CITYist

CITY favorite Janelle Monae has just released the video for her single “Cold War.” A minimalist, emotional affair, the video is shot entirely in close up of Monae’s face as she belts out the tune. Her face a nude palette with the exception of her expressive, coal-rimmed eyes, the focus here is entirely on the song and Monae’s own emotions (she bursts out crying at one point). “Cold War” comes off critically lauded album The ArchAndroid, which Monae produced at The Wondaland Arts Society, her home studio in Atlanta. In our interview with Monae, she explained, “We were listening to what our minds were telling us, but even more so from our hearts and our souls.” That’s certainly evident here.