Janelle Monáe officially opened the 2020 Oscars today (Feb. 9) with a sparkling, dazzling performance.
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She opened the show with a charming, quirky performance of "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" the opening theme song of the iconic children's TV series, "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." Dressed as the titular Mister Rogers, red cardigan and all, Monáe tossed her hat to Tom Hanks, who this year was nominated for an Oscar in the Actor In A Supporting Role category for his portrayal of the show's creator, Fred Rogers, in the 2019 drama, A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood.
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The eight-time GRAMMY nominee then jumped into an Oscars-centric version of her 2010 track "Come Alive (War Of The Roses)," featuring a surprise performance by Billy Porter as well as a crew of dancers, who were dressed in costumes that nodded to the many films nominated at this year's Oscars season as well as other breakout films of 2019, including Joker, Dolemite Is My Name, Midsommar and others.
Toward the end of her performance, Monáe shouted out all the female directors and other minority actors and creatives who were largely shut out of the 2020 Oscars nominations.
"Tonight, we celebrate all the amazing talent in this room," she said. "We celebrate all the women who directed phenomenal films. And I'm so proud to stand here as a black, queer artist telling stories. Happy Black History Month."
Monáe last released her 2018 album, Dirty Computer, which was nominated for Album Of The Year and Best Music Video, for album track "PYNK," at the 61st GRAMMY Awards, held in 2019.
