Janelle Monae's Head-Turning Transformation

Janelle Monáe is a multi-faceted creator — which is apparent in her concept albums, film roles, live performances, and signature style. And behind her many honors and multiple Grammy nominations, lies a true classic American origin story. Here is her stunning transformation.

Born in 1985, Monáe is a native of the Quindaro community of Kansas City — a settlement founded by Native Americans and abolitionists that became a haven for African Americans, according to Rolling Stone. Her mother was a janitor, but Monáe's father struggled with substance abuse issues for decades. She said,

"My father is a recovering crack addict — he was in and out of prison — so I've seen the ups and downs of drug addiction. Things were taken from us growing up — I would win like $500 in a talent show and I had to give it to my mom to help pay for the light bill and the gas bill."

Fortunately her father has been in recovery for many years, and they have since repaired their relationship. But despite her struggles, Monae's talent was shining through at a very young age — as she won talent shows and snagged the leads in school musicals.

Monáe was even kicked out of church once for breaking into a rendition of Michael Jackson's "Beat It" in the middle of the service. Clearly her creativity could not be contained.

In addition to all of that, Monáe was also a participant in a young playwrights' program as a teenager, according to The New York Times. By the time she graduated from high school in the early 2000s, she was ready to discover what was next.

Watch the video to see Janelle Monae's head-turning transformation!

#JanelleMonae #DirtyComputer #ElectricLadies

Humble beginnings | 0:22
Taking a bite out of the Big Apple | 1:40
Finding her tribe in Atlanta | 2:12
Bad Boy Monáe | 3:07
The ArchAndroid emerges | 4:04
The Electric Lady | 5:14
An Oscar-winning film debut | 6:14
Breaking ground with Hidden Figures | 6:51
Femming up the future | 7:58
Dirty Computer and coming out | 8:57
Welcome to Wondaland | 9:51
Monáe all day | 10:39

Видео Janelle Monae's Head-Turning Transformation канала The List