These days, there tend to by only a small handful of music videos in a given year that could be considered a cultural event. Here in 2023, Janelle Monáe’s “Lipstick Lover” visual is definitely one of them, as the NSFW clip absolutely set the internet on fire earlier this month. Now, though, Monáe has broadened the audience of the clip with a new “clean” version (emphasis on the quotation marks).
Sharing the visual on Twitter, Monáe wrote, “Aight after much back and forth and private court dates i decided to release the sinsored ‘clean virgin’ of ‘Lipstick Lover’ against my will! It’s now avail on YouTube. I added 100 more pixels by hand so y’all bet not sneak and watch the original. Enjoy loves!”
Indeed, it’s true that there are now a bunch of pixelated portions of the video, but really, the point still comes across. There are still plenty of butts hanging around a pool, and the carefree, sex-positive nature of the party depicted in the video remains well intact here.
Watch the clean “Lipstick Lover” video above.
The Age Of Pleasure is out 6/9 via Wondaland Arts Society/Atlantic Records. Find more information here.
Janelle Monáe is a Warner Music artist. .
