Janelle Monae is back to steal our hearts and relentlessly tantalizes our senses with her new single, "PYNK."
The video is an ode to the female form, pubic hair, and all things pink. The afrofuturistic queen's new album, Dirty Computer, featuring hit singles "Make Me Feel" and "Django Jane" and is proclaimed to be one of her most vulnerable projects yet. "PYNK" is the latest installment of this "emotion picture," which she originally began developing with her late mentor, Prince, before his untimely death.
Related: Janelle Monáe Proves Afro-Futurism Is Back In A Big Way
The lyrics to "PYNK" are just as raunchy as they are empowering, as Monae reminds us all to "touch our top and let it down." The video consists of Monae's fearless gang of black women indulging in some good old fashioned pussy power.
Tabloids have previously speculated about the nature of her relationship with Tessa Thompson, who co-stars with Monae in "Make Me Feel" and was also be spotted in "PYNK" with her head between the singer's legs as she danced in vagina pants.
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By the way, does anyone know where I can find some vagina pants? Asking for a friend.
The anthem is symbolic of the normalization of womanhood, in its purest form. Bisexual culture and pubic hair are topics that are typically taboo in the black community, but Monae tackles the conversation head-on in her latest project, which is dripping with sexual liberation and gender fluidity.
She told The Guardian that her gender and sexuality are "undefinable" and opened up about her social responsibility to walk in her own truth:
"Sticking up for those who are often left behind and don't have a voice – doing that was one thing on film, but doing that in music is different because it's all you. So I can't sit back here and tell you I'm confident and fearless. I'm terrified right now. Like, I don't know how my family's gonna react, I don't know what people are going to say."
In the past, Monae has been fairly conservative about her discussion of gender identity and sexuality, but the narrative surrounding her emotion picture proves that her feelings have changed.
"I know that there are a lot of things that I haven't discussed and I think this is the album that you'll get an opportunity to get a closer glimpse into my mind and into my heart."
Monae proves in the new video that not only is the future female, female is now. The singer/activist wrote in the video description that:
"PYNK is a brash celebration of creation. self love. sexuality. and pussy power! PYNK is the color that unites us all, for pink is the color found in the deepest and darkest nooks and crannies of humans everywhere...PYNK is where the future is born...."
Monae's new visual is a tribute to the many pussies of the world, in all their glory.
Monae is the defiantly unapologetically black and feminist voice that is so needed in the entertainment industry and "PYNK" is our anthem.
Check out the full video below:
- Janelle Monáe - PYNK [Official Video] - YouTube ›
- Janelle Monáe's new “Pynk” video stars Tessa Thompson, vagina ... ›
- Janelle Monae Drops New Song and Video: 'Pynk' – Variety ›
- Janelle Monáe's 'Pynk' Video: The 8 Most Important GIFs ›
- Janelle Monáe's New Music Video Is A Pink, Vagina-Inspired ... ›
- We Got the Pynk: Janelle Monáe's Got Girl Power on Lock ›
- Janelle Monae's “PYNK” music video features vagina pants (VIDEO). ›
- Janelle Monae Celebrates 'Pussy Power' in 'Pynk' Video - Rolling ... ›
In a xoNecoleexclusive, the iconic actress opens up about embracing this season of her life, new projects, and overall being a “bad motherfucker.” Gabrielle reveals that she was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with perimenopause and is still going through it at 51 years old. Mayo Clinic says perimenopause “refers to the time during which your body makes the natural transition to menopause, marking the end of the reproductive years.”
“I haven't crossed over the next phase just yet, but I think part of it is when you hear any form of menopause, you automatically think of your mother or grandmother. It feels like an old-person thing, but for me, I was 37 and like not understanding what that really meant for me. And I don't think we focus so much on the word menopause without understanding that perimenopause is just the time before menopause,” she tells us.
Gabrielle Union
Photo by Brian Thomas
"But you can experience a lot of the same things during that period that people talk about, that they experienced during menopause. So you could get a hot flash, you could get the weight gain, the hair loss, depression, anxiety, like all of it, mental health challenges, all of that can come, you know, at any stage of the menopausal journey and like for me, I've been in perimenopause like 13, 14 years. When you know, most doctors are like, ‘Oh, but it's usually about ten years, and I'm like, ‘Uhh, I’m still going (laughs).’”
Conversations about perimenopause, fibroids, and all the things that are associated with women’s bodies have often been considered taboo and thus not discussed publicly. However, times are changing, and thanks to the Gabrielle’s and the Tia Mowry’s, more women are having an authentic discourse about women’s health. These open discussions lead to the creation of more safe spaces and support for one another.
“I want to be in community with folks. I don't ever want to feel like I'm on an island about anything. So, if I can help create community where we are lacking, I want to be a part of that,” she says. “So, it's like there's no harm in talking about it. You know what I mean? Like, I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change. I'm just getting better and stronger and more intelligent, more wise, more patient, more compassionate, more empathetic. All of that is very, very welcomed, and none of it should be scary.”
The Being Mary Jane star hasn’t been shy about her stance on therapy. If you don’t know, here’s a hint: she’s all for it, and she encourages others to try it as well. She likens therapy to dating by suggesting that you keep looking for the right therapist to match your needs. Two other essential keys to her growth are radical transparency and radical acceptance (though she admits she is still working on the latter).
"I was a bad motherfucker before perimenopause. I’m a bad motherfucker now, and I'll be a bad motherfucker after menopause. Know what I’m saying? None of that has to change. How I’m a bad motherfucker, I welcome that part of the change."
Gabrielle Union and Kaavia Union-Wade
Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images
“I hope that a.) you recognize that you're not alone. Seek out help and know that it's okay to be honest about what the hell is happening in your life. That's the only way that you know you can get help, and that's also the only other way that people know that you are in need if there's something going on,” she says, “because we have all these big, very wild, high expectations of people, but if they don't know what they're actually dealing with, they're always going to be failing, and you will always be disappointed. So how about just tell the truth, be transparent, and let people know where you are. So they can be of service, they can be compassionate.”
Gabrielle’s transparency is what makes her so relatable, and has so many people root for her. Whether through her TV and film projects, her memoirs, or her social media, the actress has a knack for making you feel like she’s your homegirl. Scrolling through her Instagram, you see the special moments with her family, exciting new business ventures, and jaw-dropping fashion moments. Throughout her life and career, we’ve seen her evolve in a multitude of ways. From producing films to starting a haircare line to marriage and motherhood, her journey is a story of courage and triumph. And right now, in this season, she’s asking, “What’s next?”
“This is a season of discovery and change. In a billion ways,” says the NAACP Image Award winner. “The notion of like, ‘Oh, so and so changed. They got brand new.’ I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
"I want you to be brand new. I want me to be brand new. I want us to be always constantly growing, evolving. Having more clarity, moving with different purpose, like, and all of that is for me very, very welcomed."
She continues, “So I'm just trying to figure out what's next. You know what I mean? I'm jumping into what's next. I'm excited going into what's next and new. I'm just sort of embracing all of what life has to offer.”
Look out for Gabrielle in the upcoming indie film Riff Raff, which is a crime comedy starring her and Jennifer Coolidge, and she will also produce The Idea of You, which stars Anne Hathaway.
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Feature image by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
