Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monáe featuring Erykah Badu (2013)

From blackwiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
Q.U.E.E.N. by Janelle Monáe featuring Erykah Badu

Q.U.E.E.N. is a song released on April 23, 2013 by American artist Janelle Monáe featuring singer Erykah Badu. The song’s title an acronym stands for Queer, Untouchables, Emigrants, Excommunicated, and Negroid, as the lead single single from her second studio album, The Electric Lady.

Monáe shared on her Twitter page that the song was inspired by private discussions with Erykah Badu, focusing on women's empowerment, as well as the empowerment of other oppressed peoples. The acronym for each letter explains the stereotypes, misconceptions, and oppression of those in the LGBT community (queer), those in poverty (untouchables), those who forced to leave their homeland due to dangerous circumstances (emigrants), for those who are in prison (excommunicated), and all black people from all origins (negorid). [1]

Key Lyrics

I can't believe all of the things they say about me

Walk in the room they throwing shade left to right

They be like ooh, she's so fun face

And I just tell em, cut me up, and get down

They call us dirty cause we break all your rules down

And we just came to act a fool, is that all right?

(Girl, that's alright)

They be like, ooh let them eat cake

But we eat wings and throw them bones on the ground

Am I a freak for dancing around?

Am I a freak for getting down?

I'm coming up, don't cut me down

And yeah I wanna be, wanna be [2]

Black Empowerment

In an interview with Billboard magazine, Monáe talked about her new song Q.U.E.E.N. that how it feels to be an African-American woman in this community, throughout the song she hoped that people can be confident with the way they are, "I feel like there are constant parallels with me as a woman, being an African-American woman, to what it means for the community that people consider to be queer, the community of immigrants and the Negroid-the combination between the 'N' and the android. All of us have very similar fights with society and oppressors, with those who are not about love, who are more about judging. There are two different types of people: Some people come into this world to judge, some people come into this world to jam. Which one are you? It's a question we should all ask ourselves. My job is to create art that starts a dialogue, to create songs and lyrics that ask society these questions, by using myself as a sacrificial lamb." [3]

The song itself is about freedom, having fun, and being yourself confidently. [4]

The Sci-soul singer also spoke about the LGBT community directly, about the difficulty of being an African-American female, based on 2011 interview with AfterElton.com, “I want the gay and lesbian community to understand that I know what it’s like to feel like the ‘other,’ and I’m writing a song that … will hopefully open up people’s minds.” [5]

References

  1. Q.U.E.E.N. wikipedia.org. Retrieved January 29, 2021
  2. Q.U.E.E.N.. lyricfind.com. Retrieved January 29, 2021
  3. Q.U.E.E.N by Janelle Monáe (featuring Erykah Badu). songfacts.com. Retrieved January 29, 2021
  4. REVIEW: JANELLE MONAE FEAT ERYKAH BADU Q.U.E.E.N. May 8, 2013. afropunk.com. Retrieved January 29, 2021
  5. Wickman, Forrest. Does Janelle Monáe’s New Song Address Her Sexuality?. April 23, 2013. slate.com. Retrieved January 29, 2021