Award-winning musician and actress Janelle Monáe breaks down her song 'So Afraid' step by step, from a voice memo recorded at the dentist to its powerful anthem status. She discusses dealing with anxiety, the struggle of self-forgiveness, and the power of vulnerability. The episode also explores the creation process, minimal instrumentation, and focus on vocal delivery, as well as the importance of innocence and the longing for carefree days in the lyrics.
Janelle Monet's song 'So Afraid' stemmed from a moment of introspection while driving to the dentist, capturing her fears and anxieties in the lyrics.
Monet highlights the power of vulnerability in songwriting, aiming to connect with and inspire others by openly discussing fears and insecurities.
Deep dives
Janelle Monet's Song Exploder episode highlights vulnerability
Janelle Monet discusses the creation of her song 'So Afraid' and the inspiration behind it. The song stemmed from a moment of introspection while driving to the dentist with a toothache. Monet wanted to capture her fears, anxieties, and insecurities in the song. She started with a voice memo, addressing her worries and anxieties. The song's production began with a focus on minimal instrumentation, highlighting Monet's vocals and creating a feeling of anxiety and fear. The lyrics explore themes of self-love, forgiveness, and vulnerability. Monet's goal was to make timeless futuristic music that resonates with listeners in the future.
The power of vulnerability and connection
Monet emphasizes the power of vulnerability in the songwriting process and how it connects people. She shares her own fears and insecurities, acknowledging that openly discussing these emotions helps inspire and encourage others. Through the song 'So Afraid,' Monet aims to address various fears, including fear of loving people society deems as inappropriate, fear of forgiving societal wrongs, and fear of loving oneself. She believes that vulnerability is integral to personal growth and becoming stronger emotionally.
Capturing emotions through instrumentation and vocals
Monet describes the process of capturing specific emotions in 'So Afraid' through instrumentation and vocals. The song's eerie and futuristic elements aim to evoke a sense of anxiety and exhaustion. Monet sought to highlight the purity and freedom of childhood, contrasting it with the harsh realities and pressures faced as one grows older. She wanted the song to explode with intensity, reflecting her own moments of complete emotional breakdown. The background vocals were meant to be dreamy, representing the voice of fear itself. Monet also reflects on engineering and recording the song herself to maintain a personal connection and avoid the pressure of impressing others.
This summer, in June 2023, Janelle Monáe put out her fourth album, The Age of Pleasure. Listening to it made me want to revisit her Song Exploder episode, from 2018. One thing on Song Exploder that I personally love is when we get to hear an artist’s raw voice memo, from the moment when they’re first coming up with a song idea. This episode has one of my all-time favorites.
Janelle Monáe is an award-winning musician and actress who released her first record in 2007. She’s been nominated for multiple Grammys, and she starred in the Oscar films Moonlight and Hidden Figures. In April 2018, she released her third album, Dirty Computer, which includes this song, “So Afraid.” In this episode, Janelle Monáe takes “So Afraid” apart, to explain how she built it, step by step—beginning with a trip to the dentist.