What's up, guys? I'm Jamila Mustafa with BET Social and I'm here with...
Janelle Monae and I just pulled up.
- Pulled up. - Skrrt skrrt.
I like that Car brake.
Alright, so of course, the fit is fly.
- You know, and so I had to come... - Thank you.
I had to come with my best, you know, I still cannot hold a candlestick.
You talk about what you're getting excited for
and your everyday life is pretty much preparing for
when Dirty Computer is gonna hit and it's here and so...
For those that have seen it, of course, you know,
they may have so many questions like me, I feel like I'm watching a movie,
I gotta keep going back and putting together pieces.
But for those that have yet to turn on their computers,
what are they in store for?
You know, I knew that I needed to make this album
before I even released my first album, The ArchAndroid.
I felt a responsibility to the story of Cindi Mayweather
and if you haven't heard The ArchAndroid and The Electric Lady,
it centers around an android that is set in 2719.
A heroic, protagonist, messiac figure and Dirty Computer is more near future.
It's more...
More about Janelle Monae, it comes from a very honest,
a deeply vulnerable place and I think that's why it took me a while to do it.
'Cause I dunno if I was really ready to go there, I needed to live with me,
I needed to have experiences.
I needed-- yeah, I needed to be inspired, I needed to-- to just be, you know,
I needed to be patient with myself.
I didn't wanna come out with another project
until I had something to say and I do have a lot to say.
I think this album deals with what it means to come from the dirt.
Like, we come from the dirt.
When we go on to another frequency, in my opinion,
our physical selves will go back to the dirt.
I also had this dream, this whole thought when I was making the project,
about how we are computers, how our brains are CPUs.
How we're uploading, we're downloading, we're processing,
we're transmitting information back and forth.
And some of us were told that the way we were created
hold these bugs and these viruses, these things that make us unique.
Whether it's our sexuality, whether it's because we're black,
whether it's because we're women, whether it's because we're poor.
You know, I'm just naming a few of these marginalized groups,
but some people say that those are bugs, those are viruses
and Dirty Computer is saying,
"No, those are our attributes, those are features."
You know, this helps make the world better.
And I tell you, electric, is the first word I thought.
I mean, from start to finish, it is electric.
But let's talk about--
I don't wanna keep talking about stuff that some of you guys didn't see yet.
- So hurry up and see it. - But go see it.
Let's talk about something that we've all seen and we all love,
it inspired my pants today.
- Now, come on now, the "Pynk"! - Yes, I love those pants!
- Whoa, that video. - Yes, thank you.
So different, but yet so you
and I was kinda nervous watching it like, "Should I see this part or...?"
But it was beautiful at the same time, it was-- it was--
I dunno how I felt watching it, how did you feel making it?
Man, I felt free, I felt liberated, I felt...
Celebratory, I felt... I felt supported.
I was around a lot of black girl magic.
If you look at the visual and if you even watch the emotion picture,
it's full of black girl magic.
You know, people like you, you know, people like--
All these women who are in this room really inspired Dirty Computer
and I wanted to make an anthem for us, you know, all of us.
No matter if you were or were not born, you know, as a woman.
I think that we can still come together and unite and when we come together,
it's a beautiful thing.
And I gotta say this, in your videos, on tour, when you hit the stage,
you, like you said, you always incorporate women
and you have like, a gang of girls that are like, super dope
and just as cool as you are.
In your real life, do you have your core group of girlfriends?
Absolutely, yeah, I think that-- That "Pynk" mirrors, you know,
the type of women that I hang out with.
We support each other, we love each other.
I don't wanna give away too much.
I think it's so fresh, people need to listen to the project,
listen to the music, listen, you know, to the emotion picture
and just take it in, you know, I don't wanna talk over it.
But, what I will say is this project is a bit more vulnerable and honest
and, I mean, if you listen to songs like "Django Jane",
if you listen to "Pynk", if you listen to "Make Me Feel",
I didn't filter myself much, I usually do a lot of self editing.
Like going into the studio before I record and I'm like,
"I don't wanna talk about this, I don't wanna talk about that."
And then I end up not recording anything.
But this time I told myself that, edit after.
You know, allow yourself that place of freedom.
- I have to just ask one more question, - Sure.
because I absolutely love the film entirety.
One of my favorite outfits was a--
You had a little jacket on, it was a crop top jacket,
it was like pink see-through.
So many looks were definitely in this entire visual,
can you just give me one item of clothing that you absolutely loved,
that you definitely think is going to be a signature piece?
Oh gosh, that's really hard!
I mean, you have the...
The looks in "Pynk", I think you're talking about "Screwed",
then "Make Me Feel", "Django Jane".
It's really difficult.
It's a difficult one, you tell me which looks you like.
- You like the jacket? - I love the jacket.
I love that jacket too, it's a red, see-through, kinda plastic, yeah.
It's very afro-futuristic but it's like 80s...
What size is it, girl? Is that small?
- You can borrow it. - Ohh!
- Alright then. - I'll let you borrow it.
There we go and you guys are gonna have to get your own!
Because she only has one for me.
So don't forget to check it out, make sure you check it out
and I'm proud of everything that you do.
- Thank you so much for pulling up. - Thank you, I'm humbled.
Guys, I am Jamila Mustafa
and we are here with the beautiful and talented Janelle Monae
and she just pulled up.