I'm a storyteller who wants to tell untold, meaningful, universal stories in unforgettable ways. I want to do it all, study it all, and find my place in it.
Redefine what it means to be sexy and what it means to be a woman. Showing my skin is not what makes me sexy. I like skirts and dresses just like everyone else, but I had a message I needed to put out there. It was up to me to show people and young girls there was another way.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes that femininity and sexiness can be redefined beyond traditional societal standards.
In this quote, Janelle Monae expresses her desire to challenge and expand the definitions of what it means to be a woman and to embody sexiness. She advocates for a broader understanding of femininity that is not solely tied to physical appearance but also includes individuality and self-expression. By sharing her message, she aims to inspire young girls and society to recognize the diverse ways in which women can be empowered and sexy without conforming to conventional norms.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a women's empowerment speech, one might use this quote to inspire self-acceptance.
More from Janelle Monae
All quotes →I have a great body, I really do. But I want to be taken seriously as an artist, and wearing anything that shows it off will be a distraction from the music. That's how my signature uniform, my tuxedo, came about. It's classic and timeless. You'll see me in black, white, and a pop of color on my lips. That pop adds a little magic.
Even if it makes others comfortable, I will LOVE who I am
I have not lost any of my crazy, fearless, raw, soulful, eclectic side and I plan on continuing to tell universal stories in an unforgettable way.
Perfection is often the enemy of greatness.
It's unfortunate that a lot of people think African-American female artists are monolithically R&B this-or-that, don't have to do anything by default.
Similar quotes
I wondered how many people there were in the world who suffered, and continued to suffer, because they could not break out from their own web of shyness and reserve, and in their blindness and folly built up a great distorted wall in front of them that hid the truth.
Why was she always so craven, so apologetic? He had always seen Ruth as separate, good and untainted. As a child, his parents had appeared to him as starkly black and white, the one bad and frightening, the other good and kind. Yet as he had grown older, he kept coming up hard in his mind against Ruth's willing blindness, to her constant apologia for his father, to the unshakeable allegiance to her false idol.
It lies in human nature that where you experience your first laughs, you also remember the age kindly.
Countless mistakes in marriage, parenting, ministry, and other relationships are failures to balance grace and truth. Sometimes we neglect both. Often we choose one over the other.
Do you remember the summer we signed you up for camp? And the night before you left, you said you've changed your mind and wanted to stay home? I told you to to get a seat on the left side of the bus, so when you pulled away, you'd be able to look back and see me there waiting for you." I press her hand against my cheek, hard enough to leave a mark. "You get that same seat in Heaven. One where you can watch me, watching you.
When people meet me, I hope that they say this: 'This is a guy who, number one, loves the Lord, but he also loves people, and he wants to make a difference in people's life. And he wants to help everyone he comes in contact with, and he is genuine, he is real, and he cares about people.'