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.
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.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Janelle Monae highlights the stereotype that African-American female artists are limited to R&B, emphasizing the need for recognition of their diverse artistic contributions.
In this quote, Janelle Monae expresses her disappointment in the common perception that African-American female artists are predominantly seen as one-dimensional figures within the R&B genre. She advocates for a broader understanding and appreciation of their varied talents and narratives, challenging the notion that their artistic identity is predefined or limited to a specific genre.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a panel discussion about diversity in music, this quote can be used to highlight the need for broader representation.
More from Janelle Monae
All quotes βI 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.
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.
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.
Similar quotes
All great art is the work of the whole living creature, body and soul, and chiefly of the soul.
You know, Hitler wanted to be an artist. At eighteen he took his inheritance, seven hundred kronen, and moved to Vienna to live and study... Ever see one of his paintings? Neither have I. Resistance beat him. Call it overstatement but I'll say it anyway: it was easier for Hitler to start World War II than it was for him to face a blank square of canvas.
The art of a people is a true mirror to their minds.
Art, whose honesty must work through artifice, cannot avoid cheating truth.
Why, I just shake the buildings out of my sleeves.
Where there is true art and genuine virtuosity the artist can paint an incomparable masterpiece without leaving even a trace of his identity.