"In just over a decade, Janelle Monáe has become a formidable figure in global media culture. Her Afrofuturist concept albums and "emotion pictures" established Monáe as an ambitious innovator who draws on science fiction to rewire our understanding of race and gender. As an actor, her performances have explored these same vectors across other media, while her music provides the soundtrack for socially engaged media productions, from Us to David Byrne's American Utopia. Monáe's increasingly central presence in the global media landscape makes her an ideal figure to investigate the dynamics between media, race, and gender. By interweaving its analysis of Monáe's own music and screen performances with other works that extend these vectors, Power Up! The Transmedia Afrofuturism of Janelle Monáe gives an innovative, accessible, and inspiring account of the transformative role popular media can play in our understanding of race, gender, sexuality, and capitalism"-- Provided by publisher.
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