Electric Lady, Janelle Monáe
R&B crooner Janelle Monáe doesn't release albums, she releases suites. Her first suite was in the form of EP Metropolis. Suites II and III arrived courtesy of 2010's The ArchAndroid and we now have IV and V in Electric Lady. Monáe intermixes funky dance anthems, chill burners and the occasional radio interlude about a fugitive android. Oh, and the guest list for the album includes the likes of Prince, Erykah Badu, Solange and Miguel.
Tiny Hats on Cats
Writer and illustrator Adam Ellis has added hat maker to his résumé, constructing a number of hats for his cats. There's Maxwell, a three-legged kitty (where his leg went, no one knows, though Adam assumes "it was a shark attack), and Pepper, who makes for a perfect Wonder Woman. What inspired the project? "I don't know what else to do with all this damn construction paper."
Captain Marvel
Sure, we're excited for Thor 2 and Captain America 2 and Avengers 2, but what we really want is even one movie starring a female superhero. And the Internet seems to agree, with the rally cry for a Captain Marvel movie seemingly making its way to Marvel. One producer even went on record this week, saying Marvel has heard our cries. And will (probably) deliver...eventually.
Phillip Lim for Target
Like Jason Wu and Marc Jacobs before him, designer Phillip Lim is rolling out a collaboration with Target that hits shelves Sept. 15. And we literally cannot wait—which is why we've already set up camp outside Target in the Valley. Pro tip: Avoid Targets like Hollywood, or any other big city for that matter, which are bound to be a picked over hot mess come next week.
The Vineyard
As the summer season comes to an end, so does the greatest guilty pleasure of the summer: ABC Family's reality (maybe?) series about 11 hot, young, dramatic thangs who live and work together on Martha's Vineyard. It's sort of like The Hills, but with worse acting. And we loved every single second of it.
Joel Kinnaman
The new Robocop trailer has premiered online and it looks whatever, but there's one big, giant, gorgeous bright side to the remake: It will hopefully make Joel Kinnaman, he of The Killing and Lola Versus fame, become a household name. We wouldn't mind seeing this incredible actor in many more projects. Especially because he's incredibly easy on the eyes too.
Being Olivia Pope
Scandal is back! Scandal is back! SCANDAL IS BAAAAACK! Did we mention Scandal is (almost) back? Our favorite ABC drama returns Oct. 3, but the latest promo will more than hold us over for the next month. Mostly because, for the next month or so, we'll just be walking around yelling, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" just like our hero, Olivia Pope. (Also: Who did what?! What did they do?! Is it Scandal-ous?!)
Short Term 12
The best movie you'll see this summer doesn't have superheroes. It doesn't have robots fighting monsters or funny strippers or ghosts. It's about a girl (played by your new favorite actress, Brie Larson) who works at a group home and must balance the problems of her kids with her own issues. It is funny and heartbreaking and truly touching. The indie has already taken the festival world by storm. Hopefully, the same will happen come awards season.
Miley Cyrus' Infinite Tongue
When Miley Cyrus debuted her song "We Can't Stop," we assumed it was about partying. But we were wrong: The "we" is mostly just Miley and the "can't stop" refers to sticking out her tongue. If she's on the red carpet, her tongue is out. If she's in a music video, her tongue is out. If she's onstage, twerking on Robin Thicke's junk, well, you get it. And now, the website MileyCyrusTongue.com exists. For your endless (literally) Miley tongue needs.
Protesting Russian in Your Undies
Belgian fashion designer Kristof Buntix has created a "quiet revolution." And the revolution will be...underwear! After learning of Russia's anti-gay laws, Buntix set about creating a series of 17 boxer designs featuring recognizable Russian symbols with an LGBT-friendly twist. "Imagine that you live in Russia where you cannot be gay, but under your clothing you are still able to wear a pair of protest shorts. Is that not a nice thought?" he explains. Undies available on kristofbuntinx.com.
Britney Spears' Countdown Clock
Anybody else checking the countdown clock on BritneySpears.com every three seconds, hoping that something will happen but knowing that nothing will until it ends on Sept. 17? No, just us? Well, OK then. We have our fingers and toes crossed that when the clock ends we'll have new Britney music, as she's supposed to release a new album (exec produced by will.i.a.m) before the end of the year.
"The Wire," HAIM
We were obsessed with this indie trio of sisters (Este, Danielle and Alana Haim) as soon as we heard their track "Falling." Now, as they amp up to the release of their debut album, Days Are Gone, next month, we cannot stop playing their latest single, "The Wire." We defy you to listen to the clap-happy and not want to dance. Listen here.
Karen Walker's Kid-Friendly Campaign
Eyewear designer Karen Walker ditched the usual fashion model scene for latest campaign and instead set her (chicly shaded) eyes on a younger demographic. And while all the kids are absolutely adorable, our favorite is 4-year-old Alice-Rose, who's rocking the Peek-A-Boo frames. When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, Alice-Rose replied, "Be in the same house with my mum and dad and my big brother." Holy crap, that's adorable!
Megaburgerpizza
This is Megaburgerpizza, something we only ever dreamed of that's apparently already being sold in Japan. The concoction—which makes cronuts and ramen burgers look pathetic—will be sold from Sept. to Nov. at Pizza Little Party in Kyoto and weighs almost three pounds. It's multiple beef patties sandwiched between two large pizzas, topped with pizza and burger toppings, and will cost you 2,580 yen (about $26 dollars). Which is a bargain, in our opinion.
Throwing Shade
The podcast-turned-Funny or Die features "feminasty" Erin Gibson and "homosensual" Bryan Safi and, in their words, "take a weekly look at all the issues important to ladies and gays and treat them with much less respect than they deserve." It's a hilarious romp through politics, news, pride and, maybe most of all, shame every week. Subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or watch the vlog on Funny or Die.
Japan's Answer to Grumpy Cat
Meet Foo-Chan, an Internet-famous kitten who hails from Japan. Unlike Grumpy Cat, who hates everything you do, Foo-Chan isn't mad. He's just disappointed. And you can find about a million more pictures of him here, on his Tumblr.
Beyoncé's Next Haircut
Let us quickly take you through the emotional journey that has been This Month in Beyoncé's Hair: Queen Bey's flawless silky locks were on point, per always, before she CUT THEM ALL OFF and debuted a shocking new pixie cut (possibly a direct result of an altercation she had with a fan). OMG! A week later and her hair is longer again, styled in a cute bob. OMGAGAIN! What's next?! B, you gotta stop toying with our emotions like this!
Shailene Woodley + Miles Teller
It's the sort of chemistry that Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson had while promoting those Twilight movies. But without the drama. Or the dating. We just love the Spectacular Now costars—they're funny, charming, down to earth and crazy talented—and we love them even more when they're sold as a package. Which is why we're so happy they'll be together again once Divergent hits theaters next year.
"Replay," Zendaya
Usually Dancing With the Stars is used to revive careers, but Zendaya Coleman was only just beginning when she competed on the show. And now the 16-year-old Disney star is taking her newfound fame to the music charts, premiering the video for the first single off her debut album. Z is giving us serious Rihanna vibe—vintage Rih, before was naked all the time—and we're into it.
Portraits of Babies Eating Lemons
You've seen the YouTube videos of babies sucking on lemons, now here are the pictures: Photographers April Maciborka and David Wile shot the series and explain it this way: "Lemons can be a great source of entertainment. Especially when you give babies the opportunity to taste it for the first time!" All that really matters is that the photos are ridiculously adorable and we would buy them in coffee table book-format any day.
Thorested Development
"Now the story of a Thunder God who lost everything and the one brother who had no choice but to help him out...It's Thorested Development." So begins the mash-up no one saw coming: Thor: The Dark World and Arrested Development. And yet, it works. Thanks to the genius minds of Leigh Lahav and Tom Trage. Spoiler alert: Thor is the Buster of Thorested Development?! Watch now.
Stephen Colbert's Best Segment Ever
The Colbert Report made the trek to Vicco, Ky. this week for yet another edition of "People Who Are Destroying America." There, we met Johnny Cummings, the town's hairdresser and openly gay mayor, who made news when Vicco became the smallest city in America to pass an LGBT fairness ordinance. More so, we meet the "simple hillfolk" of Cummings' town, and what they have to say about it all is simply...the best. Watch now.
Jeremy on ANTM
Tyra Banks, model-turned-mogul and Harvard Graduate, has reinvented the wheel: This cycle of America's Next Top Model, the 20th, has models competing against...male models! Which we are fully on board with. Especially because it brought us Jeremy Rohmer, our pick of the Top Model litter. He has so much potential. Which translates to: He's so hot. (Anyone who disagrees can KISS OUR FAT ASS.)
Serial Taxi
If none of the movies at the Cineplex this weekend are your cup of tea, why not watch something at home? And if none of the movies on Netflix are your cup of tea because they're just too damn long—120 minutes?! That's two hours of my life!— watch Serial Taxi, a witty little short by 3D artist Paolo Cogliati, about a business woman who might have just hitched a ride with a crazed serial killer. Watch now.