Janelle Monáe has revealed the cover art as well as the tracklisting for her forthcoming album “Electric Lady”. Presenting two covers (one available at Target), the Atlanta based vocalist posted the stories behind the covers on a Tumblr account. With a set date for the 10th of September, “Electric Lady” will feature Erykah Badu, Solange, Prince, Big Boi, Cee-Lo, Esperanza Spalding and more.

Janelle Monáe will perform live at the iTunes Festival in London on the 14th of September. The show will also be streamed live online.

Tracklist:

01 Suite IV: Electric Overture
02 Givin Em What They Love [ft. Prince]
03 Q.U.E.E.N. [ft. Erykah Badu]
04 Electric Lady [ft. Solange]
05 Good Morning Midnight (Interlude)
06 PrimeTime [ft. Miguel]
07 We Were Rock and Roll
08 The Chrome Shoppe (Interlude)
09 Dance Apocalyptic
10 Look Into My Eyes
11 Suite V: Electric Overture
12 It’s Code
13 Ghetto Woman
14 Our Favorite Fugitive (Interlude)
15 Victory
16 Can’t Live Without Your Love
17 Sally Ride
18 Dorothy Dandridge Eyes [tt. Esperanza Spalding]
19 What an Experience
20 Q.U.E.E.N. [feat. Erykah Badu] [Wondamix] (Bonus)
21 Electric Lady [feat. Big Boi and Cee-Lo Green] [Dungeon-Wondamix] (Bonus)
22 HYTB (Bonus)
23 I Want You Back (Bonus)

Story behind “Electric Lady” covers

Concerning Cindi and Her Sisters and the Skull of Night Thrashings

This painting, which hangs in the Royal Black House in the aspect of Metropolis known as New Atlantis, is called simply Cindi Mayweather And Her Sisters Cast A Spell Over the Good City of Metropolis. Painted in the autumn of 2717 by the Good Citizen Samuel Spratt, the painting features the Alpha Platinum android superstar Cindi Mayweather and her Five Sisters. Clockwise from left to right: Andromeda, Andy Pisces, Catalina, Morovia, Polly Whynot, and in the front and center, Cindi Mayweather. All in all, this oil painting seems to be an homage to the distinguished work of the 20th Century photographer William Klein, and in particular, the graphic sensibility of his 1966 film Qui ētes-vous, Polly Maggoo? (Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?). According to Time University scholars, this portrait is noteworthy because it was painted before Cindi became a famous cybersoul superstar— as evidenced by the fact that the Digital Auction Code on Cindi’s wrist stipulates that she was only worth $1.9 billion metros at the time, while her famous sisters were not yet Q.U.E.E.N.s and still rated E9s (available for pleasure, art and entertainment on the Droid Control Registry). Perhaps it should be further noted that the painting also prominently features the legendary Skull of Night Thrashings, which now sits on the master study table of the Wolfmaster Number 1, President, King & Lord, Oddpa Crix. According to the Book of Zoman, this android skull is a historic relic: it was the first fully functional Alpha Platinum 9000 cranium built by the inventor Katharine Burnheart. This revered relic has a SOARCORE sensor which glows in different colors as it decodes the android emotion frequencies of Metropolis: white signifies that a majority of the android population has powered down for the evening or asleep; black or lack of color signifies a systems failure, or that the android population is invisible, undetectable, cloaked or off the grid; amber signifies that a majority of the android population is peacefully at work; green signifies that the android population is engaged in fertile pursuits, such as intellectual inquiry, recreation, artful activities, or entertainment enterprises; blue signifies yearning or longing on an existential level, and the mysterious lower frequencies, which have no name; purple signifies pride, worship, dreaming and prayer; and red signifies anger, rebellion, revolution, and worse yet, and most dangerous of all, the illegal android frequency known as love.

Concerning Cindi and the Glow of the Drogon’s Eyes

This painting, which hangs in the foyer of the Royal Black House, is simply called Cindi Mayweather Is Glowing In the Sky Again. Painted in the spring of 2719 by the Good Citizen Samuel Spratt, this painting is evidence of the meteoric rise of the android superstar—as evidenced by the fact that, four mere years after her birth, the Digital Auction Code on her wrist now denotes that she is FREE and NOT FOR SALE. She has become a Q.U.E.E.N., an E1 Class android superstar, with full manumission papers. Please note the Dragonhair bouffant, typically reserved only for Parkington royalty and high-born Time Council ladies. Most importantly, note the blue glowing eyes of the Drogon on her breastplate. For those that have not read the Book of Zoman, the Drogon is a legendary robotic dragon designed and built by Martin McKnight during World War C. According to legend, nine drogons were built, and all were destroyed during the war, except number nine, which is now supposedly hidden somewhere in the depths of Mount Circle. In further stories associated with the legend, the ArchAndroid will wake the Drogon when she arrives, thereby bringing a fiery end to the reign of the Wolfmasters and the Great Divide. In accordance with this legend, many droids revere the Drogon symbol as a sign of liberation, justice, droid pride and mystic evidence that light will one day prevail over darkness.