Screwed by Janelle Monáe featuring Zoe Kravitz

Up until this year’s Dirty Computer, Janelle Monáe’s entire musical career has consisted of Afro-Futurist concept albums, based around her alter-ego Cindi Mayweather. But with Dirty Computer, Monáe’s created a much more personal album, expressing her political and sexual concerns; she. As brilliant as her previous body of work is, Dirty Computer is easily her most accessible record.

The most immediate track on Dirty Computer is the upbeat ‘Screwed’. In past generations, R&B artists like Al Green and Prince infused their material with power by squaring the euphoria of spirituality with the euphoria of sex. Monáe’s approach on ‘Screwed’ is to channel her political rage and impotence into sex; the key couplet is “you fucked the world up now / We’ll fuck it all back down.” It starts like a predictable R&B banger, with Monáe’s heavy breathing, but it ends up a confused, steamy mess. “Everything is sex. Except sex, which is power. You know power is just sex. Now ask yourself who’s screwing you”

Monáe’s also dabbled in films, starring in Hidden Figures and Moonlight – and she’s also created an entire film to go with Dirty Computer – even if the Afro-Futurism is less prevalent in her music, it’s all over this film:

I live my life in a magazine
I live my life on a TV screen
I live my life on birth control
I lost my mind on rock and roll
And I, I, I hear the sirens calling
And the bombs are falling in the streets
We’re all screwed!
And ah, ah, ah, it’s not perfect, baby
But I go sex crazy
But I feel so screwed
Sex, body
We’re gonna crash your party
Let’s get screwed!
I don’t care
You fucked the world up now, we’ll fuck it all back down
Let’s get, let’s get screwed
I, I don’t care
We’ll put water in your guns
We’ll do it all for fun
Let’s get screwed
Wanna get screwed on a holiday
(Wanna get screwed on a holiday)
Wanna get screwed in a matinee
(Wanna get screwed in a matinee)
Wanna get screwed at a festival
(Wanna get screwed at a festival)
Wanna get screwed like an animal
And I, I, I hear the sirens calling
And the bombs are falling in the streets
We’re all screwed!
And ah, ah, ah, it’s your birthday, baby
‘Bout we go sex crazy
But we feel so screwed!
Sex, body
We’re gonna crash your party
Let’s get screwed!
I don’t care
You fucked the world up now, we’ll fuck it all back down
Let’s get, let’s get screwed!
I, I don’t care
We’ll put water in your guns
We’ll do it all for fun
Let’s get, let’s get screwed
See, everything is sex
Except sex, which is power
You know power is just sex
You screw me and I’ll screw you too
Everything is sex
Except sex, which is power
You know power is just sex
Now ask yourself who’s screwing you
Let’s get screwed!
I don’t care, I don’t care
You fucked the world up now, we’ll fuck it all back down
Let’s get screwed!
I don’t care
We’ll put your water in your guns
We’ll do it all for fun
Let’s get screwed
I, I, I hear the sirens calling
And the bombs are falling in the streets
We’re all screwed
And ah, ah, ah, it’s your birthday, baby
But we go sex crazy
But we feel so screwed!
I, I, I hear the sirens calling
And the bombs are falling in the streets
We’re all screwed!
Let’s get screwed
I don’t care
Let’s get screwed
I don’t care
See everything is sex
Except sex, which is power
You know power is just sex
You screw me and I’ll screw you too
Everything is sex
Except sex, which is power
You know power is just sex
Now ask yourself who’s screwing you
Hundred men telling me cover up my areolas
While they blocking equal pay, sippin’ on they Coca Colas
Fake news, fake boobs, fake food what’s real?
Still in The Matrix eatin’ on the blue pills
The devil met with Russia and they just made a deal
We was marching through the street, they were blocking every bill
I’m tired of hoteps tryna tell me how to feel
For real