Janelle Monáe Claims Time Travel to Attend David Bowie's 1970s Ziggy Stardust Tour

Janelle Monáe recently claimed in a Rolling Stone "Musicians on Musicians" interview with Lucy Dacus that she time-traveled to the 1970s to see David Bowie perform as Ziggy Stardust, an assertion she made earnestly and without hesitation. Monáe described being backstage during Bowie's iconic tour and how the experience inspired her to embrace musical and artistic transformation, particularly in fostering a community around queer identity and broader worldviews. While some fans took her claim literally, others see it as a metaphor for the deep influence Bowie’s boundary-defying artistry has had on her work, especially her 2010 album The ArchAndroid which blends Afrofuturism and sci-fi themes. The conversation highlighted Monáe's embrace of fluid identity and transformation, topics she and Dacus explored alongside the notion of existing beyond binaries. Monáe has previously described herself as "timeless" and a traveler through space and time, reinforcing the artistic and philosophical nature of her comments. The claim sparked a mix of amusement and admiration online, with many appreciating Monáe's imaginative and cosmic approach to creativity and identity.