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.

There’s more to the set than giddy dance though. The dreamy 'I Like That' is dedicated to people like Janelle, “who were called weird and odd in High School”, while the fizzying 'Tightrope' comes with a speech about standing up against racism, homophobia and fascism. “I won’t tell you who to vote for, but I’ll be voting for the person looking out for marginalised voices,” she says, with the future looking increasingly uncertain. Today’s set is all about community though. In this moment, it’s about people from all around the world coming together to experience joy and escapism, but Janelle Monáe’s phenomenal set is also a potent reminder that this freedom needs constant protection. Fierce, playful and powerful, Janelle puts on one hell of a show. “We came to party. We came to celebrate us,” she explains, once again raising a glass to the people of Mad Cool.