If you haven’t noticed, Janelle Monáe has been adding more color to her outfits. A move that is progressive from her always black-and-white tuxedo look that was a symbol for her early messaging.
On Sunday night, prior to a powerful performance from Kesha, Cyndi Lauper, Camila Cabello, Andra Day and Julia Michaels, the Wonderland Records leader offered an empowering black and white message of her own to the music industry regarding the #MeToo and #TimesUp movements.
Monae said, “To those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: Time’s up… We have the power to undo the culture that does not serve us well,” she warned. “Let’s work together, women and men, committed to creating more safe work environments and equal pay.”
Below is a transcript of her remarks in full:
“Tonight, I am proud to stand in solidarity as not just an artist but a young woman with my fellow sisters in this room who make up the music industry. Artists, writers, assistants, publicists, CEOs, producers, engineers, and women from all sectors of the business. We are also daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and human beings. We come in peace, but we mean business. And to those who would dare try and silence us, we offer you two words: Time’s up. We say time’s up for pay inequality, time’s up for discrimination, time’s up for harassment of any kind, and time’s up for the abuse of power. Because, you see, it’s not just going on in Hollywood, it’s not just going on in Washington — it’s right here in our industry as well. And just as we have the power to shake culture, we also have the power to undo the culture that does not serve us well. So let’s work together, women and men, as a united music industry, committed to creating more safe work environments, equal pay and access for all women.”
(Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)
