Janelle Monáe & Nate Wonder

Janelle Monáe has had a lot to smile about this year. After a run of successful albums over the last decade, in June she released her fourth album, The Age of Pleasure. The album was just nominated for two Grammys including Album of the Year. This project is important—it signaled a big tone shift for Janelle whose past albums have centered in part around a recurring character named Cyndi Mayweather, an android who represents society’s new “other.”

Esthetically Janelle has always been buttoned up. For her first few album releases she made a point of always appearing in public in some iteration of a tuxedo. For The Age Of Pleasure though, she literally stripped down to almost nothing, flaunting a newfound freedom centered around Black joy and acceptance.

On today’s episode Justin Richmond talks to Janelle Monáe and her long time music partner Nate Wonder poolside, at their creative home base in the Hollywood Hills called Wondaland. Nate explains how The Age Of Pleasure album started with the simple conceit of making Janelle smile. Janelle also talks about why she decided to ditch a career in musical theater after college, and how THE Grace Jones ended up topless in Wondaland’s now-infamous pool.

You can hear a playlist of some of our favorite Janelle Monáe songs HERE.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaksot(369)

John Frusciante and Anthony Kiedis

John Frusciante and Anthony Kiedis

We’re continuing our run of episodes celebrating the release of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ new album, Unlimited Love, produced by Rick Rubin. We left off our episode last week with Anthony Kiedis popp...

5 Huhti 20221h 34min

John Frusciante

John Frusciante

Today is the start of a month-long run of episodes in celebration of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ newest album, Unlimited Love. We kick things off with Rick Rubin in conversation with the Chili Peppers'...

1 Huhti 202256min

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott is one of popular music's greatest innovators. This year is the 25th anniversary of Missy’s classic debut album, Supa Dupa Fly. When that album dropped, Missy’s unconventional rhyme sche...

29 Maalis 202254min

Patti Smith

Patti Smith

Today we have the one and only Patti Smith on the show. Patti is the prototypical downtown, New York City artist. Her 1975 debut album Horses is credited as one of the masterpieces of its time. It als...

22 Maalis 20221h 9min

Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt

Bonnie Raitt is many things—a Rock ‘n Roll Hall-of-Famer, an incredible blues guitarist, an underrated songwriter, and a fierce advocate for social justice. Bonnie was offered her first record deal as...

15 Maalis 202252min

Beach House

Beach House

Beach House is a psych-pop band with a die-hard cult following. Since their 2006 debut album, their lush, cinematic sound has been sampled by artists like Kendrick Lamar and The Weeknd. And Kanye rece...

8 Maalis 202242min

Judy Collins

Judy Collins

To kick off our month long celebration of Women's History Month, today we are featuring an interview with the great Judy Collins. At 82 years-old, Collins is in the midst of a creative shift. She firs...

1 Maalis 202237min

Robert Plant

Robert Plant

Robert Plant is arguably the most iconic rock vocalist of all time. As the frontman for Led Zeppelin, his dynamic, soaring vocal style was the perfect lead for the band’s unparalleled musicianship. Af...

22 Helmi 202256min

Suosittua kategoriassa Viihde

tuplakaak
anni-jaajo
hei-baby-3
terveisia-perheesta
grekovit
the-harlin-show
dear-shirly
antin-palautepalvelu
bella-table
antin-elokuvakerho
verhon-takaa
dear-shirly-ja-arttu
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
tervo-halme
nonsensepodi
get-jassud
tahtitehdas
hollywood-love-stories-2
rss-wivolinin-viisukevat
everypodi