JANELLE MONAE

Teezo Touchdown And Janelle Monáe’s Tender ‘You Thought’ Tackles Misconceptions

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Although Teezo Touchdown isn’t quite a household name yet, his unique look and interesting approach to music ensures that he’s well on his way. Plenty of other recording artists also seem to love him, so he’s got a lot of support in the community. Case in point, Janelle Monáe is having a moment courtesy of their new album The Age Of Pleasure, but still found time to support Teezo on his new song, “You Thought.”

The latest single from Teezo’s upcoming major-label debut album, How Do You Sleep At Night?, “You Thought” finds the Beaumont, Texas native getting into the heads of those around him, addressing their misconceptions and using them to do a little light flexing. “You would’ve thought that I finally made drum major, the way I play with the bands,” he jokes at the top. “You would’ve thought that I worked at the venue, the way that I pack out the stands.”

Despite his surprisingly extensive list of contacts, the hardware-clad rapper’s album will only include one other feature, R&B singer Foushée. It’s due September 8 via Sony Music Entertainment, RCA Records & Not Fit For Society.

Janelle Monáe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Here Is Janelle Monáe’s ‘The Age Of Pleasure Tour’ Setlist

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janelle monae essence festival 2023
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Janelle Monáe put herself all the way out there with The Age Of Pleasure, their June 9 (yes, 6/9) album that Uproxx reviewed as “a comforting space for Monáe and her beloved ‘Fandroids’ to live out loud.”

Uproxx’s Aaron Williams additionally contextualized why Monáe’s bold rollout was necessary, encapsulating “the story of America, of being Black, of being queer, of being non-binary, and always fighting to be seen, to be heard, and to not just survive in a hostile world but thrive.”

Monáe is giving their people several opportunities for indulgence with The Age Of Pleasure Tour. The North American trek started in Seattle, Washington on Wednesday, August 30. According to setlist.fm, Monáe kicked it all off with “Float.”

Monáe and their openers will next visit Vancouver, BC on Thursday, August 31, and Portland, Oregon on Saturday, September 2. The leg’s finale is scheduled for October 18 at YouTube Theater in Inglewood, California.

See all of the remaining dates here, and prepare ahead of time by reviewing the purported setlist below.

1. “Float”
2. “Champagne Sh*t”
3. “Phenomenal”
4. “Haute”
5. “Oooh La La”
6. “Django Jane”
7. “Q.U.E.E.N.”
8. “Electric Lady”
9. “Lipstick Lover”
10. “Water Slide”
11. “Know Better”
12. “Paid In Pleasure”
13. “Pynk”
14. “Yoga”
15. “I Like That”
16. “Only Have Eyes 42”
17. “Make Me Feel” (encore)
18. “Tightrope” (encore)

Janelle Monáe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Janelle Monae Responds To Thirsty Fans By Reading Their Tweets

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Janelle Monáe’s quite well-known for being open about pretty much anything: their artistry, sexuality, politics, fashion style, intimacy, and the list goes on. As such, they seem like the perfect guest to spontaneously and hilariously react to fans’ thirsty tweets towards them online. That’s exactly what the Age Of Pleasure creative did in a recent sit-down video with BuzzFeed, and although it came out over a week ago, moments from it are just now going viral. Regardless, Janelle is still so funny and charismatic in this clip that we wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the kind of video that keeps popping up every once in a while.

“‘I want to lick Janelle Monae’s armpits,’” one fan’s tweet read, and the singer reacted quite excitedly to it. “Augh! Who are you? Where are you? Come and get them,” they remarked while raising their arms in the air, shaking them for emphasis. “Ooh, I love it! I love it, I love it. Shoutout to all of the hairy pits. To the NB (non-binary) hairy pit community.” Of course, that was just one of many notable moments from the video that are just now making their way into online circles.

Read More: Janelle Monae Flashes Her Chest During Essence Festival Performance

Janelle Monae Offers Their Armpits To A Thirsty Fan

Of course, with all that honesty comes a lot of criticism, and with criticism comes fans raining down on whoever dares to insult Janelle Monae. India.Arie, for example, recently had to explain comments she made about the Kansas City native and Megan Thee Stallion’s onstage dancing, which she didn’t like. Overall, she blasted people trying to pit her against these artists when she was just saying that she felt their moves were too lewd and sexual for a large stage. Regardless of how it might’ve come off, India.Arie never intended to disrespect, discredit, or do anything but praise and uplift Meg and Janelle’s individual artistries.

Meanwhile, check out the full video of the 37-year-old reading fans’ advances with the via link below. If anything, it’s worth watching just to see them being themselves and showing off how much fun and happiness they bring into a room. As one of the most unbounded creative minds today, it’s hard to be so seriously talented and playfully sincere. For more news and the latest updates on Janelle Monae, come back to HNHH.

Read More: Janelle Monae Cools Off With Sultry Style In “Water Slide” Music Video

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Who Are The Openers For Janelle Monáe’s ‘The Age Of Pleasure Tour?’

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Janelle Monáe’s The Age Of Pleasure Tour kicks off later this month, and today, the non-binary icon revealed the tour’s openers. In addition to Monáe’s longtime collaborator Jidenna, the tour will also receive support from viral breakouts Flyana Boss, Chicago singer-songwriter Dreamer Isioma, and rapper/producer Nana Kwabena. Anticipation for the tour is high thanks to the hedonistic, NSFW rollout for The Age Of Pleasure, so each of these acts will certainly benefit from the extra exposure.

Monáe embraced a different kind of exposure as they prepared to release their well-received candidate album of the summer, showing off plenty of skin the videos for songs like “Lipstick Lover” and “Water Slide.” They attributed their newfound tendency to get their kit off to being “much happier when my titties are out,” which certainly ruffled feathers in certain corners of the internet. However, Janelle received support from fellow musicians like Cardi B, who posted an NSFW tweet of her own in response, SZA, who offered a message of approval, and Jason Isbell, who registered his confusion that there’d be any backlash in the first place. In any case, none of the criticism has slowed the singer, who lived up to her promise that you cannot police her by flashing the audience at Essence Fest.

Check out the dates for The Age Of Pleasure Tour below.

08/30 – Seattle, WA @ WAMU Theater
08/31 – Vancouver, BC @ UBC – Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre
09/02 – Portland, OR @ RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
09/06 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex
09/07 – Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
09/09 – Kansas City, MO @ The Midland Theatre
09/11 – Minneapolis, MN @ Armory
09/13 – St. Louis, MO @ Stifel Theatre
09/14 – Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
09/17 – Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall at Fenway
09/18 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Met
09/20 – Montreal, QB @ Mtelus
09/21 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
09/24 – Washington, DC @ The Anthem*
09/26 – New York City, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
09/28 – Brooklyn, NY @ Kings Theatre
10/02 – Charlotte, NC @ Skyla Credit Union Amphitheatre
10/03 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
10/04 – Birmingham, AL @ Avondale Brewing Company
10/06 – Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre Atlanta
10/09 – Dallas, TX @ The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
10/10 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
10/11 – Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater
10/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ Arizona Financial Theatre
10/17 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
10/18 – Inglewood, CA @ YouTube Theater

Janelle Monáe Announces Expansion of Her The Age of Pleasure Tour

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Janelle Monáe has expanded her blockbuster Age of Pleasure Tour, adding new dates in Indianapolis, IN, Columbus, OH, New Orleans, LA, and a popular demand show in Washington, DC. The tour, produced by Live Nation, kicks off on August 30 in Seattle, WA, and continues across North America until mid-October. The tour features iconic venues like Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Massey Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Fox Theatre, and Bill Graham Civic Auditorium.

Monáe’s critically acclaimed album, “THE AGE OF PLEASURE,” takes center stage during the tour. Artist presales begin on August 8, with other presales following on August 9, and general on-sales starting on August 11. The additional tour dates offer fans more opportunities to experience Janelle Monáe’s captivating live performance. For complete details and ticket information, visit www.jmonae.com.

The post Janelle Monáe Announces Expansion of Her The Age of Pleasure Tour first appeared on The Source.

The post Janelle Monáe Announces Expansion of Her The Age of Pleasure Tour appeared first on The Source.

Barack Obama’s Eclectic Summer 2023 Playlist Includes Hits From J Hus, Janelle Monáe, Rosalía, And More

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Say what you want about the former President; he’s got great taste. Barack Obama has shared his 2023 summer playlist and he’s been listening to some of fans’ favorite new artists this year in addition to a collection of classics. “Like I do every year, here are some songs I’ve been listening to this summer — a mix of old and new,” he wrote on Twitter. “Look forward to hearing what I’ve missed.”

It doesn’t seem like he’s missed much. While he’s been listening to a bunch of stuff you’d expected to hear from a “cool uncle” like Aretha Franklin’s “Dr. Feelgood (Love Is A Serious Business)” and Toots And The Maytals’ “Funky Kingston,” there are plenty of more recent standouts. Some examples include J Hus and Drake’s “Who Told You,” Janelle Monáe’s “Only Have Eyes 42,” and Rosalía and Rauw Alejandro’s “Vampiros.” Even Luke Combs’ cover of “Fast Car” is here, which… we’ll give Uncle Barry a pass for the nostalgia.

During a recent interview with Hassan Minhaj, Obama denied having help or taking shortcuts in building his legendary end-of-year lists. “People, they believe the books and the movies,” he said. “But the playlists, they somehow think — and this is mostly coming from young people like you — Somehow, y’all think you invented rock and roll. You invented hip-hop. And so the fact that my lists are pretty incredible, people seem to think, ‘Well, he must’ve had some 20-year-old intern who was figuring out this latest cut.’ No, man. It’s on my iPad right now!”

I mean, playing music from an iPad is pretty funny, but we certainly do appreciate the insights into his taste.

You can check out Obama’s Summer Playlist above.

Janelle Monae Cools Off With Sultry Style In “Water Slide” Music Video

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Janelle Monáe’s “Water Slide” is one of the most infectious, gorgeous, and summery songs on her latest album, The Age Of Pleasure. Of course, that’s quite a feat, since those three descriptors basically run through the entire project without skipping a single beat. Still, it’s fitting that one of the LP’s catchiest and most easy-going cuts got the official music video treatment, which just released on Friday (July 7). Moreover, Monae and a big group of friends spend a refreshing and scantily-clad day at the pool, with some wearing nothing but pixels over themselves. With an unbearably hot summer upon us, this is exactly the kind of video that we needed.

Visually, it’s quite old-school, with a grainy look, an old-school aspect ratio, and occasional frame flashes and lens flares that make you feel like you’re watching a vintage film recording of a group of friends’ day in the sun. Also, some of the underwater shots, however brief, are beautifully crisp, and it’s probably the inspiration (or rather, the same shot) for the album cover itself. Janelle Monae plays guitar, waters a plant that becomes a dancing boxer-clad human, enjoys a smoke, and dances the day away in “Water Slide.”

Read More: Janelle Monae Flashes Her Chest During Essence Festival Performance

Janelle Monae Performing At ESSENCE Festival

Janelle Monae Water Slide Music Video
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JUNE 30: Singer Janelle Monae performs onstage during night 1 of the 2023 ESSENCE Festival Of Culture™ at Caesars Superdome on June 30, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Furthermore, this will probably remind fans of her previous music video for The Age Of Pleasure, “Lipstick Lover.” That track is another highlight off the album, and this one’s visuals match the energy of the instrumental so well. For example, the drums and guitar give the track a beach-infused reggae leaning that keeps your body swaying from side to side. As expected, Janelle Monae’s vocal harmonies and melodies are as sweet as they are powerful, and the chorus refrain will get stuck in your head.

Meanwhile, this video also features some special guests in Angelica Ross and Jillian Mercado. However, one that hip-hop fans might’ve missed but is impossible not to talk about is rising star JELEEL! He does a fantastic spin dive in the water before emerging with a rose between his teeth for Monae. All in all, “Water Slide” will have you diving into a body of water as fast as possible. Check out the video with the link below and check back in with HNHH for the latest news and updates on Janelle Monae.

Read More: Janelle Monae Performs On Their Own Float At Pride Parade In L.A.

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The post Janelle Monae Cools Off With Sultry Style In “Water Slide” Music Video appeared first on HotNewHipHop.

Janelle Monáe Keeps The Hedonistic, Barely-Clothed Party Going In The New ‘Water Slide’ Video

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Janelle Monáe’s latest album is called The Age Of Pleasure, and indeed, Monáe has been enjoying a pleasurable age. That was most evident in May, when she shared the video for “Lipstick Lover,” a visual full of butts and bodies and kissing and dancing and all sorts of other means of people enjoying their time. Monáe dropped a new video for “Water Slide” today and it features more of the same.

The whole video has a very similar vibe to the “Lipstick Lover” clip, with a bunch of people wearing not much clothing as they enjoy moving, swimming, singing, dancing, and each other. Like “Lipstick Lover” before it, “Water Slide,” both the song and the video, are the perfect embodiment of summertime fun.

In an interview from back in May, a simple statement from Monáe succinctly encapsulated the entire vibe of The Age Of Pleasure: “I’m much happier when my titties are out and I can run around free.”

Watch the “Water Slide” video above.

The Age Of Pleasure is out now via Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic Records. Find more information here.

Janelle Monáe is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

India.Arie Explains Megan Thee Stallion & Janelle Monae Criticism

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Singer-songwriter India.Arie took issue with Megan Thee Stallion and Janelle Monae’s twerking competition at Essence Fest this year, and people weren’t happy about it. Regardless of the backlash, she stood by her comments in a recently published series on Instagram Stories. “I HATE defending simple logic, so I’m going to just say this,” she began. “THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE WITH ANY OF MY SISTERS. PERIOD. I am AN OLD SCHOOL LONG TIME AFFIRMING VOICE FOR WOMEN. MY RECORD SPEAKS FOR IT’S SELF. I LOVE humanity, even in all it’s bulls**t LOL! All I’m saying is CONTEXT MATTERS. Debate that if you want, lol .. but I said what I said.

“And WHY did I say it?” India.Arie continued. “Because just like EVERYYYONE ELSE, I am entitled to my opinion. BUT ALSO, I DO THIS WORK. My whole adult LIFE.. the work of UPLIFTING and LOVING and AFFIRMING and SUPPORTING the WELLNESS of Black women. And all people at large. How effective I was… I guess depends on who you ask. But for 20 plus years, I ran 100 miles an hours at all times… In the name of HEALING. So, when I see something that sparks my PERSONAL mission… I speak. There’s not scandal here. Just one woman’s opinion. But what I will NEVER ALLOW, is for ANYONE to paint ME!! As a person who would use other women for kindling in the burning down of the patriarchy. NO. No. NO. NO. NOOO.

Read More: Megan Thee Stallion’s Essence Festival Twerk Session Proves She’s Been Putting In Work At The Gym

India.Arie’s Defense

“I love all, ALL of the female artists, because I KNOW FIRST HAND how hard it is to BE ONE,” India.Arie remarked. “I’ve released 8 albums. And have myself played the ESSENCE main stage… 6 (?) times? What I see, here is the main streaming of cults, that IMHO should be adult only entertainment. AND! I’ve been saying this SAaaaaaaammmmmmmeeeeee thing for over 20 years. WHY? LOL some could say my ideals created a LESS business model, LOL !! But I stand by them because my gut tells me too. SO much more to say but I don’t feel like it. I’m in a BIG REAL LIFE MOMENT and have a BUNCH of stuff going on.

“Also, in case you missed it… PROTECTING MY PEACE IN 2023,” she concluded. “I’m open for a REAL smart debate or a real conversation but I don’t do the social media self propelled outrage BS. I put ME FIRST in my life. I DO this self care thing FOR REAL. LASTLY, INCASE ANYONE MISSED IT! I do NOT make a practice of publicly criticizing my sisters. My thoughts are around ESSENCE FESTIVAL and context. Which really is logic. I’m NOT addressing this anymore. Peace. Why is it so hard for people to understand? It’s cr*zy to me the level of explanation needed. And why is everything a thing. [laughing emojis] IT YOU! Not me lol.” Stick around on HNHH for the latest on India.Arie, Megan Thee Stallion, and Janelle Monae.

Read More: Janelle Monáe “The Age of Pleasure” Review

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