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.

Avsnitt(375)

Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren

Todd Rundgren is a multi-talented musician who has made a name for himself both as a solo artist and a visionary music producer. Rundgren’s crowning achievement though was producing Meatloaf’s album B...

1 Feb 202252min

Jackson Browne

Jackson Browne

In the 1970’s Jackson Browne was known as one of the originators of the carefree, California classic rock sound with hits like “Doctor My Eyes” and “Running on Empty.” As his career progressed, Jackso...

25 Jan 202238min

Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Yusuf/Cat Stevens

Since debuting in the late ‘60s, Yusuf/Cat Stevens has made a sizable contribution to the folk canon with tender, contemplative songs like “Wild World,” “Moon Shadow,” and “The Wind.” Stevens recently...

18 Jan 202244min

Sam Sanders on Janet Jackson's Legacy

Sam Sanders on Janet Jackson's Legacy

Today we're sharing an episode from our friend Sam Sanders over at NPR’s It's Been a Minute podcast. This year marks the 35th anniversary of Janet Jackson's classic album, Control. That album was her ...

11 Jan 202243min

Pino Palladino and Blake Mills

Pino Palladino and Blake Mills

Pino Palladino and Blake Mills are renowned session musicians who recently collaborated on their own album, Notes With Attachments. It’s an experimental, jazz-leaning project that blew Rick Rubin’s mi...

30 Dec 202137min

Neil Young, Part Two

Neil Young, Part Two

Welcome to part two of Rick Rubin’s conversation with Neil Young. Today we'll hear how Neil's song “I Believe In You” from his 1970 masterpiece After the Gold Rush inspired a mystical experience for R...

28 Dec 202142min

Neil Young, Part One

Neil Young, Part One

When we first talked about making Broken Record, we had a short list of absolute dream guests for the podcast and Neil Young was at the top of that list. So when Neil’s new record, Barn, was announced...

21 Dec 202152min

Faye Webster Takes Off

Faye Webster Takes Off

24 year-old singer/songwriter Faye Webster stopped by Shangri-La earlier this month in between stops on her tour opening for Wilco to chat with Justin Richmond and play some songs off of her latest al...

14 Dec 202144min

Populärt inom Nöje

mellan-himmel-och-jord-med-jlc
filip-fredrik-svarar
mardromsgasten
fordomspodden
badfluence
rss-p3-musikdokumentar
dialogiskt
chilla-med-de-vet-du
fem-i-topp
schulman-show
mannen-utan-spar
gott-snack-med-fredrik-soderholm
podme-bio-4
karatefylla
skandal
sexet
nordmark-pod
rss-bl-metal-podcast
hundaren-motgangspodden-av-tomas-andersson-wij
trekant-med-kakan-och-oris