Janelle Monáe Unveils New Album ‘The Age Of Pleasure’

Janelle Monáe returns to announce her new album, The Age of Pleasure, out June 9th via Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic Records.

Following 2018’s Dirty Computer, Monáe said the album was written from “an honest space” and added that she started with a blank canvas while getting “back to the basics” in an interview with Apple Music 1’s Zane Lowe.

She went on to explain the album’s theme: “I’ve had my age of depression. I’ve had my age of anxiety. I’ve had my age of struggle. And again, it’s not like life is pleasurable every single day, but I think I have actively just sought out… How do I create a space for myself? How do I redirect my mind on how I’m thinking about things? How do I realize that right now in this present moment — moments that we’ll never get back — this is where you need to find your pleasure?”

To preview the album, she shared the new single “Lipstick Lover” and its accompanying video. Talking about the song in a statement, she said, “As we enter into The Age Of Pleasure, ‘Lipstick Lover’ is our freeassmothafucka anthem inspired by f.am. for f.am,” Monáe said in a statement. “This is our audio oasis made with love and signed with cherry red kisses from me to you.”

Pre-order The Age of Pleasure here.

Recently, Monáe starred in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which earned her critical acclaim. She’ll play Josephine Baker in A24’s upcoming television series De La Resistance.

Artwork:

Tracklisting:

01. Float (feat. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80)
02. Champagne Shit
03. Black Sugar Beach
04. Phenomenal
05. Haute
06. Ooh La La
07. Lipstick Lover
08. The Rush
09. The French 75
10. Water Slide
11. Know Better
12. Paid in Pleasure
13. Only Have Eyes 42
14. A Dry Red