Janelle Monáe Robinson ( jə-NEL moh-NAY; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. Monáe has also been honored with the ASCAP Vanguard Award; as well as the Rising Star Award (2015) and the Trailblazer of the Year Award (2018) from Billboard Women in Music.
Monáe began her musical career in 2003 with the release of her demo album, The Audition. She signed with Bad Boy Records to release her debut extended play (EP), Metropolis: Suite I (The Chase) (2007). It received critical acclaim and narrowly entered the Billboard 200. She signed a joint venture with Atlantic Records to release her debut studio album, The ArchAndroid (2010), which peaked at number 17 on the chart. The following year, she guest performed on fun.'s 2011 single "We Are Young," which received diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaked atop the Billboard Hot 100.