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When Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was released in the theaters in November 2022 and on Netflix a month after, viewers had high expectations of the film owing to the fact that it was a sequel to the hit film Knives Out. Turns out, the sequel was a hit with no misses. From following suit with a new and star-studded cast ensemble who have amassed a fortune for themselves IRL, to an elaborate investigative sequence occasioned by another murder, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was a good watch on all sides.
The mystery film also got to serve as a reminder of who Janelle Monáe was. Whether putting their unique singing range on display or showing off a masterful delivery on the big screen, Monáe floats in an ocean of creative genius and owns their craft unapologetically.
Monáe’s ability to make bold fashion and artistic statements and put their foot forward when it comes to how they identify themselves is what keeps fans and the media intrigued.
10 Janelle Monáe’s Singing Career
The Kansas born and raised starlet began singing at an early age. Music has been an important part of the actress’ life right from when they were singing in the local church. Music also launched them into the spotlight. They released a demo album titled “The Audition” in 2003. They then made their public debut with a first EP titled “Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase).” Their first full-length album The ArchiAndriod, which was a sequel to their first EP was released in 2010. They featured in fun’s song “We Are Young” in 2011 which was a smashing success.
Monáe released their second studio album titled The Electric Lady in 2013, and it debuted at number five on the Billboard 200. Their third album Dirty Computer was released in 2018. Monáe is signed to Atlantic Records and their own label, the Wondaland Arts Society.
9 Janelle Monáe’s Acting Career
The actress took their creative output further when they delved into acting. Having lent their voice in the 2014 animated musical-comedy Rio 2, Monáe made their film debut in 2016 with award-winning Moonlight with the portrayal of Teresa. They received critical acclaim again that same year when they starred as Mary Jackson in Hidden Figures alongside Taraji P. Henson and Octavia Spencer.
Monáe’s career in acting also includes other acting credits like Harriet, Antebellum, and The Glorias, as well as voice work in Uglydolls and Lady and the Tramp.
8 Janelle Monáe’s Awards And Recognitions
The multifaceted star has shined both as an actor and a singer, and has also gotten recognition on both sides. They have been nominated for eight Grammys, four BET Awards, four Billboard Music Awards and two Brit Awards among others. They won the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award and Trailblazer of the year in 2013 and 2018 respectively.
Monáe’s other music award wins include the ASCAP Vanguard Award, Essence Awards for Black Women in Music, GLAAD Media Award, a NAACP Image Award and MTV Video Music Awards. Monáe has also received quite a number of acting recognitions, including for their recent role in Glass Onion, some of which are the Critics’ Choice Awards, Essence Breakthrough Award for Black Women in Hollywood, and the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
7 Janelle Monáe Identifies As Pansexual And Non-binary
Although Monáe doesn’t give fans and the media lots to work with when it comes to their dating life, they have been open about their gender identity. The actress also identifies as pansexual. During a 2018 Interview with RollingStone, they spoke about being pansexual because they realized pansexuality was a more accurate description of their sexual orientation than bisexuality.
Monáe has been with both men and women and also been in monogamous and polygamous relationships. They tweeted “IAmNonbinary” in January 2020 for Nonbinary Day. This came with several speculations about the actress’ gender identity. They later confirmed that they do not identify exclusively as either male or female and go by they/them pronouns.
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6 Janelle Monáe As A Fashion Icon And Their Signature White And Black Color Scheme
Just as Monáe is known for their music and acting, so is the same for fashion. When it comes to taking risks in fashion choices, yet making statements, Monáe takes the cake, often mostly spotted in tuxedos and bold accessories.
The star has rocked only black and white pieces for a while, but has now eased into other colors. Monáe had described their monochromatic looks as “her uniform” which she did to pay homage to her parents who were working class people and wore uniforms.
5 Janelle Monáe Has Written A Book
In addition to churning out good music, Monáe has written a book. They released The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer in April 2022. The book is a collection of short stories which explores the power of memory in liberation. It contains five fictional narratives expanding from the Afro-futurism world in her album Dirty Computer.
Having become a New York Times bestseller and named one of the “Best Books of 2022” by Amazon, the book is a collaboration between Monáe and several other writers known for their work in science fiction, like Yahanca Delgado, Eve L. Ewing, Alaya Dawn Johnson, Danny Lore and Sheree Renee Thomas.
4 Janelle Monáe Was Rumored To Be Dating Creed Star Tessa Thompson
Following Tessa Thompson’s cameo appearance in Monáe’s 2015 “Yoga” music video, rumors began to circulate of the two being an item. The two started traveling and attending events together. Tessa also portrayed Monáe’s lover in the 2018 music video for “Pynk”. This was the same year Monáe came out as pansexual and Thompson as bisexual. The two never confirmed their relationship.
When speaking to Net-a-Porter about her relationship with Monáe, Thompson said, “Janelle and I love each other deeply. We’re so close, we vibrate on the same frequency. If people want to speculate about what we are, that’s okay. It doesn’t bother me.”
3 Janelle Monáe Was Spotted In A Makeout Session With Fellow Musician Nate Wonder
Janelle Monáe was ppotted packing on the PDA on a yacht in Cabo with fellow musician and composer Nate Wonder in April 2021. Monáe was rocking a revealing one-piece swimsuit in their signature black and white color scheme. The two are longtime friends and share a singing history.
Wonders worked on Monáe’s Dirty Computer album. He also wrote the soundtrack for Antebellum which Monáe starred as lead in. Following their cozying-up episode with Wonder, there was no confirmation whether there was a real relationship between the two.
2 Janelle Monáe Was Tied Romantically With Lupita Nyong’o After Several Sightings
Another rumored relationship under Monáe’s belt was with Wakanda Forever actress Lupita Nyong’o. The two were spotted together at the 2019 Met Gala red carpet. Monáe had previously accompanied Nyong’o to the premiere of MCU’s Black Panther. They were seen together backstage at the Glamour Women of The Year Awards.
Monáe also shared videos of the two dancing and being affectionate via Instagram, even calling Nyong’o “my queen” during her London concert, but it appears the two were just close friends and have been so since 2014.
1 How Much Is Janelle Monáe Worth?
Considering how much work Monáe has put into their craft as an actor, singer-songwriter, rapper, producer, and now author, the actress is not doing badly in the financial department. Janelle Monáe is worth $12 million according to Celebrity Net Worth.
They definitely have plenty of reasons to smile to the bank, and would no doubt continue to add on the zeros even as their career progresses.
