Yoga (Janelle Monáe and Jidenna song)
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| Single by Janelle Monáe and Jidenna | |||||||||||||
| from the album Wondaland Presents: The Eephus | |||||||||||||
| Released | March 31, 2015 | ||||||||||||
| Recorded | 2014–15 | ||||||||||||
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| Length | 3:37 | ||||||||||||
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"Yoga" is a song by American singer Janelle Monáe and rapper Jidenna. It was released on March 31, 2015 as the second single from Monáe's upcoming Wondaland Records collective EP, The Eephus. A departure from Monáe's well-known indie funk and psychedelic sound, "Yoga" is a hip hop and trap record with a more mainstream sound and lyrics that can be interpreted as "sexualized". Many music blogs and publications have praised Monáe for her creativity, sense of individuality and boldness on the track as well as Jidenna's relaxed flow. The song was produced by Nate "Rocket" Wonder, Nana Kwabena and Jidenna. In the United States, "Yoga" became Monáe's first single as a lead artist to chart on the Billboard Hot 100; the song, "We Are Young" on which she was featured, peaked at number one in 2012.
In February 2015, Monáe announced that she had signed her Wondaland Records label to a partnership deal with Epic Records. Soon after, she announced that she and her collective (Jidenna, St. Beauty, Roman GianArthur, and Deep Cotton) would be releasing a 5-track EP titled The Eephus. Epic CEO and chairman L.A. Reid said of Monáe and her collective, "The collective talent of the Wondaland artists is awe-inspiring," and also that, "I haven't personally witnessed a collective that sounds and looks this special in quite a while. I've been a longtime supporter and friend of Janelle and it is an honor to now work with her as a visionary businesswoman who brings an all-star group of talented performers to the table." The first single released under the new and revamped Wondaland Records for The Eephus EP was Jidenna's "Classic Man".
Music critics were generally favorable towards the song. Many have also praised the inclusion of Jidenna's verse, with some calling his flow "fresh" and "promising". Writing for Billboard, Natalie Weiner says Monáe kept "the overall emphasis on girl power," and that Monáe added "a #FreeTheNipple moment with the line 'Get off my areola.'" Zara Husaini of PopCrush wrote of the song's catchiness that "There's a pretty good chance that you had Janelle Monae's “Yoga” stuck in your head for a few days after the single release." Global Grind's Kelsey Paine praised Monáe's new direction and stated that she has "taken off her tuxedo."
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