Futuristic funk singer, Janelle Monáe has released herself from the need of public validation and we love to see it.
This week, the Grammy-nominated musician visited The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, to chat about her new book, “The Memory Librarian,” and opened up about her healing and self-acceptance journey during the pandemic.
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“I am in the most, ‘I don’t have to prove anything’ space that I’ve ever been in, in my life,” she told the late-night talk host.
“It took me a while to get there because as public people, we try to inspire people with our words, but I don’t really feel like l was living what I was saying. I wasn’t really believing it myself.” She continues, “I was saying it, it was helping other people, but I had to do a lot of healing during the pandemic.”
The “Hidden Figures” actress went on to share how coming to terms with her childhood trauma made room for self-reflection and growth, “I was dealing with a lot of rejection and abandonment issues from my childhood — things that I had kept in me and they were coming to the surface.” She adds, “I think one of the things that the pandemic has done is force us all to go in.”
Over the years, the “Dirty Computer” artist has used her music and art as a means of self-expression to inspire a generation of women to walk in their boldness and own their individuality.
While she’s typically lightyears in the future, it’s nice to see Monáe using this chapter of her life to cherish the beauty of the present moment, “I’m at this place where I’m ready to celebrate. If we’re not talking about vacations, I don’t want to talk. We are supposed to be living our best life.”