Janelle Monae adheres to a trademark black-and-white motif, but she’s one of the most colorful female singers of the century.
Born Janelle Monae Robinson in Kansas City, Kansas, Monae moved to Atlanta in 2001 and befriended Big Boi of famed Atlanta rap duo Outkast. She founded the Wondaland Arts Society that year — an early indicator of her commitment to collaboration.
Her official studio album debut, “The ArchAndroid,” arrived in 2010 and was nominated for best contemporary R&B album at the 2011 Grammy Awards.
Even though she’s usually tagged as a soul or R&B singer, Monae’s music incorporates pop, hip-hop, rock and funk, evident in the album’s breakthrough single, “Tightrope” (which features her friend Big Boi).
While Monae, 30, has received plenty of accolades for her music, she’s also positioned herself as a spokesperson for women’s activism.
A Cover Girl model since 2012, Monae’s ads for the company always spotlight female independence (in 2014, she was part of the “Girls Can” campaign and last month’s spots highlighted the “Queen” collection).
Her political activism is also well-documented. During a 2015 performance on NBC’s “Today” show to promote her recently established Wondaland record label and stable of artists, Monae performed the protest song “Hell You Talmbout” and was cut off when she began to talk to the crowd about police brutality.
In February, Monae performed at a concert in Flint, Mich., with artists including Stevie Wonder and Andra Day to express solidarity and raise money for the city’s recent water crisis.
Monae hasn't released an album since 2013's "The Electric Lady," but has stayed busy running her Wondaland label, which includes artists such as the Grammy-nominated Jidenna and Roman GianArthur, and appearing on the new Duran Duran album, "Paper Gods."
The multi-hyphenate is slated to make her film debut this fall in the drama “Moonlight” with Naomie Harris and Andre Holland.
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