Q.U.E.E.N.
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| Single by Janelle Monáe featuring Erykah Badu | |||||||||||||||||
| from the album The Electric Lady | |||||||||||||||||
| Released | April 23, 2013 | ||||||||||||||||
| Recorded | 2012 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Length | 05:10 | ||||||||||||||||
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| Janelle Monáe singles chronology | |||||||||||||||||
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"Q.U.E.E.N." is a song by American recording artist Janelle Monáe featuring the singer Erykah Badu. It was released on April 23, 2013 as the lead single from Monáe's second studio album, The Electric Lady. Unlike Monáe's previous singles, "Q.U.E.E.N." goes deeper into her concept of self-perception. Stylized in the form of question and response, each line of the song has Monáe expressing her thoughts on subjects ranging from sexuality to religion. Prince, a mentor to Monáe, called the music video for "Q.U.E.E.N." the best music video of 2013. Many music critics praised the single while also praising Monáe's boldness and creativity.
According to Monáe on her Twitter page, "Q.U.E.E.N." was inspired by "private discussions between her and Erykah Badu," and "is meant to make you jam, dance, funk out and dialogue later." While the album focuses on the empowerment of women and the need for women to control their own images, the single "Q.U.E.E.N." focuses on the empowerment of other oppressed peoples as well as women. The title is an acronym for Queer, Untouchables, Emigrants, Excommunicated, and Negroid. Throughout the song, Monáe uses a question-answer format to explain the stereotypes, misconceptions, and oppression of those in the queer community, untouchables (those in poverty), emigrants (those who were forced to leave their home countries due to dangerous/unlivable circumstances), the excommunicated (those who have served/continue to serve time in prison), and the negroid (black people of all origins).
Monáe uses various terms and phrases from queer slang in the beginning of the song. She opens the song with, "I can't believe all of the things they say about me, walk in the room they throwin' shade from left to right. They be like 'ooh, she servin' face,' and I just tell 'em cut me up and get down." Both phrases throwing shade and serving face are phrases used by many in the queer community, especially in the African-American gay community. She also alludes to lesbian references later in the song when she sings, "Hey, is it weird to like the way she wears her tights?" and, "Am I a freak because I love watchin' Mary?" Monáe then juxtaposes these references with religion by asking, "Hey brother can you save my soul from the devil?" and, "Hey sister am I good enough for your heaven? Will your God accept me in my black and white? Would he approve the way I'm made or should I deprogram, reprogram and get down?" Her reason for putting these together is to show how many use religion to oppress those in the queer community.
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