Janelle Monáe Wants To 'Redefine' What Young Black Women Look Like In The Music Industry

Janelle Monáe's debut album, The ArchAndroid, came out in 2010, and ever since, fans watched her develop not only as a musician and actor however as a cultural icon, also. For females everywhere, and particularly Black women, Monáe is proof that you could be exactly who you are, even in an industry that's constantly attempting to tell you who to be. In a recent interview with InStyle, the artist opened up about her career objectives, the significance of expressing her sexuality and blackness through art, and being a badass trailblazer in music. And yeah, it's exceedingly powerful.


"I've habitually wanted to redefine what a cool young black woman looks like in the music industry," she instructed them outlet. For Monáe, making music was never about achieving a certain level of fame. As an alternative, it was about rebuilding a damaged system that attempted to place her into a neat little box. "I was never interested in fitting into a system that wasn't built for me or with me in mind. I'm interested in burning that shit down and building something new."


Monáe's aspire to blaze trails has extended far in back of making music. In 2016, she got involved with acting headfirst with performances in Moonlight and Hidden Figures. This year, she'll also be in a Harriet Tubman biopic and The Glorias: A Life on the Road, based on Gloria Steinem's autobiography. Like her music, Monáe's choice in movie roles reflects the responsibility she feels to bring awareness to cultural issues and historical truths.


Her most recent album, 2018's Dirty Computer, did the same by including much less ambiguous lyrics about her sexuality; she also came out as pansexual a day before its release. "I don't look at myself as just an actor or a musician," she revealed. "I am an artist, and I have a responsibility to tell the truth. I use different mediums, nevertheless it's all storytelling to me."


But this intense feeling of responsibility didn't come about on its own. Case in point, it was largely sparked by attending church with her family member. "The majority of [my family] grew up Baptist, and the sermons would all be around how in the event you're a homosexual or if you're gay and also you don't repent and live a heteronormative life and get wedded, well... Hell is your final destination," she mentioned. Still, these messages didn't stop her from speaking her truth to her parents and the rest of the world in a 2018 Rolling Stone interview. "I discussed to my mom and dad first, and my mom, in particular, had a lot of questions. I mentioned, 'Mama, the only way that I can create art is to truthfully tell my story. It has to come from a straightforward place, and this is who I honestly am. I don't know any different way. I have to talk about my sexuality. I have to talk about my blackness. I have to talk about my womanness. I have to talk about these things. This is who I am as a person.'"


These days, Monáe totally embraces every facet of who she is; nevertheless even that doesn't come without its challenges. For her, wholeheartedly loving the things that make her different is something she has to pick to do day-to-day any time once she wakes up. "Embracing your uniqueness is a mobile choice," she mentioned. "I don't wake up looking flawless every morning. I don't wake up feeling empowered. I don't wake up feeling fearless. I have to actively pick to feel that way."


And the things that used to create her feel small? Well, they don't bother her anymore. "... If I walk in [a room] and I'm the only black woman in a room of white folks and so they are making decisions, there really is a power dynamic there where I feel like I could have to assert myself more, or I could be a little bit uncomfortable, depending on what's on the table for me to own," she mentioned. "That used to intimidate me, yet right now If I walk in, I identify that I am a critical part of the puzzle. My ideas matter. What I have to make has the potential to shape the world, to change the narrative, to be more inclusive."