Welcome back to the list of 15 things you didn’t know about Janelle Monae. The singer definitely has a unique, soulful and energetic sound, and when you find out a little more about her backstory, it’s easy to see where this originality stems from. Read below for even more facts about the singer-songwriter!
Number Eight: Janelle Monae Lived in a Boarding House
When she first got to Atlanta, she understandably did not have much money as a recent college dropout. She lived in a boarding house in the Georgia city with five other women when she first arrived and found work at an Office Depot.
Number Seven: Prince Loved Her Sophomore Album
Her second album, 2013’s The Electric Lady, made her a favorite of Prince’s. In fact, he likes her so much that the enigmatic singer has even come out to perform with Janelle before.
Number Six: She Doesn’t Disclose Who She Dates
Plenty of celebrities don’t like to name names, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. Janelle Monae keeps the gender of the people she dates private – she’s joked about this before, saying she only dates androids.
Number Five: She Appeared on Sesame Street
This would have definitely impressed her younger self. Monae has said that she used to watch the show often as a kid, eating cereal and having her hair combed by her mom.
Number Four: She Loves Sci-Fi
This helps to make sense of the constant android talk. Janelle Monae has talked about the classic film Metropolis and the writing of Ray Kurzweil about futurism as influences on her.
Number Three: She’s Taking a Break From Music
Don’t worry, she’s not retired. She has just said in interviews recently that she is taking time off from writing new material.
Number Two: Diddy Signed Her to Bad Boy After Hearing Her on Myspace
You read it right: Myspace. The site might be pretty much dead now, but after Big Boi sent Diddy to Janelle’s Myspace page, she got herself her first record contract.
Number One: She’s an Afrofuturist
Afrofuturism is a philosophy that combines ideas from Afrocentricity, science fiction and magic realism. Basically, it’s about bringing together the African diaspora through futuristic thought and aesthetics, and it makes perfect sense given Janelle Monae’s style. Thanks for reading!