Hot Shots: Janelle Monáe’s Stunning ‘SHAPE’ Shoot [Photos]

Published: Tuesday 11th Aug 2020 by Rashad

Cop a gander at Janelle Monáe!

The GRAMMY-nominated actress-singer – who is still rolling in critical acclaim for her leading role on Amazon’s ‘Homecoming’ – is now blazing the promo trail in support of her newest feature film, ‘Antebellum.’

As reported here, the horror flick – originally scheduled to premiere in April – will bypass theaters all together and premiere via VOD platforms in September.

Ahead of its debut, expect to see much of Monáe across press outlets including a stunning feature in the forthcoming issue of ‘SHAPE’ magazine (set to hit newsstands next month). Inside, the 34-year-old not only flaunts her figure but also dishes on how she prioritizes mental health in the wake of the hottened spotlight on racial and social injustice in America.

A gripping read, look below to see standout quotes from the feature and view the finished product of the accompanying photo shoot:

On how she’s remaining “charged” during the global health crisis:

“I find James Baldwin books have been super helpful. Reading has been comforting. I’m an introvert. So I have to charge in my room, by myself, most times. And you would think, we already can social distance, so shouldn’t I want to be out? But I actually enjoy the solitude because I’ve been really going nonstop.

I think self-care is important, and it shifts with your growth. It used to be making sure that I take a vacation because I had been working 11 months out of the year. I needed time to play, to let my hair down, and run around naked. All of that is still important. And if I also want to drink, I’m drinking. You know what I’m saying?”

On what inspired her to take the lead role in ‘Antebellum’:

“I can never as an artist think about, ‘are people going to be moved by this?’ I have to be moved first. One of the things I’ve made a conscious effort to do, specifically with Antebellum, is to shed light on racial injustice.

I’ve made it a thing to face discomfort. I think discomfort is part of everyone’s reality right now. White people are feeling discomfort in one way, Black people are feeling discomfort in one way, and I didn’t want to shy away from that. It’s time for us to get uncomfortable, because the real change requires an upsetting and a rerouting and a real commitment to look at ourselves. In this instance,I hope that more white people see this film and fix the systems that their ancestors created that continue to oppress.”

On coming to terms with her relationship with her father:

“I realized that I was dealing with abandonment issues, and just last year, I started to really deal with it. My dad was in and out of my life growing up, and other instances where I felt abandoned were coming up to the surface.

I started to write these things down, and I remember just crying like a baby. I will say that it is so freeing when you can identify your trauma. Knowing why you feel a certain way or why these feelings of being upset or angry or sad—why they’re happening, what the root of it is. It’s just so empowering.”

On how she remains physically fit:

“Being in quarantine, it’s been difficult for me to exercise because I like exercising when I don’t know I’m exercising. I love being onstage and dancing. I love going out dancing. I don’t like doing things in a gym.

But mental and physical health is a journey, not a destination. I don’t have to be the most thin person. My shape doesn’t have to be what you think it should be. I am on a journey, and the journey itself is the reward. The journey is the lesson.”