Pynk


"Pynk" is a song recorded by American singer and songwriter Janelle Monáe for her third studio album, Dirty Computer. It features Canadian art pop musician Grimes and interpolates the song "Pink" by Aerosmith, with members of the band being credited as co-writers. Lyrically, the song continues Monáe's female empowerment theme previously expressed in "Django Jane". The third single from Dirty Computer, a music video for the song was uploaded to YouTube on April 10, 2018.

Background

Monáe describes the song as, "a celebration of creation, self love, sexuality and pussy power", and that the color pink "unites all of humanity" because it is the color "found in the deepest and darkest nooks and crannies of humans everywhere."

Critical reception

“Pynk” received critical acclaim. Pitchfork praised "Pynk" and awarded it Best New Track. Eve Barlow stated: "As an expression of unity and an appeal to see people beyond gender, the song’s genre-bending sonics and the video’s femme-dominated utopia underscore Monáe’s long-held desires for a more fluid society."

Music video

The music video was directed by Emma Westenberg and was uploaded to Monáe's YouTube account on April 10, 2018. It features actress Tessa Thompson, a frequent collaborator of Monáe's. The plot finds Monáe and Thompson along with a group of other women dancing in a desert, having a slumber party and sitting out by a pool while expressing appreciation for the vagina.
In August 2018, the music video was nominated for Video with a Message at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards. It was also nominated for Best Music Video at the 61st Grammy Awards.

Track listing

Charts