He/Him
Ugh Feelings should've been top 5 but whatever, everything left is amazing. But those lyrics - so relatable.
20GAYTeen the Rate: WINNER!!
- Thread starter Trouble in Paradise
- Start date
He/Him
I was certain this was a fucking dead cert for top 5, so I'm extremely happy this eventually reached the top 10. As I said in my commentary, this song was my introduction to Hayley and the album and I've loved her ever since. Of the list above it's actually risen above Palo Santo as my favourite album out of the main ones we had to choose between.
Oh my @Trouble in Paradise we're 11 together it all makes sense now, how wonderful.
It did so well to get top 10 because it really is the best quality song that the white men brought to this rate.
You all know who should win now.
I guess we didn't agree. :(
He/Him
Introducing our next cut is Dick Leitsch who was the President of the Mattachine Society a pre-Stonewall LGBT Rights organization. He conceptualized and led a “Sip-In” protest at Julius’s Bar which was one of the first organized acts of gay civil disobedience. Here’s the wikipedia version of the events which help to paint the struggle for LGBT Rights particularly in a pre-Stonewall world:
7. “Doesn’t Matter (Voleur de soleil)”
By Christine & the Queens
8.764
Highest Scores: 10 x 13 (@CorgiCorgiCorgi @Sanctuary @GimmeWork @soratami @The Hot Rock @pop3blow2 @constantino @inevitable @slaybellz @Untouchable Ace @Verandi @LE0Night @Remorque )
9.5 x 3 (@Remyky22 @Hurricane Drunk @kalonite)
Lowest Scores: 6x 4 (@KingBruno @Empty Shoebox @Untitled @Reboot ) 6.5 x 1 (@londonrain)
My Score: 9
Rage as a fabric, through and through
Like that gaze they used to do
'Cause the suicidal thoughts that are still in my head
Give her that awful side-smile when I lay in bed
The fall of our main artists continue as we bid adieu to Christine & the Queens at #7! Much like the past few cuts, “Doesn’t Matter” garnered a lot of love from you all! As I reflected in my past Chris cuts, I’ve grown to love these tracks even more and could easily see myself giving this full marks if I were to rate it today. The lyrics cut straight to the bone with the type of intense vulnerability I’m used to hearing within a soft folky context. Instead, Chris has built a sweet, catchy production around these aching lines. In a true act of God, Chris broke down the song for Song Exploder and I’ve tried my best to capture what she’s said about creating the song.
She starts her episode discussing the production of the song which is something Chris is often overlooked for. Her description of cities strikes me as a urban dweller prone to blue bouts:
I’m pretty confident that the majority of the members of this former have spent some time walking a city with headphones on feeling depressed and that everything they see perfectly captures that sadness. I mean, let’s be honest, we’ve all stared out the window on a rainy day pretending to be in a music video. But back to the song, it really is striking how much Chris shares here with us, pushing us to the brink of her existence along with her.
The whole podcast is worth a listen and I wish I had the time to transcribe the whole thing for y’all! She speaks to how she views music as theatre and using the concept of the choir from Greek drama to inform her songwriting and singing. She sees the moment in the bridge of “Forget I said it/I soliloquize" as a moment of Fourth Wall breaking where she addresses the audience. In producing this moment, the music drops out and all of the harmonizing vocals disappear creating a bare moment of intimacy. You really get a sense of how well thought out her music is and just how exacting she is in her songwriting and production. She in particular singles out the bridge and the character of the Voleur de Soleil (Sun Stealer) as a French trope representing Hope. Within the song, she yells at the Voleur de Soleil to run away and never come back. She comments that as she wrote this song she began to realize how sad she was: “Catharsis is not pleasing, but it’s needed” Yeah, I really should’ve given this song full marks.
Now, let’s get the last of Chris’s Pitchfork descriptions for consistencies sake:
I really wish I had seen Chris live as she appears to be one of the premier live artists of our time. I also question if it’s my own dark take on the Sun Stealer and the way she tells him to run away. Is she running with him or chasing him away? Here she seems to be putting a more positive spin on it than I took from her Song Exploder episode. What do you all think?
Well, here’s what you thought of the song in general!
Pop3blow2 My gawd, this song. (no pun intended). Run if you stole a shard of sunlight… that whole ‘middle 16’ is brilliant. I’m a sucker for deconstructing classic pop song structures in interesting ways. By reporting the middle 8 twice here, it only adds the call-response aesthetic of the whole song. Brilliant. This song seems like a spiritual sequel to ‘5 Dollars’.
Gimmework Everything works so well on this for me. The upbeat but simple 80’s influenced production grabs me and I love the lyrics especially.
CorgiCorgiCorgi existential bop
The Hot Rock This has been my favorite track so far working through the list sequentially. Incredible.
Untouchable Ace It does matter, and it turns out it's pretty good. I see that 'Come Into My World' moment Christine, she's a stan.
Music is Life The drums on this feel very “Hey Mickey.” Is all the 80s-ness of these songs on purpose? If so, I love it. If not, I still love it. I really like her vocals and the lyric on this one.
Untitled very... artful and feverish
Constantino - I was tempted to give this my 11 but in the end I had to support the good sis
but it was close. This is just masterfull song craft at its very finest; I said this before but Christine makes her songs EVENTS. The structure of this song is fluid, dynamic and unpredictable, much like sexuality. There’s an effortless sense of cool and swagger that Chris exudes so naturally, while many try and fail to attain. That’s just how TALENT works, folks, not everyone has it!
On April 21, 1966 members of the New York Chapter of the Mattachine Society staged a "Sip-In" at the bar which was to change the legal landscape.[6] Dick Leitsch, Craig Rodwell, the society's president and vice president respectively, and another society activist, John Timmons, planned to draw attention to the practice by identifying themselves as homosexuals before ordering a drink in order to bring court scrutiny to the regulation. The three were going to read from Mattachine stationary "We are homosexuals. We are orderly, we intend to remain orderly, and we are asking for service."
The three first targeted the Ukrainian-American Village Restaurant at St. Mark's Place and Third Avenue in the East Village, Manhattan which had a sign, "If you are gay, please go away." The three showed up after a New York Times reporter had asked a manager about the protest and the manager had closed the restaurant for the day.[1] They then targeted a Howard Johnson's and a bar called Waikiki where they were served in spite of the note with a bartender saying later, "How do I know they're homosexual? They ain't doing nothing homosexual."
Frustrated, they then went to Julius, where a clergyman had been arrested a few days earlier for soliciting sex. A sign in the window read, "This is a raided premises." The bartender initially started preparing them a drink but then put his hand over the glass, which was photographed. The New York Times ran the headline "3 Deviates Invite Exclusion by Bars" the next day.[7]
The Mattachines then challenged the liquor rule in court and the courts ruled that gays had a right to peacefully assemble, which undercut the previous SLA contention that the presence of gay clientele automatically was grounds for charges of operating a "disorderly" premise. With this right established a new era of licensed, legally operating gay bars began. The bar now holds a monthly party called Mattachine.
The three first targeted the Ukrainian-American Village Restaurant at St. Mark's Place and Third Avenue in the East Village, Manhattan which had a sign, "If you are gay, please go away." The three showed up after a New York Times reporter had asked a manager about the protest and the manager had closed the restaurant for the day.[1] They then targeted a Howard Johnson's and a bar called Waikiki where they were served in spite of the note with a bartender saying later, "How do I know they're homosexual? They ain't doing nothing homosexual."
Frustrated, they then went to Julius, where a clergyman had been arrested a few days earlier for soliciting sex. A sign in the window read, "This is a raided premises." The bartender initially started preparing them a drink but then put his hand over the glass, which was photographed. The New York Times ran the headline "3 Deviates Invite Exclusion by Bars" the next day.[7]
The Mattachines then challenged the liquor rule in court and the courts ruled that gays had a right to peacefully assemble, which undercut the previous SLA contention that the presence of gay clientele automatically was grounds for charges of operating a "disorderly" premise. With this right established a new era of licensed, legally operating gay bars began. The bar now holds a monthly party called Mattachine.
7. “Doesn’t Matter (Voleur de soleil)”
By Christine & the Queens
8.764
Highest Scores: 10 x 13 (@CorgiCorgiCorgi @Sanctuary @GimmeWork @soratami @The Hot Rock @pop3blow2 @constantino @inevitable @slaybellz @Untouchable Ace @Verandi @LE0Night @Remorque )
9.5 x 3 (@Remyky22 @Hurricane Drunk @kalonite)
Lowest Scores: 6x 4 (@KingBruno @Empty Shoebox @Untitled @Reboot ) 6.5 x 1 (@londonrain)
My Score: 9
Rage as a fabric, through and through
Like that gaze they used to do
'Cause the suicidal thoughts that are still in my head
Give her that awful side-smile when I lay in bed
The fall of our main artists continue as we bid adieu to Christine & the Queens at #7! Much like the past few cuts, “Doesn’t Matter” garnered a lot of love from you all! As I reflected in my past Chris cuts, I’ve grown to love these tracks even more and could easily see myself giving this full marks if I were to rate it today. The lyrics cut straight to the bone with the type of intense vulnerability I’m used to hearing within a soft folky context. Instead, Chris has built a sweet, catchy production around these aching lines. In a true act of God, Chris broke down the song for Song Exploder and I’ve tried my best to capture what she’s said about creating the song.
She starts her episode discussing the production of the song which is something Chris is often overlooked for. Her description of cities strikes me as a urban dweller prone to blue bouts:
“Makes me think of the loneliness in cities where when you feel really lonely and sad everything really resonates in your head of desolation… everything is a sign cause the whole world is resonating through your sadness. To me, because the beat is rough, it allowed me to be sad on top of it. It felt less obscene to do it that way. It felt like the right beat to be totally and utterly honest that night. Well, shall I unfold totally? Shall I try to write the rawest, most exposed song I could write? And I was like let’s do it!”
I’m pretty confident that the majority of the members of this former have spent some time walking a city with headphones on feeling depressed and that everything they see perfectly captures that sadness. I mean, let’s be honest, we’ve all stared out the window on a rainy day pretending to be in a music video. But back to the song, it really is striking how much Chris shares here with us, pushing us to the brink of her existence along with her.
The whole podcast is worth a listen and I wish I had the time to transcribe the whole thing for y’all! She speaks to how she views music as theatre and using the concept of the choir from Greek drama to inform her songwriting and singing. She sees the moment in the bridge of “Forget I said it/I soliloquize" as a moment of Fourth Wall breaking where she addresses the audience. In producing this moment, the music drops out and all of the harmonizing vocals disappear creating a bare moment of intimacy. You really get a sense of how well thought out her music is and just how exacting she is in her songwriting and production. She in particular singles out the bridge and the character of the Voleur de Soleil (Sun Stealer) as a French trope representing Hope. Within the song, she yells at the Voleur de Soleil to run away and never come back. She comments that as she wrote this song she began to realize how sad she was: “Catharsis is not pleasing, but it’s needed” Yeah, I really should’ve given this song full marks.
Now, let’s get the last of Chris’s Pitchfork descriptions for consistencies sake:
You’ve mentioned that this track was difficult to complete. Why was that the case?
It’s the one I spent the most time on, so of course it’s the one I’m most proud of. There’s sweat in there. It was a pain in the ass to record, because lyrically, again, I’m quite exposed. I did two takes, and it put me in a dark mood. When you write, you don’t really think of how honest you are being—it’s only when you record that you understand how much of yourself you’re giving. That’s how I like music though; otherwise I would protect myself more. So this one was hard, but I feel really glad with how it ended up. I don’t remember having as much satisfaction about a finished track on Chaleur humaine.
By the end of the song, you go from acknowledging “suicidal thoughts” to imploring listeners to “run if you stole a shard of sunlight.” Can you tell me more about that positive progression?
When I was writing the track I was feeling lonely, and I invented this fictional character that could uplift me. The sun stealer for me is someone who inspires me to just get out of the mud. In my mind he was male, and it’s unclear if I want to become that person, or love that person, or be a brother to that person. It’s just someone that I want to grab by the hand, who could take me up there. While working on staging the album live, I decided the sun stealer is going to be a character on stage with me. I’m going to have loose narratives and characters interacting. It’s quite a romantic, nerdy thing to do, but I wrote a character that I would want to love, and I tried finding that character.
It’s the one I spent the most time on, so of course it’s the one I’m most proud of. There’s sweat in there. It was a pain in the ass to record, because lyrically, again, I’m quite exposed. I did two takes, and it put me in a dark mood. When you write, you don’t really think of how honest you are being—it’s only when you record that you understand how much of yourself you’re giving. That’s how I like music though; otherwise I would protect myself more. So this one was hard, but I feel really glad with how it ended up. I don’t remember having as much satisfaction about a finished track on Chaleur humaine.
By the end of the song, you go from acknowledging “suicidal thoughts” to imploring listeners to “run if you stole a shard of sunlight.” Can you tell me more about that positive progression?
When I was writing the track I was feeling lonely, and I invented this fictional character that could uplift me. The sun stealer for me is someone who inspires me to just get out of the mud. In my mind he was male, and it’s unclear if I want to become that person, or love that person, or be a brother to that person. It’s just someone that I want to grab by the hand, who could take me up there. While working on staging the album live, I decided the sun stealer is going to be a character on stage with me. I’m going to have loose narratives and characters interacting. It’s quite a romantic, nerdy thing to do, but I wrote a character that I would want to love, and I tried finding that character.
I really wish I had seen Chris live as she appears to be one of the premier live artists of our time. I also question if it’s my own dark take on the Sun Stealer and the way she tells him to run away. Is she running with him or chasing him away? Here she seems to be putting a more positive spin on it than I took from her Song Exploder episode. What do you all think?
Well, here’s what you thought of the song in general!
Pop3blow2 My gawd, this song. (no pun intended). Run if you stole a shard of sunlight… that whole ‘middle 16’ is brilliant. I’m a sucker for deconstructing classic pop song structures in interesting ways. By reporting the middle 8 twice here, it only adds the call-response aesthetic of the whole song. Brilliant. This song seems like a spiritual sequel to ‘5 Dollars’.
Gimmework Everything works so well on this for me. The upbeat but simple 80’s influenced production grabs me and I love the lyrics especially.
CorgiCorgiCorgi existential bop
The Hot Rock This has been my favorite track so far working through the list sequentially. Incredible.
Untouchable Ace It does matter, and it turns out it's pretty good. I see that 'Come Into My World' moment Christine, she's a stan.
Music is Life The drums on this feel very “Hey Mickey.” Is all the 80s-ness of these songs on purpose? If so, I love it. If not, I still love it. I really like her vocals and the lyric on this one.
Untitled very... artful and feverish
Constantino - I was tempted to give this my 11 but in the end I had to support the good sis
Annie,
londonrain
Staff member
Janelle really landed 50% of the top six and at least two songs in the top 5?!
Wow.
Wow.
He/Him
I almost posted that stat but realized you'd be on it!
londonrain
Staff member
Given that MNEK lost a single at #52(!) and then three more songs between #27 and #30, I'm amazed that Tongue has done so well.
I mean, if people had the taste to appreciate that song, what happened with the others? I think only Troye and Sophie had a bigger gap between their first eliminated song and their last eliminated song.
I mean, if people had the taste to appreciate that song, what happened with the others? I think only Troye and Sophie had a bigger gap between their first eliminated song and their last eliminated song.
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
No.
I love Tongue but I wasn't able to really enjoy the rest of the album. I suppose I'm not the only one.
He/Him
Okay I could have sworn I gave Doesn't matter a 10. I definitely should have.
Anyways, I'd actually be here for an all Janelle/MNEK top 3.
Anyways, I'd actually be here for an all Janelle/MNEK top 3.
He/Him
Currently battling google docs and my slow WiFi to get the next elimination out! I’m headed to Maine with the family until Sunday and most likely won’t get anything out till then. The plan is to wrap up the rate when I return seeing as I start work at the 22nd!
He/Him
Big Mama Thorton is here to introduce our next cut and remind you that she recorded the superior version of "Hound Dog" that a skinny white guy copied to get famous. She also wrote more than 20 Blues compositions including "Ball n' Chain" which helped shape the sound of Rock N Roll. Also a good reminder that queer black women helped invent Rock N Roll.
6. “Pynk”
By Janelle Monae
8.860
Falling just before the Top 5 is one of the most iconic songs of 20GAYteen with arguably the best music video of the year! Let’s all take a step back in time and realize what a roll out Janelle gave Dirty Computer: she stunned us all with the double release of “Make Me Feel” and “Django Jane” only to follow it up with the release of “Pynk” and it’s music video! She gave us videos with concepts and lewks galore soundtracked by thoughtful and catchy tunes while also pushing her artistic vision and career narrative forward. More or less, she totally crushed it and earned the right to take up half of the Top 6.
Now, let’s take a listen to the song itself. Production and harmonies were provided by Grimes-one of my problematic faves- and while the song isn’t as balls-to-the-walls fury as “Venus Fly” it’s still a great lil bop. I didn’t realize until doing research for this write up that it interpolates an Aerosmith song which means Steven Tyler is a credited co-writer. As you can see from my score, I enjoy this song but it’s not quite Top 10 material for me-though I can't wrap my mind around @Empty Shoebox's taste! I wish the extended version from the Emotional Picture was available for streaming as Janelle's rap adds a whole new dimension to the song. The slinky verses breaking into the big guitar chorus is fun and gives me major summer car ride vibes.
But let's be real: this song lives in the shadow of that video! I assume that all of you have watched it, but if you haven't do so immediately. Janelle truly broke the damn gay internet with those pussy pants! Speaking to Billboard about the pants, Janelle proves why she is the Queer Icon we love but honestly don't deserve:
We love an intersectional queen who knows that womanhood is NOT defined by genitals! I love the way she not only vocalizes this in interviews but visually represents it in the video itself. In scenes with dancers in the pussy pants, there are some dancers without the pants but still dressed in pink.
Also Janelle puts her money where her mouth is when it comes to supporting women especially within the music industry. In an interview with Lizzo (!!!) from my new fave magazine Them., Janelle talked about her new organization Fem the Future.
Now, I obviously can't resist a Janelle Monae by Lizzo interview so indulge me one more section (for this write up!). Dirty Computer is a mammoth album and probably the one I was most upset to have to cut down for this rate. Lizzo asked Janelle about the release of Dirty Computer and especially it's timing with her publicly coming out (though, really "Q.U.E.E.N!?") and Janelle's answer really reflects why the album is so monumental:
I am so freaking excited to see where Janelle continues to go and how she continues to push pop music forward!
Now let's hear from you little Pynksters!
Posh Spears Genuinely so uplifting and empowering, apart from being one of the biggest bops on this list.
Untitled there ain't no reason why this should be mastered like it's Grimes' Halfaxa vocals. we need the audience to actually hear the song!
Reboot This song is special.
Music is Life The end brought the score up a little bit. It was a 9.
Constantino The way this shot up from a 8 to a 10 since it’s release. The power that that has. The international implications. In a world where women are shamed for their genitalia, this song really kicked misogyny in the dick, huh?
Untouchable Ace Restrained in it's forthrightness. Go Grimes.
The Hot Rock Song is a bit lowkey for both Janelle and Grimes as a feature artist. Not a fan of the guitar during the chorus, it just sounds out of place in terms of mixing or something?
Yuuurei The way Janelle sings here is so cute, it always makes me smile whenever I hear it. A really amazing track, and that video was so fun.
CorgiCorgiCorgi probably my least favorite song on Dirty Computer, which is like being the shortest giant
Ufint That music video alone deserves a 10. Played it for my kids and they were mesmerized and wanted to watch it one more time. If they only knew.
Gimmework I cannot separate this fantastic jam from the amazing Dirty Computer film project. We really do not deserve her brilliance!!!!
KingBruno This feels like both a statement for solidarity and a plea to stop judging people by their gender alone, and the song’s multifaceted appeal emphasizes Janelle’s abiding longing for more fluidity in today’s world.
6. “Pynk”
By Janelle Monae
8.860
Highest Scores: 10 x 18 (@Ana Raquel @Sanctuary @GimmeWork @ufint @yuuurei @constantino @Reboot @Blob @evilsin @Cutlery @inevitable @Posh Spears @Remyky22 @Lost Boy @ohnostalgia @KingBruno @LE0Night @Remorque ) 9.6 x 1 (@Untouchable Ace) 9.5 x 2 (@Music Is Life @kalonite)
Lowest Score: 3 x 1 (@Empty Shoebox) 6 x 3 (@happiestgirl @soratami @CorgiCorgiCorgi)
My Score: 8
Lowest Score: 3 x 1 (@Empty Shoebox) 6 x 3 (@happiestgirl @soratami @CorgiCorgiCorgi)
My Score: 8
Pynk, like the lips around your... maybe
Pynk, like the skin that's under... baby
Pynk, where it's deepest inside... crazy
Pynk beyond forest and thighs
Pynk, like the skin that's under... baby
Pynk, where it's deepest inside... crazy
Pynk beyond forest and thighs
Falling just before the Top 5 is one of the most iconic songs of 20GAYteen with arguably the best music video of the year! Let’s all take a step back in time and realize what a roll out Janelle gave Dirty Computer: she stunned us all with the double release of “Make Me Feel” and “Django Jane” only to follow it up with the release of “Pynk” and it’s music video! She gave us videos with concepts and lewks galore soundtracked by thoughtful and catchy tunes while also pushing her artistic vision and career narrative forward. More or less, she totally crushed it and earned the right to take up half of the Top 6.
Now, let’s take a listen to the song itself. Production and harmonies were provided by Grimes-one of my problematic faves- and while the song isn’t as balls-to-the-walls fury as “Venus Fly” it’s still a great lil bop. I didn’t realize until doing research for this write up that it interpolates an Aerosmith song which means Steven Tyler is a credited co-writer. As you can see from my score, I enjoy this song but it’s not quite Top 10 material for me-though I can't wrap my mind around @Empty Shoebox's taste! I wish the extended version from the Emotional Picture was available for streaming as Janelle's rap adds a whole new dimension to the song. The slinky verses breaking into the big guitar chorus is fun and gives me major summer car ride vibes.
But let's be real: this song lives in the shadow of that video! I assume that all of you have watched it, but if you haven't do so immediately. Janelle truly broke the damn gay internet with those pussy pants! Speaking to Billboard about the pants, Janelle proves why she is the Queer Icon we love but honestly don't deserve:
Speaking of tour, I have to mention the now-legendary vagina pants, which you wear during “Pynk” in the set. Do you keep those under lock and key?
They're definitely protected. They're in a safe, deeply protected and on ice. [Laughs] The vagina pants, the labia pants, the flower pants -- they call them so many names. I love performing "Pynk," it's a favorite of mine.
Will fans ever get to own a pair?
We're working on it. They're very intricate to make. The crazy thing is that some of our fans were showing up and had made their own versions of them. It was so amazing and cool to watch them design them how they wanted to. I think that’s really cool, because they were inspired by women. And I know that not all women have to possess a labia or a vagina to be considered a woman. It's been really great to see how different we are and how similar we are and how much empowerment there is when we can just all look at each others’ differences and say, "Wow, I see you, I respect you. I support you."
They're definitely protected. They're in a safe, deeply protected and on ice. [Laughs] The vagina pants, the labia pants, the flower pants -- they call them so many names. I love performing "Pynk," it's a favorite of mine.
Will fans ever get to own a pair?
We're working on it. They're very intricate to make. The crazy thing is that some of our fans were showing up and had made their own versions of them. It was so amazing and cool to watch them design them how they wanted to. I think that’s really cool, because they were inspired by women. And I know that not all women have to possess a labia or a vagina to be considered a woman. It's been really great to see how different we are and how similar we are and how much empowerment there is when we can just all look at each others’ differences and say, "Wow, I see you, I respect you. I support you."
We love an intersectional queen who knows that womanhood is NOT defined by genitals! I love the way she not only vocalizes this in interviews but visually represents it in the video itself. In scenes with dancers in the pussy pants, there are some dancers without the pants but still dressed in pink.
Also Janelle puts her money where her mouth is when it comes to supporting women especially within the music industry. In an interview with Lizzo (!!!) from my new fave magazine Them., Janelle talked about her new organization Fem the Future.
You also work with Time’s Up, and I think that’s really important. We gotta protect women’s rights. What work are you doing moving forward to help LGBTQ people gain a foothold in the film industry and media? And how has Time’s Up helped open up some doors?
I'm honored to be a part of Time’s Up and support women. And that's inclusive of all women. As a black woman, however, that's what I know and that's the lens that I'm looking at things through. Whether it be behind the scenes, producing and engineering, to writing or being in front of the camera, there's a lot more work that needs to be done.
I've also started my own organization, Fem the Future, which is a grassroots organization that provides opportunities across the entertainment and the arts, through mentorship and education, for those who identify as women. Through our work, we try to highlight and empower women behind the mic, behind the camera, the stage, the screen, the boardroom. Everywhere. And I founded Fem the Future because I was looking to collaborate with more women on the engineering side and production side and songwriting side, and it was so difficult to find women in these roles. It was frustrating. And I understood why. I said, "Oh, okay. We gotta make more noise." And so I decided to do something about it.
Lizzo and Janelle go on to discuss how often there are highly capable women trying to break into the industry who are shut out by the "Boy's Club" and a lack of opportunity and mentorship. I love the increasing push from female musicians to work with female producers and other behind the scenes artists- a push frequently coming from queer artists @ohnostalgia promo for new Tegan and Sara album. Janelle not only worked with a female producer for "Pynk" but a female director- Emma Westernburg- for the music video.I'm honored to be a part of Time’s Up and support women. And that's inclusive of all women. As a black woman, however, that's what I know and that's the lens that I'm looking at things through. Whether it be behind the scenes, producing and engineering, to writing or being in front of the camera, there's a lot more work that needs to be done.
I've also started my own organization, Fem the Future, which is a grassroots organization that provides opportunities across the entertainment and the arts, through mentorship and education, for those who identify as women. Through our work, we try to highlight and empower women behind the mic, behind the camera, the stage, the screen, the boardroom. Everywhere. And I founded Fem the Future because I was looking to collaborate with more women on the engineering side and production side and songwriting side, and it was so difficult to find women in these roles. It was frustrating. And I understood why. I said, "Oh, okay. We gotta make more noise." And so I decided to do something about it.
Now, I obviously can't resist a Janelle Monae by Lizzo interview so indulge me one more section (for this write up!). Dirty Computer is a mammoth album and probably the one I was most upset to have to cut down for this rate. Lizzo asked Janelle about the release of Dirty Computer and especially it's timing with her publicly coming out (though, really "Q.U.E.E.N!?") and Janelle's answer really reflects why the album is so monumental:
Do you feel like Dirty Computer was a public coming out? Or how did you see that statement you made?
Well, one, whenever I'm making music, I start with where I honestly am and what I honestly have to say. I work inward, and then I focus outward, on how it can impact people and be helpful to others. But it starts with me.
I knew the title of this album since before The ArchAndroid, so I’ve been sitting with it for some time. There were just conversations that I had to have with myself and my family about my sexuality and the impact that speaking honestly and truthfully about it through my art would have. I grew up in the Midwest; you did, too. You spent time in Minneapolis. I spent time in Kansas. I grew up there, in a very small town, and I went to a Baptist church; to be anything other than heterosexual is a sin in that community, and growing up, I was always told I'd go to hell if I was. There was a part of me that had to deal with what that meant.
After I had those conversations with myself and I saw a therapist, I had to be able to talk about what it meant to identify as bisexual. What does that mean? How would discovering that impact the relationship I was in at the time? How do I talk about it with my family? How do I go back to my church? The bottom line is I had to have conversations with myself and the folks that love and care about me, and realize they may not understand what it means for me to be a person who identifies as queer in this world. I’ll also add that it wasn't like I wanted to even make it a declaration. I knew that by being truthful through my art, people were gonna have questions, and I had to figure out a way to talk about it. And in having those talks with myself, I realized it was bigger than just me. There are millions of other folks who are looking for a community. And I just learned into that. I leaned into the idea that if my own church won't accept me, I'm gonna create my own church.
Well, one, whenever I'm making music, I start with where I honestly am and what I honestly have to say. I work inward, and then I focus outward, on how it can impact people and be helpful to others. But it starts with me.
I knew the title of this album since before The ArchAndroid, so I’ve been sitting with it for some time. There were just conversations that I had to have with myself and my family about my sexuality and the impact that speaking honestly and truthfully about it through my art would have. I grew up in the Midwest; you did, too. You spent time in Minneapolis. I spent time in Kansas. I grew up there, in a very small town, and I went to a Baptist church; to be anything other than heterosexual is a sin in that community, and growing up, I was always told I'd go to hell if I was. There was a part of me that had to deal with what that meant.
After I had those conversations with myself and I saw a therapist, I had to be able to talk about what it meant to identify as bisexual. What does that mean? How would discovering that impact the relationship I was in at the time? How do I talk about it with my family? How do I go back to my church? The bottom line is I had to have conversations with myself and the folks that love and care about me, and realize they may not understand what it means for me to be a person who identifies as queer in this world. I’ll also add that it wasn't like I wanted to even make it a declaration. I knew that by being truthful through my art, people were gonna have questions, and I had to figure out a way to talk about it. And in having those talks with myself, I realized it was bigger than just me. There are millions of other folks who are looking for a community. And I just learned into that. I leaned into the idea that if my own church won't accept me, I'm gonna create my own church.
I am so freaking excited to see where Janelle continues to go and how she continues to push pop music forward!
Now let's hear from you little Pynksters!
Posh Spears Genuinely so uplifting and empowering, apart from being one of the biggest bops on this list.
Untitled there ain't no reason why this should be mastered like it's Grimes' Halfaxa vocals. we need the audience to actually hear the song!
Reboot This song is special.
Music is Life The end brought the score up a little bit. It was a 9.
Constantino The way this shot up from a 8 to a 10 since it’s release. The power that that has. The international implications. In a world where women are shamed for their genitalia, this song really kicked misogyny in the dick, huh?
Untouchable Ace Restrained in it's forthrightness. Go Grimes.
The Hot Rock Song is a bit lowkey for both Janelle and Grimes as a feature artist. Not a fan of the guitar during the chorus, it just sounds out of place in terms of mixing or something?
Yuuurei The way Janelle sings here is so cute, it always makes me smile whenever I hear it. A really amazing track, and that video was so fun.
CorgiCorgiCorgi probably my least favorite song on Dirty Computer, which is like being the shortest giant
Ufint That music video alone deserves a 10. Played it for my kids and they were mesmerized and wanted to watch it one more time. If they only knew.
Gimmework I cannot separate this fantastic jam from the amazing Dirty Computer film project. We really do not deserve her brilliance!!!!
KingBruno This feels like both a statement for solidarity and a plea to stop judging people by their gender alone, and the song’s multifaceted appeal emphasizes Janelle’s abiding longing for more fluidity in today’s world.
ohnostalgia
Staff member
She/her
Get a fave who finds a mixtape of the songs they wrote as teenagers (songs from an era they've routinely slagged off as terrible). Get those faves to realize there were good parts, validating the writing of teenage girls while rewriting their own band narrative. Have those faves record updated versions of these tracks with a female producer. Get those faves to release the nineties bop of the summer. Also have those faves release a memoir of their high school years, exploring the queer experience growing up in the 90s. Bonus square: Have those faves release a rainbow wind breaker and play croquet in it. Submit yourself for adult adoption.