feature: janelle monáe’s collective wondaland announce upcoming ep, ‘the eephus’

Janelle Monáe and her musical collective Wondaland are set to release a 5-song EP in May! The EP – called ‘The Eephus’ – will feature Wondaland members Jidenna, Roman GianArthur, St. Beauty, and Deep Cotton (all signed to the Atlanta-based custom label). The collective, described by many as a family, have worked collaboratively for many years – Isis from St. Beauty was one of Monáe’s backing singers, whilst Roman GianArthur wrote the overtures on her albums ‘The ArchAndroid’ and ‘The Electric Lady’. Although Monáe is the most notable of the group, her manager Mikael Moore tells Billboard, “It’s about the collective rather than individuals – Janelle is the proprietor, but they’re partners with her.” Also, Billboard reports that Wondaland has entered a new deal (a joint venture) with L.A. Reid’s EPIC records. Reid is quoted as saying, “I actually met her (Monáe) many years ago when she was a background singer for one of Big Boi‘s artists. I wasn’t fortunate enough to sign her at the time, so I wasn’t going to let Wondaland get away.” As someone who has seen the Wondaland collective perform, I couldn’t be more excited for this upcoming release. Explore their sounds, below!

By Alexander Aplerku, AFROPUNK Contributor 

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Janelle Monáe

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St. Beauty

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Roman GianArthur

Jidenna

Deep Cotton

* www.wondaland.com