Janelle Monáe talks ‘The Electric Lady’ origins with TheGrio

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Janelle Monáe’s second album The Electric Lady like her first project, the genre bending Arch Android has been getting rave reviews and is anticipating a stellar placement on Billboard’s R&B charts.

Not really a surprise given to the singer’s willingness to embrace other genres of music and incorporate into a unique style of her own.

“I want to take something that’s familiar in spirit and then add little wrinkles or something new with this album,” Monáe said about her style of R&B to theGrio. “I just want to create good music”.

Compared to her debut LP, The Electric Lady has a wide assortment of guest features that compliment Janelle’s diverse musical tastes. Crooner Miguel and Beyonce’s baby sister Solange appear on the bulky 19-track offering, but two other guests collaborations are who Monáe has the most synergy with.

Why Janelle Monáe is the epitome of cool

“I love Erykah [Badu]. We just wanted “Q.U.E.E.N”’ to represent what we viewed what the ideal woman should be,” Monáe elaborated on her critically acclaimed duet with the “Tyrone” singer. “I loved Erykah before I even knew her personally.”

Janelle’s music versatility to dance, and sing, combined with her eccentric style isn’t match by anyone in on the current scene. Having the iconic Prince, who’s frugal with his collaborations, to assist the Kansas City native was a real coup for Monáe.

“He’s like a mentor to me. He’s opened so many doors for us as a people, that you have no choice but to respect it,” Monáe commented on Prince’s legacy.

“Like everyone else, I loved and was a little bit afraid of Prince before I actually met him.”

Checkout theGrio’s Janelle Monae interview and let us know what you think in the comments below.

You can check out Kyle’s musical coverage on theGrio’s music page, and follow Kyle on Twitter@HarveyWins