Janelle Monae says that she’s always competing against herself when it comes to her energetic performances.

The singer is known for her dancing during performances and admits to watching her own recordings to find ways of outdoing herself.

“I always think, 'How can my dance moves be more outlandish?' I'll look back at past videos and it's like I'm in competition with myself,” she told Marie Claire magazine.

“My mother is a great dancer. And, when I was growing up, there was this girl across the street who would perform and play piano and I would always watch her.”

During the interview the singer also talked collaborations, in particular with megastar Prince who has been a fan and friend of Monae’s for years.

“I can talk to Prince about anything. I just call him up,” she said. “He's been a supporter of mine since my debut EP ‘Metropolis’ and I'm so excited to produce him on my new album, ‘The Electric Lady’, as he doesn't collaborate very often.”

Watch Janelle Monae’s video for ‘Q.U.E.E.N.’ below: