There was just one flaw in Janelle Monae’s excellent, indulgent, provocative Lollapalooza set on Friday night time — that she wasn’t a headliner. With all of the flak that nationwide pageant organizers have obtained for not reserving extra feminine expertise within the finale spot, Lollapalooza had the right probability to take action with Monae, who simply carried out the very best present of the weekend to date.
Filled with geometric staging, participating video reels, 5 costume adjustments (together with Monae’s fabulous vagina pants from her “Pynk” music video) and fancy foot choreography, the set was — like Monae herself — subsequent stage.
But it additionally had a objective. Opening with “Crazy Sexy Life” into the double entendre hit “Screwed,” Monae’s set was traditional anthemic pop with a facet of social justice. “We are fighting for the rights of women, for trans women, for reproductive rights, for the LGBTQ+ community, for those with disabilities, for working -lass folks, for black folks,” she mentioned, after a couple of traces of her emotional quantity “Cold War,” her coronary heart audibly in her throat.
“This is from a proud queer black woman from Kansas,” she continued, earlier than declaring President Trump be impeached. Monae’s set was not solely daring, it was a protected place and an opportunity to “celebrate the weirdos.”
The multi-talented performer has come a good distance from her “android” days to the imaginative and prescient of an idealist future as an impartial performer with a powerful voice, a profitable enterprise proprietor (Wondaland Arts) and an award-winning actress (“Moonlight” and “Hidden Figures”). If that doesn’t scream headliner, we’re undecided what the {qualifications} are anymore.
“I wish I had more time with you,” she mentioned as she jumped all the way down to the group stage in the course of the hair-raising set ender “Tightrope.” We want she did too.
Selena Fragassi is a Chicago freelance author.