Janelle Monae and Robin Thicke

Janelle Monae and Robin Thicke rock their signature suits on the 20th anniversary cover of Vibe magazine. Inside, the budding stars dished on creating a new sound with their music, the role that sexuality plays in music and more!

Thicke revealed that his inspiration behind making songs that breaks the rules is having boundaryless music. “Sometimes I’m rockin’ out, sometimes it’s soul, sometimes there’s some bossa nova”, he revealed. “Her and I are products of the generations of funk, soul, rock ’n’ roll—and then hip-hop coming into the mix—all becoming what this new generation is.”

Monae shared similar sentiments saying, “categorize me and I’ll defy every label. I think we just love great music”. However, she didn’t stop there. The interview continued with her stating “We’re not catering to a red or blue state; we’re trying to create a purple state.”

Although she has faced years of criticism for her signature attire of a suit, Monae isn’t listening to the naysayers. “When I came into the industry, there was nobody and there still isn’t anybody who looks like me”, she explained. “There’s no contract that says if you look like this, dress like this, sing like this, you’re going to be famous.”

Check out the behind the scenes footage from the shoot below:

Take a look at more pictures from the Vibe spread below:

Written by Jeremy

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