Just when you thought you really knew somebody…they flash you their tits.
What a time to be liberated. Or over-sexualized? Depends on who’s telling the story, but if you are a fan of miss Janelle Monáe then you know that she has since then evolved from the quite modest suit and tie hipster babe to a fashion staple of feminine nude allure.
If you have followed her throughout the years, it is literally black and white (no pun intended) the contrast of the Janelle that we knew from 2008 compared to 2023. But little do most people know, Janelle has always been a woman unafraid to speak her truth, not only through fashion, but through her sexuality as well.
In the early stages of her career, she expressed her respect for her parents, who were a janitor and truck driver, and all the hardworking individuals that often go unnoticed, through her staple monochromatic outfit as a tribute. Recently, she has been embracing her more delicate side, making bold fashion choices with sensuous robes that strategically reveal her confidence and assertiveness, serving as a form of self-expression and demonstrating her self-assuredness.
For some, this came as a shock — for others, it was refreshing.
I often wonder how difficult it can be to evolve as a famous music artist, artistically. Artistry is an ever evolving part of creating. Some days you might create this on another day you might create that. Either way, you’re still being true to what you’re putting out there. But, the pressure to have to maintain a demand or image from a base that only knows you from the art, and craves just that, seems like pressure.
It’s like, if Beyonce’ turned around and started doing battle rap one day. I love you, but please don’t.
In this case, Janelle has ever so gently taken us on an intimate journey over time, revealing who she truly is, not only as an artist, but as a human being.
In a recent interview with LGBTQ&A podcast she stated:
“I’m being super present, I’m laughing more, I’m partying with my friends more, I’m really more relaxed as an artist and so I think that my music is probably going to be, without giving too much away, less heady and less about fighting against opposition.
– LGBTQ&A podcast
Janelle Monáe’s evolution as a music artist has been all about musical experimentation, thematic exploration, social activism, and a willingness to push boundaries. In other words, it’s nothing new under the sun. She’s just being herself.
And continuing with an interview with Ebony magazine, she states:
I like to deal with energy in terms of softness and hardness. I think that perhaps, prior, there was a need to protect myself through fashion.
– Ebony Magazine
If you did not know, Miss Monáe came out as nonbinary in 2022 which is an umbrella term used to describe gender identities that do not exclusively align with the categories of male or female. In Jada Pinkett Smith’s Red Table Talk interview, she expressed that she feels “all” of her energy. When referencing God, she explained how she believes that God is much bigger that a pronoun and if she is from God, then she is everything — beyond the binary.
This can easily explain her sense of style which is often traditionally masculine in a sense while also also exuding waves of femininity.
I applaud and admire the boldness of Janelle standing in a lane of her own and inviting self-discovery. It’s scary — yet in my eyes, she has inspired so many to invite all that it is to be alive.
How do you feel that you can champion Janelle’s energy in your daily life?
I write to you this poem, inspired by this muse — inspired by you:
In a world of artistry, a celestial being emerges, a luminary of boundless allure. A body that resonates with cosmic echoes, unveiling melodies that stir the soul’s core.
A multidimensional spirit, she graces scenes, transcending boundaries, igniting the flame.
A celestial muse, an enigma, impossible to lose.
A force of nature.
A poetic symphony.
She embodies art’s essence, forever free.
