Janelle Monae was an absolute vision when she hit the 92nd Academy Awards stage and gave a showstopping opening performance that included bold statements and a duet with Billy Porter.
There is no one like Janelle Monae. The multi-hyphenate talent, 34, took to the Dolby Theater stage at the 92nd Academy Awards on Feb. 9 and stunned the audience with her amazing opening performance that made a bold statement. In the performance, she started off honoring the late Fred Rogers and one of the last year’s most endearing films, It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. Janelle first walked out on a set that resembled the same set used at the beginning of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and also wore an outfit that was reminiscent of the ones Mr. Rogers, himself, would wear, including a red sweater over a white button down shirt and black pants. She started singing the classic theme song to the show after greeting the audience and eventually walked over to Best Supporting Actor nominee Tom Hanks, 63, who portrayed Mr. Rogers in It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. She playfully put her black hat on his head before heading back to the stage for the second part of her performance.
Janelle went on to dress in costumes that represented more amazing movies from the past year, including Midsommer, Us, and Joker and not only sang her song “Come Alive (The War of the Roses)”, but proudly used her time on stage as a way to mention topics and causes that are important to her in what she called “the art of storytelling”. At one point, she wished everyone a Happy Black History Month and let the audience know she’s proud to be “a black queer artist.” She was also joined by confident performer Billy Porter, 50, as they shouted the lyrics to the catchy tune with a band playing horns. Toward the ending of the performance, Janelle made sure to say she’s celebrating “the women who directed phenomenal films”, which seemed to be her way of calling out the Academy’s decision to not nominate any of the female directors this year. Overall, Janelle’s performance truly brought down the house and had everyone in the audience excited for the night.
Janelle was announced as one of the many musical performers for the historic evening on Feb. 6. Although the Academy kept mum on what it was Janelle was going to be perform, fans finally got the answers they needed following her showcase. But Janelle isn’t just a music virtuoso. The talented performer is also an acclaimed actress. 2016 wholly announced Janelle as an actress. She starred in the Oscar winning film Moonlight and Oscar nominated film Hidden Figures. Since then, she has made appearances in films like 2018’s Welcome To Marwen and appeared in this year’s Oscar nominated film Harriet. She will next take over the leading role in Amazon Prime series Homecoming.
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Clearly, Janelle has a bright future ahead of her in front of the camera. When it comes to her music, though, she is just as equally celebrated. Janelle is an eight-time Grammy nominee and her last album, Dirty Computer, earned her nominations for Album of the Year and Best Music Video at the 2018 Grammys. Fans loved seeing her show off her dulcet tones at the Oscars, in a night that is bound to be full of glamour and surprises.
So many stars seated themselves in the Dolby Theater for a night of glamour, emotional speeches, and rousing performances. Famous faces the likes of Leonardo DiCaprio, Cynthia Erivo, and Renee Zellweger cautiously await to see if their name will be called for their respective nomination. With no host, anything could happen! Stay up to the minute with the latest at the Oscars by checking in with HollywoodLife throughout the night!
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