Janelle Monáe turns trash talk into empowerment on "I Like That"

By Danette Chavez | April 16, 2018 | 8:27pm

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Janelle Monáe turns trash talk into empowerment on "I Like That"

As the videos for “Make Me Feel” and “Pynk” so amply demonstrated, Janelle Monáe knows how to prime her fans for her new album. First, the Electric Lady artist paired a Prince homage (which the Purple One actually had a hand in creating) with the swagger of “Django Jane,” which she followed up with an ode to the all the wonderful femmes out there. Now, Monáe’s turned that celebration inward for “I Like That.” Though we don’t have a lush visual component to go with it yet, the mid-tempo tune will still have you swaying in your chairs at work.

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Monáe opens up about criticism she’s endured all her life, including the whatever shortsighted fool called her “weird” and “rated me a six” in high school, but notes that she’s always known “I was the shit.” Her vocals are powerful but controlled, even as she drops these fuck-’em lyrics: “And I like that / I don’t really give a fuck if I’m the only one who likes that.” Obviously, she’s far from the only one who enjoys what she’s serving up—but we still have to wait another 11 days to hear the rest of Dirty Computer.