Janelle Monae Talks Collaborating with Idol Prince for Sophomore Album

By: Taren Vaughan

Is there a Janelle Monáe and Prince collaboration on “The Electric Lady” album? Janelle Monae has proven over and over again that she has raw talent and isn’t afraid to distance herself from the stereotypical views of how female artists should look and carry themselves. And for her fans who are anxious to see what Janelle has in store for her second album, they are in for a real treat as the songstress teamed up with legendary singer Prince for her sophomore album,”The Electric Lady.” In her Billboard cover story,  Janelle Monáe talks about her new album, which is set to be released this September, and she says the aim of it was to “tell universal stories in unforgettable ways.” Janelle also says that the conversations she had with the artists she collaborated served as inspiration for some of the songs. One of those artists was Prince, a person Janelle considers to be not only a mentor, but a friend as well:

“We are great friends, and he is a mentor to us, to me,” she says of Prince. “It’s a beautiful thing to have a friend — someone who cares about your career, and wants to see you go far and to push boundaries and shake up the world — give whatever they possibly can to the cause.”

And as Prince is not an artist who usually makes guest appearances on albums, Janelle Monáe knew she couldn’t pass up the chance to work with him:

“I had a chance to produce an icon,” says Monáe, who is keeping the name of their song under wraps. “It’s not every day that he collaborates. I’m honored and humbled that he trusted me. He is forever my friend, and I am forever indebted. I can’t say too much else about it.”

Check out Janelle Monáe’s Billboard cover below: