes tuxedos as a uniform for her career, speaks of wanting to redefine how women dress, and has been featured in the "Style 100" of InStyle magazine. The Council of Fashion Designers of America Awards honored Monáe with the Board of Directors' Tribute and the American Ingenuity Award for her "straoridanra ability to experiment in fashion". When it comes to her acting career, Monáe expressed desire to shape it around that of Johnny Depp , stating that he has

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3392-518: Is cool, because I think that it just shows a different perspective of how women can dress. —Monáe, on her image and artistic freedom Monáe's signature style is her tuxedo wardrobe. She said "I bathe in it, I swim in it, and I could be buried in it. A tux is such a standard uniform, it's so classy and it's a lifestyle I enjoy. The tux keeps me balanced. I look at myself as a canvas. I don't want to cloud myself with too many colors or I'll go crazy. It's an experiment I'm doing. I think I want to be in

3498-596: Is currently the only model that incorporates heterosexual identity development within its statuses to include compulsory heterosexuality, active exploration, diffusion, deepening and commitment to status, and synthesis. Contemporary models view sexual identity formation as a universal process, rather than a sexual minority one, in that it is not only sexual minorities that undergo sexual identity development, but heterosexual populations as well. More recent research has supported these theories, having demonstrated that heterosexual populations display all of Marcia's statuses within

3604-443: Is the phase of "knowing oneself," and the realization emerges that one is sexually and emotionally attracted to members of one's own sex. This is often described as an internal coming out and can occur in childhood or at puberty, but sometimes as late as age 40 or older. The second phase involves a decision to come out to others, e.g. family, friends, and/or colleagues, while the third phase involves living openly as an LGBT person. In

3710-411: Is the purposeful decision of no sexual identity, it is different from bisexuality or any other sexual identity. Those who are unlabeled are more likely to view sexuality as less stable and more fluid and tend to focus more on the "person, not the gender." It is reported that some women who identify as unlabeled did so because they are unable or uncertain about the types of relationships they will have in

3816-474: Is trying to assert her individuality, which makes her the enemy of a soulless regime – a common tension in dystopian sci-fi ." Actress Tessa Thompson and actor Jayson Aaron co-star as Zen and Ché respectively, lovers with whom Jane escapes "the clutches of this repressive society." The film features little dialogue outside of the overlay of the album's songs that function as the narrative's main driving force. Tim Grierson of Rolling Stone described that, in

3922-522: Is when an individual chooses not to label their sexual identity. This identification could stem from one's uncertainty about their sexuality or their unwillingness to conform to a sexuality because they do not necessarily like labels, or they wish to feel free in their attractions instead of feeling forced into same, other, both, or all attractions because of their sexual identity. Identifying as unlabeled could also be because of one's "unwillingness to accept their sexual minority status." Because being unlabeled

4028-618: The Billboard 200 . Her debut studio album, The ArchAndroid (2010)—a concept album —was released through Atlantic Records . The following year, she guest performed on fun. 's 2011 single " We Are Young ," which received a diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100 . Monáe's second studio album, The Electric Lady (2013) debuted at number five on

4134-475: The 61st Grammy Awards . The associated narrative film was a finalist for the 2019 Hugo Awards for Best Dramatic Presentation – Short Form . Dirty Computer debuted at number six on the US Billboard 200 , opening with 54,000 album-equivalent units in its first week, with 41,000 coming from pure sales, making it the artist's highest first week sales and second highest charting album. Credits adapted from

4240-729: The 92nd Academy Awards with a performance featuring Billy Porter that highlighted the many films nominated as well as films that were snubbed by the Academy, including Dolemite Is My Name and Midsommar . In September 2020, Monáe released the music video Turntables as part of the Amazon Studios ' bipartisan voter registration campaign. The song is used over the end credits of the Stacey Abrams -backed film, All In: The Fight for Democracy . More recently, she signed global deal with Sony Music Publishing. On July 4, 2021, We The People ,

4346-499: The American Musical and Dramatic Academy , where she was the only black woman in her class. Monáe enjoyed the experience, but feared that she might lose her edge and "sound, or look or feel like anybody else". In a 2010 interview Monáe explained, "I felt like that was a home but I wanted to write my own musicals. I didn't want to have to live vicariously through a character that had been played thousands of times – in

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4452-467: The Billboard 200. Monáe's third studio album, Dirty Computer (2018)—also a concept album—was released to widespread critical acclaim; it was chosen as the best album of the year by several publications. The album peaked within the top ten of the Billboard 200, and was further promoted by Monae's Dirty Computer Tour. It was accompanied by the science fiction film of the same name . In 2022, she wrote

4558-646: The Children's and Family Emmy Awards for Outstanding Short Form Program as one of the writers. In 2022, Monáe portrayed twin sisters Helen and Cassandra "Andi" Brand in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , for which she received critical acclaim. In April 2022, Harper Voyager published her first book, The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer, which "explores how different threads of liberation— queerness , race , gender plurality , and love—become tangled with future possibilities of memory and time in such

4664-726: The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival announced that Monáe will co-headliner the stage with Childish Gambino . Glastonbury Festival also confirmed Monáe's presence as headlining the West Holts stage of the festival. Four days after the Coachella setlist announcement, Monàe released a new music video for the song "Screwed". She replaced Julia Roberts in the second season of the Amazon Prime Video series, Homecoming , playing "a tenacious woman who finds herself floating in

4770-524: The Incredible String Band . Matthew Valnes likens Monáe's dancing style in the music video for "Tightrope" to that of James Brown. In an opinion piece for The Quietus , John Calvert places Janelle Monáe within the Afrofuturism movement, pointing out her similarities to Sun Ra and George Clinton . He asserts that Janelle Monáe is innovating the genre. Monáe has said she has an alter ego from

4876-693: The North Sea Jazz Festival in Europe as well as in the 46th edition of the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland on the 14th. In August 2012, Monáe was chosen as CoverGirl 's newest spokesperson. In September 2012, Monáe performed at CarolinaFest in support of President Obama , just before the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte , North Carolina . In October 2012, Monáe starred in

4982-534: The cyberpunk story collection, The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer , based on the album. Her fourth studio album, The Age of Pleasure (2023) was nominated for Album of the Year at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards , becoming her second nomination in the category as a lead artist. Monáe has also ventured into acting, first gaining attention for starring in the 2016 films Moonlight and Hidden Figures . For portraying engineer Mary Jackson in

5088-525: The 2012 Black Girls Rock! ceremony. Monáe has been known to distribute the Ten Droid Commandments , which encourages her fans to be individuals. The Telegraph also commented on her image as an artist, saying, "Sitting in a grey, airless record company office, this slight, stiff young woman delivers her speech in slow, deliberate tones, utterly expressionless. Dressed in her trademark starched shirt and tuxedo, hair immaculately coiffed, Monáe's face

5194-491: The Guinness Book of World Records." Monáe's signature look harkens back to dandyism . Citing Grace Jones and Josephine Baker as role models, Monáe takes the classical 18th-century look in the classical white and black pattern. Monáe's signature look can also be attributed to the early days in her career, when she was employed as a maid. She mentioned this in her acceptance speech for the "Young, Gifted, and Black" award at

5300-628: The Rhythm & Soul Music Awards in 2010. Monáe covered Charlie Chaplin 's Smile on Billboard.com in June 2010. In an NPR interview in September 2010, Monáe said she is a believer in, and a proponent of, time travel. Monáe performed " Tightrope " during the second elimination episode of the 11th Season of Dancing with the Stars on September 28, 2010. Monáe performed at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards in 2011 alongside artists Bruno Mars and B.o.B ; they performed

5406-562: The United States today, people often come out during high school or college age. At this age, they may not trust or ask for help from others, especially when their orientation is not accepted in society. Sometimes they do not inform their own families. Various studies have shown that gender identity can be affected by family conditions, educational environment, society and media. In other words, in conservative societies, people face different challenges to express their gender identity if they have

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5512-614: The album Paper Gods , their first album in over five years, and their single called "Pressure Off". On August 14, 2015, Monáe and the body of her Atlanta-based Wondaland Arts Society collective performed the protest song " Hell You Talmbout ", which raised awareness of the many black lives that were taken as a result of police brutality , with lyrics such as "Walter Scott, say his name. Jerame Reid , say his name. Philip White, say his name   ... Eric Garner , say his name. Trayvon Martin , say his name   ... Sandra Bland , say her name. Sharondra Singleton, say her name." She also gave

5618-421: The album announcement. The album was released on April 27, 2018. It was supported with the simultaneous release of a 46-minute short film of the same name , dubbed an "emotion picture" by Monáe. It follows Monáe's character, Jane 57821, as she attempts to break free from the constraints of "a totalitarian society [that] forcibly makes Jane comply with its homophobic beliefs... In the film, Monáe's character

5724-463: The album would follow on April 27, 2018. Monáe stated in an interview with BBC Radio 1 : "Prince was actually working on the album with me before he passed on to another frequency, and helped me come up with some sounds. And I really miss him, you know, it's hard for me to talk about him. But I do miss him, and his spirit will never leave me." Its short film earned a Hugo Award nomination for Best Dramatic Presentation – Short Form. Monáe appeared in

5830-400: The album's liner notes Notes Sample credits Musicians Technical Arrangement Design Janelle Mon%C3%A1e Janelle Monáe Robinson ( / dʒ ə ˈ n ɛ l m oʊ ˈ n eɪ / jə- NEL moh- NAY ; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of

5936-500: The all-inclusive performance of " Proud Mary ". On April 14, 2014, Monáe was the recipient of the inaugural Harvard College Women's Center Award for Achievement in Arts and Media for achievements as an artist, advocate and feminist. She tweeted earlier that day, "Headed to #Harvard to meet the beautiful ladies in the Women's Center. Can't believe I'm the honoree today. Just So thankful." Monáe

6042-480: The android dared." In a less enthusiastic review, Alexis Petridis of The Guardian suggested that "You occasionally wonder if an understandable desire to cross over commercially might not be at the root of the album's less inspired moments: there's something commonplace and risk-averse about the pop- R&B backing of 'Crazy, Classic, Life' and 'I Got the Juice'... It's hard not to wonder if her failure to connect with

6148-609: The boarded-up projects of poverty-wracked Kansas". Kansas City, therefore, not only represents Monáe's physical roots within her hometown, but also serves as an important influence on the lyrics and science-fictional setting. I feel like I have a responsibility to my community and other young girls to help redefine what it looks like to be a woman. I don't believe in men's wear or women's wear, I just like what I like. And I think we should just be respected for being an individual   ... I've been in Vogue , now, and different publications, which

6254-476: The cast and crew. On February 23, 2018, Monáe released "Make Me Feel" and " Django Jane ", the first two singles from Dirty Computer . On April 11, the album's third single " Pynk ", featuring Canadian musician Grimes, was released. " I Like That " was released on April 23 as a promotional single , but soon after in August, was made to be the final official single from the album. Three remix singles were released for

6360-545: The charts of more than ten countries and selling over ten million units worldwide. The song garnered Monáe three Grammy nominations at the 55th Annual Grammy Awards , including Record of the Year . Nate Ruess , the lead singer of fun., performed an acoustic version of "We Are Young" with Monáe. On December 11, 2011, Monáe performed at the Nobel Peace Prize concert in Oslo, Norway, including her songs 'Cold War', 'Tightrope', and

6466-434: The earlier albums' sonic adventurousness ... While Monáe's heart is in the right place, her lyrics occasionally suffer from the clumsiness endemic to politicized pop... If Dirty Computer feels somewhat blunter and less ambitious than Monáe's earlier work, though, it's also her most immediately satisfying." The album was nominated for Album of the Year and the music video for "Pynk" was nominated for Best Music Video at

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6572-544: The episode " Autofac " of the 2017 anthology series based on the work of Philip K. Dick, Electric Dreams , which premiered on Channel 4 in the UK and on Amazon Video in the US. On April 27, 2018, Monáe released a sci-fi film companion "emotion picture" to her new record Dirty Computer . The album debuted at the number six of the Billboard 200 with 54,000 equivalent units and on

6678-509: The film Hidden Figures , alongside actresses Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer ; the film was released in December 2016. While filming her two movie roles, Monáe remained active in music with features on Grimes' "Venus Fly" from her Art Angels album and also the soundtrack for the Netflix series The Get Down with a song titled, "Hum Along and Dance (Gotta Get Down)". She was also on

6784-577: The film was released in December 2016. While filming these two movie roles, Monáe remained active in music with features on Grimes' "Venus Fly" from her Art Angels album and also the soundtrack for the Netflix series The Get Down with a song titled, "Hum Along and Dance (Gotta Get Down)". Monáe was also on the tracks "Isn't This the World" and "Jalapeño" for the Hidden Figures soundtrack. In an interview with People , Monáe revealed that she

6890-533: The film, "Monáe plays with the conventions and totems of dystopian sci-fi to speak her truth and promote a cultural shift toward a more inclusive and loving society – no matter what repressive government (whether real or fictional) is trying to crush that spirit. Monáe is speaking to the present, but for her, the future is now." On February 1, 2019, Monáe released a new director's cut of the Dirty Computer emotion picture with 13 extra minutes of bonus interviews from

6996-995: The future. As such, this divergence from sexual labels could provide for a person to be able to more fully realize their "true" sexuality because it frees them from the pressure of liking and being attracted to who their sexual identification dictates they should like. Pham, Q.T. (2022) conducted an empirical qualitative research on the sexual identity management strategies of working women who experience sexual fluidity. The results show that female employees first consider or choose (non)identity that matches their new sexual attractions. These (non)identity choices include identity change, fluid identity, non-identity, and resisting identity. Next, strategies are utilized for managing that (non)identity at work—pass, cover, implicitly out, explicitly out, inform/educate. These strategies can be used independently or multiply (mixed/change), in which mixed strategy takes account of communication object and situation, while change strategy relies on time. The term pomosexual

7102-413: The iTunes Store on April 23, 2013. "Q.U.E.E.N." garnered 31,000 digital sales according to Nielsen Soundscan with the accompanying music video gaining four million YouTube views within its first week of release. In her 2013 interview with fuse , Monáe said "Q.U.E.E.N." was inspired by conversations she shared with Erykah Badu about the treatment of marginalized people, especially African-American women, and

7208-667: The individual and group level: (1) awareness, (2) exploration, (3) deepening/commitment, and (4) internalization/synthesis. Some models of sexual identity development do not use discrete, ordered stages, but instead conceptualize identity development as consisting of independent identity processes. For example, D'Augelli's model describes six unordered independent identity processes: (1) exiting heterosexual identity, (2) developing personal LGB identity status, (3) developing an LGB social identity, (4) becoming an LGB offspring, (5) developing an LGB intimacy status, and (6) entering an LGB community. The Unifying Model of Sexual Identity Development

7314-492: The label, Bad Boy, in 2006. The label's chief role was to facilitate her exposure on a much broader scale rather than develop the artist and her music, as Mitchell noted: "She was already moving, she already had her records – she had a self-contained movement." Combs and Big Boi wanted to take their time and build her profile organically and allow the music to grow rather than put out "a hot single which everyone jumps on, and then they fade because it's just something of

7420-566: The larger scope of other major identity theories and processes. Sexual identity has been described as a component of an individual's identity that reflects their sexual self-concept. The integration of the respective identity components (e.g. moral, religious, ethnic, occupational) into a greater overall identity is essential to the process of developing the multi-dimensional construct of identity. Sexual identity can change throughout an individual's life, and may or may not align with biological sex, sexual behavior or actual sexual orientation. In

7526-520: The latter, she was nominated for the Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Supporting Actress . She has since starred in the films Harriet (2019) and Glass Onion (2022), and the television series Homecoming (2020). In 2022, she won a Children's and Family Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Form Program for her role in the TV series We the People . She launched her record label, Wondaland Arts Society in

7632-657: The messianic figure to the city's strictly segregated working class, Monáe's messianic android muse Cindi Mayweather represents an interpretation of androids as that segregated minority, which Monáe describes as "...   the Other . And I feel like all of us, whether in the majority or the minority, felt like the Other at some point." Monáe received the Vanguard Award from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers at

7738-413: The moment." In 2007, Monáe released her first solo work, Metropolis. It was originally conceived as a concept album in four parts, or "suites", which were to be released through her website and mp3 download sites. After the release of the first part of the series, Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) in mid-2007, these plans were altered following signing with Sean Combs's label, Bad Boy Records, later in

7844-654: The movie Rio 2 , released in the U.S. on April 11, 2014, and the song " What Is Love " was featured on the soundtrack. In April 2014, Monáe was invited to perform along with Tessanne Chin , Patti LaBelle , Aretha Franklin , Jill Scott , Ariana Grande , and Melissa Etheridge at the White House as a part of the PBS -broadcast "Women of Soul" event, which celebrated American women artists whose work has left an indelible and profound impact on American national musical culture. She performed " Goldfinger ", "Tightrope", and joined in on

7950-527: The news portrays you less than you could be." Monáe also told the London Evening Standard she has internalized her KCK (K.C., KS) roots by wearing the working-class uniform of her parents and expressing concern that she cannot let "her community down". On the album The ArchAndroid , especially in songs like "Cold War" or "BabopbyeYa", Monáe relates "the dystopian cityscapes depicted in Metropolis to

8056-434: The opening act for band No Doubt on their summer 2009 tour. Her single "Open Happiness" was featured in the 2009 season finale of American Idol . Monáe told MTV about the concept for her new album and also discussed an alter ego named Cindi Mayweather. She said: Cindy is an android and I love speaking about the android because they are the new "other". People are afraid of the other and I believe we're going to live in

8162-569: The oppressed and the oppressor. She's like the Archangel in the Bible , and what Neo represents to The Matrix ." In her second album , Cindi Mayweather returned to Earth to liberate Metropolitans from the Great Divide, an oppressive oligarchy that used time travel to "suppress freedom and love". Chris Champion of The Observer described Metropolis and The ArchAndroid as " psychedelic soul with

8268-407: The pricks, and Monáe delivers one—easily the most pop-conversant, hook -laden, and propulsive music of her career." Robert Christgau , who in the past had found Monáe's voice too thin and her songwriting overly intellectual, was converted by Dirty Computer ' s Prince-inspired, sex-positive songs: "Too often prosex albums are shallow. While remaining intellectual, this one is more personal than

8374-645: The protagonist of Metropolis: The Chase Suite  – becomes a messianic figure to the android community of Metropolis. Monáe announced plans to shoot a video for each song on The ArchAndroid and create a film, graphic novel and a touring Broadway musical based on the album. The Metropolis concept series draws inspiration from a wide range of musical, cinematic and other sources, ranging from Alfred Hitchcock to Debussy to Philip K. Dick . The series puts Fritz Lang's 1927 silent film Metropolis , which Monáe referred to as "the godfather of science-fiction movies", in special regard. Aside from sharing

8480-425: The same sex, contrasted with 32% of women and 43% of men who had same-sex attractions. Upon reviewing the results, the organization commented: "Development of self-identification as homosexual or gay is a psychological and socially complex state, something which, in this society, is achieved only over time, often with considerable personal struggle and self-doubt, not to mention social discomfort." Unlabeled sexuality

8586-413: The single " Yoga " from the album The Eephus . The album debuted at number 22 of the Billboard 200 and at number   5 of the top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with an equivalent album sales of 47,000 units. In mid-2015 Monáe attended various fashion events including London Fashion Week and the 2015 Met Gala . She began collaborating with Nile Rodgers for a new Chic album and Duran Duran for

8692-625: The single "Float" featuring horns by Seun Kuti and his band, Egypt 80. On May 11, she announced her fourth album The Age of Pleasure would be released on June 9. In a July 2023 interview with The Current , Monáe described their new album as "a movement" and "a soundtrack to a lifestyle" emphasizing the unapologetic pursuit of radical joy. The sensual and summery beats of the songs and accompanying music videos for tracks like "Water Slide" and "Lipstick Lover" continue to build upon depictions of queer love and acceptance common in Monáe's work. The album

8798-487: The song on August 17, August 24, and November 9, 2018. Standalone music videos were also released for "Crazy, Classic, Life" and "Screwed" on December 12, 2018, and January 7, 2019, respectively. Dirty Computer received widespread acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic , which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has an average score of 87 based on 33 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". At AnyDecentMusic? , which gives

8904-400: The spectrum of sexual identities ." The album's 14 tracks can be grouped into three loose categories: "Reckoning", "Celebration" and "Reclamation". The first deals with Monáe's recognition of how she is viewed by society, the middle explores her acceptance of "the cards she has been dealt", and the closing tracks deal with her reclamation and redefinition of American identity. Overall, the album

9010-563: The synth section of B.o.B's song "Nothin' on You" and she then performed the track "Cold War" with B.o.B on the guitar and Mars on the drums. The performance received a standing ovation. Monáe's single "Tightrope" was also featured on the American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011 , performed by Pia Toscano , Haley Reinhart , Naima Adedapo , and Thia Megia . In September 2011, Monáe was featured as a guest vocalist on fun. 's single, " We Are Young ", which achieved major commercial success, topping

9116-452: The themes presented in Dirty Computer for a decade before its production, but noted that "earlier it felt safer to package herself in metaphors...The sanitized android version felt more accepted — and more acceptable — than her true self. The public, she explained, doesn't really 'know Janelle Monáe, and I felt like I didn't really have to be her because they were fine with Cindi.'" Monáe considers Dirty Computer to be "a homage to women and

9222-435: The time Combs had not yet heard. Combs soon visited Monáe's MySpace page and according to a HitQuarters interview with Bad Boy Records A&R person Daniel 'Skid' Mitchell, Combs loved it right away: "[He] loved her look, loved that you couldn't see her body, loved the way she was dancing, and just loved the vibe. He felt like she has something that was different – something new and fresh." Monáe signed to

9328-898: The title is an acronym "for those who are marginalized"; Q standing for the queer community, U standing for the "untouchables", the first E standing for "emigrants", the latter standing for "excommunicated" and N standing for " negroid ". Thematically, The Electric Lady continues the utopian cyborg concepts of its predecessors, while presenting itself in more plainspoken, introspective territory in addition to experimenting with genres beyond conventional funk and soul such as jazz ("Dorothy Dandridge Eyes"), pop-punk (" Dance Apocalyptic "), gospel ("Victory") and woozy, sensual vocal ballads (" PrimeTime ", featuring Miguel ). The album features guest appearances by Prince , Solange Knowles , aforementioned Miguel and Esperanza Spalding with production from previous collaborator Deep Cotton (a psychedelic punk act) and Roman GianArthur (a soul music composer), and

9434-512: The top ten charts of Canada , United Kingdom and Ireland . It was chosen as the best album of the year by three publications: the Associated Press , New York Times , and NPR . The album received the nomination for Album of the Year at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards . She also contributed to the soundtrack to the dark comedy film Sorry to Bother You , collaborating with The Coup . In 2018 her Wondaland Pictures production company

9540-402: The tracks "Isn't This the World" and "Jalapeño" for the Hidden Figures soundtrack. In an interview with People , Monáe revealed that she was already working on her third studio album when she received the scripts for her two first acting roles; therefore, she put the album on hold. She also revealed in the interview that she would be releasing new music sometime in 2017, although by the end of

9646-400: The year 2719, named Cindi Mayweather. In her first EP , Monáe gave this alter ego a back story: she was on the run after breaking the law in her home town of Metropolis by falling in love with a human, Anthony Greendown. Monáe has expanded on Cindi's mythos, saying, "The Archandroid, Cindi, is the mediator, between the mind and the hand. She's the mediator between the haves and the have-nots,

9752-425: The year no album or single was announced. It was confirmed by Monáe after " Make Me Feel " was released that Prince , with whom she collaborated on her preceding album, had worked on the single, as well as the entire album, before his death in 2016. This was confirmed after listeners noticed similarities between the single's sound and the late musician's work. Monae stated in an interview with BBC Radio 1 : "Prince

9858-454: The year. The label gave an official and physical release to the first suite in August 2008, which was retitled Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition) and included two new tracks. The EP was critically acclaimed, garnering Monáe a 51st Annual Grammy Awards Grammy nomination for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the single " Many Moons ", festival appearances and opening slots for indie pop band of Montreal . Monáe also toured as

9964-468: Was actually working on the album with me before he passed on to another frequency, and helped me come up with some sounds. And I really miss him, you know, it’s hard for me to talk about him. But I do miss him, and his spirit will never leave me." The synth groove in "Make Me Feel", reported to be written by Prince, was played at one of his parties years prior to its inclusion in the single, as confirmed by Prince's DJ, Lenka Paris. Monáe had been exploring

10070-401: Was already working on her third studio album when she received the scripts for her two first acting roles; therefore, she put the album on hold. Monáe also revealed in the interview that she would be releasing new music sometime in 2017, although by the end of the year no album or single was announced. On February 16, 2018, Monáe revealed her third studio album, titled Dirty Computer , through

10176-483: Was also recognized as the 2014 Woman of the Year by the Harvard College Black Men's Forum at their annual Celebration of Black Women gala. In mid-2014, Monáe had an interview with Fuse where she teased a follow-up to The Electric Lady , saying "I'm working on a new, cool creative project called 'Eephus ' " and "It's a big concept and you're not going to see it coming. It'll just land." Later in 2014, Monáe

10282-593: Was another source of inspiration. She performed songs from the album on Juneteenth talent shows, winning three years in a row. As a teenager, Monáe was enrolled in the Coterie Theater's Young Playwrights' Round Table, which began writing musicals. One musical, completed when she was around the age of 12, was inspired by the 1979 Stevie Wonder album Journey Through "The Secret Life of Plants" . Monáe attended F. L. Schlagle High School , and after high school, moved to New York City to study musical theater at

10388-520: Was born on December 1, 1985, in Kansas City, Kansas , and was raised in Quindaro , a working-class community of Kansas City. Her mother, Janet, worked as a janitor and a hotel maid. Her father, Michael Robinson Summers, was a truck driver. Monáe's parents separated when Monáe was a toddler and her mother later married a postal worker. Monáe has a younger sister, Kimmy, from her mother's remarriage. Monáe

10494-438: Was featured on Sérgio Mendes ' album, Magic . She sings on the track titled "Visions of You". In February 2015, Monáe along with Epic Records and its CEO and chairman L.A. Reid announced that Monáe's independent label Wondaland Arts Society had signed a "landmark joint venture partnership" to revamp the label, now known as Wondaland Records, and to promote the artists on the label. Jem Aswad of Billboard called Monáe

10600-538: Was fired for answering a fan's e-mail using a company computer, an incident that inspired the song "Lettin' Go", which in turn attracted the attention of Big Boi . Monáe appeared on the Purple Ribbon All-Stars album Got Purp? Vol. 2 as well as on OutKast's 2006 album Idlewild , where she was featured on the songs "Call the Law" and "In Your Dreams". Big Boi told his friend Sean Combs about Monáe, of whom at

10706-504: Was included in the top three of seven publications' Best Album of 2018 lists, and received two nominations at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards , including Album of the Year . It debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and was further promoted by Monae's Dirty Computer Tour. In October 2016, Monáe made her feature-length film acting debut in Moonlight , alongside Naomie Harris , André Holland , and Mahershala Ali . Monáe also starred in

10812-428: Was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Progressive R&B Album at the 66th Annual Grammy Awards . Monáe has a mezzo-soprano voice. The Telegraph published an interview with Monáe, talking about her first studio album, in which the journalist Bernadette McNulty said, "I begin to worry for a moment that Monáe may not just be a humourless science-fiction nerd , but actually an android herself, created in

10918-635: Was raised Baptist and learned to sing at a local church. Her family members were musicians and performers at the local African Methodist Episcopal church, the Baptist church , and the Church of God in Christ . Monáe dreamed of being a singer and a performer from a very young age, and has cited the fictional character of Dorothy Gale from The Wizard of Oz as a musical influence. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill , which Monáe bought two copies of with her first check,

11024-595: Was released to critical acclaim on September 10, 2013. On September 14, 2013, Monáe performed along with Chic at the iTunes Festival in London. On September 28, Monáe performed at the Global Citizens Festival in Central Park alongside Stevie Wonder. Monáe performed as the featured musical guest on Saturday Night Live October 26 with host Edward Norton . Monáe's voice is heard as veterinarian Dr. Monáe in

11130-486: Was signed to a first look deal with Universal. On November 15, 2018, it was announced that Monáe would receive the Trailblazer of the Year award at the 2018 Billboard Women in Music event, which was held on December 6, 2018. Also in 2018, Monáe co-starred in the fantasy drama feature film Welcome to Marwen , by filmmaker and screenwriter Robert Zemeckis alongside Steve Carell and Leslie Mann . On January 3, 2019,

11236-480: Was used to both coincide with Obama's Texan SXSW speech and to promote the First Lady's third-world educational initiative Let Girls Learn . In October 2016, Monáe made her big screen acting debut in the critically acclaimed film Moonlight , alongside Naomie Harris , André Holland , and Mahershala Ali . Monáe also starred in the film Hidden Figures , alongside actors Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer ;

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