Janelle Monáe is the newest COVERGIRL. Print advertising campaign has wrapped (with makeup by Pat McGrath) and will debut in August 2012. News was announced today by Janelle herself via twitter and an interview with Vogue.com

Innovative Singer, Songwriter, & Time Traveler Covergirl Sets Out to Inspire Beauty Style Statements as Newest COVERGIRL

Tuesday, August 14, 2012 — HUNT VALLEY, MD — The COVERGIRL brand believes in helping women tap into what’s uniquely special about them and working it with confidence – celebrating a style that only they can rock. So it’s fitting that the beauty brand that’s all about “doing you” authentically is partnering with Janelle Monáe for an exciting new chapter of her life journey. The celebrated artist, once called a “different kind of diva” by Vogue, just wrapped her first COVERGIRL advertising shoot, which is scheduled to debut in the September issue of that publication next week. Monáe, who is already a renowned style icon with her signature black-tie wardrobe and striking hairstyle known as a “Monae,” becomes the newest COVERGIRL today, and she is on a unique mission to encourage women to use all their artistic powers to play, change, and transform.

“I believe it’s time that women truly owned their superpowers and used their beauty and strength to change the world around them,” said Monáe. “One of my core values is to help redefine what it means to be a strong and beautiful woman in the music and fashion worlds and to empower the wonderful things that make us unique. Becoming a COVERGIRL is truly an honor and a gift: it opens up a new platform for me to inspire women to feel stronger, braver and more beautiful inside and out.”

“Ever since Janelle made her electrifying arrival on the music scene, she has captured our imaginations, stirred our souls, and made us all move our feet,” said Esi Eggleston Bracey, VP and General Manager, COVERGIRL Cosmetics. “Janelle is a true force of energy and a beautiful spirit who truly delights in her creative journey, not just the destination. We’re elated and can’t wait to show the world another dimension of her artistic ‘superpowers’ as a member of our COVERGIRL family.”

Janelle Monáe has been widely lauded by the music industry for her energetic performances, dynamic voice, genre-bending artistic sensibility, and visionary approach to songwriting. Monáe’s debut concept album “The ArchAndroid” was released to widespread acclaim. This epic “emotion picture” (a term she coined) earned her multiple Grammy nominations and accolades from Associated Press, The Guardian, The Chicago Tribune, and the LA Times, who all named “The ArchAndroid” the #1 album of 2010. In addition to these accolades, Janelle Monáe was a recipient of the 2011 ASCAP Vanguard Award and included in the first-ever Women Who Rock exhibit in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year.

Most recently, she made a guest vocal appearance on the hit song, “We Are Young” with the band Fun. The song reached No. 1 on the Billboard® Hot 100 chart and gave Monáe her first appearance in the U.S. Top 10, as well as her first MTV VMA nomination. Furthermore, Monáe is also a rising social innovator with her own non-profit organization Super7, which is committed to providing essential “Super Powers” to young women and young girls everywhere, focusing on their health, well being, and personal dreams.