Janelle Monáe Had the Best Reactions to Fans Covering Her Songs
“I don’t write my music just for myself,” Janelle Monáe says in Glamour‘s latest edition of “You Sang My Song.” “I write it for other folks, you know? In hopes that everybody can walk in their truth and embrace the things that make them unique. What feels so humbling is when those who support my music take the song and they sing it and they take the time and care and they put love into it. And that means the world to me. There are so many amazing singers and songwriters out there, but for you to connect with this music in that way means the world to me. I don’t take it for granted.”
This quote sums up basically every reaction Monáe had to the fan covers of her music that we played for her a few weeks ago. Not only was she blown away by the talent of the fans; she was incredibly honored and grateful they took the time to infuse themselves into her music.
The fan covers varied too, from acoustic renditions of “I Like That” to more electronic interpretations of “Pynk.” Monáe respected the individuality of every performance, though, and even found some inspiration for her own work. “You are inspiring me,” she said to the woman who covered “I Like That.” “I’m like, ‘Oh my gosh, I need to go and I need to rehearse my acoustic version of [the song].”
Monáe’s impact on music is just one of the reasons she’s a Glamour Woman of the Year for 2018. Her influence on culture is absolutely seismic. “I’ve always taken issue with people trying to place an image on what a young girl could be,” she told Glamour in our December issue. “Early on I told my parents that I was going to decide that for myself.”
Watch Monáe’s full “You Sang My Song” segment, above.
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