Janelle Monae radiated goddess glamour in new shots for Shape magazine’s September issue.
The boundary-breaking singer/actress looked like a masterpiece while recreating Botticelli’s very famous painting The Birth Of Venus in the high-concept shoot.
Janelle, 34, was a sight to behold as she stood in front of a giant shell donning just gold pasties and a carefully draped piece of fabric.
Masterpiece: Janelle Monae looks like a goddess while recreating The Birth of Venus in the pages of the latest Shape magazine
The Dirty Computer singer was glowing as she boldly faced the camera, letting long, thick braids of hair sweep down to her knees.
Janelle put her hands up elegantly while angling her anklet-clad foot ever-so-slightly for drama.
The Hidden Figures actress exuded pure confidence in the shoot, which was for Shape’s Women Run The World issue.
Janelle opened about finding her voice during the conversation with writer Farai Chideya, saying: ‘Early on, I realized that I had something to write. I had my own musical instead of trying to be in musical theater or on Broadway. There was an artist in me that was looking to be developed. And only I could develop that artist.’
Girl power: The Hidden Figures actress exuded pure confidence in the shoot, which was for Shape’s Women Run The World issue
Artist: Janelle opened about finding her voice during the conversation with writer Farai Chideya, saying: ‘Early on, I realized that I had something to write…There was an artist in me that was looking to be developed’
No justice, no peace: Lately, she’s been dedicating her art to shedding light on social issues like racial injustice, sexism, and LGBTQ rights
Lately, she’s been dedicating her art to shedding light on social issues like racial injustice, sexism, and LGBTQ rights.
‘I can never as an artist think about, “are people going to be moved by this?” I have to be moved first,’ Janelle explained. ‘One of the things I’ve made a conscious effort to do, specifically with [my new movie] Antebellum, is to shed light on racial injustice.’
‘I’ve made it a thing to face discomfort. I think discomfort is part of everyone’s reality right now. White people are feeling discomfort in one way, Black people are feeling discomfort in one way, and I didn’t want to shy away from that,’ she continued.
‘It’s time for us to get uncomfortable, because the real change requires an upsetting and a rerouting and a real commitment to look at ourselves. In this instance,I hope that more white people see this film and fix the systems that their ancestors created that continue to oppress.’
Not backing down: Janelle put the music industry on blast for its misogyny during an epic Twitter rant last month
Candid: The Hidden Figures actress, 34, began her tirade by writing that ‘the amount of misogyny from most of men in rap and music is infuriating’
Janelle previously put the music industry on blast for its misogyny, during an epic Twitter rant last month.
The multi-talented performer began her tirade by writing that ‘the amount of misogyny from most of men in rap and music is infuriating.’
‘I really only ever wanna hear women rapping,’ said the Electric Lady singer.
‘Women (black women inparticular) have been betrayed by the majority of men for far too long . The systems that enable Patriarchy and abusers of power are burning . Either bring gasoline or burn with them . [sic]’
‘Y’all can’t wait to call women every b***h , hoe , discuss violent acts against women, etc for clout in rap, rock, and through out music history. Misogny has NEVER been okay yet it has become normalized. Women didn’t create misogny, y’all did. SO YOU DO THE WORK to ABOLISH IT.’
She then called out institutionalized misogyny, and even appeared to make reference to the current US President.
‘Misogyny in entertainment, boardrooms, the WH, households, corporate spaces, army, church, let’s us all know ya’ll do not care about women on a human to human level and you never have. If you did it would have been ABOLISHED centuries ago. You had time,’ wrote Monae.
Naming names: Janelle also called out institutionalized misogyny, and even appeared to make reference to the current US President at one point