Janelle Monáe is being called out amid her liberating “titties out” era, after social media unearthed a decade-old interview in which she held different ideals.
Pointing to a May 2013 interview with Essence, internet sleuths called out how The Age of Pleasure artist said she was purposely keeping her clothing on to show young women a different way.
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“People don’t ask JAY-Z to take his shirt off when he rhymes,” Janelle Monáe said in the 2013 interview. “Showing my skin is not what makes me sexy… It was up to me to show people and young girls there was another way.”
As the old comments resurfaced, many felt that the comments have become hypocritical as Monáe has been showing off her breasts quite often as of late, and recently told Rolling Stone: “I’m much happier when my titties are out and I can run around free.”
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“It’s called she trying sell albums lol,” one person wrote in a comment on Instagram, while another said: “Sad to say, but money and fame do change some people.” A third wrote: “She literally ‘changed’ from trying to show girls a better way to being on some nut shit.”
However, not everyone felt that way. Many others were supportive of her growth and reminded others that someone most certainly should be different after an entire decade has passed.
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“It’s ok to evolve and change your mind,” one person wrote. Another said: “People can’t gain confidence or evolve?” Someone else said: “She showed y’all that for over a decade. Now she’s on a different time.”
Janelle Monáe kickstarted her shirtless revolution earlier this month with her sensual, NSFW “Lipstick Lover” music video, in which she flashed her boobs alongside scenes of her singing to a woman’s naked butt.
While performing at a party celebrating the song’s release that same day, Monáe made even more headlines when she lifted up her shirt and briefly jiggled their breasts in front of the crowd.
Just earlier this week, Janelle Monáe shared a tweet promoting vinyl copies of her upcoming albumThe Age of Pleasure (out June 9) – which a close-up painting of her boobs in the artwork.
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Fans needn’t just buy a vinyl copy of The Age of Pleasure to get an eye-full, though. The digital and CD versions of the album also feature cover art showing Monáe swimming naked underwater.
