Fierce, playful and powerful, Janelle Monáe puts on one hell of a show at Mad Cool 2024

Despite the short, 50-minute set, Janelle Monáe doesn’t water down a moment of this gig.

Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Frances Beach.

“To the lives we lead, the dreams we chase, and to the fucked up shit we can’t erase,” Janelle Monáe says at the end of a triumphant 'Float', toasting the crowd of Mad Cool. Moments later, she’s throwing the contents of her glass over her shoulder as she kicks into a rowdy 'Champagne Shit'. It’s the perfect introduction to a gig that bounces between grand theatrical ambition and raucous, party-starting abandon.

Despite the short, 50-minute set, Janelle Monáe doesn’t water down a moment of this gig. Split into three acts and with a variety of costume changes and dance breaks, it’s very much A Show. The first section is joyful and pretty, the second is far more swaggering and determined while the third is a spiky, playful parade.

Pulling from R&B, funk and pop, Janella focuses on the more urgent, upbeat songs from across her back catalogue to create a set that’s all about letting loose. There’s the stuttering 'Make Me Feel', the playful 'Pynk' and the self-empowering groove of 'Phenomenal'. As the video screen explains, the world could end outside our window, hurry up and live.