The lesbian community has tried to claim me. But I only date androids. Nothing like an android—they don’t cheat on you.
— The incredibly talented, smooth operating, Prince-celebrating, Lady-Gaga-ain’t-got-nothing-on-her Janelle Monáe on them lez rumors [via]
christopher di spirito
Janelle who?
Dollie
Love her! Love her!
And she just announced a tour with the fabulously eccentric of Montreal. Brilliant!
Shade
She’s good!
jimmy
@christopher di spirito: just a girl that is a yotta more talented and original than Lady Gaga (still love the Gaga)
Black Pegasus
I must be getting old, cuz I’ve never heard of this young lady until I saw her performance on the BET Awards show. She appears to be different from the pack, and “different” is a good thing.
thatguyfromboston
She is totally amazeballs!
Belfort
@Black Pegasus:
“appears to be different” is exactly right. There is not an ounce of originality in this girl’s body.
just like lady gaga, she is using fashion, sexuality, and cute sound bites to mask subpar music.
yawn.
Kevin
@Belfort: Subpar? First off, even if you believe her music isn’t all that good, it’s certainly much much better than what passes for “par” nowadays. I mean really: Miley Cyrus, Ke$ha, Katy Perry, the list of actual bad musicians goes on and on.
As for me, I love me some Janelle Monae. She defies both convention and the restrictions of genre. Her songwriting, while definitely not for the masses, never fails to impress, and her vocal chops are at or near the top of her field. Sometimes her “image” can be too big, I’ll agree, but it’s always backed up by really solid musical craftsmanship.
Lucas
She’s the more talented, but less appealing, Lady Gaga. Actually I probably wouldn’t say she’s more talented than Gaga, seeing as their music is completely different, but she does give the aura of a “true artist” much more convincingly than the Gaga.
Where Gaga seems a bit little contrived and affected, Monae remains true and genuine.
And I love me some Gaga.
ewe
I really like her style too but if she is even hiding one little ounce of her lesbianism then she is conciously making a choice to go mainstream and for this i despise her. It is selfish. If we all waited to be filthy rich before coming out, where exactly would equality stand? She is a black woman, she should know better. She does know better and knowing better requires her to be more than just silent on the subject whatever her orientation. Making light of homosexuality by calling herself botsexual is no different than skinny straight white boys claiming to be metro. Being musically talented does not constitute great humanity. This seems to be evidence of that as far as i am concerned. It is not too different than throwing others under the bus for self advancement.
K
@Ewe
Her answer was really a “that’s none of your business” answer. If she answered “no”, then she would be alienating her gay fans and people would still think she’s gay (though I personally think she isn’t, but that’s just what I perceive). If she said “yes” then she will alienate the “mainstream”. Either way, she’s screwed. The bottom line is that her sexual orientation is none of anybody’s business. It was a cheeky answer to a stupid question (btw, she mentioned android because her android character for the album falls in love with a human…long story lol). But does it matter at the end of the day? Her music speaks for itself, not her sexuality. Hope that gets through people’s skulls.
Belfort
@K: I understand why she mentioned “android”. it’s part of her shtick. Just like “monsters” is part of Lady Gaga’s shtick. It’s very cute….
But honestly, I could give a crap whether she sleeps with men, women or robots. Who you sleep with isn’t very shocking nowadays.
As for her music, show me anything she has done that hasn’t been done 1000 times better by James Brown or Prince.
Janelle Monae is not interesting because she is female and wears a bow-tie and pompadour. Please.
drums
Ugh, I love her so much I would consider a species reassignment to “android” just so I’d have a shot with her. Keep doing your thing, girl! Men, women, robots, and vampires are all falling over themselves trying to get with you because you’re incredible.
ewe
@K: When you start touting 24/7 that the sexual orientation of heterosexuals is no ones business with as much fervor you do for closeted homosexuals then your “intellectual thesis” might contain one iota of credibility.
ewe
@drums: She is a creation of “Sean Puffy daddy whatever his name is” and he is not too gay friendly in my opinion. This woman is open to as much investigation as Lady googoo gaga and is not off limits.
AladinSane
@ewe: She most certainly is NOT anybody’s creation but her own!
Scrufff
to those who aren’t familiar with Janelle, take a listen to her brilliant single “Sincerely, Jane”. AMAZING!!!!
http://www.mp3raid.com/music/janelle_monae_sincerely_jane.html
the lyrics:
http://tinyurl.com/6gz5d8
ewe
@AladinSane: She most certainly did not get where she is at by herself. Everyone has teams of people behind them when they make it that far and beyond. Armies of publicity etc. That is not a self made creation. It is impossible for you to believe one person does such things on their own. That is not how things work and that is all i meant.You make it seem as if even hairdressers and cosmeticians in the background are non existent. As i said ARMIES OF PUBLICITY.
ewe
If she does not want controversy then she should shut her trap. The whole point is that she wants controversy but controlled. People should not talk about sexuality if they are not going to talk about sexuality. Her pathetic attempt at avante garde is dismissive to those of minority orientation and as a black woman she she should damn well know better. No passes. Our identity is not some fleeing joke in casual conversation between those who dare not cross heterosexual norms. I like her a helluva lot less now. That’s for sure.
ewe
I wonder “is she an African American Woman”? NO. She is a Bot american android. How coy of me.
Lynn
@Ewe
“People should not talk about sexuality if they are not going to talk about sexuality.”
erm… Ewe, she didn’t bring up the topic of sexuality. The reporter from Rolling Stone did. As K mentioned, Janelle ducked the question by invoking the Android theme of her new album. And the “botsexual” word is simply a creation of the Queerty headline writer. Janelle did not use it.
If Janelle is lesbian, I think she should come out under her own terms, not because some snoopy reporter asks the question.
ewe
@Lynn: Lynn: erm: You just proved my point in different words.
AladinSane
There’s no use talking to Ewe, Ewe obviously haven’t taken your meds lately…
ewe
@AladinSane: You are dismissive and rude. fuck you as well.
Eliz
she said before in a past interview that she’s involved with a guy she works close with, so how can she be gay….she even said “i couldnt have asked for a better android” but her music is great so interviewers should mind theyre business just cuz a girl wears somethin different doesn’t mean she’s gay…
freakyty
Umm…I don’t think that her coming out will affect her going mainstrem. Example: Nicki Minaj. She came out talking about licking, sucking and everything to a chick. She talks about signing boobs, stopping for bad lesbians, making chicks moan. So her not making it will have nothing to do with her sexuality. It seems like being bi or gay is beginning to be a fade with some people. Janelle is keeping her sexuality her business, not for the fans or her chance of going mainstream, maybe it’s family.Or just maybe it really isn’t NOBODY’S DAMN BUSINESS WHAT SHE DOES WITH HER P*SSY!