Janelle Monáe's image has long been synonymous with their androgynous style, with the musician/actor often rocking suits wherever they go. But as of late, in tandem with the recent release of Monáe’s album, The Age of Pleasure, they have been changing things up and showing a lot more skin. They did that very thing on the cover of Rolling Stone, wearing nothing but a gold headpiece on. With Monáe’s new era in full swing, the artist just spoke to their confidence journey, and it's reminiscent of Billie Eilish’s path in the public eye.
The Hidden Figures alum opened up about struggling with body image across their career, especially when it comes to growing into their curvy physique while being in the spotlight. The Glass Onion star recalls starting to feel “really uncomfortable” with the change to their body when friends would frequently compliment them for having “the best boobies.” In their words:
It took me years to get comfortable with my boobs. I was always taught: ‘Do not do anything that will make men attracted to you.’ It took me a long time to realize it was not my responsibility to adjust my freedom in order to make you comfortable, in order to make you not try to rape or moleste me. I am having an Earth experience where I’m expressing myself, I’m trying to honor my body, honor my fullness. I’m not asking for your attention. I should not be made to feel bad or shamed because you cannot control your own urges.
The Moonlight actor has been embracing their body as they promote The Age of Pleasure. As was the case with this Instagram post:
While Janelle Monáe and Billie Eilish have completely different vibes when it comes to their music and fashion sense, Monáe’s newfound eagerness to embrace a new side of themself does remind me of the “Bad Guy” singer. After wearing almost exclusively oversized clothing in her first few years in the industry, in recent years, Eilish has experimented with more feminine clothing and spoken out about being shamed for it . In addition, she previously opening up about her “terrible” relationship with body image.
Just last month, Billie Eilish took to social media to call out haters for comments for the way she dresses, writing “did you know that women are multifaceted!!!!!???” She also noted that “femininity does not equal weakness.” Janelle Monáe’s own journey to being confident in their skin despite what people may say speaks to a larger issue that is worth addressing. As Monáe continued:
If you ask my friends, they are going to be like ‘She’s a nudist. Every vacation we’re on breasts are out, she’s running around.’ I think there were folks who use this suit as a way to shame other individuals, specifically women, Black women, who may not have been as covered up in a suit. I’ve had to make sure when a person complimented me and in the same sentence said, ‘Oh yeah, I’m so happy you’re covered up, you’re not like those women.’ I never took that as a compliment. I’ve had to make sure to check people and let them know, we will not do that.
They opened up about their fashion and confidence journey to StyleLikeU. Check out the full interview below:
Janelle Monáe shared that they had to “free” their own mind of what “masculine androgynous energy looks like” in order to reach this place in their career. And because of that, they ultimately became comfortable shedding the suits and showing more skin. I'm sure fans can’t wait to see what the artist does next. Meanwhile, you can check out The Age of Pleasure where you get your music and stream their latest movie, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, now with a Netflix subscription.
