Janelle Monáe, a critically acclaimed singer, songwriter and actress, never fails to push the boundaries with her art. Labeled as a concept artist, Monáe transports listeners to another realm where alter egos, scientific fiction, and neo soul come together as one. Monáe’s album, and film project of the same name, Dirty Computer (2018) is no different, combining elements of pop rock, trap, and Afrofuturism to create a mind-blowing work of art.
Dirty Computer (2018) presents a futuristic world where humans are called “computers,” and those who are deemed different—whether due to race, sexual orientation, or political views—are labeled “dirty computers.” In this fictional world, these individuals are seen as faulty and in need of “cleaning,” a process akin to erasing their identities and memories. This powerful metaphor draws parallels to real-world practices like gay conversion therapy, the forced assimilation of Indigenous people, or the historical whitewashing of Black culture and identity. Monáe’s narrative exposes the harsh reality of how society attempts to cleanse those who are deemed different or non-conforming, by any means necessary.
However, Dirty Computer doesn’t stop there; it flips the script and introduces a new narrative. Throughout both the album and film, Monáe suggests that memories, especially those tied to marginalized identities, can be acts of resistance. Through the act of remembering, the characters reclaim their histories and identities, rejecting conformity. This portrayal taps into Afrofuturistic ideals, where the past, present, and future of Black identity are reimagined and empowered. Afrofuturism actively works to rewrite Black narratives, ones in which Black identity thrives and Black collective memory is preserved. In Monáe’s narrative, characters refuse to accept erasure, showcasing the resilience of memory as a tool of survival and defiance.
Monáe’s work also critiques the traditional notion of utopias as “raceless” or “bodiless” societies. In these utopias, individuality and race are erased in favor of a homogeneous, “gray” society. However, Dirty Computer goes against this by centering marginalized bodies and identities within its narrative. By remembering and refusing to de-center their identities, Monáe’s characters practice the act of fugitivity, escaping the confines of a society that seeks to erase them. Within this notion, the film confronts the erasure of Blackness and cultural identity in futuristic imaginings and brings it back into the forefront.
Within Dirty Computer, Monáe imagines a future that embraces difference rather than seeking to eliminate it. Her work is a direct rejection of traditional norms depicting memory, existence and dystopia. She presents a dystopian narrative, but then flips the script at the end, suggesting that our memories serve as acts of resistance. Her use of Afrofuturism allows her to reimagine a future where those who are labeled “dirty” are celebrated for their differences, ultimately crafting a utopia where diversity is a strength, not a flaw to be corrected.
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