Janelle Monáe in her visual album, Dirty Computer | Photo: YouTube/Janelle Monáe
Since coming out with new music — culminating in the release of her third studio album and accompanying film on 27 April — Janella Monáe has become a much talked about name lately. Especially for LGBTI fans.
Recently, the singer came out as pansexual in a Rolling Stone interview.
Afterward, the term pansexual became Merriam-Webster’s most searched word. It also spurred an online debate about bisexuality vs pansexuality.
Monáe participated in a Reddit AMA this week and one person asked her about the media coverage surrounding this. The initial Rolling Stone piece was titled: Janelle Monáe Frees Herself.
The fan asked: ‘What do you think of the rhetoric surrounding you coming out as pansexual? Phrases such as Rolling Stone’s headline “Janelle Monáe Frees Herself” seems reductive to me, you’ve always been a free-ass motherfucker, whether public or private in regards to your sexuality’
Monáe’s answer proved once again why she’s become such an icon.
Monáe’s Reddit answer | Photo: Reddit
She wrote: ‘💯 yeah, that happens . I’m also free to let that slide off my back . Being an artist sometimes means allowing others to use your image to push an idea based off of something you say or create . In this case, I think that there are a lot of people who may find courage in the story (at least I hope) . And I’m not in the business of click bait and what makes people click on something. I’m just trying to be honest and hope that it resonates with the people it’s supposed to resonate with.’
Also the fact that her title on Reddit is ‘THE QUEEN’.
Other great answers
Monáe answered several more questions with, of course, fabulous answers.
One person asked if she was interested in making a rap album, after releasing the song Django Jane on her latest album. Her answer? Yes.
Another person asked about Monáe working with Tessa Thompson and Zoe Kravitz (who appears on the song Screwed). They asked about appearing in their acting projects, like Westworld or Big Little Lies.
Monáe replied: ‘R u kidding ? I’m on set already . They are brilliant actors with impeccable taste . I was honored to have them both apart of DC.’
Plus, the artist is no stranger to movies now. Her first acting credits included Best Picture winner Moonlight and then Hidden Figures.
When someone asked how she dealt with being a hero to people, she wrote back: ‘To some I’m a hero to some I’m a heathen . 🤷🏾♀️ All good either way’
Finally, she perhaps had the best response when someone asked about her studio recording habits.
‘Storming out of the studio, crying, gyrating, lots of apple chips, port wine, sex, healthy debates, Xbox, type writing, great cosmic mother readings, & long intimate conversations with my shadow. I should probably stop there.’
