janelle monáe’s afrofuturistic queerness shines unapologetically in new album-movie ‘dirty computer’

In this time of mass media influence and the race for individuality we continuously find ourselves in, artists alike are working to find tangible, relevant ways to express their realities.

Janelle Monáe has hit the nail on the head with her latest project ‘Dirty Computer’, and it leaves a lingering taste of a pill you had to swallow to get the soothing, deliciously sweet juice that follows.

The project, a 50-min long visual filled with dystopian vignettes and fabulous lyricism, eerily tackles the daunting themes stratification, brainwashing, tyranny, collective memory, and the overall power of the MIND to serve viewers with a full dose of truth disguised as art. Monáe, being the Pop Priestess that she is has masterfully molded her feel-good tracks with the almost all the fears on the modern mind; from loss of individual identity, to surveillance , to erasure, and everything in between- and as “Dirty Computer” contrasts with a focus on rebellion, reclamation, and sexual fluidity, viewers are granted a well-rounded depiction of life under siege.

Beautifully scored both lyrically and musically, Monáe tells a visually stunning tale of a mass erasure of individuality… by our own hands- and with choreography, content, and costumes ALL on point, this dynamic diva tops it off by coming out as Pan sexual. A statement 0f courage and community that inevitably serve as a template for those to come.

“Dirty Computer” is a guide to rebirth dressed as a captivating eulogy, and we can’t wait to see what the residue of this will bring.

Keep your eyes and minds peeled, and check out the full version of Janelle Monáe’s “Dirty Computer” below!