In response to conservatives who want to stifle expressions of black, queer pleasure, Janelle Monaé claims that her sensual, hedonistic new album is sensuous, hedonistic, and provocative.
The record is released in the midst of a wave of US legislation that targets LGBTQ rights and other legislation that forbids the teaching of African American history.
Monaé, a non-binary person, told BBC 6 Music: "They want us to not enjoy life, to be miserable, to feel like we don't belong.".
"We must fight this in all possible ways. ".
The Age Of Pleasure, the 37-year-old's most recent album, is just one strategy she uses to combat the anti-LGBTQ sentiment that is on the rise, she claims.
"With this project, I'm making it abundantly clear that even in the midst of these trying times, we're going to celebrate ourselves, make a safe haven for ourselves, and take pleasure in this life. ".
The celebrity is also making a difference in the world through her nonprofit organization Fem The Future, which awards grants to non-binary youth and girls who lack financial support for the arts, music, and education.
Since she began putting out music in 2003, Monaé has established herself as one of America's most innovative and genre-defying soul and pop artists.
With hits like Tightrope, Make Me Feel, and Q. U. E. E. In addition to building a parallel career on the big screen, she has received eight Grammy nominations. She co-starred with Daniel Craig in the murder mystery Glass Onion last year and appeared in the critically acclaimed dramas Hidden Figures and Moonlight.
Since releasing Dirty Computer in 2018, which saw her publicly acknowledge and embrace her sexuality, she has released The Age Of Pleasure, her first album.
She told Matt Everitt, "That was very nerve-racking.". To be forced to handle [everything] that comes with that. the stress from talking about it all the time. ".
But she went on to say that realizing her non-binary identity "freed me up.".
"It enhances the quality of the music, the artwork, and your sense of flow and freedom. ".
As a result, the majority of her new album is devoted to fleshly pleasures.
The theme of bare skin is prevalent, and Monaé even sports a bare chest in the music video for Lipstick Lover, a song that was inspired by an actual relationship.
"I ended up getting red lip gloss and lipstick on my neck. When I saw it in the bathroom, I immediately thought it was sexy.
I responded, "Yep, this deserves a song. Just that easy. ".
At gatherings she held at her "Wondaland West" campus in Los Angeles over the past few years, the album has developed.
It has a party-ready courtyard that Rolling Stone magazine called "magnificent" with a "calm pool in the center and troves of nooks, crannies, outdoor baths, and citrus trees." The property is a hub of creativity and community.
During the pandemic, Monaé allowed the organizers of Everyday People, a traveling celebration of Black and African culture, to hold events on her property under the strict Covid testing guidelines.
According to Monaé, the freedom to be oneself "free from police, free from judgement" was found during those bacchanalian nights and is reflected in her new music.
The Age Of Pleasure, which she described as her best effort at capturing the beauty she had seen, was the result.
Lockdown restrictions were lifted, and the parties went on as a proving ground for Monaé's material.
She explained, "If I knew we were having a party on a Friday or Saturday, we would write the songs on a Monday or Tuesday.".
"Play the songs, I told my DJ. Don't say I'm there, and watch how people react to them. ' .
"And I knew it was finished when I saw people Shazam-ing them from the dance floor. The album will include that. '".
According to the musician, the album is a "love letter to the African diaspora," with grooves that effortlessly transition between R&B, hip-hop, Afrobeat, Amapiano, funk, and reggae.
It just got released this week, and reviews are already good.
Charles Lyons-Burt of Slate magazine observed that Janelle Monáe "sounds more self-possessed and confident than ever.". Her sincere, audacious, and subversive embrace of queer pleasure is without a doubt. ".
Joe Muggs continued on The Arts Desk, "It really is non-stop sauce. Even a list of swimming techniques is so charged that steam will come out of your ears.
It might make you blush, but it's her best record and shows a remarkable transformation. ".
Sam Franzini of The Line Of Best Fit expressed less enthusiasm, claiming that the album was "slim on ideas" and did not adequately capture Monaé's "genius.". False, The Age Of Pleasure's "sweltering style" is set to become "the sound of the summer," according to David Smith in the Evening Standard.
The Art Of Pleasure was all about the opportunity to "have fun" for Monaé, whose prior records have made deeply conceptual, complex artistic statements.
"I feel like I'm owning everything about me, just enjoying it without having to explain anything.
"I feel a lot better now. In midair, I am.
. "
