We all have insecurities. For Janelle Monáe, one insecurity was her breasts. Speaking to StyleLikeU’s What’s Underneath series, the singer talked about overcoming that insecurity and growing comfortable with the body she’s developed over the years.
Janelle did the interview donning a white button-up and black pants, reminiscent of her tuxedo-wearing days. Noting her breasts used to be smaller, she said the development of her curves over time initially made her uncomfortable.
“It took me years to get comfortable with my boobs. It’s probably why I’m like, ‘Wooo freedom,'” she said of her current sultry looks. She also attributed the suits to advice she was given at an early age. “I can only imagine the horror stories that happened to my ancestors, but I was always taught, ‘Do not do anything that will make men attracted to you,'” Janelle said. “It took me a long time to realize that it’s not my responsibility to adjust my freedom in order to make you comfortable, in order to make you not try to rape or molest me.”
In this current stage of Janelle’s life, the singer’s “expressing myself.” “I’m trying to honor my body, honor my fullness. I’m not asking for your attention,” she said. “I should not be made to feel bad or be shamed because you cannot control your own urges.”
Janelle explores more in the interview and in the recently released The Age of Pleasure, her first album in five years.
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