In Janelle Monae's most recent single PYNK, from her soon-to-come album Dirty Computer, she redefines the ideal outlook on the color pink being something fluffy and soft, by bringing out the rawness and strength in the color. The famous singer sings about how yeah, "it's cool that boys got blue, but we got the pink", obviously referring to the gender specifying colors given to kids since birth. She's stating that there is power in the color pink. Pink is something that can be seen as a metaphor for women because it's been attached to us since delivery room gifts and balloons were a thing. I am shouting in awe of my girl, Janelle. With pink being my favorite color, I've been trying to show that it is much more than ballerina skirts and baby blankets. Pink is an attitude; it is the tone of pure flesh and vulnerability, and it is something that is found any and everywhere (as stated in the song).
Janelle explores the topic of her own sexuality through the often thought of "color of womanhood." She uses symbols such as pants similar to the appearance of "yonis" (I'm definitely shook!) and different scenes of strong women around her to emphasize the strength in women (inside and out). I have to say, it's added to the playlist of bops for daily empowerment that I've been jamming to for three hours straight. The playful and carefree vibes make me want to ride out with my girls and leave all our troubles behind us. She's created this futuristic world (there's a floating car in the video) in that doesn't fit into the palm of a man. It reminds me of the famous song "it's a man's world", but instead we add "wo" in front of man. She's implying that in the future, the world is in the hands of women, because clearly in the video there isn't a man to spot for miles. She uses elements like seduction in some scenes of the video to evoke the feeling of being confident in your 'sexiness' in comparison to what others in the music industry may use to imply that feeling sexy is only for the 'male gaze'.
Janelle has always been, and will always be, undeniably herself. So many are scared to venture off from what the rest of the industry is doing, but Janelle? She's always been a stickler for standing out from the crowd, whether it's her style, her musical flow, or her creative visuals like this one. She's created this gem, which is not only a song to be played within the confines of your ear buds (like me), it's a revolutionary act for women who aren't sorry for who they are and love being her.
Now, don't forget to listen to PYNK if you haven't by now, and make sure to be on the lookout for her third studio album Dirty Computer, releasing on April 27, 2018.
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