Many have been praising Janelle Monae's latest album, "Dirty Computer". Along with its riveting visual aesthetic, the album raises crucial intersectional issues to do with racism, sexism, homophobia, queerphobia and bigotry. Monae essentially used her album to empower people of colour, women of colour, queer women of colour, the queer community as a whole, and all individuals who feel marginalised and excluded by prescribed "norms".
Context
In the visual album, humans who did not conform to societal norms were labelled "dirty computers" and had to "be cleaned". This process involved their memories being wiped so they could be ingrained with the prescribed norms considered "correct".
Monae brings her music into the story and personalises it around the struggle of being a queer, black woman in a society that seeks to impose oppressive norms on people.
Empowering people of colour
Singing and rapping from personal experiences, Monae brings up issues of racism — problematic comments about anyone being "too black" are "not okay". She says she is not "America's nightmare", but "America's dream" to emphasise that black people rising against social injustice is crucial.
Her song "Django Jane" emphasises black-girl magic to remind black women that they are exceptional and have the power to achieve their goals. The symbolism of Afro-futurism in the Dirty Computer visual album also highlights black excellence, creativity and insight — which are notions that are often disregarded.
In the music video of "Screwed", Monae criticises wars, the violent handling of social justice protests, and the downplaying of the struggles of the marginalised. The album's Afrocentricity extends to traditional attire in various music videos along with a parade of gorgeous hairstyles.
Empowering the queer community
A beautiful moment in the visual album is Monae declaring her love for her female lover in her single "Pynk". Monae informed Rolling Stone that she is a proud queer, black woman, and she highlights this in the album, along with bisexuality and pansexuality, with the visual album showcasing her love interests: both a man and a woman.
She even includes a polyamorous relationship between herself, the man and the woman — important and necessary, because pansexual, bisexual and polyamorous individuals are often erased.
Empowering women
Throughout the visual album, we see iconic moments of black empowerment for women of colour. In the "Screwed" music video, Monae wears a shirt proclaiming "Subject not object" — a blunt statement against rape culture.
In "Django Jane", the power of black women is illustrated through the imagery of women in powerful positions on thrones and lyrics referring to putting men "on a diet" sexually, as "they" cannot stand "black girl magic".
"Pynk" reminds us of the double standards of the music industry — how men can easily speak about sex but women cannot. The underwear in the music video is also calling out misogyny and rape culture.
Finally, in "I Like That", Monae speaks about a man "rating" her a 6. Her response is an empowered affirmation that she doesn't need any man's approval.
"Dirty Computers" as a visual album, and the album as a whole, is an inspiring, empowering masterpiece for many marginalised groups.
Monae is an icon — a beacon of light and hope for "dirty computers".