Janelle Monae is back to steal our hearts and relentlessly tantalizes our senses with her new single, "PYNK."
The video is an ode to the female form, pubic hair, and all things pink. The afrofuturistic queen's new album, Dirty Computer, featuring hit singles "Make Me Feel" and "Django Jane" and is proclaimed to be one of her most vulnerable projects yet. "PYNK" is the latest installment of this "emotion picture," which she originally began developing with her late mentor, Prince, before his untimely death.
Related: Janelle Monáe Proves Afro-Futurism Is Back In A Big Way
The lyrics to "PYNK" are just as raunchy as they are empowering, as Monae reminds us all to "touch our top and let it down." The video consists of Monae's fearless gang of black women indulging in some good old fashioned pussy power.
Tabloids have previously speculated about the nature of her relationship with Tessa Thompson, who co-stars with Monae in "Make Me Feel" and was also be spotted in "PYNK" with her head between the singer's legs as she danced in vagina pants.
Giphy
By the way, does anyone know where I can find some vagina pants? Asking for a friend.
The anthem is symbolic of the normalization of womanhood, in its purest form. Bisexual culture and pubic hair are topics that are typically taboo in the black community, but Monae tackles the conversation head-on in her latest project, which is dripping with sexual liberation and gender fluidity.
She told The Guardian that her gender and sexuality are "undefinable" and opened up about her social responsibility to walk in her own truth:
"Sticking up for those who are often left behind and don't have a voice – doing that was one thing on film, but doing that in music is different because it's all you. So I can't sit back here and tell you I'm confident and fearless. I'm terrified right now. Like, I don't know how my family's gonna react, I don't know what people are going to say."
In the past, Monae has been fairly conservative about her discussion of gender identity and sexuality, but the narrative surrounding her emotion picture proves that her feelings have changed.
"I know that there are a lot of things that I haven't discussed and I think this is the album that you'll get an opportunity to get a closer glimpse into my mind and into my heart."
Monae proves in the new video that not only is the future female, female is now. The singer/activist wrote in the video description that:
"PYNK is a brash celebration of creation. self love. sexuality. and pussy power! PYNK is the color that unites us all, for pink is the color found in the deepest and darkest nooks and crannies of humans everywhere...PYNK is where the future is born...."
Monae's new visual is a tribute to the many pussies of the world, in all their glory.
Monae is the defiantly unapologetically black and feminist voice that is so needed in the entertainment industry and "PYNK" is our anthem.
Check out the full video below:
- Janelle Monáe - PYNK [Official Video] - YouTube ›
- Janelle Monáe's new “Pynk” video stars Tessa Thompson, vagina ... ›
- Janelle Monae Drops New Song and Video: 'Pynk' – Variety ›
- Janelle Monáe's 'Pynk' Video: The 8 Most Important GIFs ›
- Janelle Monáe's New Music Video Is A Pink, Vagina-Inspired ... ›
- We Got the Pynk: Janelle Monáe's Got Girl Power on Lock ›
- Janelle Monae's “PYNK” music video features vagina pants (VIDEO). ›
- Janelle Monae Celebrates 'Pussy Power' in 'Pynk' Video - Rolling ... ›
RELATED
Again, the answer never changes because, if there is one thing that Shellie Reneé Warren is gonna get, it’s 6-8 (sometimes nine) hours of sleep. However, since my chronotype (check out “Ever Wonder What Personality Traits Make Someone A 'Morning Person'?”) means that I like/prefer to write in the wee hours of the morning, sometimes I will sleep for the night for five hours and take a nap in the day. And y’all, that is just fine with me because I am well aware of the fact that napping does everything from give me more energy, heighten my alertness and even make me more creative to decrease stress levels, strengthen immunity, and reduce my chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke.
My problem is I will oftentimes go “overboard” with my daytime zzz’s. What I mean by that is, in order to get the most out of a nap, they say thatyou shouldn’t sleep for longer than 25 minutes or so; otherwise, you could wake up feeling sluggish (I don’t but…). Also, it can make resting, soundly, at night a bit of a struggle.
So, what are you saying, Shellie? We should get quickies in? Yeah. And it’s funny that the word “quickie” would come up because just like a sex quickie can do wonders for you (and it can — check out “12 Super Solid Reasons To Have A Quickie Every Single Day”), it’s a full-circle moment when I say that something that can improve the quality of your sex life is to have a power nap (a nap that lasts between 10-30 minutes).
Wanna know how the two things correlate? Honestly, it’s no secret that sleep and sex work together to optimize both (check out “6 Fascinating Ways Sex And Sleep Definitely Go Hand In Hand”). Today, though, we’re going to tap into how a nap, specifically, can have you partaking in some of the best sex that you’ve experienced in a minute. I’ll explain.
Naps Reduce Stress
GiphyIf you’re feeling super stressed out right now, you are not alone. There is plenty of data out here that says that most of us are stressed for at least a couple of reasons at a time — and that can impact your sexual health on a few levels. For one thing, it can bring about feelings of depression and/or anxiety. Stress can also throw your hormone levels off (including your cycle) which can weaken your libido. Stress can make you want to put distance between you and your partner (yes, literally).
Stress can also make it challenging to get aroused or to have an orgasm. And just what can help to decrease stress? Taking a nap. Since sleep has a way of helping you to “get off of the clock” and relax a bit, that can lower your stress levels and “reset” your body so that you are calmer — and that, in turn, can do wonders for your sex drive and ultimately your sex life.
Naps Improve Your Mood
GiphyThere is one person in my life, and fairly 80 percent of the time, she’s in a super good mood. Oh, but let that girl go without sleep, and…who is this woman? LOL. There’s research behind why this happens. When a person is sleep-deprived, it messes with their brain chemicals, and that can amplify emotions like anger, restlessness and sadness. In fact, one study revealed that people who had their sleep disrupted throughout the night, they ended up having their positive outlook on life reduced by about 30 percent.
And geeze, who wants to have sex when they’re not feeling very good? Anyway, since serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate your moods, your sleep patterns, and your libido and sleep is what helps to keep it in balance — by taking a nap, not only can it help you to feel better, it can also increase your desire for sex (it can also build up your endurance which is also…sexually beneficial).
Naps Increase Your Focus and Concentration
GiphySomething that some of my clients bring up is how, when it comes to having sex, sometimes the flesh is willing while the spirit is weak because, although the desire for intimacy is there, so much is going on that they aren’t able to get still enough to focus on experiencing copulation with their partner. This also tracks because, when you don’t have enough rest, your brain finds itself not working in harmony and that can make it hard to do everything from approaching life with a sense of flexibility to making necessary decisions.
Certain data also reveal that a lack of rest can cause you to have a really poor attention span and not process things in context (the more you know). So, if you really want to get some yet it’s hard for you to focus long enough to make it happen, ask your bae to lie down with you and take a nap. Between the sleep and the snuggling (check out “Fall's Coming: 8 Wonderful Health Benefits Of Cuddling”) — you may wake up with your mind and body totally on the same page. #wink
Naps Can Make You Feel Better About Your Body
GiphyEven if, overall, you feel really good about your body, I think that we all have moments when we feel less attractive than others — and who wants to have sex when they don’t really feel…very sexy? Well, something else that sleep, in general, can do is increase your confidence in your body.
For one thing, if you want to lose a few pounds, sleep can actually make that happen by helping your body metabolize the glucose (sugar) that’s in it so that you can better manage your appetite. Other studies go on to share that since sleep deprivation can impact one’s mental health and emotional stability in a negative way, of course, getting enough rest would increase body positivity.
Shoot, science even goes so far as to say that insomnia can cause people to have an elevated level of dissatisfaction when it comes to their body image. Don’t take their word for it, though. Look in the mirror before a nap. Then look in a mirror after waking up from me. Do you feel better? I’d be surprised if you don’t.
Makes Your Brain Bigger…Which Could Make Your Orgasms Better
GiphyI saved the best for last by design. Now if you’re wondering how in the world a nap can improve (and possibly increase) your orgasms — oh, there is a method to the madness…trust. For starters, the saying that your biggest sex organ is your brain? That isn’t a myth. Long story less long, the brain is what houses your central nervous system and that is what controls how men and women sexually function (yes, literally).
And since the brain also releases feel-good chemicals like dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin during sex and brain activity significantly increases in women during sexual activity (especially right before she orgasms) — well, would it trip you out to know that when you take a nap, your brain actually expands? A bigger brain (that’s healthy) can potentially intensify your sexual experiences (and your climaxes) — and who doesn’t want that to go down?
____
Like I said earlier, I never have to be convinced to get a nap in. However, if your sex life has been a bit stagnant lately, you’ve been feeling a little sluggish and you’re not sure what to do — I’m hoping that a nap can get you right.
There’s enough science to prove that it can. All you need to do is give it a shot.
Now where’s your pillow and sleep mask, chile?
Let’s make things inbox official! Sign up for the xoNecole newsletter for love, wellness, career, and exclusive content delivered straight to your inbox.
Featured image by FG Trade/Getty Images