Janelle Monáe

Janelle Monáe is one of the most dynamic artists of their time, fusing soul, funk, new wave, and Southern hip-hop, among other genres and sounds, with a spirited approach that seems to treat art and entertainment as indivisible. The Grammy-nominated singer/rapper, songwriter, arranger, and producer spent years grinding away in the Atlanta underground before she emerged with a theatrical retro-futuristic sound wrapped in science fiction themes. In the 2010s, Monáe and their Wondaland associates crafted three Top 20 albums -- The ArchAndroid (2010), The Electric Lady (2013), and Dirty Computer (2018) -- examining subjects such as oppression, identity, and liberation as they relate to race and sexuality. Despite wide-scoped vision, Monáe and company filled those LPs with broadly appealing, gold-certified singles like "Tightrope" (featuring early supporter Big Boi), "Yoga," "Make Me Feel," and "I Like That." Monáe followed that highly conceptual trilogy with the The Age of Pleasure (2023), dedicated to the African diaspora with feel-good grooves sourced from Jamaica, Nigeria, and Atlanta. This album featured Grace Jones, Sister Nancy, and CKay and was later nominated for Album of the Year at the 2024 Grammy Awards. The artist's musical activity has been balanced with an array of supporting and lead roles in films such as Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Antebellum, Harriet, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, and the Amazon series Homecoming.