Janelle Monáe has announced a new album, joking that she now has a “clone” for the music she’s been working hard on in the studio. Watch our video interviews with the artist and actor.
Monáe, who stars as Helen Brand in the new film Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery as the latest in a long line of critically acclaimed acting roles, has not released a full-length album since 2018 ‘Dirty Computer’. with me?” he told NME when told of the four-year wait.
When asked if we will be hearing more new music soon, Monáe replied, “Indeed, we will! You will have new music because I have a clone now. That clone makes all my music, and yes I have another clone to make. I’m not going to tell you if it’s me or not. Right now they’re in the studio.
Monáe continued, “I feel so humbled and super, super blessed to be doing something. Doing something like that, you don’t take it lightly.”
When Glass Onion co-star Daniel Craig was asked if he too had a clone, he replied: “I don’t know, maybe! If I do, they’re not as useful as Janelle’s clone.”
Speaking to NME about her new acting role, Monáe said Glass Onion’s “number one rule” was to be “entertaining”.
“This is a murder mystery film that is meant to take people on a journey and experience it,” says Monáe. And best of all, because the characters are modernized, the audience will know who they are and what their experiences are.”
“I hadn’t done comedy. Rian has created so many tone-specific moments of comedy. I think he’s very innovative in this not-so-exciting space.”
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In 2021, Monaé shared the song “Stronger” from the soundtrack of the Netflix series We The People, performed by Barack and Michelle Obama. She then released the protest song “Say Her Name (Hell You Talmbout),” named for the social movement founded by Kimberlé Crenshaw that “brought attention to black women killed by American police.” David Byrne also covered the theme in his American Utopia live show.
In 2020, the singer released her first new music in two years with “Turntables,” a song that will be featured in an upcoming voter suppression documentary.
Monaé’s acting career, meanwhile, saw Monaé star in a new film called Antebellum, a thriller starring the masterminds behind Jordan Peele’s Get Out and Us. The singer also starred in the second installment of the Amazon Prime Video series Homecoming.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery arrives on Netflix on December 23.
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