Janelle Monae continues her black and white motif with the video for “Q.U.E.E.N.” featuring the Erykah Badu.
The Alan Ferguson-directed video starts with Monae as a time-traveling rebel, who has reduced to an exhibit in a museum, as a relic. She was captured for launching Project Q.U.E.E.N., “a musical weapons program in the 21st century” that trafficked in, among other things, “emotion pictures.” Badoula Oblongata, aka Badu, is similarly frozen in time.
A museum goer puts a vinyl version of “Q.U.E.E.N” on the coolest turntable you”ll ever see and Monae and her band and dancers come alive.
Badu and her poodle and her changing wigs show up for her part about four minutes in, but the clip belongs to Monae, who ends it solo on camera delivering her minute-long rap.
It is a gorgeously-shot, stylish video, shot against a white background, that focuses on Monae”s charisma. Few artists are as compelling to watch on screen.
“Q.U.E.E.N” is the first single from Monae’s forthcoming album, “The Electric Lady.”