Janelle Monáe has been sharing her music and acting with fans for years — but it seems that the performer has been holding out on us when it comes to another unlikely talent.
While chatting with Lucy Dacus for Rolling Stone‘s “Musicians on Musicians” series, Monáe claimed to have traveled back in time (no, really). The subject first came up when the two artists where discussing their shared love of Halloween, with the Boygenius star shouting out her past Pete Davidson, Ariana Grande couple’s costume with partner/bandmate Julien Baker.
“I’ve always loved transforming,” the Knives Out: Glass Onion star offered. “I think when I saw David Bowie — I did. I traveled back into the 1970s, and I saw him do Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars. It was incredible.”
Looking bewildered, Dacus replied, “You … traveled back?”
“Yeah, I was backstage,” Monáe answered earnestly. “And I was like, ‘This is what I want to do.’ And so I jetted back to the 2000s, and I was like, ‘I can have the musical, make the music, create the lyrics and create community around transformation and being queer.’”
Feeling perplexed? You aren’t the only one. Many of the comments on the video centered around the Hidden Figures actress’ cosmic confession, with one person writing, “can’t believe i was here for janelle’s coming out as a time traveler.”
“lucy’s face as janelle’s comes out as a time traveler is priceless,” another viewer commented.
The “Musicians on Musicians” convo comes a few months after Dacus dropped her album Forever Is a Feeling, which followed the success of Boygenius’ Grammy-winning debut LP, The Record. Monáe last released a full-length in 2023 with The Age of Pleasure.
The multi-hyphenate is now working on writing a screenplay, which they also spoke about with Dacus. “The goal has always been to write, star in, do the soundtrack, produce,” Monáe said of the project. “A lot of things, I know, but I have to fully realize an idea, and I know that I will not stop until I get this. I wish I had some sort of pipe that I can push in my brain. Because the time that it takes … You have the idea, and to realize it, you gotta talk to all these people. I’m just like, ‘I see it!’”
Watch Monáe and Dacus’ full conversation above.
