Ravinia 2025 Issue 1

JANELLE MONÁE Janelle Monáe is one of the most dynamic art- ists of her time, fusing soul, funk, new wave, and Southern hip-hop, among other genres and sounds, with a spirited approach that seems to treat art and entertainment as indivisible. The Grammy-nominated singer/rapper, songwriter, arranger, and producer spent years grinding away in the Atlanta underground before she emerged with a theatrical retro-futuristic sound wrapped in science fiction themes. In the 2010s, Monáe and her Wondaland associates crafted three top-20 albums— The ArchAndroid (2010), The Electric Lady (2013), and Dirty Computer (2018)—examining such subjects as oppression, identity, and liberation as they relate to race and sexuality. Despite wide-scoped vision, Monáe and company filled those LPs with broadly ap- pealing, gold-certified singles like “Tightrope” (featuring early supporter Big Boi), “Yoga,” “Make Me Feel,” and “I Like That.” Monáe fol- lowed that highly conceptual trilogy with the The Age of Pleasure (2023), dedicated to the Af- rican diaspora with feel-good grooves sourced from Jamaica, Nigeria, and Atlanta. This album featured Grace Jones, Sister Nancy, and CKay and was nominated for Album of the Year at the 2024 Grammy Awards. Monáe has also been an in-demand collaborator, featuring on tracks with the likes of Outkast, Big Boi, Kelly Clarkson, Sérgio Mendes, Grimes, Estelle, Paolo Nutini, Chic, Duran Duran, and fun., whose “We Are Young” (ft. Monáe) became the biggest single of 2012. Monáe embarked on her screen acting career in 2016 with roles in two landmark films, Moonlight and Hidden Figures . Her cred- its have grown quickly, to include a lead role on the Amazon Prime series Homecoming and acclaimed appearances in 2018’s Harriet , 2020’s Antebellum , and 2022’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , where Monáe’s performance earned her Best Supporting Actress laurels from the National Board of Review, adding to such career accolades as three Critics Choice Awards, two Billboard Women In Music Awards, an NAACP Image Award, two Soul Train Awards (out of 13 nominations), an Essence Black Wom- en in Hollywood Award, and numerous BET Awards, BRIT Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards nominations. Janelle Monáe is making her Ravinia debut. QUEEN! Queen! is a cornerstone of Chicago’s vibrant house music scene and a pioneering LGBTQ+ dance party, celebrating over 13 years of unrelenting energy and inclusivity. Hosted every Sunday at the leg- endary Chicago club smartbar , Queen! is one of the nation’s longest-running weekly events of its kind, renowned for its rotating lineup of house music icons alongside captivating performances by kings, queens, and artists across the spectrum. Derrick Carter is widely acknowledged as one of the better DJs of the world. With innovative productions, flawless technical skills, and an effortlessly joyful attitude of rocking a crowd, his influence has infiltrated the spectrum of dance music. Although known as one of the key players of Chicago’s house music wave in the ’90s, Derrick began DJ’ing at the age of nine, spinning disco and funk records at family reunions. he freely travels outside standard club tastes, incorporating old-school disco, soul, jazz, new wave, and whatever else catches his fancy. Michael Serafini first got his start in Chicago nightlife in the ’80s working for Berlin nightclub as a video jockey and remixer. Under the mentorship of close friends Terri Bristol and Ralphi Rosario, Serafini began DJing regularly in the early ’90s and took up a position at one of Chicago house’s most famous institutions, Gramaphone Records. As his experience grew, so did his repu- tation, later landing a residency at Boom Boom Room, then the city’s longest-running house night. In 2007, Serafini took over ownership of Gramaphone Records, which he still operates today. Lucy Stoole , Chicago’s Black Bearded Beauty, is a Windy City- based drag performer, artist, and activist with an international presence. She’s an Out 100 honoree, six-time Drag Queen of the Year, and entrepreneur. Nico is the rowdy stunning drag queen, chaotic clown, makeup artist and wrestler serving up pure cha- os in everything they do. A staple at Queen and Chicago scenes for over a decade, they’ve made their mark with a wild mix of high-impact performance and unapologetic energy. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JUNE 6 – JUNE 15, 2025 68