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Janelle Monáe Talks New Album, Nia Long Crush, Prince Being Her Mentor and More | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
Jun 11, 2023
Janelle Monáe stopped by Sway In The Morning to talk about the development of her new album The Age of Pleasure.
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Janelle Monáe Talks New Album, Nia Long Crush, Prince Being Her Mentor and More | SWAY’S UNIVERSE
https://youtu.be/0LAzJ1KNoNI
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0:00
limited edition special edition the age
0:02
of pleasure
0:04
that's that voice right there citizens
0:06
the age of pleasure the title alone just
0:09
went platinum
0:12
the age of pleasure yeah if that was a
0:15
book on reading it from front to back
0:18
that's a movie I'm watching it from
0:20
beginning to end the age of pleasure are
0:23
you kidding me that's a Carnival Heather
0:25
B I'm headed into every vendor I know
0:27
you are you got your tickets you better
0:29
stop playing with me come on man gonna
0:32
take that ride come on I was there when
0:34
the audition came out come on give me a
0:36
round of applause I was there with a
0:39
metropolis came out yeah we're trying to
0:42
sweep the chase that was there I was
0:44
there when she first came to New York to
0:46
perform her first show on stage in New
0:49
York City I was there I saw it talk to
0:52
him for myself
0:56
come on I saw the evolution and I knew
0:59
it was special from the beginning I knew
1:01
she was an electric lady I give that
1:03
round of applause
1:11
on my dirty computer I looked her up
1:14
inside
1:16
y'all better stop playing I use my
1:19
computer for pleasure
1:23
delete your history
1:27
the Transcendent one is here citizens
1:30
the anomaly is here you cannot put her
1:34
in a genre she would not allow folks to
1:36
Define her she would not let you
1:39
pigeonole her or put her in a box and
1:42
look how it's played out citizens
1:45
there's nothing about her that's changed
1:47
except for she's evolved she had
1:49
division way back then you got to have
1:52
Vision baby we had to catch up to it
1:55
y'all think will he Dynamite okay and
1:59
now there's a beacon of light has helped
2:02
so many people who listen to her through
2:04
her music watch her through her ways and
2:07
actions on and off the stage she's been
2:11
consistent she's been Unapologetic and
2:14
she's been just one of us the whole
2:16
entire time it's beautiful when you go
2:18
watch a person come into the game and
2:20
you've already been established you've
2:22
already been a veteran you think you've
2:23
seen it all and you watch somebody's
2:25
career Blossom and then you begin to
2:27
learn from them so now I get to learn
2:30
from her welcome her back to the show
2:33
The One and Only Janelle Monae
2:37
[Applause]
2:52
wow this feels so good to be to be back
2:55
and to be here and to be here with
2:57
somebody who you know just listening to
3:00
you talk like you have been a supporter
3:04
of me since the beginning you know since
3:06
I really stepped here first showcased
3:09
when puff brought me out like I wow do I
3:12
yes I was I could not sleep the night
3:15
before because all I could think about
3:17
was
3:18
okay are they gonna boo me in New York
3:21
like I I'm I'm hearing this tuxedo I'm
3:24
you know my hair is is you know looking
3:27
like uh you know a pompadour I'm talking
3:30
about science fiction I'm this black
3:32
like I don't fit into anything
3:35
you know I miss independent artist they
3:38
don't know my songs I'm thinking about
3:40
Androids what it you know what are they
3:42
gonna say and I was so nervous and I
3:44
just
3:45
you had you embraced me like immediately
3:48
after that and sort of affirmed me like
3:50
yo like I've been in this business for
3:52
however long I've been in it I've seen
3:55
many artists I've seen you know lots of
3:57
artists come and go but like
3:59
you wanted him one you're one of those
4:01
ones you wanted them once you are one of
4:03
those and I never forgot that and I just
4:05
I'm just here really to say thank you oh
4:07
thank you thank you
4:09
cry thank you because we came back after
4:12
your party your album listening that
4:14
they didn't invite me too
4:17
yeah because Heather and Tracy he was on
4:19
his couch he doesn't like to leave the
4:22
couch once he gets in the house and sits
4:24
his he got a butt print you know
4:28
he got a butt print and he don't leave
4:31
once his butt gets positioned in there
4:33
so we all came out and we had a ball
4:37
like we came back to work here on here
4:40
the next day telling everybody like
4:42
y'all better start floating yeah she got
4:45
it it's on it's pop it was a party I
4:48
remember that night I loved having out
4:50
there everybody was like every time I
4:52
come to New York I try to make sure that
4:55
because I know these things can be
4:56
stuffy you're coming you're listening to
4:58
music for the first time you know know
5:00
you feel like you know the labels trying
5:02
to make get you bought in or whatever
5:04
but I think what what has been beautiful
5:07
about this project and about this this
5:10
time like it's not just me it's not just
5:12
me wanting to have that community of
5:17
people who feel like they they can let
5:19
loose in a safe space right yeah and
5:22
that's what this is all about you know
5:24
um us brown and black people
5:26
specifically being able to have our own
5:30
[ __ ] that we can feel I'm this is I
5:33
don't know if this is live whatever
5:36
um
5:36
if
5:38
yeah where where can we have those safe
5:40
spaces free from
5:42
police yes free from gun violence free
5:45
from
5:46
you know judgment all of us coming from
5:49
different walks of life ready to dance
5:51
ready to party ready to yes ready to
5:54
really just like stay present yeah
5:57
so it was beautiful to see that and
6:00
that's that's where I've been like that
6:02
is that's the world that I that I that
6:05
I'm in you know will never have a world
6:08
where there isn't something heavy going
6:09
on right it'll always be something
6:12
um heavy problems we ought to solve you
6:15
know but even in the midst of that we
6:17
got to steal some Joy I gotta find some
6:19
joy we gotta find some pleasure I say
6:21
pockets of Joy find your pockets of Joy
6:24
right we do a segment here on Thursday
6:26
called Good News Thursday and have to
6:30
put goals in one of her old ass purses
6:31
and pull out a gospel a spiritual song
6:34
and then people call in with their
6:36
testimonies but it's for that purpose to
6:37
balance the fact that it is balanced
6:39
yeah we need that life balance right all
6:42
things Janelle Monae is here a big round
6:44
of applause is amazing
6:46
the age of pleasure I want to talk about
6:48
that momentarily but I know Tracy G is
6:50
one of your biggest fans and I'll be
6:52
remiss if she couldn't die she probably
6:53
tried to punch me yes listen Janelle
6:58
just incredible job just this thing
7:02
everything that sway said is so accurate
7:04
because we don't just appreciate you as
7:06
an artist we appreciate you as a human
7:08
and you write us so many permission
7:10
slips for evolving at any day at any
7:13
pace for any stage one of the things
7:15
that I noticed from this project
7:17
especially with the visuals is you have
7:20
found this incredible balance of giving
7:23
us something that's like titillating but
7:26
also tasteful and something that's sexy
7:30
but not explicit and dare I say it feels
7:33
for the female gays
7:35
and often times when something is a
7:40
little bit more sexual in its
7:42
orientation within black music it's oh
7:45
as women it's always felt like it was
7:46
for the male gays was that balance
7:50
intentional and how do you strike it
7:53
because it doesn't feel explicit yeah
7:56
it's just arriving to some people it's
7:59
explicit you know I think I think in
8:01
also culturally
8:03
we are taught to sexualize certain
8:05
things that
8:07
to other cultures are not sexual you
8:11
know
8:12
um
8:12
and and I think
8:15
I co-directed so that was important like
8:18
it had to feel as honest and true and
8:22
again safe space there's no pleasure
8:24
without safety and for me black women
8:28
specifically I always want them to feel
8:29
safe you know I'm non-binary I see
8:32
myself though in black women I love
8:35
black women I love us and I love I'm
8:38
Queer as well so it's this place for the
8:40
lgbtqi plus Community to feel safe so on
8:43
when we were filming most of those
8:45
people were my friends 90 of them so
8:48
that's what you saw as a reflection of
8:50
my lifestyle of when we are in a safe
8:53
space
8:54
how free we can be one of the things
8:57
that I wanted to note was I shot that on
9:00
eight millimeter 16 millimeter
9:03
um oh yeah okay yeah film and some old
9:06
school stuff yeah yeah
9:08
lipstick lover everybody go watch it
9:11
there are two versions one version is
9:13
age gated yeah you I couldn't get in on
9:16
that one I tried man that's for my email
9:18
and there's a there's one there's one
9:21
that I like to call the dirty version
9:22
okay uh you can go watch that no the
9:24
clean version sorry so there's a dirty
9:26
version clean version anyway I wanted to
9:28
shoot it on film because if you look
9:31
back at all the things of us black folks
9:34
specifically on film
9:36
when you watch that footage we're either
9:38
being hosed down dogs are biting us
9:41
police are
9:44
being violent with us we're going to
9:46
jail we're being murdered there's no
9:48
footage of us actually living and having
9:50
a fun [ __ ] time
9:53
being free in our safe space free from
9:56
all that and I was like I want it to be
9:59
documented for the future for right now
10:02
that we lived
10:05
we lived we loved and we had a safe
10:09
space and we had a good time yes yes man
10:11
you got some beautiful friends
10:14
[Applause]
10:18
brought something special Janelle this
10:20
is like this is your life right here
10:21
three DB over here go ahead man we were
10:24
talking in the hallway I told you I had
10:25
a gift but before I get to that I wanted
10:27
to share a quick story because we like
10:28
full circle moments here um you were
10:30
talking about the first time when you
10:31
performing in New York I used to work at
10:32
Newark Airport for the TSA and I
10:34
remember you may not recall this but I
10:36
remember seeing you in your band at the
10:38
food court and there was something
10:39
happening where like there was an issue
10:41
with your food or some [ __ ] oh God I
10:43
never went up to you but I just took
10:44
note I was like yo that's that's the
10:45
girl because you were you know like
10:46
bubbling and popping and everything so I
10:47
just was like yo that's you know she
10:49
looks dope she dresses nice and
10:50
everything but now so it's really cool
10:52
to be able to sit here and talk with you
10:53
and the reason I brought a gift today is
10:55
because when I saw that you were a big
10:56
fan of collecting vinyl uh I'm a part of
10:59
the CCA and when Glass Onion came out
11:01
they sent limited edition vinyl yeah for
11:03
Glass Onion and so I bought this for you
11:05
to have to add to your collection thank
11:07
you it's uh bring it over here yeah it's
11:10
like one of
11:11
um
11:12
this is beautiful thank you so much this
11:15
score is like one of my favorite scores
11:17
Have you listened to it
11:19
obviously well thank y'all for
11:21
supporting there for supporting Glass
11:23
Onion like that that film was like one
11:25
of my most fun films to do just going
11:29
into multiple characters and and it was
11:32
a lot of work but it was good fun work
11:33
and being in Greece I mean come on wow
11:37
you got the vinyl I do have it but
11:42
but guess what listen is I when I love
11:46
something I like to buy into so thank
11:48
you this is going to be I'm gonna keep
11:50
this with me you are welcome wow Janelle
11:53
Monae is here um
11:55
you said you wanted this project uh to
11:58
be uh so specific to pan-africanism uh
12:03
pan-african crowd your Crowd Goes Way
12:05
Beyond that yeah right
12:07
um uh what do you say to them you know
12:10
enjoy
12:11
yeah I mean I think
12:14
specificity uh is important I think
12:16
honoring where I am who I am and I think
12:20
what you guys are seeing is like you're
12:22
getting you're getting more of who my
12:24
friends are yeah you know who who am I
12:29
all of me you're getting you're getting
12:31
like the closest version
12:33
to Janelle Monae now that you probably
12:36
have gotten I mean as a writer you know
12:38
I've definitely come up with Concept
12:40
albums and you know characters and and
12:44
and as a creative you know you can go
12:46
there but this time the subject was
12:49
really me yeah you know and and and I
12:52
didn't always feel safe enough to be
12:54
this version of myself I didn't you know
12:58
um
12:58
I'm gonna answer your question but I
13:00
think this is important because safety
13:03
is so important for for us you know
13:05
growing up I mean non-binary identifying
13:07
now but growing up as a young girl you
13:09
were always taught to tone it down right
13:12
you know especially when you're growing
13:14
up in a sort of Baptist conservative
13:18
um
13:19
patriarchy you know you're taught don't
13:22
make your skirt Too Short don't draw
13:24
attention you could get raped if you're
13:26
walking down the street you know at
13:28
midnight you know
13:30
um you have that culture up she asked
13:32
for it
13:33
why does she come to school dress like
13:35
that you have the whole community
13:38
saying you know saying these things
13:40
we've always had to alter our freedom
13:42
you know for for you know these these
13:45
sorts of religions or
13:47
um uh your church or your family
13:51
um and
13:52
and I think you know even in terms of
13:55
like
13:55
being free enough to to to to feel
13:59
comfortable enough to show my nipples
14:01
right you know
14:03
which
14:04
free the nipple like a lot a lot of gals
14:08
nipples is free out here you know let's
14:10
talk about the we ain't even gonna get
14:12
into the double standard yeah of all of
14:14
that
14:16
um but
14:17
I was always taught you know don't show
14:19
too much cleavage because don't show too
14:22
much skin that will distract
14:24
from your message they won't want to pay
14:27
attention to what you have to say if
14:30
if you show too much you know and I'm so
14:34
happy that I've just completely forgiven
14:38
myself for
14:40
um
14:40
internalizing those things as as things
14:43
that I should have I that I had to take
14:46
on as my responsibility it's not my
14:48
responsibility to teach you self-control
14:51
it's not my responsibility
14:54
to uh
14:56
make you feel comfortable like my
14:59
freedom should not
15:01
come at the expense of making you feel
15:04
comfortable
15:05
and
15:07
and I think that what you're hearing and
15:10
you're feeling and you're seeing is me
15:12
fully divested from those systems and
15:15
and rewiring myself in a way that
15:21
says that I'm safe
15:23
I'm good I don't I don't I don't
15:26
I don't subscribe to to to that sort of
15:30
teaching and I forgive myself for
15:32
whatever years you know that I was made
15:34
to feel like this was my burden to carry
15:37
right because it was not
15:39
so
15:40
when I think about how I made this
15:43
project which I'm calling a soundtrack
15:44
to a lifestyle
15:47
um
15:47
I think about I think about brown and
15:49
black people I think about us
15:52
you know
15:54
choosing to be with each other sweating
15:57
dancing drinking the hand not a drinking
16:00
hand you may be smoking something
16:01
whatever it may be you're feeling safe
16:03
enough
16:05
you're from Ghana you're from Nigeria
16:07
you are these are the types of all my
16:10
friends who would come to these parties
16:11
where I created the music you were from
16:13
South Africa you're from Jamaica the
16:15
Caribbeans you're New York Atlanta La
16:18
all together
16:19
breathing
16:21
um again feeling safe I keep saying it
16:24
because when you feel safe you feel free
16:26
enough to just be you yeah to express
16:28
you know to express yourself to
16:31
um
16:33
to express yourself and so I would see I
16:36
saw that and I was like man I want to
16:37
make music for us yeah I want to make a
16:39
soundtrack to this lifestyle I I want to
16:42
the next party that we have if we're
16:44
having a party on a Friday or Saturday
16:45
that Monday or Tuesday I'm going into
16:47
the studio with my friends I made this
16:49
album with my friends for my friends and
16:52
I want at least two to three songs that
16:54
can play at the party yeah don't tell
16:55
anybody it's me
16:57
just play it if they're not shazaming
16:59
it's not going on the album if people
17:01
sit down it's not going on the album
17:03
like I like play it and let's just see
17:05
and so that's how I made pretty much the
17:08
album like they they we played it people
17:11
were up like yo float what who is this
17:13
okay I'm like yes I'm in the back like
17:16
with my drink
17:17
they like lipstick lover like yep no
17:20
better oh who who is this who and I'm
17:23
like yes this is great so that's that's
17:25
really is really a love letter to to to
17:28
the diaspora it's beautiful when our
17:31
music can talk back and forth you hear
17:33
the armor piano you hear the reggae you
17:36
hear the Caribbean Vibes you hear the
17:38
Trap you hear you know the the soul like
17:41
you know I I don't yeah we were able to
17:44
honor all of that honor each other
17:46
authentically even with the features you
17:48
know somebody like CK somebody like
17:50
dochi Amore like crazy
18:06
uh led to our collaboration I spent 72
18:09
hours on Grace Jones wow like off camera
18:13
at my house the same video where we shot
18:16
lipstick lover me and Grace Jones in the
18:18
pool tops off
18:21
living our best life just like exactly
18:25
did she get into like did she talk to
18:29
you about the journey yeah oh yeah
18:31
anything you can share that wouldn't be
18:32
that would be okay to share I mean yeah
18:35
I mean obviously you know we've had
18:37
private conversations she's like family
18:39
like I can you know we FaceTime we text
18:43
we talk and she actually came to my
18:46
Premiere
18:47
um in London for Glass Onion she was my
18:49
date I didn't believe she was gonna show
18:51
up I had invited her and she showed up
18:53
and I was like wow I love you
18:56
um I honor you and I just really was
18:58
telling her how much she means to me but
19:00
she's so warm she's not pretentious
19:03
um what's she say to you about you I
19:05
mean she was happy she was happy to see
19:07
me being me and we discovered we had
19:10
like the same birthmark on our back it's
19:12
like a little white Mark we were
19:15
swimming and then I got out the pool and
19:17
she looked at my back and she was like
19:19
you have the same birthmark as me look
19:23
and she just was like that made us feel
19:25
like we were from the same Planet yeah
19:27
so that was good she just told me like
19:30
she was just like she I played her the
19:31
album she loved it and she said you know
19:33
she was like go forth go like go forward
19:38
go forth go forth like you a free ass
19:42
[ __ ] just like me you know in
19:44
your own way so it was it was just
19:46
beautiful to to be sort of affirmed by
19:48
her and then we have Nia Long on the
19:50
album
19:51
with the Cherry thong yeah I mean and
19:54
also I just have to thank me along
19:56
because I showed me along like my press
19:58
photos before I I put them out I did
20:01
this photo shoot that I created directed
20:03
and I showed her like all the stuff like
20:05
the the the the part where I come out
20:07
the water in the wet t-shirt which is an
20:11
Ode to the Jamaica poster yes yes right
20:15
um and I showed her that and she was
20:16
like oh that's that's it you got some
20:18
pretty titties
20:23
me my confidence to just free my nipples
20:27
I mean when you get that sort of
20:28
compliment from your crush you know yeah
20:31
um it's it's another thing but um she's
20:33
on the project I have to thank her
20:36
um we have shayun kuti Fela kuti's son
20:38
in Egypt 80. I mean that was just
20:40
beautiful the horns unlimited who did
20:42
all of outcasts horn Arrangements there
20:44
on the project sister Nancy yes sister
20:46
Nancy yeah
20:50
what she we can't do a party without
20:53
playing bomb bomb right like and for her
20:55
to you know we talked on the phone and I
20:58
didn't even know she knew about me she
20:59
was like oh I've been following you for
21:00
a long time she was like I see I see how
21:04
you and I are similar because for her
21:06
and her space you know she was the first
21:08
one of the first the first sort of you
21:11
know Jamaican reggae DJ and they always
21:15
tried to tell her to go do that type of
21:17
job or you you don't belong here like
21:19
you can't do this and against her
21:22
family's wishes again against all you
21:24
know All Odds she succeeded and and
21:27
became a legend and an icon and uh she
21:30
didn't do what people told her she
21:31
needed to do and that was something I
21:33
wanted to pull people like that on the
21:36
project you know that that that were
21:38
those allies I mean excuse me those
21:40
outliers
21:42
um outliers in their Community you did
21:44
an excellent job um
21:46
yeah Janelle Monae is here at what point
21:49
I feel like I'm talking so much
21:55
Janelle because I think people just kind
21:58
of sometimes come up here or in
22:00
conversations like yo I did the album in
22:02
a week I did this and it just sounds so
22:05
like microwave maybe I'm loving that
22:09
you're talking us talking to us about
22:11
the process of it all and what it meant
22:14
to you and why it was so intentional and
22:16
why you felt the way you felt it took
22:19
time for me to write this song it means
22:21
something to me to be safe like yeah
22:22
people need hear that kind of stuff like
22:25
it's cool you wrote a song in 20 minutes
22:26
that's dope but it's nice to hear about
22:29
the process and the work that you put in
22:32
and why it was important to you like
22:34
come on man I I love it well so you know
22:36
I know you respect it as an artist you
22:38
know as well y'all we hear ourselves
22:41
talk every day
22:42
what else I'm gonna listen to Heather
22:44
and Tracy again
22:46
I feel like you're getting ideas about a
22:48
titty chat
22:50
I got some questions I got some
22:52
questions for y'all yes like in this age
22:55
of pleasure because it's it's we we in
22:58
it you see the people are are are sort
23:03
of suppressing or repressing is that was
23:05
a surprise stopping themselves from
23:09
really like going to that next level of
23:12
of of of I guess reimagining who you can
23:15
be and what you can do and how you can
23:16
dress and you can be great or you're
23:18
fully leaning into it right and so in
23:20
this age of pleasure I want to ask you
23:22
guys like what are y'all bringing in to
23:25
this age of pleasure what are you
23:26
letting go give me about two things two
23:28
three things oh sway this is so good
23:31
come on come on Mona get this hey get
23:35
this alien a round of applause
23:39
I have a couple things okay so in
23:43
general I would say inhibition
23:45
um but secondly and this could be a bit
23:49
controversial depending on who's hearing
23:50
this right now in the morning but your
23:53
song water slide right I love that y'all
23:57
listen to the album I just gotta say
23:58
thank you like on behalf of the
24:01
producers who worked on it with me Nate
24:02
rocket Wonder Sensei Bueno nanakop and I
24:05
like my friends my family we are so
24:08
thankful that y'all listen
24:14
so it makes pleasure very tactile and
24:18
like you know the themes of this album
24:20
obviously pleasure Freedom safety and
24:23
all of those can come together through
24:25
self-pleasure yeah you know and
24:28
oftentimes
24:29
um so to own this myself in the past I
24:33
would always think of another individual
24:36
in a space of intimacy when it was just
24:40
me myself and I yeah and I was
24:42
uncomfortable with really just owning
24:44
the fact that I can create my own desire
24:48
yes and fulfill my own desire and it's
24:51
okay to desire myself yes I gotta spin
24:54
this back into a question for you though
24:56
okay come on because we've been having
24:57
so many conversations I feel like it's
24:59
been a decade
25:01
um you know in Modern Life of the
25:04
self-love dialogues and I feel like
25:06
you're taking us into self lust
25:09
dialogues and I'm wondering like
25:13
how important is it to sexually desire
25:16
yourself oh even if you're partnered
25:20
because that's like what I'm getting oh
25:22
that's why that's why that that's a
25:25
really good one I mean that that that
25:26
song is about self-pleasure and I'll
25:28
just speak from experience like again
25:31
I was taught like most you know
25:35
daughters
25:37
like I didn't know what a vibrator was
25:39
until
25:43
the last decade you know what I mean
25:46
like I knew it existed but I didn't have
25:47
my own experiences with it because you
25:50
close off certain parts of you you need
25:52
to wait till you're married or you can
25:54
only seek pleasure from another person
25:56
that part and also that pleasure has to
25:59
be from
26:01
I mean man
26:03
so these were parts of us that I think
26:05
we've closed off
26:07
and now we're getting back into and if
26:10
you've already been there kudos to you
26:12
but some of us are late bloomers some of
26:14
us were programmed wired in a way that
26:17
you know is some sinful uh uh
26:22
sinful thing to how dare you please
26:25
yourself the audacity you know to to be
26:29
in tune with your body yeah how dare you
26:32
have autonomy over your body
26:35
and I think I've definitely Fallen more
26:39
in love with my
26:42
with self-pleasuring for sure like I
26:45
think I think it's healthy I think that
26:47
it puts the power back in your hands
26:50
you know
26:52
exactly and I think it's fun I think
26:55
it's fun I think that they're already
26:58
studies that show that when we are like
27:01
we when we are self-loving or I don't
27:05
know about the word lust because I have
27:08
a deep love for myself right so
27:11
I mean can it be both you can do both
27:14
perhaps I think you I think I think
27:16
you're on to something you can you can
27:18
do both
27:20
um it can be intertwined right uh it's
27:22
you you make the rules right right
27:24
that's the thing don't be afraid to
27:26
rewrite the rules that work for you and
27:27
I think I think yeah I think this is a
27:30
good conversation to be have having
27:31
about what different ways to of pleasure
27:35
you know sometimes it's a massage
27:36
sometimes it's reading a book you know
27:39
at at six in the morning while it's
27:41
raining yeah and it's Misty outside
27:43
sometimes it's drinking tea with your
27:46
sister sometimes you know everything if
27:48
you can have platonic relationships that
27:50
bring you great pleasure it's about
27:53
holistic pleasure you know and not
27:55
closing yourself off
27:58
um yeah holistic pleasure I like that so
28:01
what what I'm letting go is
28:03
um ambition
28:05
okay you don't want to do that no more
28:08
um well I have intentional ambition you
28:10
know I spent the whole you know what my
28:12
ambition was aimed at things that didn't
28:15
bring me the joy I expected once I once
28:18
I obtained them
28:19
um so uh that intentional ambition I
28:22
don't put as much weight into it's not
28:24
that I don't want to do anything but
28:25
things come to me and I receive them and
28:28
then I float like that float right right
28:30
that's right yeah yeah float float and
28:34
then uh uh I'm going into this Asia
28:36
pleasure with a fertile Consciousness
28:38
you know I'm open to it all more so I
28:41
grew up um
28:44
more regimented than probably most as a
28:46
young man you know coming into the
28:48
business I spent a lot of time trying to
28:50
do business and not a lot of time I'm
28:53
trying to do life yeah you know what I
28:56
mean and so um you grew up watching me
28:58
probably and you said you've only seen
29:00
me work
29:01
that is very true I I often wonder what
29:05
what should I do for fun yeah but I what
29:07
I assume this is fun but I do understand
29:09
though that like you need you need
29:11
balance
29:13
he's basically saying this is not fun
29:15
this isn't working
29:17
but how do we talk about like how do you
29:19
make work fun well this part of my work
29:22
is fun yeah this is you know this
29:24
honestly look who who wouldn't enjoy
29:25
coming and speaking with these amazing
29:29
I don't have to do nothing yeah you know
29:33
and that's fun for me but those are the
29:35
sort of things
29:36
um walking into this age of pleasure
29:39
um that that I'm gonna be cognizant of
29:41
yeah I'm being intentional being
29:43
intentional right that's that's really
29:45
that's that's deep what about you I
29:47
forgot about you come on what you gonna
29:49
do so what so wait okay what am I saying
29:51
first what am I you're going what you're
29:53
gonna let go what are you doing more of
29:55
in this age of pleasure what do you want
29:56
to let go you know what's so funny I've
29:58
been through some things in the past
30:00
couple years and I'm noticing that um
30:03
I'm learning
30:04
for me there's been a difference between
30:07
truth and honesty um
30:09
and I'm letting go of honesty honesty is
30:13
I'm learning is is vague it's very vague
30:16
and when people of my honest opinion
30:19
the truth I'm embracing truth and I'm
30:23
Letting Go that honesty [ __ ] yeah it's
30:26
vague it's starting to fall in a very
30:28
vague areas you want to get to the oh
30:30
God I got to because it's freeing yeah
30:34
it's safe yeah when I know the truth it
30:38
allows me to make decisions it allows me
30:41
to be peaceful even if I don't like it
30:43
yeah at least I have the option to
30:46
decide and I think when people
30:47
manipulate that truth through what
30:50
they're calling honesty
30:52
um
30:52
it becomes unsafe
30:55
um right wow I never thought about it so
30:57
never thought about it like that for me
31:00
yeah that's that's why I'm Letting Go to
31:02
honesty [ __ ]
31:04
it's a very weird place yeah and what do
31:08
you want to do more of in this age but
31:10
how do you define stranger
31:11
damn wow
31:22
I think it falls in the same cat the
31:24
truth seeking
31:26
um I think a lot of it we hide you know
31:28
we don't like to deal and Tackle certain
31:30
things because we fear or what's at the
31:33
root of it what the truth may be and
31:35
then we have to start healing through
31:37
that and I'm I'm learning a lot more
31:40
about family and history and stuff and
31:43
things and the truth of it I put it away
31:45
in a nice little safe space that I
31:48
thought was safe but somehow some way
31:50
God it comes out then you start digging
31:53
and um yeah I'm embracing that now and
31:56
it it's this pla I'm actually finding
31:58
pleasure in it the age I love that yes
32:01
we are here yes it's a movement it's not
32:04
it's this is a movement yes indeed you
32:07
just listening to the first episode of
32:09
Janelle Monae's um new podcast the age
32:12
of pleasure
32:17
we got some callers on the line I
32:20
promised them they'll be able to speak
32:21
with you oh okay great so let's go to
32:23
Wisconsin Mona Lisa is on the line
32:25
Mona Lisa yeah good morning family thank
32:30
you
32:32
what up
32:34
um
32:40
Janae Monae I love it let me tell you
32:43
at least 15 Janae Monet's a day and I
32:47
and I love it you are number I'm so
32:49
sorry
32:50
but um I'll follow you on social media
32:53
and let me tell you so I do this thing
32:56
with the summer I pick a song and I'm
32:59
crazy about that's my that's my thing
33:02
I seen when you came off of y'all uh
33:05
Buzz with them old school jackets on
33:10
my mind
33:17
and I played it for people and they was
33:19
like I ain't heard this yep
33:23
you're always so different and I was
33:26
like turn that up we gonna blow yeah I
33:31
love that oh what's your name again Mona
33:33
Mona Lisa yeah Mona Lisa beautiful name
33:36
oh but thank you so much sweetheart for
33:38
supporting me and you know I hope that
33:41
you are letting go and and floating and
33:44
and enjoying you know
33:47
okay go ahead okay
33:49
sorry I don't
33:57
know it's running back
33:59
on my head like I woke up oh your mind
34:03
when you woke up oh yeah and then when I
34:06
found out that you guys that you was on
34:09
here and I was like oh let me ever drop
34:11
these kids off
34:15
I love it a lot of her energy I like her
34:20
spirit you know she's just she's real
34:23
yes she is yes you just I feel like you
34:26
know we would have been best friends
34:28
another lifetime
34:30
keep it going girl yes thank you baby I
34:33
really appreciate you you you you made
34:35
me smile today so thank you Mona Lisa
34:38
Smile Mona you're a citizen too in the
34:40
morning girl okay we got Jay from
34:42
Charlotte what up Jake
34:44
yo what's your address
34:48
hey look here I just wanted a quick
34:51
question your name Janelle Monae you are
34:53
amazing thank you I just wanted to know
34:56
what do you put on your skin your skin
34:59
is Flawless it don't almost look like I
35:01
want to know that it's a little real oh
35:03
that's crazy well I'm an Android so
35:07
um I have robot genes
35:09
um Mississippi jeans Kansas City Jeans
35:11
my mama if you saw my auntie's uh skin
35:15
and my grandmothers you would be like
35:17
they they they are I I think some of it
35:20
is genetics and
35:22
um you know listen floating I had to let
35:25
let a lot of stuff go yeah let a lot of
35:27
things look like a black doll baby I'm
35:29
telling you
35:34
[Applause]
35:50
oh my
35:52
oh my God no
35:54
no I still like cringy or something I
35:57
haven't I haven't gotten all the way
35:58
open okay
36:00
baby
36:05
I'm still very much so horny as hell
36:15
let him have his moment yeah
36:21
he's watching that video over and over
36:23
here
36:24
John what up baby John's in Connecticut
36:27
John you want to say something what up
36:28
Johnny Yes hey hello hello hello thank
36:31
you for taking my call good morning
36:33
everybody
36:34
Janelle Monae
36:36
I was wondering because I believe that
36:38
like around the time Prince died that he
36:40
was hanging out with him and I think I
36:42
saw you on schedule them a couple times
36:43
yeah and I was wondering how did he help
36:46
you with your I guess
36:48
your Evolution and expressing yourself
36:50
and the way you produce your music and
36:53
even the way you express yourself to the
36:55
world yeah
36:57
yeah
36:58
um wow Prince you know I always tell
37:00
people he never let his uh sort of
37:03
mysteriousness get in the way of his
37:05
mentorship he always was like open Line
37:10
open door whenever you know I had
37:12
questions and even when I didn't have
37:14
questions he would he would always try
37:16
and
37:17
um talk to me about the business you
37:19
know talk to me about uh negotiating and
37:23
making sure that uh I understood my
37:26
worth and
37:28
um obviously I watched his career I
37:30
watched what he's he had done with
37:31
Paisley Park I watched his Evolution and
37:34
how he was in tune with his own
37:35
sexuality he was in tune with his own
37:37
sensuality he was in tune you know
37:39
anybody to say I'm not a woman I'm not a
37:41
man I'm something that you'll never
37:43
understand you know that actually
37:45
affirmed me to be non-binary that's when
37:49
I was listening to that I was like
37:51
that's me yeah like
37:53
my spirit is is is
37:56
[Music]
37:57
um
37:58
it's something different you know and I
38:01
think just watching him uh was was was
38:04
did enough for me and I and I and I will
38:07
say performing with him like he was a
38:09
hell of a hell of a performer obviously
38:11
being able to open for him I was like
38:13
okay I got to be on my A-game yeah like
38:16
Madison Square Garden I did I did
38:18
because he was a friend I knew that he
38:20
loved me I knew that he knew that I
38:22
didn't have to prove to him that I was
38:24
you know uh that I could do it you know
38:26
it was just a matter of um he was a very
38:30
giving person too that's what I'll say I
38:31
think in the midst of being like one of
38:34
the biggest stars in the world he gave a
38:36
lot a lot of free time he was on my
38:38
album Electric Lady and did not charge
38:40
me anything to be on that project
38:43
he let me produce him you know sort of
38:46
write his part for him like he he would
38:50
never do that for any for anybody and so
38:52
just his given Spirit that's what he
38:54
taught me to even you can be the biggest
38:56
superstar in the world and to still find
38:58
time to get yeah Janelle Monae man give
39:01
her a big round of applause an age of
39:03
pleasure is out tomorrow
39:06
will begin in Seattle
39:08
um August the 30th right yep uh Portland
39:12
Chicago Boston Toronto Brooklyn fire hey
39:15
look for it man Janelle Monae coming to
39:17
a city near you I'll be here in New York
39:19
too yeah it will be there I'm you know
39:22
City Music Hall Sam I'm coming yeah
39:25
that's the whole thing okay Radio City
39:27
Music Hall it's a hall at the end right
39:29
yeah it's all I'm like yes right now I'm
39:31
saying this right and then King's
39:32
theater okay I think that's in Brooklyn
39:34
yeah Sam canars can our whole team go is
39:38
Heather Tracy me towards uh DB and
39:42
Kalani and I know
39:53
[Music]
40:05
with amazing conversation y'all stay on
40:08
the right side of positivity we'll be
40:10
back tomorrow and let's end with
40:12
lipstick lover and we have anything you
40:15
want to say about this
40:17
um who doesn't like lipstick on their
40:18
neck I mean come on and who hasn't put
40:20
lipstick on somebody's neck not me all
40:24
right we have nothing left
40:29
foreign
40:33
[Music]
#Arts & Entertainment