Janelle Monáe comes out as pansexual
Janelle Monáe’s sexuality has been widely discussed and speculated upon for a while now. But the R&B and funk sensation has always artfully dodged the curveballs thrown her way. In one such instance, she jokingly said that she only dated androids.
Or was she? Maybe the answer can be found courtesy of a new cover story of Monáe in Rolling Stone magazine, in which the 'PYNK' singer admitted to having relationships with both men and women and identified herself as 'pansexual'.
“Being a queer black woman in America, someone who has been in relationships with both men and women – I consider myself to be a free-ass motherfucker,” she told interviewer Brittany Spanos.
She went on to add that she initially thought of herself as bisexual, until she later “read about pansexuality and was like, ‘Oh, these are things that I identify with too.’ I’m open to learning more about who I am.”
For the uninitiated, a pansexual person is one who is not limited in sexual choice with regard to biological sex, gender, or gender identity.
Pansexual people are open to relationships with people who do not identify as strictly men or women, and are often considered to be 'gender-blind' in a sense.
Monáe has previously let questions regarding her sexuality go unanswered, declining to elaborate in a recent New York Times interview on her rumored relationship with Tessa Thompson.
Elsewhere in the interview, Monáe pointed out that clues to her sexuality were always present in her songs. Specifically, she referred to 'Mushrooms & Roses' from 2010’s The ArchAndroid and 'Q.U.E.E.N.' from 2013’s The Electric Lady, two tracks which mention a character named 'Mary' as a romantic interest.
Apparently, 'Q.U.E.E.N.' was originally called 'Q.U.E.E.R.' and the word is still present in the background harmonies.
The hints at Janelle's sexuality are evident on her new record, Dirty Computer as well, especially on her recently released single, 'Way You Make Me Feel'. See if you can't spot the glaring reference in the lyrics: "It's like I'm powerful with a little bit of tender / An emotional, sexual bender / Mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better / There's nothin' better."
Talking about the new album during the interview, Monae said: “I want young girls, young boys, nonbinary, gay, straight, queer people who are having a hard time dealing with their sexuality, dealing with feeling ostracized or bullied for just being their unique selves, to know that I see you. This album is for you. Be proud.”
Dirty Computer, which features contributions from the likes of Grimes, Pharrell Williams, and The Beach Boy’s Brian Wilson, as well as inputs from Prince, is out on April 27 and is available for pre-order via Spotify and Apple Music.