Mekishana Pierre
They say you should never meet your idols, but Janelle Monáe has met hers and worked alongside them! During an appearance on Thursday’s episode of The Jennifer Hudson Show, the non-binary, pansexual, futuristic superstar reflected on working with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry — including one she had a crush on.
The 38-year-old revealed to host Jennifer Hudson that she was one of the many who nursed a crush on actress Nia Long, so it was an especially sweet treat to have The Best Man star feature on her GRAMMY-nominated album, The Age of Pleasure.
“When I first got into the industry, Nia Long was one of the first actors who had come and see me perform, and I just remember hugging her,” Monáe recalled. “I don’t think I was comfortable telling her how in love I was with her growing up, just like everybody else. She definitely was my crush.”
The singer explained that she eventually exchanged contact information with Long, and the two became friends as time went on.
“When I had the song ‘The Rush,’ there was this voice that I heard, and it was just perfect for her because of her poetic voice on Love Jones — which is a classic,” Monáe continued. “And so, if you listen to the song, she’s talking at the end. I demoed it up, and I think I sounded really sultry and sexy, but I was like, ‘Nia Long, we need this energy.'”
Long is one of several featured artists on The Age of Pleasure, which includes Seun Kuti, Egypt 80, Doechii, Grace Jones, Amaarae, Sister Nancy and CKay.
One of Monáe most notable collaborators was her late mentor, Prince, whom Hudson reveals she missed the chance to work with before he died.
“He loved you, I remember us talking about you, and that just speaks to the type of person that he was, I think. He was a big advocate for artists, for Black women in particular,” Monáe shared, fondly recalling her first phone call with the musician, who died in 2016 at the age of 57.
Prince was featured on Monáe’s 2013 sophomore studio album, The Electric Lady, and worked with her for her 2018 album, Dirty Computer, before his death.
The singer recalled an opening set she did for Prince’s concert, where the musician joined her onstage for a rendition of their song, “Givin’ Em What They Love,” from The Electric Lady.
“And you know, the headliner never comes out right before it’s time for them to come, and for him to do that, like that’s the beautiful thing about him,” Monáe recalled, to which Hudson responded, “He was not only a great icon but a great human being.”
“He never let his mystery get in the way of his mentorship,” Monáe added.
Watch Monáe’s conversation in the video below.
Monáe’s The Age of Pleasure is a softer, more sensual and indulgent shift from her previous work, which the musician has said is a reflection of her new way of life.
In an intimate interview for Rolling Stone‘s Pride issue, the Glass Onion star delved into her new era of liberation and how the COVID-19 pandemic kicked off her new way to celebrate her autonomy and massive success.
“I want things to feel so true to my life,” she explained. “I used to consider myself a futurist. I know what that means, to obsess about the next thing. A present tourist is what I’m calling myself right now. I’m actively focusing on being present.”
Monáe, who publicly shared her pansexuality for the first time in 2018 and came out as non-binary in 2022, shared how she began making The Age of Pleasure after filming Glass Onion in Greece and Serbia through the summer of 2021. She would test her music at Everyday People parties thrown at Wondaland West, which inspired her when they began in 2020. While her earlier music built a fictional Afrofuturist dreamscape, The Age of Pleasure leans into the worlds that Black people reside in presently.
“I think being an artist gets lonely. Most people don’t understand what’s going on in my brain,” Monáe said. “Community has been so helpful to me; it’s beautiful that I have a title called The Age of Pleasure because it actually re-centers me. It’s not about an album anymore. I’ve changed my whole f**king lifestyle.”
“It was inspired by all of my friends, my community of folks who are from South Africa, Ghana, Nigeria, the Caribbean, Atlanta, L.A., Chicago,” she added. “Seeing all of us together in our Blackness, in the love that we had in our eyes for each other. People from the continent f**k around with trap from Atlanta. You know what I’m saying? I love how the diaspora — we talk to each other.”
As her music and her style boldly proclaim her shift in perspective, her public has responded by branding her a queer icon and “an emblem of queer advocacy.” While Monáe embraces her fans and has dedicated her career to championing marginalized identities, she also emphasizes her freedom to be a person and not just a symbol, which includes her right to privacy.
“I have a policy and agreement with myself — that is a part of my life that I want to keep private. I can talk about my identity, I can talk about my sexuality. I can talk about all things Janelle Monáe without having to go into detail. It’s not necessary,” she explained, adding that she believes that people should learn not to “project onto artists.”
“You have to understand that experiences will be had and people will change and evolve and not be the person you look up to,” she said. “As much as you love and care about me, I’m on my own journey that has nothing to do with music, has nothing to do with art.”
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