Janelle Monáe Strips The Hardware For Humanity
Janelle Monáe is fully basking in her freedom. As a 32-year-old singer with more than a decade in music under her belt, Janelle has made a career out of being an artistic chameleon. But her latest album, Dirty Computer, undoubtedly proves that playing the role of yourself is the most satisfying part.
From pansexual proclamations and Afro-futuristic lewks to paying homage to Prince and eloquently purging political statements through rose-colored lenses, Dirty Computer — both the album and what she calls an "emotion picture" — is a heroine's journey set to a symphony.
To mark what may very well be the artist's magnum opus, Pilar Fitzgerald, Sydnee Monday, Anastasia Tsioulcas and I reacted to and analyzed Monáe's new art in real time. (Remember when experiencing new music was a communal exercise?)
-- Sidney Madden
Sidney Madden: Dirty Computer, the emotion picture, opens with Janelle as a robot or a woman and in a sterile-looking facility. She's lying on a table while technicians are wiping out her 'memories.' Each corresponding music video either represents a memory or dream Janelle has. What are your first impressions of the film?
: There's a lot of robotic vs. humanity vs. something in between at play here.
