In the so-called visual manifesto A Revolution of Love, actress and pop musician Janelle Monáe tells her story in her own words. Well, her’s and her Mom’s.
Ms. Hawthorne quickly steals the show with boundless love for her daughter and adorable anecdotes of a three-year-old Monáe. “Oh Janelle was such a cutie,” Hawthorne says lovingly. “She was always singing something.” Monáe was super talkative as a child, especially in church, and she lets on that she was once even escorted out for singing Michael Jackson’s “Beat It” during the preacher’s sermon.
The documentary follows Monáe’s journey all the way from her upbringing in Kansas City to the recent release of her deeply personal record Dirty Computer. Monáe calls it a personal reckoning, coming to terms with her identity as a queer black woman. Hawthorne gave Monáe the proper guidance she needed to go forth and prosper, ultimately producing one of the most noteworthy albums of the year. “The main thing in life is to show people how to love one and other…” she says. “Everybody deserves to be loved. My Mother taught me that and I taught Janelle that. When she left from home, after graduating from high school, I knew she was gonna be alright.”
The mini-documentary is the latest in YouTube’s Artist Spotlight Series. Peep the video below to get in on the cuteness.