{"id":1961915,"date":"2026-05-29T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-28T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1961915"},"modified":"2026-05-29T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-05-28T21:00:00","slug":"wonderland-205","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1961915","title":{"rendered":"Wonderland"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\tWonderland<\/span>
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\n\t\t\tAJA MONET IS SAYING IT WITH HER CHEST<\/span>
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On her sophomore album the color of rain<\/em>, Surrealist Blues artist aja monet blurs \u2013 and rids \u2013 of the boundaries between poetry, protest and music.\u00a0<\/strong>
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\"aja
Photography by Daniel N. Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Somewhere between jazz club improvisation and political sermon, aja monet has built a body of work that cannot be confined to neat categorisation. She\u2019s a poet, songwriter, singer, activist, cultural worker, community organiser, and, of course, Surrealist Blueswoman. It\u2019s a long list, but for monet, none of these labels could suffice on their own. They\u2019re all embodied at the beginning of her new sophomore album, the color of rain<\/em>, where she softly commands: \u201cSay it with your chest.\u201d In her hands, what was a Kevin Hart-uttered phrase that once existed as internet bravado becomes an imperative \u2013 not merely firm encouragement, but conviction and instruction.<\/p>\n

Across the record, the Grammy-nominated polymath transforms her thought, feeling and lobby into a fluid story that unravels with nuance and complexity \u2013 it\u2019s like your tongue being tied, but still somehow making sense. the color of rain<\/em> doesn\u2019t just sit at the crossroads between poetry and music \u2013 saying so would minimise it, and this refuses to be. Rather, it dissolves all distinctions. On the 15-track album, jazz spills over into soulful, electronic textures that then moulds into live percussion. Through it all, monet\u2019s soft, husky voice flows, sometimes reciting, sometimes singing, other times sounding like she\u2019s prophesying directly to you.<\/p>\n

The record follows her 2023 debut, when the poems do what they do<\/em>, the work that first introduced many listeners to her deeply-enriching musical approach to poetry. Where that album felt rooted in tradition and origin \u2013 pulling heavily from the Black Arts Movement, the collective she found her feet in, and jazz poetry lineage \u2013 the color of rain<\/em> expands outward, producing a more experimental sound and story yet with that same remarkable ease. Produced alongside legendary bassist Meshell Ndegeocello and drummer Justin Brown, the album feels intentionally restless, refusing containment at every turn. It marks her gradual transition from the sheltered intimacy of live cafe shows \u2013 the energy of which fostered many \u2013 to stages and halls.<\/p>\n

Traces of Los Angeles\u2019 Beat Generation, the Nuyorican Poets Cafe scene, and the sprawling sonic collages of artists like Moor Mother are embedded throughout the record. Still, nothing feels overly referential. Pulling from experiences that built the Brooklyn-native\u2019s inner world, monet\u2019s domain runs too personal and too deep, if plainly put, to read as imitation.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is the artist whose first poem \u2013 a school assignment \u2013 told the story of a child hanging themselves from their bunk bed. It\u2019s grim, yes, but earnest. \u201cIf I were going to write poems, they had to have some weight to them,\u201d she says now. And it\u2019s that sharp yet sensitive instinct that still shapes her work today. Whether she\u2019s unpacking heartbreak, spiritual unrest or collective survival, there\u2019s an aversion to flattening emotion into something easily digestible. Instead, she lyrically dances and wrestles with the understanding that truth is often uncomfortable, and that poetry should leave fingerprints. She proves, time and again, that it\u2019s an art form with a unique ability to do so.<\/p>\n

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\"aja
Photography by Casanova Cabrera<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

What makes the color of rain<\/em> so magnetic is the way it constantly shapeshifts. A typewriter becomes percussion. Background harmonies swell and disappear as if you\u2019re caught in a whirlpool of passing thoughts, mumbles and, of course, song. Features from artists like soul and hip-hop singer Georgia Anne Muldrow oscillate through tracks with a playful unpredictability, highlighting the increasing power that monet has allowed her music to breathe new life to. Elsewhere, she rallies rappers Mick Jenkins and Vic Mensa to add their grounded rap edge on \u201cmelting clocks\u201d \u2013 an additional bite amongst her soft grit. These are songs that rarely settle into fixed structures, instead unfolding like conversations in real time.<\/p>\n

Lyrically, it comes as no surprise that monet remains one of contemporary poetry\u2019s most evocative writers. Her images feel both tactile and cosmic, yet not overwhelming: silence becomes \u201ca garden of breath,\u201d miracles are \u201ca muscle we practice,\u201d and Blackness is rendered with softness, divinity and history \u2013 battling against preconceived notions and hatred, which she has made her mission to do since the beginnings of her career. Even when addressing political exhaustion or systemic violence \u2013 particularly on the haunting \u201cfor the Congo\u201d \u2013 she avoids didacticism, allowing emotion to tug on the paper threads of thesis-natured matters.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the album\u2019s biggest revelation is monet herself. Historically celebrated for her oration and slam poetry cadence, on the color of rain<\/em>, monet embraces herself at her most expansive. She hums, she coos, she stretches syllables and bends melodies, sprinkling careful riffs and trifles into their gradients until her voice feels inseparable from the instrumentation surrounding it. Where previously she was experimenting with how to ensure her discography wasn\u2019t just poems and music, here, the music becomes the poem \u2013 and vice versa. On tracks like \u201csong of myself,\u201d her delivery becomes so immersive that it barely scans as spoken poetry.<\/p>\n

From loud to lingering, bellowing to bassline, this is the table she\u2019s prepared and everyone\u2019s welcome. Bring your grief and celebration, protest and love. Here, monet reminds us that saying something \u201cwith your chest\u201d doesn\u2019t have to mean hardness. Sometimes, it simply means telling the truth out loud \u2013 being a light amongst the \u201cindigo\u201d.<\/p>\n

Listen to \u201csay it with your chest\u201d<\/p>\n

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Having been a poet for most of your life, how do you stay excited about it as a creative endeavour?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve just accepted that it is a way of being, a way of seeing the world. I just love it; I love what poets do with language, I love listening to poetry, I love reading it, I love embodying it, existing with it. Recognising the brilliance of other people\u2019s relationship to poetry keeps me inspired. I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever get tired of poems.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Your storytelling touches on the earnest, the real and uber revealing. What\u2019s the hardest truth you feel that you\u2019ve had to confront through writing?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The sobering reality of confronting yourself and the things that you need to work on better. In terms of my wellbeing and spiritual resolve, but also in terms of confronting my contradictions in the ways that I\u2019ve allowed and perpetuated abuse. Poems and the truth that come through them reveal themselves to you \u2013 you have to face the truth when you sometimes don\u2019t always want to, or know how to.<\/p>\n

Is there an emotion or idea that you\u2019ve yet to explore but want to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I don\u2019t know, but I think I\u2019m a funny person even though it doesn\u2019t always come across in my work. In shows and live performances, this comes to light more. I love the imagination and creativity of humour. I also want to explore more of what will come of the world that awaits us. I think about that a lot.<\/p>\n

Poetry can be inward and singular, but you describe it as largely collaborative \u2013 why?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Before you even get to writing a poem, there\u2019s all these other elements that help you form a poem in the first place, which is essential. A lot of poems are born out of relatable feelings and experiences, whether that be loss, grief, joy or longing. All of these things have something to do with the people that we love; even when you go through heartbreak, the person that broke your heart is helping you write the poem, so they\u2019re a part of it at that point, even if you don\u2019t want them to be. It\u2019s also collaborative in the sense that you\u2019re never truly alone [writing poetry]. You carry a lineage, you are part of a continuum, and so a lot of writing poetry asks about your relationship to your spirit and what practices have you cultivated to be of service to spirit? I think that\u2019s all collaborative.<\/p>\n

Who are some of the artists, musicians and writers that you feel most inspired by?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ones that are really interdisciplinary, that have multiple passions, and those show up in different ways in their work. Some of the classics would be Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, Sade, Tracy Chapman etc., in terms of singing. Then to think about poets, Jayne Cortez, June Jordan, Amiri Boraka, Gil Scott-Heron\u2026my list could go on and on. I\u2019m really inspired by all types of artists that can offer something that allows us to have new information, encourages us to keep going, and ultimately, that helps us deepen our relationship to why we\u2019re here.<\/p>\n

Your work touches Surrealist Blues. What does the phrase mean to you, and where does it sit within your artistry? The world-building you\u2019re creating within it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It means that I\u2019m contextualising myself in the way of the surrealist movement and the blues. I think when you look up both of these things separately and delve into the artist\u2019s relationship with their work in these fields, then you could start to understand the kind of poet I see myself as, and what tradition I\u2019m leaning on.<\/p>\n

When did that switch take place where your poetry became music?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think all poems are music; everything about it signals this to me. They call poetry verse, which is because verse was made to music. Meter, rhythm, tone, all of these things are sonic cues and information of sound. So, I think poems are a sound art. The main difference for me now is that I have collaborators to explore that relationship to sound with.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a timelessness that threads through both poetry and jazz, but some of your songs are quite topical \u2013 for example, \u201cmelting clocks\u201d featuring Mick Jenkins and Vic Mensa, released this month. How do you navigate that balance and find the right pace\/tempo?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I would say that \u201cmelting clocks\u201d is an invitation to contemplate our relationship to time and our relationship to music as a capsule of time. Music holds our connection to the passing of time in such a distinct way. I\u2019m really grateful for the relationship between poetry and jazz, because they\u2019re integral to each other, and I feel like this song really demonstrates it in an experimental way.<\/p>\n

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Photography by Daniel N. Johnson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

Talk us through your upcoming album, <\/strong>the color of rain<\/em><\/strong>. When did it begin to materialise and become a fuller project? Were there any moments or conversations that sparked the idea for this?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It didn\u2019t come to be until I met with Meshell, and she had this enthusiasm to make a record with me. In those conversations, we became more and more invested in exploring what could happen working together and the ideas that could come with collaborating. I think being on tour, especially being double-billed with her in Berlin, was one of the moments we got to connect, and we could realise that something would come of this. Essentially, the color of rain<\/em> was born to bring new life to the poems that I was creating.<\/p>\n

The producer lineup for this is incredible, with Justin Brown and Meshell Ndegeocello \u2013 how did these collaborations come together, and what was the process of making this record?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Justin Brown is one of my favourite drummers in the whole world, and of course, I\u2019ve just spoken about Meshell. It\u2019s great to admire your favourite artists and for them to admire you; to have that admiration be reciprocal and for there to be respect. I look up to Meshell so much and for the contributions she\u2019s made to the music of our culture, which spans so many generations, whilst still being so young. It feels good to be making music with people who respect poetry as an art form, but also understand poetry to be music as a symbiotic relationship. Justin is also a divine, unique soul who respects the power and language of words and wants that to reflect in music.<\/p>\n

Is there a particular line or verse from this project that you find yourself coming back to?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Right now, there are so many different lines that make me feel so grateful and proud of the record. The first track on the album \u201cSay It With Your Chest\u201d, I think that\u2019s such a declarative statement, and that\u2019s the one I\u2019m returning to most from the record right now \u2013 to be courageous, be true, and be sincere.<\/p>\n

You\u2019re also touring soon, with a few stops in the UK and Europe. What can fans and listeners expect from your performance?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s going to be an expansion and development of sounds, which will only deepen the connection to the poems. All my poems are different, so I\u2019m excited for people to experience the love and attention that\u2019s poured into the live performance. I\u2019m also excited for people to experience the burgeoning garden that comes from sharing music with people in real time, offline, and present with one another. I think it\u2019s so rare and precious to have present moments that reflect the awe of poetry in relation to music. I\u2019m so excited to fall in love with performing again, and again, and again, with the audience in collaboration.<\/p>\n

Listen to the color of rain<\/em>\u2026<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t29 May 2026\t\t\t<\/div>\n
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Feature Interview<\/a><\/div>\n
Music<\/a><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tBalming Tiger Find Influence With Insight<\/span> <\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\tWonderlist<\/span> <\/span><\/a>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Wonderland AJA MONET IS SAYING IT WITH HER CHEST On her sophomore album the color of rain, Surrealist Blues artist aja monet blurs \u2013 and rids \u2013 of the boundaries between poetry, protest and music.\u00a0 Photography by Daniel N. Johnson Somewhere between jazz club improvisation and political sermon, aja monet has built a body of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,257],"class_list":["post-1961915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-wonderlandmagazine-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1961915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1961915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1961915\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1961915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1961915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1961915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}