Janelle Monáe attends the premiere of Black Panther.
Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images
Janelle Monáe was profiled by the New York Times ahead of her album Dirty Computer's release, which is slated for April 27. In the interview, she discusses her emerging role in activism, being more vulnerable, and how her Wondaland studio has evolved into "a center of black culture in Atlanta." Most recently, the house, where Monáe wrote and polished her latest project, frequently housed the cast of Black Panther, who held "impromptu gatherings" at the studio, and heard Dirty Computer early on in its inception. Monáe says their approval gave her confidence in the album.
“I felt understood,” she told the Times, after describing a party in which Chadwick Boseman shined on the drums and Lupita Nyong’o proved herself the best dancer in the cast. “I felt like, Man, these are people I admire and I respect, and they love this album. I have to finish it.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Monáe talks about her oft-discussed personal relationships, saying of the many social media personalities dedicated to watching her every possibly romantic moves “I hope people feel celebrated. I hope they feel love. I hope they feel seen.” Read the full profile here.