A statement from Janelle Monáe announcing her new album, The Age of Pleasure, was released today (May 11). The album consists of 14 songs and is the result of collaborations between Seun Kuti and Egypt 80. Besides the big news, the Kansas City artist has also released a new single entitled “Lipstick Lover,” a Nate “Rocket” Wonder-produced offering, as stated in a press release from the Kansas City artist.
“Today marks the dawn of a new era as we enter The Age Of Pleasure, ‘Lipstick Lover’ embodies the spirit of the anthem, which has been adapted by F.A.M. for F.A.M.,” said Janelle Monáe. “The idyllic oasis we have created is rooted in the idea of self-acceptance, which is teeming with self-discovery, and is accompanied by cherry red kisses from me to you.”
“Lipstick Lover” comes with a matching video produced by the singer of “Yoga” and Alan Ferguson. In the video, there is a strong resemblance to Jamaica’s famous tourism campaign with Trinidadian model Sintra Bronte. In the NSFW video, Monáe can be seen enjoying a hedonistic pool party with a large group of beautiful women.
The concept behind the forthcoming album was described by Monáe in an interview with Zane Lowe on Apple Music.
“As a result, each and every song on the album was created from such an honest place,” Janelle Monáe explained. “I’ve experienced my share of depression. It’s been a while since I’ve been bothered by anxiety. Throughout my life, I have experienced my fair share of challenges as I have gotten older… It occurs to me now that I might need to redirect my thoughts and the way I think about things in order to make them more productive? How am I supposed to realize that right now, right here, right now, in this very present moment, there are moments in our lives that we will never be able to get back, and in this very present moment, it is here that you must find your pleasure? You are about to have your moment.”
