In preparation for her upcoming album, Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe released two songs, “Make Me Feel” and “Django Jane,” each accompanied by its own music video. “Make Me Feel” is Monáe’s funkier song of the two, and the music video going along with the song features Monáe employing her signature brand of artistry.
“Make Me Feel” begins as Monáe and actress Tessa Thompson walk into a club. The video cuts around to different groups of people looking at them, in a move very reminiscent of the famous music videos of Michael Jackson. A backing bass and vocal click sound begin the beat of the song. A different version of Monáe is shown reclining in a chair, singing, as Thompson and Monáe interact with others around the club.
The music video, and the lyrics of the song, are both very sexually explicit. Lyrics like “It’s like I’m powerful with a little bit of tender / An emotional, sexual bender / Mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better” and “Laying your body on a shag carpet” are combined with visuals of various versions of Monáe and background dancers moving together.
The video is very well done—each cut to a version of Monáe and other dancers flows very well, and each scene is at once artistic and intimate. This is clearly what Monáe is trying to achieve in this video, as she dances underneath the legs of colorfully clothed women and opens her mouth for Thompson to place a clearly euphemistic lollipop on her tongue. While this may sound crass, “Make Me Feel” is a visually stunning video. Monáe employs disparate and extravagant costumes, along with talented dancing, to complement the funky guitar riffs and upbeat rhythms of the song.
The music video of “Make Me Feel,” along with the song itself, clearly display Monáe’s artistic vision for the upcoming album. When combined with the other pre-released song/video, “Django Jane,” it’s hard not to anticipate Dirty Computer and any music videos that Monáe releases along the way.
Featured Image by Epic Records
