Janelle Monae Claims She Time-Traveled to See David Bowie
In a revelation that feels less like a standard interview anecdote and more like a lost track from a concept album, Janelle Monae has orchestrated a new kind of harmony during her conversation for Rolling Stone's Musicians on Musicians series, claiming a voyage not just of influence but of literal time travel to witness the cosmic church of David Bowie in his prime. She didn't just study the vinyl; she recalls jetting back to the 1970s to be there, in the room, as Bowie performed the seminal The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, a statement that transcends typical artist homage and enters the realm of spiritual lineage.For those of us who collect not just records but the stories they tell, Monae's confession is the ultimate B-side—a hidden narrative that recontextualizes her entire discography. Think about it: her own artistic persona, the archandroid Cindi Mayweather, with her sleek tuxedos, her precise choreography, and her narrative of the other, isn't just inspired by Ziggy; it's a direct transmission from that very stage, a thread pulled from the fabric of spacetime itself.This isn't mere fandom; it's a form of artistic possession, a ghost in the machine of pop music where the boundaries between creator and creation blur. We've always heard the echoes of Bowie in her work—the theatricality, the genre-bending fearlessness, the commitment to character—but to frame it as a firsthand experience reframes her as less an heir and more a time-traveling disciple.It brings to mind other moments of profound artistic channeling, like when Bob Dylan seemed to tap into some old, weird America, or when Jimi Hendrix set his guitar on fire at Monterey as if commanded by a force beyond. Monae’s claim, while fantastical, speaks to the very real, almost mystical connection musicians feel across generations, a conversation that happens in the silent spaces between notes.It makes you listen to 'Tightrope' or 'Make Me Feel' with new ears, hearing not just a tribute but a report from the front lines of a revolution she physically attended. In an era of sterile digital production, her story is a potent reminder that the most powerful music isn't just heard; it's a vessel for experience, a crack in reality through which the past can reach out and shape the future. The gig, it seems, never really ended; it just found a new conductor in a new century, and the spiders from Mars have a new, formidable star-child to carry their message.
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QuietThinker3 hours ago
interesting way to talk about inspiration tbh, not sure if i buy the time travel part but it's a cool thought
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