Janelle Monáe has been taking their sexual revolution quite seriously. The singer even ignited a bit of controversy when they bared a pastie-covered breast during a performance at this year’s ESSENCE Festival. Still, The Age Of Pleasure must go on and it does with a visual for the bold self-love anthem “Water Slide.”
Reggae is a big influence on Janelle’s latest, but “Water Slide” benefits from it the most thanks to samples from Patra’s cut “Whining Skill” and Sister Nancy’s oft-sampled hit “Bam Bam.” They’re woven together along with original instrumentation to create the perfect base for Janelle’s innuendo-filled verses.
Surprisingly, the “Water Slide” avoids most of the obvious double entendres for self-pleasure that are illustrated in the song’s lyrics. Janelle is still pushing the limits, though, as the video still features plenty of skin and celebration of the sexual side of things. It continues the party that we first witnessed in “Lipstick Lover,” with the singer adding a performance aspect as everyone in the clip revels in the sun and cool waters of a nearby pool.
Janelle is front and center, of course, but the camera also takes time to show off bathing beauties of all genders, shapes and sizes in various states of undress. It all serves to further the message of Monáe’s current era while making everyone wonder how they can get on the guest list for the next poolside shindig.
As outside heats up and the summer wanes on, cool off by taking a dip with Janelle Monáe when you watch “Water Slide” below.
