Spring 2019 | Rhys Lewis

EUPHORIA. SPRING 2019 / ISSUE 11 $13.50

Rhys Lewis

bebe rexha by jack alexander in wesley harriott read more on page 80

EUPHORIA. Editor-in-Chief LAURA ERSOY

Photo Editor

Online Editor

JACK ALEXANDER

AIMEE PHILLIPS

Writers AMANDA LANG DANA TETENBURG DYLAN HAAS ELLA GUTHRIE HASAN BEYAZ ILANA KAPLAN LUKE PETTICAN MARK MCCONVILLE RUTH BLANEY

Photographers DERRICK FRESKE JACK ALEXANDER JERRY MAESTAS JOSEPH SINCLAIR SHANNA FISHER

Stylists CHARLIE BRIANNA DAVID HAWKINS ELLA LOUISE GASKELL HALEY HANCOCK JACLYN FLEURANT JAZMIN WHITLEY JENNIFER AUSTIN KENDALL FINZER SILKEN WEINBERG

Hair AARON LIGHT BEKAH LESSER CASTILLO DANIELE PIERSONS FRANKIE PAYNE JOHNNY STUNTZ JUSTINE MARJAN MICHAEL DUENAS PRESTON WADA SOPHIE MOORE

Makeup / Grooming ALISON CHRISTIAN BROOKE HILL CARLENE K CAITLIN KRENZ ETIENNE ORTEGA JACLYN B MELISSA MURDICK MARIA VARGAS SHAMIRAH SAIRALLY

Special Thanks COURTHOUSE HOTEL SHOREDITCH MONDRIAN LOS ANGELES PEERSPACE SONY MUSIC THE MEGARO HOTEL

Madison Beer

Lauren Jau

the covers

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photo of lauren jauregui by jerry maestas read more on page 58

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Discover

A huge foundation of who we are is shining a light on talented up-and-coming people across entertainment. Here are a few you may already know, and some that you should keep your eye on.

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DRESS hiraeth HARNESS hiraeth BOOTS hiraeth JEWELRY luv aj

BROODS BAND New Zealand-bred brother-sister pop duo BROODS are at the top of their game.

Their latest album, Don't Feed the Pop Monster, is their most personal and polished effort yet—and their new tour is set to be an intimate and special affair for fans and newcomers alike.

Coming off the success of their first two albums, Evergreen and Conscious, the band struggled with the lull between projects—the attention had shifted away from them. Confidence had to be rebuilt, new experiences had to be embraced, and emotions had to be confronted in order to discover the newest (and best) versions of themselves. Now, they're back and ready to present who they are with more conviction than ever before.

We caught up with Caleb and Georgia Nott to talk about Don't Feed the Pop Monster, their new outlooks on life, mental health, and more. words dylan haas photography jerry maestas styling silken weinberg hair bekah lesser at opus beauty using oribe makeup caitlin krenz at opus beauty using marc jacobs

Tell us a bit about your album, Don't Feed The Pop Monster.

Georgia: I feel like you can hear that we've gotten a bit older and we're... I don't want to say tired, but like a little bit less *green*? I guess we've had a lot of life experience condensed into the last three years and learned a lot about ourselves.

Not just as, like, artists and our place in the industry, but just as people and our place in the world.

Can you guys elaborate a little bit on the title of the album?

Don't Feed The Pop Monster—what does that mean to you?

Caleb: I think we felt in the past that we maybe had been feeding "the pop monster" for sure—and making decisions not really based on what we thought was actually true to us.

Georgia: I think making decisions based on what you think you should do rather than what you feel is right for you. And I think that people do that all the time in and out of the industry.

So you felt a little more freedom this time around?

Georgia: Yeah! Don't do anything you don't want to do. And I think, like, you find yourself in those positions all the time in your early twenties—you're navigating how to fit into a situation, how to do your job, how to be young and be responsible.

And there's just a lot of different shit flying at you and you just kind of have to learn to take what you want from it and what you need from it, and leave the rest of the bullshit behind, I think. Like, filtering through what is actually right for you and what actually fulfills you, and *why* you do what you do rather than what you do.

Did you take any influence from specific artists when writing this album?

Caleb: I think we wanted to make something true. And we've been listening to a lot of artists that are just making what they want...

Georgia: ...Rather than making what is relevant. I think that relevance doesn't live in, like, a beat or a tone or a lyric— it lives in how you do your outlet, how you present your outlet with conviction. A lot of people mistake "being relevant" for following trends. And I think, for us, the only way we can be relevant is if we are one hundred percent authentic to what we actually want to do, what we want to say, and how we want to say it.

A standout for me is the emotional vulnerability that you brought to the table, especially on the track "Too Proud." Can you talk about how that song came to fruition and what it means to you?

Caleb: It was a huge time of a lot of uncertainty about our careers and our future. And going from four years of being busy and having the attention of a lot of people—then all of a sudden, you know, it all went away overnight and I just felt a little bit lost.

So, I guess [making "Too Proud"] was just trying to make something out of that. And I just wanted to bring attention to mental health, especially in men, because after I decided that I was going to get out of it, it didn't take very long at all, you know? Going to therapy and talking about it openly made it go away pretty quickly for me.

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CHANDLER KINNEY ACTRESS words laura ersoy photography derrick freske styling haley hancock hair/makeup jaclyn b

What made you want to pursue acting? Do you remember when you realized it’s what you were meant to do?

I don’t remember exactly when I realized that acting was what I was “meant to do,” but I do remember when I had to choose between all of the activities I was involved in at the time and dedicate my time and attention to just one. I comm– itted to pursuing acting, and not once have I regretted it.

Who are some actors/actresses that inspire you most?

A very difficult question for someone who finds inspiration in most everything! There are so many artists I look up to, but just to throw out one: Lupita Nyong’o. I’ve been a fan of hers for years, and with every new role she takes on, she never ceases to amaze me. She is clever, bold, educated, and fierce.

What are some of your favorite genres of music? Artists?

I’m super eclectic... kind of all over the place. It really depends on where I am and how I’m feeling. Some of my newer favs: Joji, Bruno Major, Arlo Parks, Umi, and Billie Eilish.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

One of my favorite pieces of advice is “Stay inspired.” It’s crucial for actors to feed their creativity and keep their artistic spirits active. This can be accomplished through watching great performances in film, TV, and theater or reading top literary novels and plays. It’s like homework for the artist.

What was it like when you found out you were cast as Riana in Lethal Weapon?

I honestly felt really lucky when I booked Lethal Weapon.

I put in a lot of time and work for an amazing project like this to come along, but I know that’s not always enough because nothing is guaranteed in this business. So I really feel like in that moment, the stars aligned for me and I’ll be forever grateful.

What’s been your favorite part of playing Riana?

Her outgoing spirit and rebellious nature keep me on my toes.

Having the privilege of growing up alongside her has been such a learning experience not only as an artist but also just as a human, and I can’t wait for more.

Tell us about Chandler’s Friends.

Chandler’s Friends is an organization my mom and I started to empower at-risk youth. We recently developed “Chandler’s Friends Read!”, a reading program that invites individuals from the entertainment industry to come read to elementary school students. It is designed to promote literacy while celebrating the joy and value of reading to help children reach their full potential. The program is something very close to my heart and I am looking forward to expanding in the future.

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FLETCHER SINGER words amanda lang photography derrick freske styling charlie brianna at opus beauty hair johnny stuntz makeup maria vargas at opus beauty using milk makeup and becca cosmetics

Strong women. It's been the buzzword throughout 2019, leading into 2019 and it's been used in reference everyone from Oscarwinning actresses, to prominent Supreme Court voices, to the girl sitting next to you on the subway.

What makes a strong woman? It's not a matter of physical prowess, nor even some sort of mental toughness. Above all, in 2019, being a strong woman means being a compilation of negative attributes and enviable qualities, coexisting in one being. In other words, a human being. Seems obvious, though it seems to have only been acknowledged a being true in the past couple of years.

Which brings us to Fletcher. The New Jersey born female powerhouse whose brutally honest tracks speak to modern feminism, brutal heartbreak, and emotional healing. The 24-year-old singer has been vocal, both about her complex sexuality, and her history of mental illness. However, neither of those qualities could possibly be defined as weakness in her case. If anything, they are two of the influences that have made her music so strongly relatable. FLETCHER spoke to me of her desire to make connections with her listeners. With the recent release of her video for "Undrunk," FLETCHER's accessible and addictive repertoire of music continues to connect to listeners, no matter their gender, sexuality, or musical taste. That's what is so amazing about good music, it speaks to everyone.

What about love inspires you? Why do you think that love and heartbreak has been fodder for poetry, art and music since human beings first picked up a paintbrush?

The thing that inspires me the most about heartbreak is that I just feel the most creative when I'm sad. It feels like a cathartic release and I feel like the only thing that gives me peace of mind is being able to put that sadness into art and music. I feel like when you are heartbroken you just want to feel connected to other people and feel understood and you aren't the only person feeling insane for feeling the way you do. Love has been the inspiration for all that stuff for forever because it's the most universal feeling.

You're very sexually open in your music. Is it easier to do that through art? Was there ever a time when you felt a but more nervous about that sort of honesty?

There was 100% a time that I felt nervous about it. Especially coming from the town where I came from, where if you didn't fit into a certain stereotype then you were outcasted and it was a nerve wracking thing for me. The place I feel the most free to be myself is through music and I don't know if that's because it's disguised with a pretty melody and lyrics. I feel like I can say the things I wouldn't be able to say out loud through a song. It's saved my life, if I can put words to someone else's feeling or situation or something they might be going through and make it a bit easier, that's the reason why I do this.

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I was just watching "Wasted Youth" which includes me clips from what looks like old home movies. What goes into these raw videos of yours? They all seem almost painfully autobiographical.

I think the best things have come to me n my life from being vulnerable and honest and sharing my stories. That used to be something I was uncomfortable with and I'm still learning to embrace it more but through these videos I want people to see me and where I came from and what my experience has been.

So, including home footage in "Wasted Youth," and there were also home footage vibes in the "Undrunk" video, I think that is a way for you to get to know an artist on an intimate level, by seeing where they came from. That's why I shot on the beach I grew up going to and including a shot of my childhood home. It was important to me to include those things so that people can really get who I am.

What message about matters of the heart are you hoping to convey through your music?

Real female experiences and what it means to be a woman in 2019 and to tell myself through an honest perspective.

Everyone has been through heartbreak and terrible situations and I think just by being honest and sharing what I went through, I want to make people feel something through that.

Tell me about growing up in New Jersey. A lot of your videos seem to touch on some aspect of the past.

Growing up in Jersey was a really amazing experience and I only have positive memories about my childhood.

I struggled a lot growing up with mental health and OCD and anxiety. Those are things I still struggle with today so I felt like I was just really in my head as a kid.

Music was the one outlet for me there but Jersey is so part of my roots and growing up in the same part of town that Springsteen grew up in and my mom grew up there too. What Springsteen does in his music and story telling are things that I have taken to create a narrative and a story so hat people could feel connected. I've really taken that from growing up in. Such a historically rich with music part of New Jersey.

You've spoken about being inspired by your grandmother before, what advice has she given you? What lessons have you learned from her?

My grandma grew up singing. She is the one person in my life who was musical. The thing she always told me was to just sing from your heart. Every time I am on stage, I remind myself of that because I have such bad performance anxiety. I remind myself of why I do this, because I want to feel and make people feel something and feel connected to one another and to myself.

If you had to describe your music in one word, it would be...

Diary. It feels like the most embarrassing stuff I maybe wouldn't want to share with someone else but I'm dong it because it is the only thing that makes me feel sane. Knowing others may have felt the same way. It's like a page torn from my diary.

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KERRI MEDDERS ACTRESS words laura ersoy photography derrick freske hair & makeup daniele piersons

Who are some actors/actresses that inspire you most?

Angelina Jolie in Tomb Raider is what inspired me to get into acting but her work in Girl, Interrupted is what I study for my work now. Also, Timothée Chalamet is a huge inspiration to me because of the naturalism of his work. It's so beautiful and mesmerizing to watch.

What are some of your favorite genres of music?

I love all kinds of music– it personally just depends on my mood.

The one band that's always been a favorite of mine for the longest time would be The 1975, to the point a lot of people associate me with their first record.

When did you get started in music?

I've always loved music growing up, but I didn't start creating my own music until I moved to Los Angeles. I really turned to it during a time where there wasn't anything moving forward in acting so I wrote out my thoughts and created music. I found a release in it and it's been a release ever since. Now it's just a more grown up version. Oh, and now I'm actually touring!

Can you tell us a bit about your most recent release?

I am releasing a new single on March 14th called "I'm Sorry."

The song is more of a chapter closing in my life. It's about how I fault with love and personally it's the most honest song I've ever put out.

When can fans expect another?

This spring! New music is coming and I'm so excited for everyone to hear it!

What was it like when you found out you were cast as Gwenny in Alexa & Katie?

I was so excited! I knew it was going to be an experience to grow with the character and really get to figure out her story.

What was your process like preparing for the role?

I think my process for Gwenny was just creating her world.

No one knows this but I would jam "Barbie Girl" by Aqua and "Formation" by Beyoncé to get into her mind before scenes.

What's been your favorite part of playing Gwenny?

Gwenny always has these super out moments (ex: spider on the shoulder, spray tans, chicken noises, hashtag everything) and her dialogue on how she deals with situations is hilarious because it's so un-myself.

What's next for you?

I am finishing up season two of SEAL Team on CBS as Emma Hayes, I have a film called Do Not Reply coming out where I play a character named Meagan who deals with Stockholm syndrome, and I am working on more music!

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MISS BENNY

SINGER A pure embodiment of personality, Miss Benny is the cult-pop sensation we've all been waiting for. The moniker of Ben J. Pierce, better known by his humble beginnings on YouTube, Miss Benny is the newest form of Pierce's wealth of creative talent. Pure pop, but built with a range of different talents, Miss Benny is the selfassured, be yourself icon we all need in our lives. With the release of "Rendezvous," Miss Benny burst onto a saturated scene like a breath of fresh air. Now ready to release even more soon-to-be anthems, we caught up with Ben to talk about how Miss Benny came to be. words ella sadie photography jerry maestas

How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard it before?

It's clumsily confident and is intended to make you want to kiss a lot of boys and wiggle your life away. That is how I feel in my day-to-day life as a twenty-year-old queer romantic, so I try to put it in my music. Sonically it's shimmery with soaring pads and bubbly synths, but with heavy bass and trap beats underneath. I am putting together my first EP right now and all the songs have this really flirty energy. I am really happy with where my sound has landed.

Miss Benny is the newest musical form you've taken.

How has your music changed since you started making it? What new and old influences are present?

Oh boy, my music has changed as much as I have since I started making it years ago. I think back when I first started, I would sound like whoever I was influenced by at the time.

But I spent all of last year carving out my own sound as a songwriter and producer, and then once I found what that sound was, I put an insane amount of bravado behind it and set a release schedule for 2019. I have so much music coming out this year and I'm so glad that people are eager for it. I am too! My biggest influences probably are Charli XCX and Joji. I'd die to work with either of them in my career.

You started on YouTube in 2014, and now you're making pop bangers and acting on shows like Fuller House, which must be a dream. How has that whole transition and experience been?

My experience floating between YouTube and more traditional media like television and music has been really interesting!

They are all VERY different industries and my feelings towards each world have evolved constantly as I've tried to find the balance between the two.

With the musical projects you've done, you're part of the whole creative production process whenever you create a song. What's the impact that has on your artistry?

Currently, I produce, write, record, and release all my own songs independently. It's a bit insane and I don't mean that in a self-serving "look at my mind" kind of way. It really slows things down. But it means that by the end of the process, the idea that exists in my mind comes out exactly how I want it.

And when you're figuring out your identity as an artist, I think that is really helpful. It's really important to me that the first body of work I put out is completely streamlined from my mind to yours. And I'm very excited to do exactly that later this year with my debut EP.

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You describe yourself as a "teenage party favor" and your single "Rendezvous" is a true lesson in cult pop! But what influences your songwriting?

I know it's a bit of a canned or maybe boring answer, but I'm most influenced by the true events in my life. The men I date, the parties I go to, the low moments I feel. I write about it all in my phone notes and sometimes it turns into songs very quickly or sometimes much later on. My next single comes out at the beginning of April, and it is entirely inspired by a real moment. I was asked what I was looking for in my love life, and I just simply exclaimed: "I just wanna kiss every boy in the world!" – that song is my favorite song I've written.

Being who you are is really important to you, and you're a big advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, do you think it's important for musicians to stand up and stand out for causes they believe in?

Speaking for myself personally, it's important to me to be as authentic and visible as necessary with my identity because representation changed my life when I was a closeted kid in

a conservative environment. If I can even make a fraction of a change with the things I do in my life, or if I can make someone feel a little bit better about their own path, then that'll feel like I've done something right.

What's next on the cards for Miss Benny?

Weeeeell, I just released my first single and music video called "Rendezvous" in January and it was met with so much love which I'm over the moon about. And now I can finally say that I have a new single coming out at the beginning of April called "Every Boy" – I just shot the music video for it and it's my favorite thing I've made yet.

I'm currently filming a TV pilot called Glamorous – I can't say much about the show just yet but what I can say is that I am so grateful to be a part of a project that completely celebrates and normalizes queer voices in a really fun way. It's a dream come true.

AJR AJR's unique sound takes influence from a wide array of genres and styles and, as a trio, they manage to effortlessly intertwine those inspirations to create an unforgettable sound that's distinctly their own. The boundlessly energetic production that they employ perfectly complements their authentically introspective lyricism, that while being deeply personal, remains accessibly universal. After the success of their sophomore album The Click, their track "100 Bad Days" definitely marked their return and evidenced the band's confidence and unquenchable passion for innovation.

Reflecting on the track, Ryan said, "We try to write as auto– biographical as possible and I think all of our favorite songs that we've written have been the most kind of authentic lessons that we've learned and that we think would be cool to share with people. We've been a band for a really long time and over the past 13 years, most of our experiences have been rejections, failures, meetings that have gone badly and managers that say they can do something, but they can't.

"That's just most of your life as a band so we are now realizing that those are most fun stories to tell. The same, kind of, applies if you go on a bad date. It's always more fun to tell your friends about the bad dates than the good ones. The song is an interesting spin on what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, in fact, what doesn't kill you makes you more interesting."

The success of their incredible track "Weak," from their sophomore album, saw the band reach brand new heights.

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Reflecting on the popularity and emotional resonance of the track, Ryan explains "that was a big moment for us, in terms of solidifying AJR's sound and realizing that maybe people care about things that haven't been written about before. As an artist, when you're starting out you tend to try and emulate other people. Then when you become confident enough in your own artistry you start to experiment more and start to figure out what I can say that hasn't been said by people. "'Weak' was one of the first moments where we realized that there's so many songs on the radio about being confident and strong and that's not super realistic for us, or the average person, let's try writing the opposite of that. Let's try glorifying being weak. As soon as it started taking off, we got really excited it opened up the door for the albums The Click and Neotheater, where every song is a concept, which as far as we know, has not been written about before."

The Click was an astonishing success, going gold in the United States. Pondering the effect of album's success on the band's creative process lead vocalist Jack said "We had to kind of think, okay, we want another album that does well. Do we copy the sound of The Click? Or do we copy the mindset that went behind [it]? We decided the do the latter because the mindset was let's surprise people and take a lot of risks by doing something that hasn't been done.

"We thought let's not copy the sound but let's do that again but do it on steroids. On this album, every time we were faced with a decision, the idea was why not?

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Let's just make it the craziest album we can make, we finally have some kind of platform, this is our chance to influence the music industry and not settle and not try to copy anything that's been done before. But, instead, let's try and make our mark."

The band's ambition transcends the recording process with the band bringing their eager passion for experimenting to their live shows too. Reflecting on their Neotheater tour, Jack said "We decided we were going to scrap everything on our The Click tour.

On that tour in-between songs, we had a lot of theatrical moments and different things that aren't the music because coming up with that stuff really excites us. We decided that in the same way a stand-up comedian at the end of every year scraps their material and starts over, we wanted to start afresh.

"We said let's do everything bigger and better now that we're playing bigger venues. If you liked the Click tour, I think you're really going to be into this new tour. If you didn't see The Click tour, I think this tour is going to mess with your mind a little bit."

Pondering the difficult challenge of incorporating their new material in their setlist Ryan remarked, "It's funny to think about what we would want to see if we were going to see our favorite bands and we knew their music and then they dropped a new album. In terms of percentage of the new stuff versus the old stuff, I think we've struck a good balance.

"Neotheater has a really big opening, that's really swelling and emotional, and then there's this really bombastic finale.

So we knew we really wanted to start and end the show with that beginning and ending because it really feels almost like Broadway show in terms of the rollercoaster of emotion."

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One song that'll undoubtedly be warmly received by their devoted fans on the road is their awe-inspiringly intriguing track "Birthday Party." Explaining the track's origin Jack said "as we were writing it, we knew it was the weirdest one on the album lyrically. There's this immense irony to the entire song that we had a really fun time writing. The song actually came alive after a period of writer's block, where for a month we were just writing these very half-assed songs where we felt like we had to follow the specific structure of the record" "I remember Ryan was taking a shower one day and he just shouted to me to come in. Then Ryan just sang the chorus and I looked at him and I was like I have no idea what that means but this is amazing and the song just kind of went from there."

Given the immense success of their preceding album, the band could have easily played it safe and comfortably rode on the monumental momentum that The Click instigated. With tracks like "Birthday Party" and "100 Bad Days," the band's unwavering willingness to take risks more than pays off. They relish in their new-found confidence, resulting in the formation of instantly memorable and joyously surprising new songs that are perfectly suited for the band's spirited live shows. words luke pettican photography joseph sinclair styling ella louise gaskell assisted by sophie o'kane grooming shamirah sairally special thanks the megaro hotel

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Conan Gray How do you feel watching the sun set? Soft, dreamlike, refreshed, calm, a bit nostalgic, natural. Warm and cooling down, but not freezing, rather the nice summer evening kind of cool. That's what it feels like to listen to Conan Gray. His distinctive voice, self aware lyrics and retro aesthetic form a heavenly persona of a creative professional.

The Irish-Japanese 20 year old explains his crazy world in a draw my life video on his YouTube channel ConanxCanon. Raised in San Diego, to Hiroshima, back to San Diego, and settling in Texas, Gray's upbringing was filled with many different houses, people and emotions. "My childhood definitely wasn't daisies, but I don't think I would've worked so hard to escape if it weren't for those tough times. I knew from a very young age that I didn't want to repeat the mistakes of my family, and that I had to work my ass off to build a better future for myself."

any money so I shopped at thrift stores, which is why I had that vintage/retro vibe. It was never purposeful, it was just me." And that's what makes Gray great. In a world where identity crafting and self branding is at the forefront of the mind, intimately being yourself is what takes a master class.

Departing Gray's humble beginnings on the internet and fast forwarding to March 2017, we see an upload of a home recorded video gaining traction. It's an original song titled Idle Town, and it carries those infamous American countryside acoustic sound waves over saturated and overlayed vintage film clips of Gray and his friends. An outsider looking in would feel as if they'd peaked their head inside an auditorium hosting a high school graduation displaying art students film projects. To date the video has racked up over 12 million views.

Gray rose to front and centre through growing his YouTube channel. "YouTube was always this fun weekend project for me while I was in high school. It was never a career choice, just a place to post music and memories. I started making videos and songs when I was nine, so I had no clue what YouTube was going to turn into." Posting originals and covers as well as videos about art, thrifting, fashion design, beauty, gender, school and more, viewers are drawn to Gray's authenticity and lack of formula.

"Idle Town was originally a really cheesy love song I wrote about the person I liked all throughout high school. Senior year, they ended up breaking my heart, so I re-wrote the entire song to be a love song for my friends and my town, rather than them. I recorded it in my bedroom on a cheap mic I'd taped to a broken lamp, and produced it myself on garage band. Me and my best friend filmed me hopping through my neighbourhood and made a music video. When I posted it, I had no clue that it was going to change my life, move me out to LA, and get me signed."

Playing with a visual style of doodles, plants, natural sunlight and primary colors, and speaking to you as if you were a close friend, Conan Gray feels like home. "I think my aesthetic or whatever you may call it was mostly an accident. I grew up in a small town, so that's why I had small town vibes. I didn't have

Gray has since released his debut EP, comfortably titled Sunset Season. Alongside Idle Town, we hear other catchy yet calm tracks – Generation Why, Crush Culture, Greek God and Lookalike. Gray utilises the EP to respond to fragments of his surroundings.

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Generation Why takes an eye-roll towards adults from the stand point of a member of the so-called lazy youth "I wanted to make light of that trope, and also poke fun at it." Crush Culture takes an eye-roll towards those in love from the stand point of someone who is single "It's just hard to love love when you aren't in it yourself."

Gray is not just a bitter teenager. His lyricism displays a profound understanding of both his own perspective and the perspective of others. "I think my introversion was the root of my songwriting. I was a very quiet kid, and the only way I really spoke my thoughts into existence was through music. It was the most visceral way for me to scream what I was feeling, without having to make any real noise. I'm a chronic overthinker, and writing music is the only way I am able to organise my brain.

I couldn't stop writing music even if I wanted to, it is the love of my life."

Luckily for Gray, the love of his life has been starting to rake in some coin. He recently toured with Panic! at the Disco for 4 Californian dates on their Pray for the Wicked tour. "Touring for Panic was such an honour, absolutely life changing‌I thought that going from playing crowds of 200 four months ago to crowds of 20,000 now would be terrifying, but it was oddly comfortable up there on stage. The crowds are so inviting, and I kind of black out when I'm performing. Don't remember any of it.

It's the best feeling in the world, just losing yourself on stage."

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Since getting a taste for big tour life, Gray is ecstatic for his own tour around the States called The Sunset Shows, performing songs from his EP as well as over originals and covers. "I feel like touring was what I was made to do. I've always been so restless, so touring is a cure for my constant need for change and work. Can't wait to be back on the road singing this music for my people, it's everything to me."

What's next for Gray? "Debut album is in the works! Tons of music, and even more music to be released before the album comes out." How's that going? "I still write all my songs alone in my bedroom, still sing random ideas into my phone. Just now, when I have a good idea, I get to work with people who I am so inspired by to really get the vision together." What about the style, how do you see this developing with your career?

"I honestly don't think about this. I write songs that I like. I write songs that I think are good. I write songs that I think are true to my life right at the moment."

It's thus far been a whirlwind for this small town angel boy, and it's not about to stop. "I am so damn ready to get out on the road and sing these songs for y'all! Thank ya."

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Jade Chynoweth

When did you begin dancing?

When I was a little over two years old. A bit more like dress-up in tutus than dance at that age though.

When did you go competitive? What was the transition and training like switching over to competition?

All I can remember was competing but I switched to a more serious studio when I was 7. Classes just got a little longer and the movement more advanced the older I was.

Who were some dancers that inspired you growing up?

Gev Manoukian, Janelle Ginestra, Tucker Barkley, Travis Wall, Blake McGrath… There are so many that it would be impossible to name them all.

When did you make the move to LA? I was just kind of going back and forth between Utah and LA starting around 12 years old. My weekly trips eventually became monthly and then multiple months at time. It’s kind of hard to say when I “officially” moved out, but maybe around 14.

We, like many others, discovered you through the viral dance videos choreographed by artists like WillDaBeast, Brian Friedman, Yannis, Jojo, etc. When did you begin to see a spike in your following?

I would say that the “Bitch Better Have Money” video choreographed by Tricia Miranda was the catalyst. That said, I started in the industry around the same time that platforms like instagram started getting popular so there was a sense of immediate, organic growth from the start.

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You’ve gotten a lot of love from the artists whose songs you’ve performed! Who was the first artist you remember resharing or commenting on your dancing?

It’s been awesome watching artists appreciate dance. For me, the first real recognition from an artist was from Chris Brown when he reposted my performance of “Privacy” choreographed by Nicole Kirkland.

With social media being the tool that it is, you’ve been able to partner with Fit2BeIt. Tell us a bit about the parternship.

My partnership with Fit2BeIt was born from our mutual desire to spread a message of health and wellness. I think it’s important for young people like myself to know and understand their bodies and make a conscious effort to better themselves. We only get one body and when treated with respect and care it can be very powerful.

You’ve already worked with some amazing artists, how did you link up with Alex Aiono for his music video “Work The Middle”?

I would say this a perfect example of social media acting as it was intended, a networking tool. Alex and his team hired Will (Willdabeast) and asked for myself and a few other dancers. It was such a fun project and Alex and I very close to this day.

And most recently you performed with Halsey to “Without Me” on The Voice and killed it! How was it preparing for that performance?

It was kind of out of the blue. Her team contacted me two days before the performance. I don’t think I realized the magnitude of the message until we went through the performance details.

I have so much respect for Halsey. She uses her influence and music to spread such powerful and just messages despite potential criticism. I think doing what’s right versus what’s easy is something to be admired.

How did it feel when you got cast as Odalie in Step Up: Highwater?

It couldn’t be more perfect. I had been trying to steer my career in the direction of acting but had reservations about having to give up dance if I landed a big role. This was the perfect opportunity for me to combine the two things that l love most.

It was a dream come true.

What was the process like preparing for the role?

I had been preparing for something like this my entire life. For me, the preparation was really focused on being my best in mind, body and soul and trusting myself to make good decisions as an artist.

What can you tell us about the experience training for the latest season?

I think I pushed myself improve even more this season. When you have a previous season to reference, you are able to watch yourself and grow toward a better you. My goal is to always be improving myself in all facets of life.

Is there anyone in the cast that you really click with?

That’s a tough question because I genuinely love everybody that I work with. I think Carlito and I have developed an extra special

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bond. We share so many intimate moments in front of the lens and he has this innate ability to turn around be my best friend a minute later.

What can you tell us about the upcoming season?

Drama. Dance. Action. You will just have to watch if you want the full rundown.

What do you hope your audience takes out of your channel and social presence?

I hope that people feel supported and inspired to break down their own barriers and become the people that they want to be. I come from a very normal upbringing and hope that my message can be that anybody can do anything if they set their mind to it.

If you could give your younger self any advice, what would it be?

That not everyone has to like you. If you are following your heart, there are bound to be people who aren’t interested in seeing you succeed. Do you and keep pushing to be your best self.

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Lauren Jauregui words: ilana kaplan photographer: jerry maestas styling: kendy hair: justine marjan makeup: carlene k

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It's been nearly a year since Fifth Harmony broke up, and Lauren Jauregui is thriving.

"I've been in rooms with people I never could have imagined being in rooms with," says the singer over the phone from her apartment in Los Angeles. "I've just been making music that I'm really proud of and speaks to my personal journey and my experience."

Jauregui, 22, has been constantly working to create a path of her own. Since she was 16 years old, Jauregui was a part of the X-Factor formed pop group Fifth Harmony. Along with Camila Cabello, Dinah Jane, Ally Brooke and Normani Kordei, Jauregui was supposed to live up to a curated music industry image. They were effectively the second-coming of the Spice Girls, but more modern, and soulful. Now, Jauregui is more than ready to erase the image that once held her up.

And how so? By exploring beyond pop music. "To be honest I got my start in pop, but it was because I was placed in a girl group that was elementally pop," she says.

But being in a group helped Jauregui learn how to own her craft and career as a solo artist. "I'm grateful for the group experience because I was able to learn about how to navigate certain

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energies without having to compromise my personal vision. Now I have to do it by myself which is a little more vulnerable of an experience because it's music and art that means a lot to me," she says.

Because Jauregui's breadth of experience, it's easy to forget that she is in her early twenties, though her somewhat short career is representative of what some might say is a lifetime of work. She's had her own vision and voice for a long time, regardless of whether people noticed. Growing up in the spotlight, she's found a sense of self-assuredness and maturity that many young adults don't have at her age.

She is, however, wading through the "bureaucratic stuff" of the industry. "It's a little more threatening, [and] I take it a little more personally, but I think I'm learning a lot about myself and my strengths," she says. In the meantime, she's trying to master the eloquence battle of balancing her artistic expression with business.

Jauregui is, however, most focused on crafting her own alternative, soulful R&B sound. There aren't a lot of pop elements to her music, and that's okay.

She knows it's a departure from the pop ethos of Fifth Harmony, but it's all her. "I'm leaning more towards live instrumentation and my vocals are very raw so I'm really focusing on my lyricism.

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That's where I feel like my strong suit is," she says. Instead she finds herself enamored by live instrumentation – guitars and drums – recalling a mixture of genres she listened to growing up.

"I'm pretty vocal about the fact that [Fifth Harmony] wasn't necessarily a representation of my personal taste in music or my expression in music. I think I speak for a lot of us when I say that," Jauregui says.

Still, there was a perception that Jauregui's music would be of that nature. But Jauregui thinks she and her former band members were just all expert chameleons. "All of us are just good at music.

We're all musicians," she says confidently.

Perhaps one of the most pivotal moments that proved Jauregui would have a promising career was when she was featured on Halsey's bisexual anthem "Strangers" in 2017. Not only did Jauregui's powerhouse vocals shine on the track, but it gave more visibility to the LGBTQ community. "It was cool to see real pronouns present. It wasn't something that had been done in pop music from the perspective of a relationship between two women," says Jauregui.

She adds, "I think Halsey is brilliant and such a talented artist, and I hope to work with her some more."

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Jauregui has since spoken openly and proudly about her sexuality, but she's quick to note that it shouldn't be her or anyone's most defining characteristic. "For me, it is who I am, but it doesn't define who I am, the same way no one's sexuality defines who they are.

It's awesome to be proud of the love you're able to express in this lifetime," she explains. That being said, it gets brought up a lot. "I would prefer if most of the headlines weren't about [my sexuality], but I understand the sensationalization of sex in our culture so I don't really care too much at the same time," she says. "I get it, people like to talk about who people are fucking."

"Strangers," in some ways, prompted a new begin– ning for Jauregui. Last June, Jauregui premiered her first solo track "Expectations," a soulful rock 'n' roll power ballad that proved she could move well beyond pop. "'Expectations' came right from my soul – it's got that bluesy soul influence," she says of the track. On the track, Jauregui ask for respect from a partner as she sings, "Respect for my time, respect for my space, respect for my energy / 'Cause I've been waiting here all night for you to warm me up."

In fact, Jauregui drew inspiration for the song from her relationship with boyfriend Ty Dolla $ign.

In February, she followed up her debut single with a contrasting sound in the melodic R&B "More Than That." Thematically the songs are introspective, from personal experiences and her own observations.

"I've been weaving through a lot of my songs and putting them down on paper understanding certain feelings I've been having in my life," she says.

"It's also been cool to write with other people, to understand there's a perspective that's the same as yours but comes from a different anecdote."

For Jauregui, it's a combination of her first two singles that define where her sound is headed, an "alternative soul world" she's living in right now.

While she's currently finding inspiration all-around, she's particularly taken with artists who have a truly singular vision. "I like Billie Eilish, RosalĂ­a [and] 6lack's music. The internet is a huge vibe. There's a lot of amazing people making music," she says.

With "More Than That," Jauregui also released a breathtaking video to go with it. Since the perspective of the song was her in-between two men, she wanted to put her own twist on the place the people in the song were obviously going.

"I created this heaven burlesque strip club where Aphrodite comes down, visits with her three graces

and embraces the beauty and strength of these women that are dancing for us," she explains.

Jauregui was in complete awe of the dancers' talents. "They were dancing all day – it was like 8 hours of them working. They are athletes." Jauregui wanted to capture how captivating their work is. "I just admire that strength so much, and I just wanted to capture that in the way they're admired for their talent." While she wants to learn how to pole dance, Jauregui has not yet embarked upon that journey.

"I have zero upper body strength, so I don't think I'd be very good at holding myself up on a pole.

You have to make sure your body is super dry, you'd think that's the opposite."

While Jauregui has been hyper-focused on creating, the process hasn't been totally seamless for her.

Aside from writing one verse for Marian Hill's 2016 single "Back To Me," Jauregui's debut album marks her first venture into songwriting. So, it's only natural that she intermittently gets a case of writer's block.

However, there's usually specific circumstances that prompt it. "It usually happens to me when I don't vibe in the room I'm in, whether it's my own personal fault or another person in the room I don't vibe with to express or create. I think I speak for a lot of artists [when I say that]," she explains.

Right now, though, Jauregui maintains she's in a very "inspired" place. "Art is super temperamental, to be fair," she says. She acknowledges that "Sometimes you just don't feel inspired. Sometimes you're depressed you can't write. Sometimes you're so depressed all you do is write. It really depends on your mood."

Along with refining her sound, Jauregui has spent the past year focusing on something else that's important to her: political change. It's not surprising considering how she's used her platform since the 2016 election. In 2017, Jauregui penned an open letter to President Trump coming out as bisexual and condemning the hateful immigrant ban he enacted.

The musician also openly supported (DACA) and stood in solidarity with Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School students to help create gun reform after the 2018 school shooting. She also used her platform to voice her anger when Trump chose to pardon Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

In the past year, Jauregui has continued to advocate for political causes. Last June, she moderated a Teen Vogue panel on immigration and ICE reform.

At the top of the year, Jauregui delivered an impassioned speech and performance on the state of the woman at the 2019 Women's March in Los

Angeles. "We are told to have a strength that is digestable, an ambition that is gentle, a warm smile that is delectable but I don't want to be devoured anymore," she told the crowd. Additionally she also worked with Amnesty International, Revolve Impact and the Stonewall Inn. "For me it's a community involvement. I'm a firm believer in grassroots energy and people who are really helping the people themselves," she explains of her efforts. She's currently focused on working with The LA Coalition and Reform L.A. Jails. "There's a lot of stuff going on in L.A. [so I'm] trying to help fix the prison reform system because it's so bad. Right now we have a couple of initiatives we're working on so that they don't continue to work on building two new jails in L.A. county," she explains.

With all of her work towards trying to create change, you might think Jauregui is exhausted – and at one point she was – but she's since shifted her perspective. It's sustained her passion throughout the Trump presidency.

"It's not really about fighting for me anymore – it's about reform. I went through a phase where I felt like the fighting back and getting angry was the best method, but I believe more than it being a fight, it's about creating these communal systems

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where we eradicate that middle barrier," notes Jauregui. Right now, Jauregui is feeling particularly inspired by New York congressional representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who she admires for her eloquence and for her dedication to promoting real change. "She's a major idol for me right now. You know when your mom walks in and is like, 'Okay.

This is how it's gonna get done. I've seen you struggle long enough – I'm just gonna fix this shit,'" she says. "She's insanely human and she actually takes her position in public office seriously."

Jauregui hasn't met Ocasio-Cortez yet, but she'd love to meet her along with the other women "stepping up to the plate in Congress." "Public office is meant to serve the people – not just be a breeding ground for re-election," she says.

Watching how Ocasio-Cortez navigates politics has helped inform the way Jauregui does. "While it's a fight, it's about organizing the community in a grassroots way where we all understand what role we all individually play and how important each of us are. Essentially the power lies in our hands," she says. Jauregui stresses the importance of being educated.

"Whether you're an artist, a teacher, lawyer, a doctor, we're all citizens of the United States or of the world, we should be informed about the world around us," she says. Jauregui takes pride in staying atop current events and politics and using her platform. "It's not obscure for an educated artist to make a comment about a political situation because If you're educated about the topic you're more than entitled to state your opinion," she says.

Jauregui won't stop speaking up anytime soon. At the same time, she'll be focusing on finishing up her debut album, which she's hoping to release it by the end of the year: "Expectations" and "More Than That" are just scraping the surface of what she has coming. It's really cool to be involved with the whole songwriting process. "I would rather be free of those minor pressures," she says.

"I would just rather make music that I'm proud of."

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Madison Beer words: hasan beyaz photographer: derrick freske styling: charlie brianna at opus beauty hair: aaron light makeup: brooke hill

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"It's amazing," teen queen Madison Beer begins when talking about her upcoming new music. "It's coming out so well and I love every single song so much and they are all so different and so special. I'm obsessed with all my new music. Like, all I've been doing for the past few days is listening to all my music and I've been in the studio – I'm still in the studio right now – so I've just been listening to everything and polishing it all up and making it perfect because I'm quite the perfectionist… which is why it's taken me six years to put an album out. The album is literally me."

The new music Beer is referring to is the twenty year old's debut album, which she simply describes as "music that I want to make." Both social media and the Internet have been major catalysts for Beer's rise to fame– the twenty year old has been in the public eye since she was just thirteen– and her rise to fame is somewhat of a Cinderella tale for Generation Z. In 2012, Beer was thrown into the spotlight by a thenseventeen year old Justin Bieber, who tweeted three links to some song covers Beer had put on YouTube, which she says she filmed just to show everybody at her school in her Jericho hometown that she could sing. Beer became an overnight media sensation and had the Good Morning America crew at her door the next day, curious to learn more about the "future star" who Bieber had declared her to be to his twenty-five million Twitter followers. Beer was quickly signed to Island Records and joined the ranks of fellow up-and-coming teen stars like Cody Simpson to churn out Radio Disney music.

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Whispers of a debut album began from this time, with Beer explaining in a Teen Vogue interview in 2013 that her debut album "will be slow songs, sad songs, happy songs, songs about boys, and songs about being who you are. I'm making sure I'm happy with all of the songs, because if I am not happy with them, I can't expect anyone else to be, you know?" But nothing came to fruition... until now.

"I have so much music that I have been making over the years that I just feel like I owe it to myself to put an album out at this point," Beer determinedly says, a little over a month away from her album release. "I love albums; when I listen to music, a lot of the time I listen to a full album all the way through, so I feel like I owe it to myself to have one since I actually enjoy listening to albums.

"Collaboration-wise, I've written with a lot of amazing writers and stuff like that, but everything so far is just me on the song, no other artists, which I'm kind of excited about because I like collabing with other people, but I also like showcasing my own ability to write and hold the songs on my own. I recently got into songwriting a lot more so its been super fun. I'm definitely taking songwriting really seriously. I love the lyrics [on the album] so much, but there is definitely one that stands out to me that has taken every single inch of power in my body to not make all of my Instagram captions this thing."

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"I don't really know if I have a life motto," Beer begins reflecting, "but I think that a quote I always tend to go back to is 'this too shall pass' and I think that I kind of live by that, because I've gone through a lot of stuff in my life and I feel like I have learned, over time, you can't really think something's the end of the world– because it will probably be passing sometime soon." It makes sense then why Beer is so intent on making sure people know the real her, and takes extra precautions now to combat the public assumptions people make about her based on social media.

We dive deeper into Beer's on-off relationship with social media and how she handles living with a whopping twelve million followers on Instagram alone. "It's difficult because I'm kind of used to it at this point. I've kind of steadily been growing on social media since I was about twelve years old, so I don't take it as seriously as you would assume. I live my life for me and I think people follow me because of that. I try not to be fake; I try to be really honest and real. I think that's why I have followers. I just kind of do my thing and I'm myself and I try not to think like 'oh my gosh there's people watching, I have to behave a certain way' because I think that's stifling and not healthy to be or do."

Posing in selfies her witty yet conversation-starting phone case which reads "social media seriously harms your mental health," the singer admits that she does find social media extremely draining to deal with and

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that she needs regular breaks from the demands of social media: "Instagram is kind of like a toxic thing.

Sometimes, of course, it has its upsides and there's reasons that it's also great and reasons that I stay on it obviously, but it's important to understand the negative sides of it too. I tell people to delete it all the time– I haven't had Instagram on my phone in like two weeks now and it's been a great two weeks. I just recommend people take a little cleanse from it when they can, cause it's important dude, you know?

"We don't realize that we're literally spending so much of our time in our lives scrolling and scrolling and scrolling and scrolling. It's just like, it's not really what I want to do anymore, so I just always recommend people take a little bit of a break at some point."

As Beer mentioned, her debut album has been several years in the making; the murky trap beats of its first lead single ("It's the lead single right now... it's kind of the first one that's off the album so I'm definitely going to have more lead singles" she clarifies) "Hurts Like Hell," which she wrote with Charli XCX and features Migos rapper Offset, hears a radical change from the sugary and overproduced dance sounds of her first efforts "Melodies" (2013) and "Unbreakable" (2014). Although a lot has changed for Beer since then, there's nothing she would change. "I don't really look back and say 'I wish I didn't do those songs' or 'they are so not me' because at that time, I was very young and I was just excited to do

anything," Beer explains. "I've always loved music and I've always had such a passion for it, so just having a platform that I was able to put something out [on] I was excited for. Of course now, looking back, I am not the biggest fan of those songs, but at the time, it's like– you can't look back on things you do and regret them, because I think that shaped me to be the artist that I am now."

And who is that artist now? The artist is one who has "creative control now" she says, and is very conscious of the messages she relays in her increasingly popular music: "'Hurts Like Hell' just felt like it really captured the message I try to get across and everything like that. It felt like it was right in a lot of ways and that means a lot to me; I think messaging is a big, big portion of importance when it comes to songwriting and whatnot, so because [it] was so right, I figured this was the perfect song to go with."

We chat about the huge success of her As She Pleases EP, which has had over half a billion collective streams since being released in February 2018. "It definitely is really weird hearing it out loud, it's just like 'Holy shit! I've worked so hard, so for me to have recognition, it means a lot to me.' Of course, it's intimidating and quite scary to know that that many people are paying attention, but it's also validating in a lot of ways and it means a lot that people care and want to hear me and listen to me."

Her debut album, which Beer says is "so unique" and describes it as "a mixture of Daft Punk, Lana Del Rey

and Destiny's Child," serves a different purpose for her from 2018's debut As She Pleases EP. The EP, Beer's first body of work where she wrote all seven tracks, was led by what went on to be three huge songs for the singer: "Dead," a somber tropical-R&B song detailing a toxic relationship; the confrontational and sassy "Say It To My Face," and "Home With You"– a 'not asking for it' club-ready banger warding off unwanted advances from suitors, which Beer wrote with the UK's woman of the moment, RAYE. "Going into the EP, it was really about showcasing my personality and showcasing my artistry, whereas the album is just like music that I really love and want to make, and the EP was really like 'okay I want people to understand who I am [and] what I'm about,' because I feel like there's a lot of misconceptions about me, because I feel like social media provides quite the…" she trails off, before declaring that "people think that they know somebody just because they follow them on Instagram!" Beer says that As She Pleases was the perfect way to get "everyone to actually understand who I was" and that she "wanted people to really be able to be like 'okay yeah I kind of understand a little bit of who Madison Beer is.'"

Those half a billion streams for As She Pleases are propelled by the EP's two major singles "Dead" (105M streams) and "Home With You" (115M streams), each with their own equally powerful messaging.

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That powerful messaging is exactly the reason Beer was particularly determined to push her feminist anthem "Home With You" as the EP's third single.

"I really love the messaging of 'Home With You' – I thought it was really relevant, especially right now with the #MeToo movement and all that stuff, and I like to do things that are relevant and make sense and also to give people another thing to think about and to feel empowered in that kind of way. So that was an important one for me to put out, especially at the time."

This leads to Beer's explanation of "there's a lot" that bothers her about the music industry from a female perspective. "You could argue both sides, but I think that it's much easier to be successful as a male artist in a lot of ways. I think that a lot of men don't have to deal with jealousy and things like that, and it might sound dumb and like it's not a big deal – but it really is.

"My tips for other female musicians out there is always don't listen to people and do your thing. Don't let people bring you down and make you feel like you're not as worthy of a hit single as a man is– cause I broke the record. I'm the first independent female to ever [break the top twenty radio charts].

"I want girls to look at my career and, even if I'm not the biggest artist on the planet, to still be like 'okay she did something like that, that broke a record?

Then I can too.' I really want to impact as much of the industry as I possibly can and make a difference in every field possible."

"It's hard. It's very very difficult to be a female in today's industry, it just is. Of course, luckily it's gotten easier and it's definitely– the struggles, I feel like, have eased themselves, but it's still hard. We deal with a lot.

I'm not saying that men don't, but it is definitely a little more difficult to be a woman and to be taken seriously in my opinion. The K/DA unit was just so fun to be a part of; I really love doing things that are girl-oriented and bringing up each other and that kind of stuff means a lot to me.

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Rhys Lewis words: mark mcconville photographer: jack alexander styling: david hawkins grooming: sophie moore special thanks: courthouse hotel shoreditch

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Embarking on creating music at a young age takes determination and spirit. Picking up an instrument and designing melodies, forming musical harmonies, and selecting the right chords is such an empowering talent, and young musician Rhys Lewis has breathed new life into the singer-songwriter model.

The politely spoken guitarist, also knows how to develop rich lyrics which ultimately sing as well as he does. But, the boy from London is surprised at his meteoric success he explains, “I always had aspirations to be a musician, but I didn’t expect to become an artist. I never envisaged that would be the case. I was happy just being a singer-songwriter.

I always wanted to play in bands and make guitar sounding music as a teenager. I was obsessed with Led Zeppelin and wanted to create riffs and cool sounding guitar led music. It’s always wanted to write my own songs, and it’s nice to create my own music."

Rhys wasn’t always as confident. But after a while, he began to unlock his full potential. Like many musicians, he thanks his fans for playing his music through the streaming service Spotify, "I was petrified at singing and going on stage, it took a long time to feel confident, but when you feel confident you can unlock your voice and be free vocally. And when people who listen to my music

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on Spotify and pay to come and see me, it gives you confidence in your music and in yourself."

Rhys signed to major label Decca Records and is thankful for their support in pursuing his dreams of creating great art without being pushed into making music that doesn’t resonate with him. He also explains that they don’t make him rush his musings, "It was even a surprise to me to start working with a major label and I feel fortunate as they’ve always been supportive.

"They’ve always encouraged me and given me the time to develop and, I suppose, in a world where numbers and data and streams are becoming more and more the currency for an artist’s achievements, I feel really fortunate that Decca [Records] have faith in what I’m doing regardless of my success.

They’re sticking with me and because they believe in my musical offering, it’s great to feel like I’m not being rushed to make a hit and not being rushed to make money for them. They believe that I’m making something significant over the course of hopefully a career which will be something of value to them."

When listening to Rhys, there’s a maturity about the way he guides his words and the way he carries himself. He’s an intelligent, forward-thinking

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musician, perfecting melodies with style but also never obeying a set of rules or changing his ways to fit a certain mould ‘ I don’t need to conform to do a type of music that I don’t feel passionate about.

Sometimes you hear some artists that put out a great records and then they sign to a label and something changes. They don’t evolve naturally and obviously it’s great to evolve over a period of time. But I’m pleased that Decca are behind me. They’re patient, and even though the music industry is cut throat, I feel like that I’ve found an outlet, a haven, and it’s really validating."

Growing up, Rhys was first introduced to music by his father who played the blues, a genre which is far from what the songwriter creates now but he is thankful for picking up a dusty guitar. "My dad taught me the blues. From that moment on, I found an obsession with music and it was one of those things where I had to be told not to practice because I was spending too much time in my room playing my guitar. My mum would be like, 'could you go out and do something outside?' So I think that was the point I found something I became truly in love with. The sort of mystery of music and hearing those records and hearing those chords, those licks from Hendrix and Clapton. I started to play in lots of bands too and realising after learning guitar I wanted to play my own riffs.

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His creative juices started to flow at a young age.

In school, the young upstart began to look beyond the status quo and the norm, balancing studies with musical lessons, as well as finding his rhythm and a way with the written word. By entrenching himself into playing and writing meaningful lyrics, he was already on his way to being a musician of significance he says, "At the age of 11, I had clarinet lessons at school. I liked to learn but didn’t see it as a passion back then.

"When I was 18, I started to play open mic nights on my own and started writing my own lyrics rather than writing guitar riffs, feeling like I was more obsessed with song writing, and in the way of writing meaningful music. That’s when I fell in love with the older generation, like Carol King and James Taylor.

Also you’ve got Stevie Wonder, who is a great lyricist. I listened to all those songs with a newly found appreciation of how difficult it is to be so simple but also profound at the same time. I’ve always tried to put that spin on my music. It’s quite purposeful and personal too."

In addition to being an accomplished guitarist, Rhys is a competent writer. And within his words is an emotional core. They’re cathartic, and often personal.

"The emotional content to start a song has always come from a real thing in my life. It’s honestly like therapy, you have to be in touch with your own mind,

it’s like getting something out of you that’s no longer in your head. Although using it as an outlet can be scary, it can be revealing, but it’s honest."

Revealing your inner emotions can come with fear.

He utilizes times from his life as content for his songs, but it doesn’t always come quick, and even life for a fledgling musician can be mundane. "Of course you can’t write about your own life all the time, as sometimes there is nothing going on. Or you’re not inspired, or there’s nothing you want to write about or sing about. I’ve had those moments and that’s often when writing is the hardest, because you’re trying to force a concept or idea.

"I think the songs that have been released and the songs on the album are all things that I’ve either felt or experienced in life. I know a lot of artists say that it’s like therapy, but it truly is. Talking about your own mind and vocalizing it, is therapeutic. It’s like getting something out of you, and there’s a lot of things I don’t talk about even with my friends."

Rhys’s latest release "Hold Onto Happiness" is out in the atmosphere and it has been a rousing success so far, hitting the streaming platforms and letting fans know that he isn’t a one-trick pony but a supremely gifted individual. The song, follows on from "Better Than Today" which is a colossal statement, and many having taken it under their wing as a piece of truth.

"We wrote the chorus for that song in twenty minutes. It came really quickly. I had the title on my phone. Aiden who played the keys on that song started to play the chord progression, then the chorus started to fit. It took a few months to tweak.

I learned a lot from that song, because I think sometimes as humans we’re impatient and want to finish something quickly."

Rhys also knows that too much production can outweigh the meaning behind a song, it can overwhelm the emotions behind it. Polishing it too much can take away its edge and value. The young maestro tells me about how struggle can be beneficial, "That’s what’s great about songwriting and other creative processes. It’s like compressing a diamond. It’s not easy, but it forces you to work harder. A lot of it is about the meaning of the song and the lyrics. It’s good to present an idea without it being too polished.

"We could have added more drums, more strings, and it is really tempting to use all these tools at your disposal as a musician. The importance is knowing when to stop. The kind of record I’m hoping to make is more about the meaning of the songs, and the lyrics."

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"Better than Today" is a rallying cry for positivity when pessimism niggles at the skin. Communicating more is good for the soul and the world as a whole.

Keeping your voice at bay can cause problems. The world is divided and the future is vague, but Rhys has written this song as anchor for us to hold onto.

"It was really cathartic writing that song. It’s easy to be overwhelmed by what’s happening in the world.

It’s easy to feel helpless, but positivity can make a change. There’s so many issues that divide us and it’s, a time more than ever, to feel more protective over our lives. We need to be communicating more and understanding each other."

Staying positive can be a hard fought battle in such a world where innocence is compromised on a daily basis. Rhys details, "The future is uncertain, and even though don’t always agree on what a better tomorrow looks like. We all know we want to make it better. Overall 'Better Than Today' is a reminder to stay positive."

"Hold Onto Happiness" is the new charm in the long list of melodic heart-pullers. A track that also points towards unrest and issues. It also spearheads conversations and tries to grind away negativity.

Rhys elaborates on how the song came to fruition.

"I wrote that song after a breakup. After every

break up there’s a lot of self-reflection. It kind made me take all the blame. I regretted leaving that relationship. I also had tunnel vision for this career that I was striving for. I was trying to get closer to this musical dream and getting my music out there, and I was sacrificing my romantic life and social life.

I wasn’t seeing my family and friends enough. I was focusing too much on one thing, my music. I forgot how to live fully."

But after shrugging off these feelings Rhys finally saw the light. "It was a turning point in my life. It was kind of saying life will just happen and pass you by.

In life, we get seduced by these grand plans, and like these big dreams and the everyday moments take a back seat if you let them. These are the happy times, the most profound times. Being simply sat with someone on a sofa and being truly there with that person is a wonderful experience. I didn’t make time for that. And when I did, it was like I was present but my mind wasn’t. It wasn’t meaningful. I started to realize I was looking at life the wrong way."

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Lennon Stella Lennon Stella's stunning debut EP Love, Me showcased her aptitude to willingly dissect her own experiences to craft altpop songs that are undeniably catchy, yet still deeply rooted in overwhelmingly authentic emotion. Reflecting on her willingness to unearth her deepest thoughts and thoughts, she explains "I'm very, very open. It's easier for me to open and 100% vulnerable when I'm writing. But when it's somebody else's story, that I'm telling as well, I'm mindful of that. Like 'Breakaway' is very much about my family.

"My parents were getting divorced and there was this whole shift in all of our lives. For me, it's like a piece of cake writing about because I was just like this is how I'm feeling. But then, with my family, I had to consider if everyone was cool with the world knowing that we're not all together."

"Breakaway" evidently is a lyrically impactful song for Lennon, but its intriguingly intoxicating production also defined the sound of the EP as a whole. "I'd been writing for so long and the production for a lot of things was feeling too much like pop.

When we did 'Breakaway,' it just felt so right, which kind of led the way for all of the other songs." The production throughout her EP is stylishly spirited while playing testament to the often affectingly agonizing lyricism with a contemplatively brooding sonic undercurrent. Pondering that contrast she explains, "I love sad songs. If I could just sing sad piano ballads for the rest of my life, I honestly probably would. But I want to be able perform at festivals and have it be fun and make people feel good as well.

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"I can't sing a happy lyric. I just can't do it, it always feels so cheesy to me unless there's some sort of melancholy in it. If it's a straight up happy song, for some reason, it just doesn't resonate with me. I want to perform songs that make you dance but lyrically I need a bit of a weight and a heaviness to all my songs."

Closing the debut EP is "Fortress," a compellingly commanding track which is, in some ways, lyrically distinct to the EP's other tracks. "The intention of putting it last was because that's the moment of like breaking through, and I feel like the whole EP is like this struggle with different arguments in my whole brain and 'Fortress' is, kind of, this moment of getting through to the other side. It's that moment at the end that leaves the EP on a high note."

Although the song has already profoundly resonated with so many, Lennon was initially apprenshive about its inclusion on Love, Me. "'Fortress' was everyone's favorite. Honestly, it wasn't my favorite. I was not about that song, I do not know why. I feel like it's because it's just like the most me that I didn't feel experimental to me at all. It was like boring to me, for some reason. It was my whole family's favorite. I just like trusted them and I, obviously, I loved it and resonated with it 100% but I had written so many songs, I was so blinded at that point. Nothing was out so all I had was my family and the label's opinions.

It changes so much when it's out in the world and you can get outside opinions from people that aren't being paid to tell you anything; they're just telling you because they like it or whatever.

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It's so different when you have the response of the world, it completely changes everything. I've been writing for so long, with no one hearing it, that I began to lose sight of what I actually liked."

Her heartbreakingly honest lyricism sets her apart in an extremely crowded alt-pop market, delving into her songwriting process she explains "If something's super fresh it's really hard for me to go into a room of people and try and put it into words because I'm so emotional. I need a second to digest it before I can properly put it into words that I feel encapsulate how I want it to be."

As well as her releasing her EP last year, the promotional tour for "Polaroid," a collaboration with Jonas Blue and Liam Payne, saw Lennon perform live on primetime television and at London's iconic Wembley arena. "It was so scary because it wasn't my song and I wasn't able to be however comfortable I was, I had to be however comfortable Liam was. If it was just me, I would just be singing and doing my own thing, and no one would think anything of it. When you're beside someone who's done it for years and is 100% comfortable with dancing around and doing his thing, I had to be at that level. Otherwise, it's going to look weird."

This year alone, she's supporting 5SOS and The Chainsmokers on their US arena tour and Anne-Marie on her sold-out UK and European tour. "In a way it's almost scarier when you're the opening act because the crowd didn't necessarily go there for you so there's this underlying thing where you're proving yourself BLAZER bodgar PANTS moonokhi EARRINGS jenny bird

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to them. But ultimately, I'm playing my own set with my own and I'm super comfortable doing that, so it doesn't freak me out nearly as much as the 'Polaroid' stuff did."

Before she embarked on her solo career, Lennon featured alongside her sister Maisy on the hit TV show Nashville. "People knew me as the character on the show and, for sure, that was something everyone needed to adjust to. I was definitely being mindful of that. I wanted it to be a smooth transition and not a very jarring shift to pop. Also, the stuff on the show was never me, it was always my character. I had no say in that, but people saw that as my music."

Her first solo release in 2018, an acoustic track titled "Like Everyone Else," enthralled with heart piercingly relatable lyricism, facilitating that seamless transition to her current sonically dissimilar alt-pop sound. Although the genre of music she now expertly crafts is completely divergent to the country sound she was once associated with, her broad range of influences and dedication to crafting alluring music that's true to her makes Lennon Stella a truly extraordinary artist whose popularity is undoubtably set to soar. words luke pettican photography derrick freske styling jaclyn fleurant at the only agency hair castillo at the only agency using design me, leyla maylani & paul mitchell makeup etienne ortega at the only agency using makeup for ever, tatti lashes and natasha denona

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Nina Nesbitt

Singer Nina Nesbitt first rose to fame as a doe-eyed teenage songwriter from Scotland, complete with acoustic guitar, bright fluffy hair, sneakers and a songbook of indie-folk ballads and crowd favorites. She released her debut album in 2014, and the road from there to her much-anticipated sophomore effort, The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change has been a turbulent one, to say the least. Having been dropped by her previous label in the process, which she considers one of the lowest points of her career, but she stands triumphant, stating that it's been "the album I always wanted to make on my own terms." She talked us through the album, and the journey she's taken to create it, everything from her favorite tracks on the record, the ones left out and how the public have reacted to it.

Looking back on her first album Peroxide is bittersweet for Nina.

"I was like seventeen or eighteen when I wrote the first album...

I think that's sort of a difficult age to know who you are" – she admits that she "actually haven't listened to it in years." She continued, "I think it's a really nice moment in time, it sums up where I was. It's a bit all over the place but still very real and honest. It's nice for people to be able to see the types of emotions I had at the time and see how they've evolved."

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In 2016, she made a radical change to her acoustic-based ballad sound, and style; opting instead for heavy pop production and sexier look, with the release of single "Chewing Gum," which has been compared to the likes of Tove Lo. This adult track saw Nina switch up her sound entirely, and she was planning on continuing down that path.

"I made a whole album kind of like 'Chewing Gum' but it never came out"– but circled back to The Sun Will Come Up, The Seasons Will Change, which is balanced between pop and ballad. This album still features strong elements of pop but reflects her storytelling, anecdotal, honest lyrics of first album, rather than just generic, interchangeable pop tracks– notably "The Moments I'm Missing"– in which she reflects intimately on her formative years.

"I'm getting a lot of new younger girls following this album," notes Nina. "I'm just trying to write about what I've gone through and what's relatable to me. I think the lyrics are the main part of it. I'm glad people can relate. I wanted it to be a cohesive album, to follow a theme."

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Looking closely at its tracks, she says "My favorite song is probably 'Is It Really Me You're Missing?' and then I would say 'Love Letter' became one of my favorites over the [release] weekend after fan reaction online. It's kind of like the least personal to me. I didn't feel that attached to it and then as soon as it came out and got such a good reaction I was like oh, actually I like this song. I'm looking forward to playing that one live, I think it will be quite energetic, which is nice because my shows are usually quite chilled. And maybe 'Chloe.' I like that song because it's probably the most personal on the album.

It's a different subject to what I've done before."

The album received rave reviews from critics and fans alike, but being her first album to be born into a world where streaming is the predominant way of consuming music, Nina has found the experience to be harder to read than her previous release. "[That] week really highlighted the divide in our generations.

I'm finding that I can't quite get a grasp on how many people are listening to it because it had a million streams within a day of being out, which to me is like, great, but then when I looked at the charts and sales, it's less than what it was five years ago, because obviously more people are streaming. So I'm really confused as to how people are listening to music and what I find is that all my original and fans my age and younger are

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all streaming it, but people around 30-50 are still buying, which isn't my fanbase age. So I gather people that have been around longer and have an older fanbase are doing better in the charts, but not on streaming and vice versa. So it's a massive divide and I'm not really sure how it works."

Even if she's moved on in her sound, Nina still has a soft spot for her roots. "I like to revert to where I started and always play old songs so I think there'll be a section in the set where I perform old songs. I feel like a lot of this album is still on piano and guitar even tho it's all pop, and I'll probably have an acoustic section. I'll never stop performing 'The Apple Tree' live. It was lots of people's first song to discover. It's special in the fanbase."

The year is still young, and Nina still has more plans for the upcoming months. She's hinted at "Love Letter" being the next single from the album due to its overwhelming response, but only time will tell. words ruth blaney photography derrick freske styling charlie brianna at opus beauty hair preston wada at opus beauty makeup melissa murdick at opus beauty

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Paris Berelc

What made you want to pursue acting?

I started with modeling and I got bored just smiling in front of a camera. Acting always intrigued me. When I was little, I would reenact scenes from Snow White and Cinderella.

Do you remember when you realized it’s what you were meant to do?

When I booked my first job! It was Mighty Med on Disney XD. That was the moment I realized...acting is the only thing I want to do in my life.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?

No amount of guilt will change your past. No amount of anxiety will change your future.

What was it like when you found out you were cast as Alexa in Alexa & Katie?

I was in my room with my mom and best friend. We were just hanging out and then we started jumping on the bed. I was so thrilled!

What other genres are you interested in pursuing next?

Drama and action! I love doing my own stunts. I was a gymnast for 10 years and I feel like I get the best of both worlds with doing stunt work. My dream job is to play a villain or an antihero character.

What was your process like preparing for the role?

I did an immense amount of research. I went to a children’s hospital to talk to a few kids about their experience and to understand their journey. It was so insightful because it’s diff– erent when you’re talking to someone who is your age or an adult or a child. Everyone has different stories and hardships.

Who are some actors/actresses that inspire you most?

Definitely Angelina Jolie. She is elegant and bad ass at the same time. Not only is she a great actress but she dedicates her time to help people in need.

What were some of your favorite moments in filming?

I love when kids come to the studio to watch the show! It gives them time to take everything that is stressful out of their mind and just have fun with us.

What are some of your favorite genres of music? Artists?

My favorite will always be rock music: Guns n Roses, Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Green Day, The Runaways... I could go on and on about the bands I love. I’m stuck in the past. I’m tired of people making music on a computer.

What’s been your favorite part of playing Alexa?

She’s very strong and is an inspiration to girls. There’s a light about her that can never be taken away.

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Alexa & Katie was just announced for another season! Can you tell us anything about the upcoming season?

I can’t say anything right now but just know it’s heartwarming and something you don’t want to miss!

You just wrapped filming Tall Girl down in New Orleans with an amazing cast. What can you tell us about the movie?

Tall Girl has a great message for kids to be inspired by. It shows that being yourself and loving who you are is important but also one of hardest things to learn growing up.

How did you prepare for the role?

As a cast, we would always support each other. We would sit in the hotel room and help each other memorize lines.

How do you relate to your character Liz? She’s not afraid to be who she is. We both wear glasses and we are both dorks sometimes. But a "dork" is the best compliment to me.

What’s up next for you?

You’ll see ;)

What can fans expect from the film?

Comedy. The film is hilarious. Everyone in the cast made me laugh till I was crying.

Can you share any memorable moments from filming with the cast?

We had a huge dance scene and all of us were going nuts.

Rico [Paris] did a backflip, we were break dancing, Griffin [Gluck] fell on the floor, Clara [Wilsey] and I were doing the salsa... it sounds like a mess but we had so much fun. All of us were dripping in sweat by the end of it.

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words laura ersoy photography derrick freske styling jennifer austin at opus beauty hair frankie payne at opus beauty makeup maria vargas at opus beauty

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