Introduced by Randy Jackson and Steven Tyler, Hollywood Song award winner Janelle Monae took the stage with her black-and-white-dressed band and a crew of colorful carnival dancers to perform the beat-driven, Brazilian track, "What is Love" from Rio 2. "The message in this song is pretty simple. … Special moments become more special when you share them with the people you love."
After taking part in two marches against police brutality, Janelle Monae released “Hell You Talmbout,” an impactful song that pays tribute to those who fell victim to the violence.
The singer and her labelmates at Wondaland Records teamed up on the powerful chant song to accompany their efforts in leading marches in cities such as Philadelphia and New York City. As snare drums stir in the background of the track, names of victims who died due to race-related incidents — including Michael Brown, Trayvon Martin and Freddie Gray — are forcefully repeated.
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Monae posted an image of the song’s title on Instagram when it was released Thursday (Aug. 13), which features black-and-white photos of those mentioned in the track as well as an accompanying statement about the song’s meaning. “Silence is our enemy,” she wrote. “Sound is our weapon.”
Listen to the track below.
This article originally appeared on Billboard.com.
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