Janelle Monae Carves Out Her Own Path In New Album

Though R&B singer Janelle Monáe has six Grammy nominations and critical acclaim, she might be best known for singing in the 2012 song "We Are Young" by Fun (stylized as fun.).

But Here & Now pop culture critic Renee Graham thinks that could change with this week's release of Monae's new album "The Electric Lady."

The album features Monáe's collaborations with Solange, Erykah Badu and Prince, but above all, it features Monáe's own sound, which Graham finds unique.

"The definition of R&B has gotten very, very narrow," Graham told Here & Now. "And what's great about Monae is she's not trying to be Rihanna, she's not Nicky Minaj, she's not Beyonce. She's not interested in following that path — she's only interested in carving out her own."