Janelle Monáe is back. Last week the singer turned android turned actress teased her upcoming album, Dirty Computer, with two new songs, including our track of the week: "Make Me Feel." It's a sugary pop-Rnb blend clearly influenced by her mentor Prince. It's a fun, sassy and danceable exploration of love and sex.
There's a lot we could write about Janelle Monáe. She's always pushing new frontiers, whether it's blending science fiction with Rnb, theorizing about sexual liberation, or jumping into grassroots political activism. But Monáe doesn't want us to talk about her, she's always tried to be more of a messenger than celebrity, standing up for what she feels important through her art and commentary.
So we're going to do the same. There's no story about Monáe in this post. Instead, we'll be sharing unique stories about her work throughout the week. Today, we're focusing on a speech she recently made at the Grammys. Introducing Kesha's performance, Monáe took the opportunity to address the Time's Up movement. Read it and think about what it means for you, for your workplace, your industry, your life. Then, if you want more Janelle Monáe, follow us on Twitter as we share her stories:
"Tonight, I am proud to stand in solidarity as not just an artist, but a young woman with my fellow sisters in this room who make up the music industry: artists, writers, assistants, publicists, CEOs, producers, engineers, and women from all sectors of the business. We are also daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and human beings. We come in peace, but we mean business. And to those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: Time's Up. We say Time's Up for pay inequality, Time's Up for discrimination, Time's Up for harassment of any kind, and Time's Up for the abuse of power. Because you see, it’s not just going on in Hollywood, it’s not just going on in Washington, it's right here in our industry as well.
And just as we have the power to shape culture, we also have the power to undo the culture that does not serve us well. So, let's work together, women and men, as a united music industry committed to creating more safe work environments, equal pay, and access for all women."
You can learn more about Janelle Monàe :
About the curator - Cormac McGee
Cormac McGee is a DJ, artist manager and concert promoter based in Toronto, Canada. He’s played in front of crowds from 10 – 1,000 people and has run concerts with some of today’s top hip hop artists, including Drake, Future, Mac Miller, 6lack, Ab-Soul and more. He also runs the Music Den at Ryerson University, a business incubator for entrepreneurs in the music industry.
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