Janelle Monáe Releases New Album ‘Age Of Pleasure’

Janelle Monáe's Age Of Pleasure has finally arrived. The singer announced the star-studded tracklist this week which includes features from Sister Nancy ("The French"), Amaarae and Nia Long ("The Rush"), Doechii ("Phenomenal"), Ckay ("Know Better"), and Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 ("Float," a single), and the legendary Grace Jones ("Ooh La La").

Prior to the release of the Age Of Pleasure, Monáe made headlines for her NSFW video celebrating the release of "Lipstick Lover," the second single from the LP. They told Rolling Stone that they got the concept for the song from a party.

"I have a whole spreadsheet with 50 to almost 100 experiences that I had at this party," they explained. "I’ve been a Lipstick Lover. I wear red lipsticks at the parties. I’ve had moments where if me and a girl or an energy want to engage, you’re going to see lipstick. […] I remember how it felt when I got kissed on my neck with red lipstick. I remember how I went to bed feeling. It was a deep rouge. It wasn’t matte. I remember the way the person looked. And I was like, 'That’s a f------ song.'"

"All the songs were written from such an honest space," Monáe said of their new record, per Pitchfork. "So I hope that people feel that when they listen to the music, that they feel that when they come and, you know, counter with me when I’m around, I definitely have had an opportunity to evolve and grow and to tap into the things that bring me pleasure, the things that perhaps I should rethink and rework."

This summer, Monáe will kick off a North American tour in support of the Age Of Pleasure in Seattle, Washington.

This is Monáe's first full-length project in five years after their 2018's Dirty Computer. The LP was nominated for Album of the Year and "Pynk" was nominated for Best Music Video at the 2019 Grammys.

Take a look at the full tracklist for Age Of Pleasure below:

01. Float (ft. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80)
02. Champagne Shit
03. Black Sugar Beach
04. Phenomenal (ft. Doechii)
05. Haute
06. Ooh La La (ft. Grace Jones)
07. Lipstick Lover
08. The Rush (ft. Amaarae and Nia Long)
09. The French 75 (ft. Sister Nancy)
10. Water Slide
11. Know Better (ft. CKay)
12. Paid in Pleasure
13. Only Have Eyes 42
14. A Dry Red

The summer is here and many of the top artists in hip-hop and R&B are putting their bid in for "song of the summer." Over the course of May, we got drops from Beyoncé, J. Cole, Summer Walker, Kendrick Lamar, and several more.

Take a look at some of the best songs in hip-hop and R&B, ranked:

For DaBaby's May 2023 release, he takes inspiration from Jersey Club for his latest single "Shake Sumn." The firey twerk anthem is found on his three-song EP titled CALL DA FIREMAN.

H.E.R.'s "The Journey" is for anyone needing a song to lift their spirits going through a tough time. H.E.R. showcases her silky vocals with powerful lyrics on her newest release.

"All the times you thought you'd never make it through/Felt just like the world just turned its back on you/Didn't stop you/All the times you could've given in and given up/Times you didn't know if you were strong enough/Still you got through," she sings.

The City Girls, Diddy, and Fabolous are trying to have everyone "Act Bad" this summer. The flirty yet broadcaious record finds the four rappers campaigning for a summer of good times with no stress.

Toosie scored his first No. 1 with "Favorite Song" on Billboard's Hot Rap Chart in May. The original was released in February but the melodic rap hit got a second wind with the Khalid-assisted remix.

Janelle Monáe has been making headlines lately for her celebrating her sexier new image. Monáe's flirty summery single "Lipstick Lover" is just the start of her reign. Her LP The Age Of Pleasure is set to arrive 6/9.

Kendrick Lamar and Baby Keem teamed up for "The Hillbillies." In the cousin duo's music video, they even got a cameo from Tyler, The Creator who confirmed that his Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival after a three-year hiatus.

"Pelle Coat" is the second track from Lil Durk's latest album Almost Healed. For the project, the Chicago native tapped in guest appearances from Alicia Keys, J. Cole, Future, Kodak Black, 21 Savage, Chief Wuk, Rob49, Morgan Wallen, and the late Juice WRLD.

Summer Walker dropped her EP Clear 2: Soft Life and one of the fan favorites from the project was "Pull Up." On release day, Summer also released the music video to the song, which features her rumored boyfriend actor Lil Meech.

From Summer Walker's EP Clear 2: Soft Life, J. Cole made a guest appearance on the opening track "To Summer From Cole (audio hug)." On the record, Cole applauds Summer's hard work ethic and congratulates her on her newborn twins. The North Carolina rapper also teases that he is working on an album himself titled The Fall Off.

Beyoncé and Kendrick Lamar have teamed up once again. The "America Has A Probem" remix was a surprise drop from the artists. The two have previously collabed on "Freedom" from Beyoncé's Lemonade and "Nile" from The Lion King: The Gift.

Lil Durk enlisted J. Cole for the lead single "All My Life" off his latest project Almost Healed. Durk admitted that Cole bodied him on the song, which is a rarity with his features.

"He smoked my a-- on that one, for one — barely," Smurk said when asked about his experience working with the Dreamville boss, per Complex. "That barely happens. But shout out to J. Cole, shout out to [Dr.] Luke, we made it happen."