It’s hard to top the list of collaborators Janelle Monáe has compiled. Just in the 2010s alone, they worked with Solange, Duran Duran, Pharrell Williams, Brian Wilson, Big Boi, Erykah Badu, Miguel, and Grimes—just to name a few of their collaborators—and Monáe was featured on fun.’s “We Are Young,” one of the most popular songs of the decade. Yet even among this celebrated list of superstars, Prince stands out.
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It’s not just Prince’s accomplishments that set him apart. By that measure, he is on a par with Stevie Wonder, who provided the spoken-word vocals for “Stevie’s Dream” from Monáe’s Dirty Computer. Prince’s connection with Monáe goes beyond performing on “Givin’ Em What They Love” from their album The Electric Lady, which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200. Prince had mentored Monáe going back to the making of their first full-length album, The ArchAndroid, and continued to work with them until shortly before his death in 2016.
On “Givin’ Em What They Love,” Prince’s vocals and guitar are unmistakable and are a perfect complement to Monáe’s charismatic performance. Here’s how this magic collaboration happened.
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How Prince Wound Up on “Givin’ Em What They Love”
The story of Prince’s involvement with this 2013 track begins with his discovery of Monáe’s 2007 EP Metropolis. He was such a fan of the record that he intended to see Monáe perform in Los Angeles. Because Prince had the wrong time for the performance, he missed the show, but that didn’t keep him from connecting with Monáe. One of Prince’s collaborators, DJ Rashida, did attend the show, and she approached Monáe backstage and handed them her phone—with Prince waiting on the line. That initial phone conversation led to a continued dialogue, including an in-person meeting at Prince’s home. Monáe told The Guardian that when they gave Prince the first copy of The ArchAndroid, he told them it was “going to rule the world.”
Prince went from encouraging Monáe during the process of making The ArchAndroid to being directly involved with their follow-up, The Electric Lady. On “Givin’ Em What They Love,” Prince chimes in with backing vocals and a guitar lead before Monáe utters the first lyrics. Then he returns to sing backing vocals in the chorus and the lead vocals in the second verse. On his lead vocal turn, Prince picks up Monáe’s defiant theme (as sung by her android persona, Cindi Mayweather), asserting that he will make you dance, even if the “system” doesn’t want you to.
Too strong, try to do me wrong
And the last one standin’ will order and command you to dance
Oh, dance
Prince’s backing vocals can be heard throughout the remainder of the song, and a little more than halfway through “Givin’ Em What They Love,” he delivers a blistering guitar solo. The solo, incidentally, concludes just as another collaborator, Hornz Unlimited (best known for the chorus horn section on Outkast’s “The Way You Move”), provides a moment that is every bit as electrifying as Prince’s guitar work.
Monáe and Prince: A Mutual Admiration Society
While Prince’s playing and singing helped “Givin’ Em What They Love” to shine even more than it would have without him, his contributions did not extend beyond that. It’s something that Monáe did not take lightly. In an interview with the New York Post that was published just days after the release of The Electric Lady, Monáe said, “I’m still pinching myself in disbelief. [Prince] doesn’t do a lot of collaborations, let alone let people produce him. But he wanted me to be in control of the mixing and mastering and editing. The trust he’s given me means a lot.”
On a 2023 appearance on The Jennifer Hudson Show, Monáe recounted another instance of Prince going the extra mile when they were the opening act for him, and he joined them for a rendition of “Givin’ Em What They Love.” Monáe told Hudson, “You know, the headliner never comes out before it’s time for them to come. And for him to do that, I am just forever indebted.”
Prince’s Other Contributions to Monáe’s Work
While Prince did not appear on other tracks on The Electric Lady, he did remix a track from the album. Prince’s mix of “Q.U.E.E.N.” was used by Chanel for their Spring/Summer 2014 Ready-to-Wear show. Prince also worked on Monáe’s third album, Dirty Computer, which was not released until 2018. Monáe has said that Prince worked with them on the album, though without specifying which tracks. However, Lenka Paris, who had been Prince’s DJ, immediately recognized the synth line on Dirty Computer’s lead single, “Makes Me Feel,” as he had played it for her at a party two-and-half years earlier.
Prince’s loss is still being felt in the music world and will be by generations to come. Not only does his work live on through his own extensive discography, but through a little piece of Monáe’s as well. Given how much Prince has influenced Monáe’s music, we will likely continue to hear some part of his musical genius being channeled through their future work, too.
Photo by Amy Sussman/WireImage for Parkwood
