The interaction between the visual, auditory and musical elements of Monae’s music video express an important message about the power of black sexuality. She peels back the layers of what the erotic could mean for black women and determines that the power she feels cannot be accessed unless one goes beyond the realm of heteronormativity. By crafting a nuanced, honest and celebratory work, Monae helps light the torch for the representation of black queer women.

In many ways, Monae’s work is an interruption… a disruption of the eerie silence that has historically seemed to swallow the black queer female form.

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