Janelle Monae Got Bars On "Float" Ft. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80

Listen to Janelle Monae's new single, "Float."

BYAron A.
Link Copied to Clipboard!
3.7K Views
janellejanelle

Janelle Monae has been busy in recent times but, unfortunately, she hasn’t dropped a ton of music. However, she hasn’t been in the cut, either. Last year, she appeared in the film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which led to mass critical acclaim. The National Board of Review Award honored her in the Best Supporting Actress category. Around the same time, she won in the same category at The Atlanta Film Critics Circle Awards. Still, there’s been a strong demand for her to drop some new music.

It’s been nearly five years since she blessed fans with a new body of work. Monae dropped Dirty Computer in 2018. The 14-song effort boasted appearances from Pharrell Williams, Zoe Kravitz, Grimes, and Brian Wilson, leading to even more critical acclaim. Still, she didn’t leave fans empty handed. Throughout the past few years, she’s blessed fans with a handful of singles, like “Stronger” and “Say My Name (Hell You Talmbout).” The pair of singles as well as her Lady & The Tramp contribution, “That’s Enough,” have held fans over until she prepared her next body of work.

Janelle Monae Taps Sean Kuti & Egypt 80 For “Float”

Following a two-year hiatus from releasing music, Janelle Monae came through with some new heat for fans this week with the release of “Float.” The single marks her first drop since 2021 and it definitely doesn’t disappoint. Monae’s joined by Sean Kuti, the legendary son of Fela Kuti, and Egypt 80 for the record. Though her vocal prowess is on 10, she takes cues from hip-hop, dropping bars over rolling 808 hi-hats. “Float,” produced by Nana Kwabena, Nate “Rocket” Wonder, and Sensei Bueno, is a bouncy bop that’s bound to get stuck in your head.

The anticipation for the latest release from Janelle Monae is high. She first teased the record last year and the record will now be used for NBA coverage. Though she won’t be performing during All-Star Weekend, you’ll be able to catch her during the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game on Feb. 17th. Check her new single above.


Quotable Lyrics
Came back from the future to take all y'all niggas and take all y'all hoes
They said I was bi, yeah, baby, I'm bi, a whole 'nother coast
She stay in the Hills, he stay in Atlanta, I paid for them both
My face card don't come with a limit, I swipe it, I spend it, I swear I be doin' the most

  • Link Copied to Clipboard!
About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.