In discussions of contemporary Afrofuturism, it generally doesn’t take long for Janelle Monae’s name to come up. (BECAUSE SHE IS AWESOME.) I’d like to make you watch and listen to every single thing she has ever made, but I will settle for the following:
“The Defiant Sci-Fi of Janelle Monae”
(I recommend you check out the lyrics here, as well — bear in mind that the commentary on the lyrics is written by whomever cares to write it, and frankly not all of it is as careful as it could be: https://genius.com/1733622 )
Since we watched those in class, here are a few more:
“Tightrope” This is the one with the dance scenes in the Afrofuturism video:
“Turntables”
Monae wrote this song for a documentary about Stacy Abrams. Not familiar with Stacy Abrams? Get familiar. She is one of the most important political organizers working today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stacey_Abrams
Lyrics here: https://genius.com/Janelle-monae-turntables-lyrics
Short article on “Turntables” (where the quotation in this item’s title comes from): https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/janelle-monae-turntables-interview-1057188/
This one isn’t Afrofuturism. “Hell You Talmbout” is a song Monae first wrote in 2015, in response to police brutality. “Say Her Name” is an updated version, focusing on Black women killed by police violence.
