Last week Janelle Monáe announced her long awaited return to music with her forthcoming album Dirty Computer, complete with visuals she called an “emotion picture.” And now she’s dropped two incredible, wildly different songs from the project which is officially out April 27.
The first, “Make Me Feel,” is a slick, clearly Prince-inspired sex anthem. And the video, which has Monáe and Tessa Thompson dancing in what looks like their own neon ’80s version of San Junipero, seems like it’s designed for the fandom who believes the two are secretly dating. And while I know it is far too early to even speculate about songs of the summer, I feel like this one will have real staying power. It’s that good!
Remember when they used to say I looked too mannish?
Black girl magic, y’all can’t stand it
Y’all can’t ban it, made out like a bandit
They’ve been trying hard just to make us all vanish
I suggest they put a flag on a whole other planet
At one point she even calls upon everyone to “hit the mute button and let the vagina have a monologue,” which reminds me of the comments she made last April in Marie Claire about how people need to start respecting “the vagina.”
“Until every man is fighting for our rights, we should consider stopping having sex,” she said, adding that evil men don’t deserve to be in her presence. “If you’re going to own this world and this is how you’re going to rule this world, I am not going to contribute anymore until you change it.”