Wade Into The Alluring Waters of Janelle Monae’s “The Age of Pleasure”
Words & Photos by Lauren Arzbaecher
Pour some champagne down a water slide and go. Kiss who you want, dance how you want, be who you want. Love yourself, in all the ways that you can. Janelle Monae’s The Age of Pleasure embodies these notions of indulgence, pushing the listener toward a space of freedom.
The Age of Pleasure is the fourth full album by the Grammy-nominated artist. All 14 tracks segue seamlessly into each other, with no complete breaks between songs. It makes it all the more difficult not to succumb to the breeziness of listening to the album in its entirety even if you intended to just listen to one song. And at just over 32 minutes of runtime, that notion is all the more seductive.
The album’s soundscape is a fascinating fusion — with elements of Afrobeats, EDM, jazz, reggae, and more combining to create a fittingly pleasurable listen. More than anything, it makes you want to groove. The first group of songs have a sharper edge whereas the later tracks are more mellow, while they all feed into the same theme of celebration.
Expressing one's sexuality and true self lies at the core of the album. Each song finds new ways to explore euphoria. That manifests in feeding carnal desires, relishing in excess, and self-love in all the ways it can be expressed. Liberation underscores the whole lyrical experience, unapologetic and powerful.
I had the pleasure of seeing Monae at Radio City in September. The setlist of the tour was not exclusive to “The Age of Pleasure,” including some songs from “Dirty Computer” and “Electric Lady” among other hits. It was a high-energy night, made even more dynamic with the viral duo Flyana Boss as the opening act.
Monae was captivating from the start, arriving on stage in a full floral cloak and headpiece à la “Midsommar.” Opening with the first few songs off The Age of Pleasure, an almost hypnotizing aura emanated from their stage presence, dynamic and soulful.
A call and repeat section was incited with the audience to the toast that’s spoken at the end of “Float:” To the lives we lead, to the dreams we chase, to the moments that we make, and the fucked up shit we can't erase. It was a powerful uniter of the crowd, setting the tone for the rest of the concert.
Monae’s live vocals were stellar, never wavering in power or personality. “Float” and “Phenomenal” were made more percussive than their recorded versions through a punctuated delivery of the lyrics. In contrast to the upbeat tracks, Monae wowed with beautiful vocal runs added into “Lipstick Lover” and “Only Have Eyes 42.”
Several instrumental sections from the album were expanded in the live performance. “Black Sugar Beach” and “Paid in Pleasure” reveled in jam sessions of brass, bass, and drums. These moments led to dance breaks in the crowd, with some members of the audience being brought up on the stage to dance alongside Monae.
Throughout the night, the cheeky nature of the album’s focus was played up in evocative facial expressions, costuming, and choreography. Some elements were overdramatized to poke fun at the pearl-clutching that typically comes in reaction to a joyful embrace of sexuality, yet the concert as a whole was a celebration of love and happiness.
That communal feeling of joy is really what made the concert memorable for me. Even though Radio City is a more buttoned-up venue, the vibe Monae created felt like you were hanging out with your friends—and maybe someone that you’d like to be more than friends with—having a dance party in a backyard. And even without seeing them perform in person, that energy is palpable just listening to the album, a way to revel in the pleasure all for yourself.
