Janelle Monae’s Dirty Computer is one of the best albums of 2018. Janelle Monae has become one of the most influential artists of the year not only because of the strength of her work but also because she came out as a queer woman in Rolling Stone in April. She started an international conversation about pansexuality and proudly released an entire video about vaginas.

Janelle Monae is putting in work for her community and it’s beautiful. It’s Pride month and I’m sure some of you are still coming down from the festivities this weekend. I think that Janelle wore a gown in the colours of the rainbow flag to the BET Awards so that the celebration would keep going today. You can’t talk about Janelle’s rainbow gown without talking about how she’s proudly repping the LGBTQ community. That was deliberate. I think it was especially deliberate that she rocked this look at the BET Awards, a show that doesn’t have the best track record of showcasing our queer artists. 

Before I get to Janelle’s performance, can we talk about this rainbow gown though? I’m obsessed. Has anyone photo-shopped Janelle in this gown with Lena Waithe at the MET yet? Then can we make them into wax figurines/ the perfect wedding cake toppers? Get on this, Internet! 

Janelle Monae was one of the brightest spots in an uneven BET Awards broadcast. She opened her performance with “Django Jane” while channeling the track’s epic music video. “Django Jane” has my favourite line on Dirty Computer: 

… hit the mute button/
Let the vagina have a monologue

Janelle Monae’s performance at the BET Awards is one of those performances that make you want to throw sh-t around your living room. Janelle Monae’s BET Awards performance is one of those moments you look around and wonder if Janelle Monae is getting the respect she deserves. She’s not. Once she went into “I Like That,” I was giving her a standing ovation from my couch. This performance was 10 times better than whatever Nicki Minaj was doing on that stage. And yet… 

I’m certain Janelle is an android sent from 2067 to enlighten us and empower us and generally improve our lives. 2018 doesn’t deserve her. 

Seriously, this performance is SO GOOD. Go off, Janelle.