Janelle Monáe ushered in the Age of Pleasure in NYC this week, and long may it last. One of the few artists who can incorporate sexuality into a show without coming across as raunchy, the set was full of color, tropical vibes, and body positivity—there’s no shock value, just an endless celebration of the free spirit. One of her stated goals was to make space for every body and she did, inviting the audience to cut loose, get freaky, and enjoy the moment.
At times the crowd was just as colorful as the army of performers onstage, so much so that Monáe invited a dozen or so up to show off their moves. None of them could upstage Monáe herself, though. The performer showed off her seemingly endless talents while dancing, singing, and blazing away on the guitar. While The Age of Pleasure got the lion’s share of attention, Monáe also pulled out hits from her past albums, her body of work now deep enough to sustain a longer set.
Right before the show-closing “Tightrope,” Monáe choked back tears as she shared her story as a struggling performing arts student living way down on Amsterdam Avenue and always wondered if she’d play Radio City. She seemed genuinely touched and slightly shocked to realize her dream with the audience.
FLOOD photographer David Iskra was on the scene that night to catch some of the set’s other highlights—check out his shots from the performance below.
