Janelle Monáe makes her return with her latest single, "Turntables."
Although fans are patiently awaiting Monáe's follow up to her 2018 project, Dirty Computer, this single that dropped on Tuesday won't be the start of an album rollout. Instead, "Turntables" will be featured in the upcoming Amazon Studios documentary, All In: The Fight For Democracy.
During a conversation with Apple Music's Zane Lowe, Monáe explains how this song mirrors the on-going social change that has been happening in response to the unwarranted killing of Black people in America.
"I've been experiencing a lot of trauma around seeing Black bodies murdered, like humans murdered. I struggle with talking about it because it is like a wound that we're reopening," Monáe said. "We've been screaming Black Lives Matter. We've been understanding where our ancestors came from and the fact that I'm here not because I asked to be here, but because my ancestors were stolen and we were forced to be here."
"We are changing things. The tables are turning. The rooster has come home to roost. So this song is capturing direction," she continued. "This song doesn't mean that I'm the leader, that I'm here to tell you what to do, how to fix things. I'm simply watching, examining and wanting to highlight all of the people who are on the front lines, fighting for our democracy, fighting against racial inequalities, fighting against white supremacy, fighting against systemic racism and systemic oppression. So this song is to keep us motivated."
Like "Turntables," All In: The Fight For Democracy is hoping to promote change in America. The documentary takes a look at voter suppression ahead of the 2020 election. All In: The Fight For Democracy will release in select theaters on Wednesday before hitting the streaming service on Sept. 18.
Listen to "Turntables" below, and catch the video above.
