JANELLE MONAE: Make Me Feel

SLATE: The trailer for Janelle Monáe’s new album, Dirty Computer, didn’t prepare us for this. Monae dropped two new singles on Thursday, and, to paraphrase one of them, they make us feel so effing good. First up is “Make Me Feel,” in which Monáe proves why she’s the natural successor to fill the void left behind by Prince’s death in 2016. Not only does the accompanying music video show off Monae’s androgynous style and unbelievably smooth moves, it also quickly turns into a bisexual anthem as Monáe bounces back and forth between male and female love interests, the latter of whom is played by Tessa Thompson. The scenes of the two of them in the club are giving us strong “San Junipero” vibes, especially Thompson’s 80s-inspired hair and wardrobe. The other song Monáe dropped Thursday is “Django Jane,” which is full of cinematic allusions, including to her own box-office success. (Monáe has starred in Moonlight and Hidden Figures.) “Let the vagina have a monologue,” Monáe raps at one point…MORE