Janelle Monáe Opens Up About The Recent Headlines Surrounding Her Body

Janelle Monáe has been the talk of social media in recent weeks, which comes as she wears more revealing outfits than fans are used to.

Source: Lexie Moreland / Getty

In a new interview for the cover of Rolling Stone, Monáe opened up about why she’s been wearing more revealing outfits lately, attributing the decision to her happiness when rocking less clothing.

“I’m much happier when my t***ies are out and I can run around free,” she told the publication.

The musician debuted her new single, “Lipstick Lover” on May 11, which came along with an NSFW music video shot at Wondaland West. The visual follows the sensual nature of their parties, filled to the brim with scantily clad women, sex toys, and even an orgy.

Monáe first teased the video with a short clip of her walking out of the pool in short shorts and a cropped T-shirt with “Pleasure” written across the chest, which was soaked to full transparency. Her tweet of the clip has since been viewed more than 22 million times, with more than 30,000 retweets and more than 147,000 likes.

In the weeks since, fans have continued to have a dialogue about the NSFW video, also discussing the shocking shift in Janelle’s famously eclectic personal style. In her interview, Monáe talks about what inspired the visual, admitting that it’s all based off of real life events she’s been chronicling for a while.

“I have a whole spreadsheet with 50 to almost 100 experiences that I had at this party. I’ve been a Lipstick Lover,” she explained. “I wear red lipsticks at the parties. I’ve had moments where if me and a girl or an energy want to engage, you’re going to see lipstick…I remember how it felt when I got kissed on my neck with red lipstick. I remember how I went to bed feeling. It was a deep rouge. It wasn’t matte. I remember the way the person looked. And I was like, ‘That’s a f***ing song.’”

On the subject of her change in public perception, Monáe revealed that even when she dressed more conservatively, publicly, her personal life was a different story.

“Even when I was really, really wearing only suits, I was either in a suit or you would find me at my own parties naked. It was no in-between,” she revealed.

You can read Janelle Monáe’s full cover story for Rolling Stone here.