Janelle Monae poses regally on the cover of the current issue of Rolling Out Magazine .

The photo shoot which was inspired by the magic of 19th century France, took place in the ballroom Paris on Ponce, an antique store in Midtown Atlanta .

 The singer reveals what sparked her musical creativity.

“I was inspired by knowing that I came from an environment that didn’t have the greatest resources. But you used your imagination more because you didn’t have all of those elements. That’s where I cultivated my imagination and gift for writing plays and creating characters and alternate worlds. I started to go there [mentally] as a result of not having everything. Artistically and creatively, I’m able to go to worlds where no one else can go.

“Music is a stimulant to getting in tune with your imagination. Art inspires art. A movie can inspire a song, and a painting can inspire a performance. It’s important to exercise that and write as much as you can. Albert Einstein said it best, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge.’ If that’s not enough, I don’t know what else is.”

Check out the photos below along with footage from the shoot and read the rest of Janelle’s Rolling Out article here.

Photo Credit: Rolling Out