R&B/Soul
Janelle Monae

Born in Kansas in 1985, singer Janelle Monáe began performing as a child and got her big break in 2005 when she was invited by Big Boi to perform on several OutKast tracks. She was later signed by famous producer Sean "Puffy" Combs to his Bad Boy Records label. In 2010 her debut full-length album, The ArchAndroid, rose to No. 17 on the Billboard U.S. album chart and received a Grammy nomination. She followed up with the sophomore album The Electric Lady (2013), which featured singers Princeand Erykah Badu. Monáe also gained recognition at the 2013 Billboard Women in Music event, having been given Billboard's Rising Star Award. She also made her debut as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live in October 2013, alongside host Edward Norton.