Is Janelle Monáe our new queer icon?
Monáe just released a video for their song PYNK and we are all here for it
Janelle Monáe’s new song, “Pynk” is a very upbeat, fun song about vaginas and some are calling it a queer anthem. With some not so subtle imagery, it’s quite easy to understand what this song is about. Monáe and company can even be seen wearing some pants that strongly resemble a vulva while Tessa Thompson casually pokes her head our from between Monáe’s legs.
The cast featured all women, most (if not all) of them women of color dancing to the melodious beat and relaxing around the desert, a pink convertible, an empty pool and a retro diner. They can be seen wearing pink often in the video but there were plenty of colors of clothing in this video. Even some panties that read, “sex cells” with very bushy pubic hair protruding out of them and another pair claiming “I Grab Back.” The stylist for the video, Alexandra Mandelkorn says, “I also wanted to incorporate the color pink, of course, and silhouettes that hinted at anything vaginal.” Taken from this Billboard article.
The lyrics are not subtle at all just in case anyone wanted to deny this song is about vaginas:
“Pink like the inside of your, baby (we’re all just pink)
Pink like the walls and the doors, maybe (deep inside, we’re all just pink)
Pink like your fingers in my, maybe
Pink is the truth you can’t hide
Pink like your tongue going round, baby
Pink like the sun going down, maybe
Pink like the holes in your heart, baby
Pink is my favourite part”
The video and the lyrics (not to mention Miss Monáe) are all stunningly beautiful. The video gives black women a rare chance to shine and be fun and carefree while singing happily about vaginas.
Queer representation is important. Rarely do we see such an unapologetic queer-friendly, POC-representing, sex-positive, all-inclusive piece of content like this. Janelle Monáe absolutely delivered, and I couldn’t be more excited. Reveling in the queer inclusion, black girl inclusion and Janelle Monáe’s incredible beauty, I couldn’t help watching this video 100 times back-to-back. The lyrics and the flow of the song were infectious and super catchy. I would be so totally fine if Janelle became our queer, feminist icon. They’re already mine.
All screenshots taken from Janelle Monáe’s Pynk Music video. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PaYvlVR_BEc
