Dykons: Janelle Monáe

They made your hands clammy, your knees quiver and sent your hormones spinning when you were a dyke in training.

It’s time to pay homage at the altar of dyke icons.

This week it’s a tuxedo-wearing, non-conformist new music artist.

Name:

Janelle Monáe.

Also known as:

Her android alter-ego Cindi Mayweather, who signifies “otherness” and overcoming social and political oppression.

“I chose an android because the android to me represents ‘the other’ in our society. I can connect to the other because it has so many parallels to my own life – just by being a female, African-American artist in today’s music industry.

Whether you’re called weird or different, all those things we do to make people uncomfortable with themselves, I’ve always tried to break out of those boundaries.

The android represents the new other to me.”

Not to be confused with:

Big-coiffed singer VV Brown.

Last seen:

Promoting her new album The Electric Lady.

Best feature:

Although Janelle insists she prefers…

“…that the listener is really listening to the message of my music versus worrying about my exterior”

We’re gonna be superficial here and say the whole damn smoking package she’s got going on.

Oh, and the coif, of course.

Most likely to:

Be one of the most exciting and intriguing music artists you’ve seen or heard in a while.

Least likely to:

Become another music industry-manufactured pop clone or to ever give up on what she sets out to achieve.

“I refuse to use my race or my background as an excuse not to reach my goals”

Is she a sista?

Who knows?!

Do mention:

Her goal to influence other young women to:

“… be fearless, stay true to their art, not compromise their beliefs, fight for art, take chances”

Don’t mention:

Her appearance.

As we’ve said, that’s not what she’s about.

Although, we do dig it, nonetheless.

Tags:

Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Upcomming Events