Janelle Monáe is a singer, songwriter, rapper, actress, and producer. She is signed to Atlantic Records, as well as her own imprint, the Wondaland Arts Society. Monáe's musical career began in 2003 upon releasing a demo album titled The Audition.

In 2007, Monáe publicly debuted with a conceptual EP titled Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase). It peaked at #2 on the US Top Heatseekers chart, and in 2010, through Bad Boy Records, Monáe released a first full-length studio album, The ArchAndroid, a concept album and sequel to her first EP.

In 2011, Monáe was featured as a guest vocalist on fun.'s single "We Are Young", which achieved major commercial success, topping the charts of over ten countries and garnering Monáe a wider audience.

Her second studio album, The Electric Lady, was released in 2013 and debuted at #5 on the Billboard 200, serving as the fourth and fifth installments of her seven-part Metropolis concept series. In 2016, Monáe made her theatrical film debut in two high-profile productions; she starred in Hidden Figures as NASA mathematician and aerospace engineer Mary Jackson, and also starred in Moonlight.

Hidden Figures was a box office success, while Moonlight won the Academy Award for Best Picture at the 89th annual ceremony. Monáe's third studio album, Dirty Computer, also described as a concept album, was released in 2018 to widespread critical acclaim; it was chosen as the best album of the year by several publications and earned Monáe two nominations at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year.

The album debuted at #6 on the Billboard 200. In 2015, Monáe was honored with the Billboard Women in Music Rising Star Award, and, in 2018, she won the Trailblazer of the Year Award. In 2012, she became a CoverGirl spokeswoman.

Boston City Council named October 16, 2013 "Janelle Monáe Day" in the city of Boston, Massachusetts, in recognition of her artistry and social leadership.