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Janelle Monáe Is Unrecognizable in Elaborate ‘E.T.’ Halloween Costume

"You finally came home," the singer wrote in her caption.

Janelle Monáe performs at Sziget Festival 2024 at Óbuda Island on August 11, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary.

Janelle Monáe performs at Sziget Festival 2024 at Óbuda Island on August 11, 2024 in Budapest, Hungary.

Joseph Okpako/WireImage

When Janelle Monáe sang that she was “an alien from outer space” on 2008’s “Violet Stars Happy Hunting,” she meant it — she so committed to the bit, in fact, that her lyric is paying off 16 years later.

On Wednesday (Oct. 30), Monáe showed off her photo-realistic costume for Halloween 2024, where she dressed up as the lovable alien E.T. from the 1982 film of the same name. Dressed in a full-body recreation of the original puppet from the film, Monáe modeled a number of iconic looks from the movie, including the famous dress-up scene between the alien and Drew Barrymore’s character. In one final photo, Monáe even posed as protagonist Elliott in order to show the famous flying bike moment from the film.


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“You finally came home. Welcome back E.T. Thank you Google Maps,” Monáe wrote in the caption. “Starring yours truly as both E.T. & Janellllliott.”

For anyone who wanted to see the costume in action, Monáe is set to appear as a guest on The Jennifer Hudson Show on Thursday (Oct. 31), and the host posted a clip of her entrance. Dressed in her full E.T. getup with a blanket wrapped around her, Monáe gave a spot on impersonation of the alien’s voice as she said Hudson’s name over and over again. “I never would have guessed I got to meet E.T.,” a shocked Hudson declares in the clip.

Monáe recently cemented her title as the Queen of Halloween when she appeared on the cover of The Hollywood Reporter in full monster drag. “What I want people to see and to remember about me is that I wasn’t afraid to look silly,” she said in her interview. “I wasn’t afraid to investigate my fears and turn it into a costume. I’m not afraid to transform. I’m a transformative motherf—er.”

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Check out Monáe’s full Halloween costume here.

This article was originally published by Billboard U.S.

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Executive of the Week: Justin West of Secret City Records on the Secrets of Independent Music Success​
FYI

Executive of the Week: Justin West of Secret City Records on the Secrets of Independent Music Success​

The man behind one of Canada's most successful indie labels talks about the late-blooming success of French-language streaming record-holder Patrick Watson, why he builds long-term relationships with artists, and why it's important for the indie sector to work together.

Justin West is a leader and advocate in Canada’s independent music scene, but he didn’t plan it out that way. When he started his record label Secret City Records in Montreal in the mid-2000s, it was out of necessity. He had met an artist he loved and wanted to build a career with, and the label was a means to do it. That artist was Patrick Watson, and 20 years later he — and Secret City — are more successful than ever.

West — a multiple time Billboard Canada Power Player – leads one of the biggest indie labels in Canada while also advocating for the sector on multiple boards both locally and internationally. When we speak to him for this Executive of the Week interview, he’s just returned from Banff for the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence and Culture, and is a central figure in discussions around the Online Streaming Act and collective negotiations with online streaming platforms.

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