The streets were saying it was the album of the summer. In certain crowds, on Instagram stories and in DJ sets downtown, Cece Natalie’s debut album Miss Behaves was the “iykyk” summer soundtrack for pop heads and SoundCloud deep divers alike.

At least for me, the album was a goldmine for the kind of mid-2000s random pop sound that I live for. Natalie’s music has the Y2K girly flair of Heidi Montag and Brooke Hogan records, with the slight manic episode-esque tinge of Farrah Abraham’s My Teenage Dream Ended. Throw in her R&B vocal inflection that garners visions of Christina Milian or Jhene Aiko, and you have a record that is wholly unique and firm in its standing as a bubbling under masterpiece.

But really, there isn’t much out there about the artist known as Cece. Real name Mia, the 19-year-old lives in Connecticut in a studio apartment with her mom. She puts up a divider covered with a blanket to produce her music, and she records her vocals in her mom’s Kia. She worked at a trampoline park, and then in a food court, before dropping Miss Behaves in late July. “That was the best decision ever,” she tells PAPER.

Since then, Natalie has built up a cult following that is only growing bigger and bigger. Inspired by Drain Gang artists like Bladee, she initially got her start in the hyperpop online communities around the pandemic. “I knew I wanted to be one of them, so I kind of capitalized off my appearance,” she says. “I befriended them, and I got some of them a little bit attached to me. They were like my little maids.”

This initial music was made under a different alias, which she is weary to disclose. The Cece Natalie persona, she says, was born in 2022. Visually, it’s a mix of early Myspace E-girl selfies and grainy Photobooth edits with a sonic blend that alludes to the 2010’s era of heavy bass EDM pop — “Carnival music,” as she describes it herself.

Having just dropped another collection of leftover tracks, Recycling Bin Collection 2, it’s clear that the Cece Natalie reign could be incoming. Below, we sit down with the artist for a first-ever interview where she gets deep into her music making process, swimming while high in front of hot lifeguards and competing with past versions of herself.

How are you?

My cat is sneezing, sorry. I’ve been really restless today, but other than that, pretty good. It’s been up and down. I’ve been more social lately. How are you?

I’m good, I’m home in Texas right now.

I’ve never been to Texas. I’ve never been off the East Coast, actually. Well, that’s not true. I’ve been to Minnesota, but other than that it’s only been East Coast states.

How old are you?

I’m 19.

Well, your music is popping off and I’m sure you’ll be touring the country sooner rather than later.

People always tell me that. “Oh, you’re gonna be famous,” but I just don’t see it. I saw it in my visions when I was four, but I don’t see it now. I mean, that’s awesome, but I don’t see it.

What were those visions when you were four?

I’ve been making songs in my head since I could literally think. When did I first start thinking? Probably like three or four [years old], when you start learning what the world is. I did what other kids do, where one minute they’re like, “I wanna be this, I wanna be that.” I did that, too, but most of the time I would envision myself being a singer. I felt famous in my head as a kid, but that kind of wore off.

I feel like that’s every kid. Every kid wants to be a pop star, right?

Kind of? I don’t know. At least from what I remember, all my friends just said that they wanna be a mom or a dad. We would play house, and they would try to make me be the mom and I would throw shit at them. But I don’t remember what my peers said about what they wanted to be when they grow up. All I remember is the mom thing.

I think I found your music when my friend DeSe Escobar posted you.

Oh, DeSe!

Shoutout DeSe.

I think she is the reason for everything that has happened in the last two months, basically. Month and a half. I said in my song, “I’m the queen of the city, hoe,” but she is the queen of the city, hoe. She found my music somehow. I don’t know how. But she always plays it a lot in her DJ sets and stuff, and it put other people on. It kind of spread like Cece COVID. All over the city.

She’s the queen of Downtown New York.

Yes. So I’m really grateful. I DJ’d for her birthday opening at a sushi bar, and that was so amazing. I got to meet her. That was fun, and I’m really thankful.

I feel like you’re sort of this enigma right now.

Really?

Can you tell me about yourself? Who you are, where you came from, etc.

I used to kind of overshare. I think it was because I was lonely. Not too much. I wasn’t vlogging my life, but I would just post a lot of random shit. But looking back, it wasn’t really personal. I remember in the middle of the summer, someone left an Oreo ice cream cake sitting in their car next to me, and I thought it was funny. So I posted this whole paragraph about how I thought it was the funniest thing. I would post a lot of little bits of my life. But looking back, it wasn’t really that personal. So I kind of get it now.

Your debut album Miss Behaves came out in July. How long had you been working on it, and how did you get into making music in the first place?

I actually started four years ago. How did I get into it? In 2019 and 2020, I was a big Drain Gang fan. I was a little Bladee teenager fan. I was very into Bladee. Similar to that was the hyper pop digicore community back in 2020. It was really different. It was a little bit inspired by that back then. So I got into that scene just off of SoundCloud recommendations, literally. I was always making songs in my head and knew that I wanted to do it, but I didn’t really think that I could. So I never thought of actually going and doing it.

But I got into that scene and met a lot of those artists. And this is so embarrassing now, but I wanted to get into the scene and I knew I wanted to be one of them so I kind of capitalized off my appearance. I befriended them, but I got some of them a little bit attached to me. So when I made my first song on GarageBand on my phone, it was on a Bladee type beat. It wasn’t great at all, but they all reposted it. They were like my little maids. But I went under a different alias. I was kind of just making what was being made in the scene, but I didn’t really connect to it. It was just what was accessible to make.

So that was 2020?

Yeah. So then I took a really long break because I wasn’t great at producing, and I couldn’t get the type of beats that I wanted anywhere. So I didn’t know what to do. I kind of stopped for a while. I didn’t know how to use FL Studio back then. So from 2021 to 2022, a whole bunch happened completely unrelated to music. Then in mid 2022, I decided to change my name on Soundcloud. That was when Cece was born. I spent a year just listening to music and getting inspired, not really forcing myself to make it. By then, I had so many ideas. I had this grand idea in my head. That’s when Cece was created in my head as a different persona, just as this kind of armor for Mia underneath.

I made my first Cece song called “I wanna be the star.” As a concept, it was really good. So… yeah sorry, I think there are like parasites in my brain. I really do. I hear them talk to me, it’s crazy. Okay, so Cece makes the one song, and then it’s lights out again until November [2022]. I had no social life at all back then. I saw this post of my peers at this Halloween party, and I was just like, “Fuck it, I wanna go to the party, so I’m gonna pretend to go there.” I thought, If I was at the party, what would it be like? So I had this grand vision and then I just ended up making a song about it kind of pretending that I was there. That was “Fashion Baby,” which is still up. That was the next Cece song.

Then it was lights out again until October 2023. A lot of stuff happened. My life kind of got fucked up, flippy flopped upside down. So I was kind of like, fuck it, I’m just gonna put everything into music. It’s gonna be my soul. Then I made “Miracle,” which was my comeback. I made that in the span of two days, and it dropped on Halloween. When I think of that song, I just picture Cece rising from the dead, coming out of the ocean like a statue. Ever since then, I’ve been me.

Do you produce everything yourself?

Yeah, unless I say otherwise. There are a couple songs that I co-produced. And there are one or two that I didn’t produce. But most of the time I just do everything from scratch because with music I’m a little bit of a control freak.

Well, that’s amazing. The beats and lyrics are so good. Your music reminds me of those days of Heidi Montag and Brooke Hogan or something, like random pop girls from the early 2000s. But very futuristic, as well.

It’s really interesting hearing how you describe it because I never really know what other people hear. I don’t know other people’s perspectives on it. I think those 2000’s artists were definitely my influence in the early days of Cece. Back then, it wasn’t really as popular of an aesthetic. It wasn’t unheard of as an aesthetic in the modern day, but it wasn’t as common as it is now. That was when I was, like, 17. When you’re 17, you just wanna be different. So when something gets popular, I would just be like, Oh my God something is getting popular so I can’t like it anymore. Which looking back is ridiculous. It’s dumb, but that’s what you think when you’re 17.

Yeah.

So that sound was an influence, but it wasn’t the only influence. I still like that sound, but I kind of tried to stop making that very 2000’s clubby pop sound when I started Priscilla 1234, my side project/alter ego/spam account. I started making different things. I’d make house, rock songs, just branching out. This was early 2023. Until Cece came back. I think that was a good thing. So then I started planning the return of Cece, but I kind of wanted to make a statement, which is what I did with “Miracle.” I was planning it out, and I was like, Who cares if something is popular? I can just make my own version of that sound. So I went swimming that night. I saw a hot lifeguard at my pool. I used to go swimming high all the time. It’s kind of therapeutic.

Swimming in general is so therapeutic.

I went swimming high, and I kind of get a lot of song ideas when I’m high. Most of them come when I’m high. I sound like such a loser stoner, but who cares. So I envisioned the song in my head. The songs just make themselves. There are some where I do take the ideas that my brain spits out and I edit them, but really the songs just make themselves. So the song is just playing in my head and I’m swimming around. Then I went home, and the next day I made the beat. I recorded the song in my mom’s Kia. We live in a studio. So she comes home from work at 6 PM. And I wanted to record. My car was parked all the way up the hill, so I was like, “Can I record in your car?” So I made the song.

Tell me about the process of making Miss Behaves.

I realized how much I just went on a tangent. I’m gonna try to not do that. I’m just chatty. So I wasn’t planning on making an album. I started Miss Behaves in September 2023 with “Gymnastics” and then “Like a Taxi” in November. I think it was in February of this year that I decided that I’m gonna commit to this. I’m gonna make an album. But my ideas were totally different at first. It was supposed to be more dancey and house-y. I wanted it to be house R&B, more like the songs on Priscilla. Those were my early ideas, but my vision changed so much. I’m like time traveling right now.

Do you make it all alone? You said you’re not that social. Is it just you in your room making music?

I don’t even have a room. That’s my wall. That’s my divider that’s covered with a blanket. Those are my minion pajama pants. But yeah, with my mom’s old job I had free time from 8 AM to 6 PM. Morning to sunset. I would work on the weekends.

Where did you work?

I worked at this indoor trampoline park. I quit because the job was draining the life out of me. If I didn’t quit, I wouldn’t be here doing this. I didn’t have the energy to talk to anybody. I couldn’t even talk to my own friends. I couldn’t reach out to anybody. People would reach out to me, and I just couldn’t even talk to anyone. I was so drained. I have sensory issues, and I don’t like kids.

Me neither. And trampoline parks are all screaming kids, right?

Yeah, and they have crazy lights everywhere. I couldn’t even imagine going there off a shroom. And I didn’t get breaks. I worked at the food court. We were understaffed at the food court. I was the register girl, but I had to do a bunch of others things, too, besides cooking. I didn’t do that. So draining. So many things about that place were horrible, so I quit a month ago and life honestly got exponentially better ever since the day I left. I’m trying to think about how I can summarize how I made Miss Behaves.

So I went on this mental journey of getting back to who I was. I start getting into more fun, dancey moods. I made “Ambulance,” which is basically about me coming back to myself. I made “I get mad” before that. I made that song in February or March when I was in the dark winter darkness, you know? That cloud of sad, horrible.

In Connecticut, the winters are probably bad, right?

Oh yeah. There’s also nothing to do here. So slowly towards the summer I started getting into the more fun mood. The energy in my life was changing from this deep, dark sadness to this fun vibe. This summer was amazing. The best summer I’ve ever had. Most fun, interesting summer. The whole energy was just changing, changing, changing. “Exitin,” “Limit,” “Romeo,” and “Lovely” were all made toward the summer when the weather started getting warmer. More sunlight. I was in a much better place. I think that’s why I like them so much more than the ones that I made earlier in the year.

So the album slowly started coming together. I didn’t wanna be too harsh on myself because I was overthinking it at first. I wanted to drop it, but to me a lot of the songs still weren’t done. I was listening to “Limit” one day, and I was like, Yeah this is the shit. It’s so good. I was like, If I’m feeling confident in this one moment right now, I’m gonna make the decision tomorrow to randomly drop it. I don’t care if it’s unfinished to me. People aren’t gonna know that. So the next day, I was running on the treadmill then I started walking on the treadmill. So I was playing on my phone. And I decided to drop the album. I was like, Yeah, I feel fun right now. Let me drop this shit. And that was the best decision ever. There’s Mia, and then there’s Wisdom Mia. And I was like, Wisdom Mia, tell me what to do. Sorry, I got lost in my head. When I think about the process of making music, I just get all these memories of what it was like because it was like an adventure to me. That’s why it means so much to me.

Your aesthetic is very Myspace girl, or this sort of lo-fi early internet vibes. Photobooth type shit. What inspires your aesthetic?

That’s hard to describe. Well, you are right when it comes to the 2010’s. Pictures from the 2010’s are at the base of it. I love the 2010’s, even for music. It’s a big inspo. Anything with that 2010’s feel.

Same. That was my favorite era. Kids nowadays don’t have that. Pop was so good then.

They always say, “Every generation says that, blah blah.” But I don’t know, even if you look at it objectively, it’s still true. The 2010’s were just better. I understand now that I have these visions in my head when I listen to my songs and when I think about songs that I wanna make. They’re kind of like music videos in my head. A lot of the times, it’s very fantasy, in another world. When I take pictures, it’s my attempt at emulating that in the complete opposite circumstances. I’m all alone, and I only have my phone camera. So I’m like, what would my attempt at executing this grand vision in my head look like with no means of doing so?

What are your plans for the upcoming months? Are you working on new music?

I have started working on my second album, but I want to devote a lot more time to it. You know, I haven’t blown up or anything. I think I blew up on the most miniature scale that’s physically possible. I think that happened. But even with that, I feel this kind of anxiety about being in front of an audience and wanting to please everyone. I don’t wanna be a people pleaser, so I need to snap out of it. But I do want it to be good. I want it to be better than Miss Behaves. I’m very competitive with myself. I feel like I’m competing with past versions of me.

You said you were struggling with if the songs were finished or not, but as a listener, I love that “unfinished” sound. I feel like after their first album, a lot of new artists get lost with trying to make it perfect, but I want artists to just drop things and not overthink it. I feel like people are attracted to that sound and that energy, anyway.

Thank you. That actually makes me feel so much better. I’m an overthinker. I overthink everything. I’m even trying to let go right now. But thank you, that will stay in my mind. Because you’re right. Especially since 2020, this super clean, crispy mix and these crazy over-produced reverb tunnels of wind with crispy, fried vocals — I hate that. It sounds like shit. I think subconsciously, I was like, I need to have the best mix possible, just because of that general feeling of needing to be perfect. But really, that overproduced sound is terrible.

I saw that the rapper Ian follows you, which is a pretty nice co-sign. What’s the craziest follow or DM moment you’ve had so far?

So with Ian, I don’t really know him that well, but we became mutuals before he blew up. This was when he had a different username. This was December 2023. I was supposed to perform at this one underground rap thing, even though I’m not a rapper. They still invited me. But my set got messed up. I guess there was something with the venue that got fucked up. It wasn’t anybody’s fault, but I got to do a two minute thing. That was fun. But I met him from that. It was from the group chat at the thing. But I think it still counts as a co-sign because he is talented. He is a good artist, even though back then he wasn’t a big artist.

You mentioned loving Bladee. Who are your other top three artists that had a huge impact on you?

I’m trying to think because I know we only have a couple minutes left. I pull inspiration from everywhere. It’s hard to remember what I listened to growing up because I do block out most of my past. But definitely, the 2010’s was the main inspo behind Miss Behaves. A lot of the bass sound, especially on “757,” that heavy bass sound EDM pop that was on the radio. Like carnival music.

Carnival music?

Yeah, that’s actually how I would describe most of Miss Behaves. Like, the music that plays at a carnival when you’re having fun. Even with “Like a taxi” or “Exitin,” it’s like carnival music. So it’s inspired by the 2010’s, but it’s hard to remember my exact inspos because it’s so random. My brain just generates this shit.

Maybe it’s better that you don’t compare yourself to anyone. You’re your own thing.

I do know one thing, though. The reason I layer my vocals like crazy sometimes is because throughout middle school, I only listened to Lil Peep all day every day. I think his music still holds up to this day. I don’t listen to him as much anymore, but he’s always gonna be good. I love that layering.

Well thank you so much for talking to me.

Thank you. I’m sorry I was so chatty.

No, it was all good.

I’m trying to be more of a listener. I have ADHD and I took my meds too early. They wore off. Yeah, that explains a lot of my behavior.

Photos courtesy of Cece Natalie

ROSÉ has been dominating global music charts with her Bruno Mars collab “APT.” sitting comfortably at No. 1 for more than seven weeks. Now a solo pop star, the BLACKPINK member’s own album Rosie is out everywhere, featuring “APT.” and its follow-up singles “number one girl” and “toxic till the end,” alongside a cinematic music video that co-stars Evan Mock as ROSÉ’s love interest.

To celebrate the album release, PAPER and Atlantic Records co-hosted a private party earlier this month in New York City at Jean’s. (ROSÉ is our recent cover girl, after all.) Cocktails were all named after Rosie song titles, including an “APT.” shot in honor of the viral Korean drinking game. ROSÉ arrived with all her friends, like Evan and Clairo, who joined her in taking “APT.” shots while DJs Ty Sunderland and Schmidty played the hits.

Guests danced until early morning, snapped pics in our Rosie photobooth and passed around strawberry cake with the album logo printed across it. Debuting at No. 3 on Billboard, Rosie has become the highest-charting album by any Korean female soloist in history — so there’s plenty to celebrate when it comes to ROSÉ.

Check out more moments from the night by photographer Tyrell Hampton, below

Photography: Tyrell Hampton

At just under a quarter-century young, dance artist and songwriter INJI has lived countless lives.

Born in Istanbul, Turkey and classically trained in piano, the now NYC-based pop-upstart used to sing in jazz bands while attending the prestigious Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Then, in 2022, while still studying business, things took a viral turn. She dropped a track called “GASLIGHT” on TikTok that took off like wildfire. Since then, she’s released other hits like the aptly named “UNTZ UNTZ” and “BELLYDANCING,” to a similar response (it’s been streamed 30 million times and counting).

In September, PAPER got to see just what the hype was about during INJI’s Webster Hall show. The electricity in the room was palpable. Blending cheeky lyrics with a wealth of inspirations — from classic orchestration to the traditional sounds from her upbringing over modern spiraling beats — INJI’s music is contagious, dance-inducing and a breath of fresh air.

Following the September release of her sophomore EP WE GOOD and ahead of the hints of new music to come next year, INJI gave PAPER an exclusive backstage photo pass to her 24th birthday party last weekend at NYC’s SILENCIO.

“I don’t want to jinx it, but life just keeps getting better with every new age,” she tells PAPER. “Turning 24 feels electric — I’m already eyeing 25, 32, 50 and beyond. This year is about diving headfirst into every moment, and you can bet I’ll be writing the soundtrack for all the wild, unforgettable ones. Time better keep up with me. New music soon.”

Below, check out INJI’s photo gallery along with the 24 tracks, from “Girls” by The Dare to “GIRLZ” from INJI herself, that have inspired her big, fun creative life so far.

Thundercat – “Them Changes”

Photography: Chloe May Fuller, Rami Abdulaban

When images from The Substance inevitably dawn upon you in horrific, delirious flashbacks, they’ll come with a sound: a synthetic whirl that revs up to just stop itself in reverb-ey silence.

It’s the sonic symbol of the titular substance, a medical miracle used in the film by Elisabeth Sparkle (Demi Moore), a longtime TV trainer gasping for relevancy, who uses the neon hued serum to transform into a younger, more “beautiful” double named Sue (Margaret Qualley). Every time Sparkle gives herself the magical solution, that electronic whirl plays, often beckoning in the film’s theme — a lurid mix of dark techno exaltation and scraping-the-walls agony.

The film’s memorable score is the work of Benjamin Stefanski, a producer and composer who also releases music as Raffertie. To strike the film’s tense balance, Stefanski deployed a palette of soft ambient synths, grinding, metallic squeals and soft textured strings which harken back to a more classic Hollywood affair. He was looking to lean into the film’s unease, and to sonically represent Sparkle and Sue’s double-existence.

“Some of my early conversations [with Coralie Fargeat, the film’s director and writer,] were around the duality of these two characters,” Stefanski tells PAPER. “We wanted to have something which represents something a little bit more organic for Elisabeth, and perhaps something a little bit more synthetic or hyperreal for Sue.” That sonic concoction is our guide for a story that starts in a space of bright, poppy technicolor and ends in a ghastly, absurd affair filled with screams and bodily fluids.

Stefanski’s score has broken through, making the rare leap from the cinema to dance floors. Following the film’s buzzy release, numerous viral TikToks came out requesting the score be played in clubs. Half-meme, half-demand, the posts were heeded, and soon after Brooklyn’s own Market Hotel hosted a party inspired by the film and its music, drag artists around the world began using it for their own absurd body horror numbers, and the internet began to overflow with edits using the film’s music, grafting its themes of beauty and jealousy onto imagined cross generational “rivals” from throughout pop culture.

All of this was a “pleasant surprise,” Stefanski tells PAPER — especially given the fact that he had just a few months to c create the now-zeitgeist-ey music. “I got involved in January [2024], and [the film’s team] wanted to enter it for the Cannes Film Festival in May. [Coralie Fargeat], put a lot of trust in me,” he shares. Indeed, trust and craft came together, and though his sounds may haunt our dreams, we’re thankful for the thought-provoking nightmare.

PAPER caught up with Stefanski in the wake of The Substance-mania to chat about the process behind the music, body horror, and how his work on the film merged with the creation of his own latest double-single release: the propulsive, deliciously grim “Can’t Stop” and “Atlas.

It’s rare for a film score to break through and be played in clubs. Were you thinking about the music existing outside of the film while you were making it?

Not really. I got a request to send in a reel for the film in January of this year. Coralie responded really strongly to five or six tracks on that reel, and that became part of the film’s musical language. She knew that she wanted an electronic score, or at least something which featured electronics quite heavily. And then some of our early conversations were around the duality of these two characters. We wanted to have something which represents something a little bit more organic for Elisabeth, and perhaps something a little bit more synthetic or hyperreal for Sue. But there was never an explicit conversation about it stylistically.

Coralie put a lot of trust in me to respond to the film as I saw it. She gave me quite a lot of space, despite the fact that there was a small amount of time. I got involved in January, and they wanted to enter it for the Cannes Film Festival in May. So she put a lot of trust in me to go away for a couple of weeks, make some ideas and do what I thought was best based on a few pointers.

So to your original question: I don’t think there was ever really a conversation about how the music would be perceived outside of the film. But certainly with the title track, “The Substance” — it felt very appropriate to have this club, techno-leaning piece of music, which incorporated the “The Substance” sound which we hear throughout the film. And we needed this sensual, slightly dark underpinning for the character of Sue. That club-leaning techno track worked quite well for that character.

Did you explore other genres with Coralie throughout the process? Or did you immediately know that techno would be part of the language of the film?

I have a thing that I do. That’s not to say that I approach every film score in the same way, but I think people come to me because I am good at working with electronics. And there’s an element of my music which I think crosses over between sound design and music. One of the things which I’m most pleased about with the film is how the sound design and the music fit so well together. There are these blurred lines between the two. People have asked me, “Is that moment from the sound design department? Or is that the score?” I like the interplay between those things.

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The film was one of the more visceral cinematic experiences I’ve had in recent year; the images have stuck with me long after seeing the film. Did you have a relationship to body horror, or this particular genre, prior to working on the film?

Not especially. I feel very excited watching horror films. It feels like a safe space to explore that kind of excitement. But I’ve never worked on anything quite like it before. The film does use body horror and I suppose that does make it a “body horror film.” But it uses horror tropes to talk about this inner voice and the horrible things that we say to ourselves. It’s using horror tropes to see that voice in full effect, rather than it just being this abstract internal dialogue.

As the person making the score, you’re coming into the filmmaking towards the end, where all the images are done. So you’re sitting with these grotesque, very emotionally affecting images. What was the emotional experience like sitting with this footage for hours on end?

You have to allow it to affect you to an extent, because part of your role is to express the emotional content of the film, or at least emphasize it in some way. But The Substance becomes quite surreal and almost ridiculous at the end: the amount of blood that’s used is not realistic in any sense. That’s part of what’s brilliant about it. You do become a little bit desensitized to it, but at the same time I think The Substance is never trying to be realistic, so you can tap into what it’s trying to say, rather than just sort of being put off or horrified by it.

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I read that Margaret Qualley was listening to Charli xcx to get in the mode of Sue. A lot of pop stars have really gravitated towards the film (Slayyyter was posting about it, for example). Was pop music on your mind on any level, given that it had this resonance with the genre after the fact?

It’s been really interesting to see the cross pollination between Brat and The Substance. There’s the color of the Brat record which is similar to [The Substance] “activator,” for example. As far as I’m aware, that was completely unintentional. But it’s fascinating. With my own music, I’ve danced around the pop sphere in some ways. I’ve never had a pop single, but some elements of what I’ve done have touched on things that are going on now [in pop]. But it’s just a coincidence, though, with how it’s aligned. I didn’t know that about Margaret listening to Charli xcx to get in the mood for the role, though, so maybe some of that inadvertently filtered through.

I know you’ve spoken in the past about how your film scoring work and your own personal artistic work are distinct from one another. Tell me about your last two-track release, “Can’t Stop” and “Atlas. It feels like these are very much in conversation with The Substance.

I looked at those two worlds as very distinct things for a long time. The more that I’ve worked on film scores, the more that I get a better result by leaning into what comes naturally to me. Obviously there are slightly different technical considerations — whether your music has to fit with dialogue, for instance — but I think just purely in an artistic sense, there’s no reason the two can’t coexist and come from a similar place. Now, I’m a lot more comfortable with that than I ever was in the past. I felt like there had to be these distinct worlds, but not so much these days.

Did The Substance facilitate that in particular?

Yes, I suppose so. Coralie is a very inspiring person to work with. She has quite an uncompromising attitude towards her vision. Some of that relies on having a really good idea, and she had an amazing idea with The Substance. But then, once you have that good idea, it’s really about pushing it as far as it can go and not compromising on what you want to say. So from that point of view, I’ve come out of The Substance, feeling a renewed confidence by just trying to follow Coralie’s example by sticking to what you believe in artistically.

Photography: Josh Shinner

“Step right up and feast your eyes on the spectacular, the daring, the utterly unpredictable, Haute & Freddy!”

This description of the LA duo’s “Scantily Clad” music video tees it all up perfectly, like a carnival ringleader introducing a show that’ll make you choke on your popcorn — or more simply “clutch your pearls,” as the band hopes. “Scantily Clad” is the first proper visual from Haute & Freddy, the brainchild of Michelle Buzz and Lance Shipp, who’ve been carving out space for their self-described “runaway carnie” brand of theatrical pop. (They even refer to fans as a “Royal Court.”)

The Sam Hayes-directed video looks like a drunken opera house riot, featuring a full cast of unruly characters moving through choreography by Melissa Schade. It’s an outsider’s fantasy that reads like a dream sequence, as the group lounges around broken mannequin parts like they’re real life lovers. “Oh, what a disgrace,” Buzz sings, wearing opulent orange hair, as Shipp parades nearby in a black top hat. “Scantily clad woman, scantily clad man,” the hook repeats, with dramatic flair.

Watch the PAPER premiere of “Scantily Clad,” below, and learn more about Haute & Freddy as they prepare their next single, “Fashion Over Function,” coming soon.

What does the hook, “Scantily clad woman/ Scantily clad man,” really mean?

It’s basically a song about clutching pearls at self-expression, people loving who they love, queerness, gender in general being a silly little box, and how medieval it all feels sometimes.

Tell me about the world you’re building, sonically and visually.

It’s all very 18th century runaway carnie-coded. The fans are our Royal Court and we are their humble jesters. We have an antique shopping problem, and we love flea markets and vintage objects. It all bleeds into our visual and sonic world. We’re drawn to old synths, dusty drum machines and anything that sounds like it’s always existed — not something forcibly created. Live, we have a miming balloon artist making crowns for our Royal Court. There’s a stilt walker, and fake mustaches and feather boas adorn the tables for anyone who wants to play dress-up. It’s just us having the most fun possible and creating a world where everyone can be their full selves, loud and proud.

What’s the collaborative process like, lyrically and musically, between you both?

Extremely free. We both produce, we both find synth sounds we like, drums we like, fly by the seat of our pants until melodies and lyrics start falling out and just capture it. Ultimately, we just want each other to be ourselves and so we try to egg on the weird.

So far this year you’ve released “Scantily Clad” and, more recently, “Anti-Superstar.” Do you see a relationship between the two?

Yes, most of our music lyrically is inspired by anything that goes against what is generally acceptable, trendy, polished. It’s ironic building such a beautiful quick fan army on TikTok, but it’s very much like, “Please gatekeep us,” in a cheeky way. Things that are too popular aren’t fun for us. We want to feel like a secret club. “Scantily Clad” is like, How dare you express yourself! Gasp! And “Anti-Superstar” is like, I don’t want everyone to get it.

How did you want to bring “Scantily Clad” to life in video? I love the choreography and all the high drama.

High drama is our life. It all started because Melissa Schade, the choreographer, tagged us in her class and taught a dance to “Scantily Clad,” and we loved it and her so much we had to make it together. We always knew it had to be in an old, charming theater and had to be the after party of sorts — post-scantily clad opera house riot, like the cast ran back to their little theater and made fun of the whole uproar together.

How did you approach casting? Who’s all featured in the video? I recognize Shamu Azizam, who was in our PAPER People LA cover series.

We told [the choreographer] Melissa, “We want unhinged, main characters who look like they ran away from the carnival.” She sent us all these options, it was so hard to pick because everyone was so iconic. We narrowed it down after seeing everyone’s socials because it was video after video of them in their living room or in a field or on some massive tour, all being so clownish and obscure and already dressing the part.

What’s to come from you in 2025?

More live shows and so much more music. We have an album fully written, so we’ll just be creating a metaphorical parade of singles, unique shows and visual feasts leading up to that.

High drama is our life.

Photography: Zoe Donahoe

Alabama Barker has a vision. Now, the 18-year-old rapper, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist is sharing it with the world via her new single and video for “Vogue.”

“The music video’s inspiration was entirely my vision from the ground up,” Barker tells PAPER. “I creatively directed the entire project from start to finish, ensuring every detail perfectly aligned with my ideas. I’m very particular about my craft, and it was crucial to me that everything — from the concept to the final cut — reflected exactly what I envisioned. This project is a true expression of who I am, so when you watch the music video, you’re seeing a piece of my creativity come to life.”

The visuals feature a star-studded cast (AKA Barker’s family), including her father, Travis, step-mom Kourtney Kardashian and brother Landon. In the video, Barker flashes stacks of cash, rolls up to a fashion show amid flashing lights and walks the runway while showing off her unique flow, rapping, “Looks like I’m a fresh out of Vogue/ I never do what I’m told” over a gritty beat produced by ATL Jacob (Future, Nick Minaj). It’s immediately catchy, and Barker’s adlibs (see: “Pretty bitch I’m in the mode” and “if you a bad bitch this is your song”) stick with you after the track, a promising preview of what’s to come from the star.

Below, Barker talks to PAPER about how she hopes fans feel when they hear “Vogue,” being inspired by her Blink-182 drummer dad and what other ventures she has in store for 2025.

What does “Vogue” represent to you, what were you hoping to get across with the track?

“Vogue” is such a fun and culturally rich record. It embodies youth, creativity and a sense of girlhood that’s super relatable. Whether you’re getting ready for a night out, hyping yourself up, or just in need of good vibes, this song is your go-to anthem.

What made you want to venture into making music?

Growing up with my dad’s music, I was surrounded by so much passion and creativity. He’s been my biggest inspiration —not just musically, but in how he approaches his craft and work ethic. Now that I’ve discovered my own love for music, I’m carving out my own sound and journey while honoring everything he’s taught me.

How do you hope fans feel when they hear “Vogue”?

I hope fans feel empowered and confident when they hear this song. It’s been a long time in the making, but all great things take time. This track is all about hyping yourself up, having fun and expressing yourself without limits.

What are you most excited to share with fans next?

Oh, so much! I’ve been in the studio constantly, experimenting with rapping, singing, and exploring new sounds — I don’t want to be put in a box. 2025 is going to have more music from me, but I’m also excited about other ventures like beauty, acting and even hair projects. The possibilities are endless as long as I keep pushing myself.

Growing up with my dad’s music, I was surrounded by so much passion and creativity.

Photography: Sean Behr
Styling: Lycia Lamini

Jade Thirlwall — or as you may simply know her: JADE — is back home in London having just done a round of press in New York City, alongside PAPER’s photoshoot and a pop-up appearance at Brooklyn’s iconic 3 Dollar Bill. Of course, that’s not to mention the multiple music videos she’s planning and shooting or the album she’s undoubtedly wrapping in a seasonally appropriate ribbon.

JADE is busy. But the internet-eclipsing success of her solo debut “Angel of My Dreams” comes after a period of calm and isolation. It’s a little over two years since Little Mix, the girl group she once belonged to, announced an indefinite hiatus. In the time since, JADE has travelled the world, vacationed with friends and maybe most importantly, been to therapy. “It was the best, and the highs and lows, all of it, was such a pivotal and important part of my life,” JADE tells PAPER. “So I needed to take a step back from it to come to terms with that and grieve it a little bit. It was my whole life, so to come out of that was scary.” As to what she learned in that time away: “I love my work. I pour everything into it. So I came out of [therapy] like, ‘Oh, I can have a loving relationship as well as do music. I can have a better balance with that sort of stuff.’”

She also believes her brief departure from the glamour of a pop career is the foundation for her breakthrough success as a solo act. “People didn’t know about me, or what I was capable of, or where I am on my own, what kind of creative vision I see for myself,” she says. “I came out swinging with ‘Angel of My Dreams,’ and people accepted it willingly. I think I needed two years to get to that point.”

Granted, her music has led some listeners to glance backward. “Angel” is about experiences JADE has had in the music industry, she says. Lyrics like “Sellin’ my soul to a psycho/ They say I’m so lucky/ Better act like you’re lucky, honey” have led fans to draw obvious conclusions or even conspiracy theories. A particular figure in the music video, comically large and imposing, has inspired enough videos on TikTok to fill an afternoon, with some pinning red string on a corkboard between words like “psycho” and “SYCO,” Little Mix’s former label.

Lady Gaga comes up more than once in conversation with JADE, herself having built an intricate pop fantasy world conveyed primarily through lyrics and visuals. “I think of Lady Gaga, Gwen Stefani, Stacie Orrico, I think of the girls that do a video, and it’s a whole movie,” JADE says. “In my mind, the budget never exists. It definitely does, but in my head, there’s always a way of making it work, and part of that is obviously getting creatives involved, directors involved, that feel so passionate about it.”

One of those directors is David LaChapelle, who personally approached JADE about the video for her third solo single, “Fantasy.” Besides having shot just about every diva in the industry — “‘Everytime’ with Britney, and ‘Dirty,’ he’s done the damn thing!” — JADE emphasizes LaChapelle’s hands-on approach. “I went to his studio, and he was blasting ‘Angel,’ and he had a moodboard of me, pictures of me throughout the years,” she says. “He is obviously one of the greatest, and once he is on board with what you’re trying to do as an artist, he’ll ride or die for it.” She laughs, and recounts a particularly memorable moment: “He called me into a room, because he wanted to check my outfit. And I’m standing, literally, on this pedestal. There’s, a room of gays around me, trans people, all members of the community, picking me apart. I was like, ‘This is heaven!’” She laughs. “David LaChapelle is telling me about myself, my gay stylist is tweaking things, a trans seamstress is sewing as we speak, I’ve made it. I’ve truly, truly made it!”

Of all the celeb anecdotes I’ve been told this year, this is maybe the best. Pop music, but especially JADE, can still surprise even a grizzly cynic.

It has been a little over two years now since Little Mix announced the hiatus, and you took some time away. You’ve said you went on some vacations, traveled and spent time writing. What did you learn about yourself, being away from the machine and the noise of a massive pop career?

I learned that I am so much better than I thought I was at what I do. It took me taking a step back from it to look back over the Little Mix journey and be like, The fuck, that was insane. It was the best, and the highs and lows, all of it, was such a pivotal and important part of my life. So I needed to take a step back to come to terms with that and grieve it a little bit. It was my whole life, so to come out of that was scary. I needed the time to have some therapy, do some work on myself, understand and have better relationships and boundaries outside of work, because I’m a Capricorn. I love my work. I pour everything into it. So I came out of that, and I was like, Oh, I can have a loving relationship as well as do music. I can have a better balance with that sort of stuff. I just believe in myself a bit more. Change is good and being challenged is good. It pushed me into starting again creatively, going in writing rooms and being like, No, you’re a great songwriter. Sometimes I maybe would shrink, or I would rely on other people in the room. And so I had to push myself to know that I’m good enough on my own to do all those things. And the minute my creative vision started coming to life, I was like, Oh shit. Jade, you’re pretty good at this. You deserve to be having your moment.

I’ve always thrived on that idea of being the underdog. I think people didn’t know what to expect. People didn’t know about me, or what I was capable of, or where I am on my own, what kind of creative vision I see for myself. So that’s only an advantage, really. I came out swinging with “Angel of My Dreams” and people accepted it willingly. I needed two years to get to that point.

It has been exciting to see someone starting their solo career, and really come out so strong. What did you do to find that sound that you’ve landed on? Did you go back to certain inspirations, spend a lot of time writing?

A lot of writing, and to be fair, there’s so many people that were part of the process. People like MNEK, who is a dear friend of mine. He was the first writer/producer to take me under his wing and be like, Let’s just get in the studio. Let’s write so much music. Some of it will be great, some of it will be mediocre. It’s fine. We’re just going to write and find out who you are. I’m really, really grateful to him for that, because it takes people like that around you who are genuinely passionate about you as an artist and believe in you too. So that was a pivotal part of my journey, being with him for months on end.

Surrounding myself with people that didn’t feel restricted by what a song length needs to be, or, How do we make this a TikTok viral song? How do we make this radio friendly? I’ve done a lot of sessions like that, and yes, you need those at times, but working with people like Mike Sabath or Pablo Bowman, when you’re in the room with them, they don’t care. They just want to write great music. You can change the tempo, you can change the genres. That’s what really makes me tick, being with creatives and collaborating with people that are willing to throw the rubric out the window a bit. Particularly for the first song. That was super important, because I have quite a chaotic, creative brain. I challenge my mind, or I like mixing things together, like Frankenstein. I’m hugely inspired by producers like Xenomania, who did a lot of Girls Aloud…

One of the greatest to ever do it.

Exactly. And I actually think UK girl bands are really great at setting the tone of doing something new. When Sugababes first came out with “Overload,” or Girls Aloud with “Sound of the Underground.” We are good at that, even Little Mix with “Wings.” I’m inspired by that. I knew I wanted to do that for my solo work and I am just a pop fan. I think it is quite evident with the visuals and music.

I love showing other Americans “Biology” by Girls Aloud and being like, “You’re never gonna hear another song like this.” Literally ever. Just like, let it wash over you. It’s six different songs and it’s amazing.

It’s an album squashed into one pop song.

UK pop girls especially, and just the industry at large, is having this moment where the rule book, so to speak, is being thrown out. You’re showing that these unconventional songs can find success. Where do you feel like that is coming from for you specifically?

I just want to do what I want. I’ve spent so many years in the industry, and I feel like I’ve been through a lot of phases in the music industry. When we first started, it was the X Factor era, and it was very strict with time codes for a song. There was a definite structure for a pop song, you churn out the same sort of stuff. And that’s not to say that what we did wasn’t brilliant, because I obviously loved it, but it’s been interesting for me, seeing the gradual change, and what’s popping off, what isn’t. Now is a really exciting time in music, because anything goes. Especially for women in music, it’s not as restricting. You don’t have to follow a certain checklist to make it.

Looking back at that time in Little Mix to where you are now, do you feel surprised at all that you ended up here as a solo artist? Did you always see yourself staying in the group?

I fucking love girl bands. There’s not many of them. It’s hard to make it as a girl band. And I was with the fans in that. I definitely struggled the most with the idea of change. I knew it was going to come. I knew it was inevitable, and I knew I’d be excited for my own music, but I definitely had to grieve that part of my life, maybe the longest. That being said, I was so excited to show everyone what I could do on my own, especially toward the end. We were all itching a bit. Like, we love each other, but people still don’t know so much about us as individuals. And there definitely comes a time that has to happen. And the fact we lasted for that long as well as a girl group is crazy.

I’m curious too, because you’ve talked about feeling like an underdog in the group, or feeling like people didn’t know as much about you as the other members. Was that by design on your part, was it accidental, was the media not paying attention?

It’s a combination of things. Obviously some of the girls were in high-profile relationships, or a couple of the girls put out documentaries, so that gave people insight into what they were feeling. It wasn’t that on purpose, but I definitely loved the collaboration of it all. I’m quite a good team player, I would say. And a lot of the stuff that I thrived in was behind the scenes, whether that was songwriting or the business side. If we’d get a scary business email, it would be forwarded on to me to have to break down. I loved coming up with ideas for videos. It maybe wasn’t so much at the forefront publicly. But as the years went on, it became known that I was a bit of a nerd, or loved a night out, would always pipe up about social issues. I’m not afraid to speak out on things I feel passionate about. My identity became more known, or I’d be the one that wouldn’t take myself too seriously. I liked the idea of being the most mysterious, like, What’s she going to do?

Do you feel like the fan base has evolved with each of your solo careers? You’ve obviously acquired so many listeners that maybe weren’t necessarily Little Mix fans, but those core listeners. Do you feel like they’re excited for what you’re doing as solo artists?

I think so. You do see a lot of comments and interactions. It gets hard to not see that. We’ve got our core fans that support all of us. And you know, it’s inevitable some fans might have a favorite. But what I’ve really loved with my own music is seeing a lot of people being like, Oh my God, this Jade’s really cool. She’s gonna blow up. Who’s Jade? Tell me about her. That’s amazing, because that means it’s reaching new people that maybe wouldn’t have necessarily been into Little Mix. Or my own stuff is individual enough that people are knowing me as that now, which is really cool.

You were on the first season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and you’ve always been very outspoken about your relationship to the queer community, to drag. Where do you think that relationship comes from? Because that does also feel important in this relationship you’ve built with fans, and also the sort of people that feel really excited about this new music.

It does kind of go hand in hand. I feel like it’s organically happened through the years, but ever since a young age, really, I’ve always been in touch with the community, whether that is the environments I was in with music, or musical theater. I saw a lot of drag culture early on, and Mom would always take me to drag shows. So whilst I probably couldn’t have put two and two together, or connected the dots from an early age, I definitely was enthralled by that sort of culture.

It was very surface-level stuff, even at the beginning of the band, to be honest, like I definitely didn’t know how to be a good ally or be better than just sort of basic bitch level. I’ve had to teach myself over the years. We obviously had a huge gay fan base and a huge LGBTQ+ fan base. So I just knew I had to do a bit more. Like I met up with Stonewall, and they literally gave me a history lesson. I still am learning how to be better, when to speak with someone and acknowledge if I fuck up sometimes. It’s ever-changing, but I’m very much aware that I do have a huge fan base from that community, so it’s the least I can do, really, to pipe up and speak up when it’s necessary.

There’s quite a few looks you’ve pulled off that are like drag, at least in their proportions. Or drag in the way Chappell Roan describes her persona. If I can make this assumption, it feels like you’ve been in turn inspired by this community with these characters and fashion moments that you’re having. Do you feel that for yourself?

Even from a sort of alter ego perspective, when I look at drag, I think that’s why, even as a little girl, I was so obsessed. I was really shy and very introverted, and then I’d see these glamorous divas on stage and be like, How do I be like that? How do I channel that, so that I can get onstage and feel safe? So I really relate to drag culture in that respect. On a more creative level, on the “Angel of My Dreams” visual moodboard, there was like, Bimini on there. I do take a lot of inspiration from that, and I would never shy away from saying that. Chappell, you’re right, has literally a persona, whereas I feel like I channel it in my own way. But I think we’re all inspired by drag. People don’t even realize how inspired they are by drag.

It’s cool too, because obviously, RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, and that first season in particular, went on to become so iconic. You were one of the first judges on the first season, one that people now look back on as the best of the best.

I love that. I was there at the beginning, do you know what I mean? Love that for me, and I am so proud of Drag Race UK, because it’s one of the best ones, because there’s so much heart in that show. Are you watching the new season? Me and my best friend, we watch it every week, and we were sobbing at La Voix.

Getting emotional thinking about it!

It was like, goosebumps! And I think that is the beauty of the show, and that’s what I mean by it being commercialized. I know people will say, “Oh, it’s not ours anymore”, but I do think it is cool that someone might watch that on TV, like a parent, and be like, “Oh shit, that’s a really loving parent, and they’re doing it right. I could learn something from that.”

“Angel of My Dreams” felt like watching Lady Gaga music videos during the Fame Monster era. It felt like something that people are not doing right now. Do you find yourself inspired by Lady Gaga?

With “Angel,” Aube Perrie, who directed it, was so obsessed with the song, and he knew I wanted to tell this story. I wanted it to be a narrative video with so many references to pop culture over the years and a fashion perspective. We’ve got Mariah in there, we’ve got Daphne, we have got a bit of “Bad Romance” with the dance sequence. For me, that was the perfect introduction to show everyone that I am a student of pop. I love a moodboard, and I am going to show you all the things that have made me who I am today in a four-minute music video. There’s a lot going on, it’s very chaotic, but I wanted it to feel like you have been stuffed in the face with pop references.

I remember you saying in another interview there’s a reference to Mariah on MTV’s Cribs, a Victoria Beckham Instagram post. Are you someone who, when growing up, or even being in the industry, has really kept up with and consumed pop culture, TV, variety shows, reality TV?

Growing up, I’d watch all those shows. Every week, me and my friends will sit around the TV and we’ll watch music videos, or we’ll watch compilations of The Real Housewives of New York. We subsume ourselves in pop culture moments. I follow various accounts online that show me that. I just live for it. I think it’s even harder these days, like we do say that now and again, but we’re so blessed that we came from an era where it was still fresh and new. Do you know what I mean? How lucky were we. I think I saw an interview recently of Tate McRae. She was asked about Britney or something. She’s like, well, you know, I grew up with Selena and Ariana. I was like, that’s amazing, obviously we love those artists. But I can’t imagine not growing up with The Simple Life.

I was so obsessed with variety shows. I’m not even from the UK or Europe, and I would watch Eurotrash rips on YouTube in middle school and high school, because I needed to know what’s going on over there.

Like, the dawn of YouTube and Twitter. All those places where we got to see memes. I don’t care if it makes me sound old, but it’s a huge influence with all my work, especially visuals. I feel blessed to be in my 30s, embarking on a solo career now, where I can show everyone that.

It’s clear you have a library of references, and you mentioned Real Housewives. I’m curious, is New York your favorite? Are you a contemporary viewer?

I do love Lisa Vanderpump, so maybe Beverly Hills might be up there as the favorite. The compilations, they’re so messy when they have dinner parties. I don’t have time to watch all the seasons anymore, so I will just watch the best bits. That’s all I need to see, to be honest.

David LaChapelle did the new video for “Fantasy.” I’ve interviewed a few people this year that David has worked with, and they all describe him as an auteur on set, that you get an experience working with him that you don’t get with anyone else. Do you feel the same?

I am still shocked that I got to work with David, he’s always the moodboard. When I was with my creative director two years ago, we had all his books laid out in front of us, and we were like, This is amazing. So to have him reach out to me and love the music and want to be a part of it was like, pinch me.

Even still now, he’ll message me weekly, like he’s seen something online that he loved, and I think that’s incredible. He’s been so supportive of me, and if we’re brutally honest: Did he have to do that video for me? No, he did it because he wants to, and he loves it, so I’m eternally grateful for that. We bonded over our mutual love for the old school divas, like Diana Ross. That was kind of where it began, and that is where the references came from for the video. With David, you’re going to get that beauty moment, you’re going to get the most perfect lighting I’ve ever seen. I remember him saying to me, “You’re going to get Drag Race lighting, do not worry.”

Just like, complete glamour, blown out, sparking from every bit.

He’s gonna make it the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen. We were adamant that we wanted a Carrie moment, or turn it on its head, shock people again. I’ve always craved that surprise moment in my visuals, so that’s where that came from. We had one take to do it, and David’s so funny on set. He just walks in and commands the room. He doesn’t even need to say anything. There’s so much respect there for him. He works with the same people and crew he’s worked with for years and years. That speaks volumes for the type of person he is. He’s got so many amazing stories from over the years.

I’m sure he’s got too many good ones, since he’s shot all the divas, so to speak.

He’s done, like, “Everytime” with Britney, and “Dirrty.” He’s done the damn thing. There was one moment where he called me into a room, because he wanted to check my outfit. And I’m standing, literally, on this pedestal. There’s like, a room of gays around me, trans people, all members of the community, picking me apart. I was like, “This is heaven.” If I die right now, David LaChapelle is telling me about myself, gay stylist tweaking things, trans seamstress sewing as we speak, I’ve made it. I’ve truly, truly made it.

Do you have a favorite part of the process, in making music? Visuals, the touring, the outfits, the writing and recording?

I do genuinely love the visuals just as much as the music. I think you can’t be a pop girlie and not think that it’s got to come hand in hand. Obviously the music comes first, and I’m super passionate about writing. But then I guess the even more fun part is being like, “Okay, what does this music video look like? What’s the campaign shoot?” I live for that stuff, and I always like telling a story through my music, so my visuals will usually have some sort of movie reference or element to it. We’re shooting the music video next week, and I didn’t realize until someone said, “Wow, you really love horror.” I guess I subconsciously have this underlying theme. Carrie was really obvious, but there’s always this undertone of the horror genre, and I think it’s becauseI love the element of feeling on the edge, or not feeling safe, when you’re watching a visual. You don’t know what’s coming next. I think even “Midnight Cowboy” had this sort of scary paparazzi at night. This next video I’m doing… Maybe I can’t actually say that.

People can expect to be surprised, you’re saying.

They can always expect dark undertones, because I love that. My music reflects that tongue-in-cheek, laughing at my trauma vibe. I like when my visuals feel quite glamorous, but then there’s the seedy, dark undertone. I think all my music, in this record, reflects my experience in the industry in some way or another.

Did you feel more excited by the visuals you were producing, maybe instead of in other iterations of your career? Is it easier now than when you were a part of a group dynamic?

Even from a practical point of view, it’s less glam time. There’s a lot more time to shoot things in the day. You’re not doing three, four solo set ups, and in a group, you all have to want to do the same thing. It’s a group decision. So sometimes your opinion might not be the one that makes it. Whereas I literally say, “This is what I want to do,” and I will man that ship, because it has to come from me, especially now as a solo artist. My worst nightmare is giving into somebody else’s ideas, them not doing well, and maybe I didn’t even want to do that in the first place.

I’d much rather have the creative, or a song, fail because I made that decision. It’s a better pill to swallow, it’s definitely easier in that sense. To be fair, for the majority of the time, the girls were on the same page, but the difference was with different labels or different teams sometimes you’re pushed into certain decisions. If you don’t do this, you can’t have this, or you have to do this song because we’ve got this relationship with this producer. I don’t do any of that now. It’s what I say goes.

If there was a JADE playlist for 2024, or the unnamed album’s sonic mood board, who is on it right now?

I do have a playlist, I’m going to pull it up right now. I’ll tell you, I have “Living for Love” by Madonna on there.

So good.

I have a bit of Solange on there, actually, because I feel like she balances a retro sound, but up to date. Obviously, Diana Ross is on there, like “My Old Piano.” I have Channel Tres on there, I manifested him to be on my track, so that’s pretty cool. “Slow,” by Kylie Minogue.

One of the greatest.

Then, I have, like, “Feedback,” Janet Jackson. I guess underground stuff. There’s a song called “Pancake” by Jaded and Ashnikko. It was cool finding songs that were a bit more daring, production-wise. There’s a song by Prince called “Funk and Roll,” which — nobody knows this actually — really inspired “Angel” for me, because of the switch-up in the introduction of the song. It’s quite eclectic, I suppose. Interestingly, I don’t listen to a lot of new music, I don’t like to compare myself or steer it off and be like, They’re doing that, they’re doing well. I have to do something like that. I like to keep to my references that I knew, and I loved listening to at different stages in my life. That’s my vibe.

It’s become something of a meme on the internet, but it was something that existed prior to it becoming a meme: gay guy music video night. Explains itself, get your friends together and put on your favorite music videos. You mentioned doing this with your friends. Besides the ones we’ve talked about, what are the videos you default to?

I do this every Sunday, it’s a religious event for me. We have a Sunday roast and then we put the kettle on, then we sit and we watch music videos. So, I usually go back to the 2000s. It will be like, maybe a bit of Rachel Stevens or Billy Piper. Oh, girl bands. Sugababes. I love watching Normani videos. She does them very well. A lot of Dave Myers, just because he knows how to do the most. I love watching K-Pop videos as well, like BLACKPINK, just because the budget doesn’t exist for them.

They could probably buy the moon with the money they spend on a BLACKPINK video.

I enjoy this sort of randomness as well with a lot of K-Pop videos. They’re like, Here’s a setup, and now we’re on a war tank in camouflage outfits, and now we’re on a subway. It’s pretty eclectic. But we always look at what’s just come out that week as well. I enjoyed Tate McRae’s visuals, recently. What’s cool about her stuff is we know what she is. Do you know what I mean? It’s like an identity, same with Addison Rae, actually. I like watching her videos because I feel like she’s positively surprising everyone.

A lot of people, including myself, were like, I don’t know if a TikToker can do this, in the first iteration of her music career. Then she came out with “Diet Pepsi,” and I realized I was not familiar with her game.

Yeah, and then “Aquamarine,” with the choreography. Very much enjoying them. I guess a bit of old and new, but they’re some of my favorites I’d say, of late.

You’ve mentioned horror and horror movies. Do you have some that are your favorites, that you can watch on repeat?

I love Host, that’s my favorite. That’s like a Zoom call. Have you seen it?

No, I haven’t. I’ll have to watch it.

I’ve got a Shudder subscription, that’s how much I love horror movies.

I get Shudder from my friends for Dragula. I think that’s all it gets used for.

Sometimes the low-budget stuff is actually the best, and Host was the one that came out in lockdown. It’s literally an hour-long Zoom call. That’s up there with one of my favorites. I love The Conjuring. I like when there’s a bit of humor mixed in with the darkness. I just watched one recently with James McAvoy, I’m going to Google it right now. It was so good. That was like, actually really funny.

I appreciate when they can be a little funny, because the straight horror stuff I can’t handle.

I’ll watch it because I love it, but I prefer the mixture. Speak No Evil, that’s what it’s called. Really enjoyed that. Smile, just as a creative, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed that, having had someone sort of smiling in the crowd. Brilliant, brilliant. They’re the ones that have come to the top of my head, but I live for horror movies. I’m not surrounded by many people that will watch them with me, it’s really sad.

You’ve done TV appearances, you’ve done music, would you ever star in a horror movie?

I’d love to have my Paris Hilton House of Wax moment.

I was gonna say, it’s too bad, because Trap just came out and had a pop star in it. That would have been perfect.

When Smile 2 came out, I would have loved to have done that.

If the pop stars in horror movies trend continues, get JADE on the phone, movie directors.

When I did the Carrie thing for “Fantasy,” I was like, Oh, I love this. I get the appeal now, when you’re just screaming. It’s actually quite a great release of female rage. That’s what I was going to say. My next video channels female rage. Maybe that is something I’m drawn to in horror movies. I love when women are the ones that save the day.

Photography: Tanner Abel
Styling: Matthew Mazur
Makeup: Mollie Gloss
Hair: Chika Nishiyama
Nails: Kawaii Nails NYC
Set design: Reece Koetter

Photo assistant: Joe Caster
Styling assistants: Hanna Berridge, Zander Slayton
Set design assistant: Zac Thomas
Production assistant: Kaiya Lang

Editor-in-chief: Justin Moran
Managing editor: Matt Wille
Editorial producer: Angelina Cantú
Music editor: Erica Campbell
Story: Joan Summers

In many ways, a Meta AI holiday partnership with Hilary Duff makes sense. From her days on Lizzie McGuire, when a young Aaron Carter kissed her under the mistletoe, to her current status as a full-time mom and actress, the 37-year-old has always been a cultural icon for-the-people.

Having grown up and came into massive fame during the Y2K era alongside the likes of Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, Duff has always somehow seemed to manage the constant surveillance of tabloid culture and the early 2000s paparazzi boom with a graceful ease. “It was a really tough time to come up in the gossip era where people were talking about everything you were doing and everyone you were seen with,” she tells PAPER. “Now, I feel like it’s shifted into something different.”

Just imagine if something like artificial intelligence (at least our current understanding of it) existed during that time. The iPod was created in 2001 and Google first went public in 2004. It was a time when teen stars were being shuffled around on red carpets and worked to the bone and when Disney Channel original movies like Zenon and Smart House portrayed the future of “smart technology” as merely a distant, out-of-reach idea.

“Now we basically have that,” she says. “I actually hate how smart my house is. I want actual buttons to push on things.” Even still, the good side of AI and smart technology can be super helpful, Duff says, and her partnership with Meta AI is based in her actual reality. During the holidays, she uses Meta AI on a daily basis, from planning family trips, gift ideas, planning new school lunch box creations for her kids and for getting answers to simple questions. “If Meta AI could grow some hands and be like an actual person around here sometimes, that would be great,” she laughs.

When I tell Duff that maybe she could get a Tesla Robot (like Kim Kardashian recently did), she says she’s not really interested. “I really don’t think I’m down for another person living in the house. We’re pretty full at the moment.” Even though everything can feel overwhelmingly instant and fast-paced at the moment, it’s also an exciting, colorful time to be alive. As Duff says in her 2003 hit: “Now everything’s technicolor.”

We sat down with Duff to discuss how Meta AI plays a role in holiday planning, Disney Channel Original Movies and secret new projects.

They say that you’re a holiday icon. What do you think makes you a holiday icon, and how has Meta AI helped you with your planning during the holidays?

Oh my god, I don’t know if I’m a holiday icon, but that’s so nice. In my household, I definitely am because I create all the magic. This year, I actually have been using Meta AI to help harness the chaos that ensues in my head because there’s so much to do. So creating checklists, helping me come up with a few amazing appetizers that I have to bring places, gift ideas for kids when you’re just fresh out of ideas because they get everything they want throughout the year anyway. That’s been very, very helpful. Also, I have such a range of kids’ ages that it’s hard to stay organized with everything I’ve purchased, what I need to purchase and by when. And gift-wrapping ideas, itineraries. Like, “Hey, we’re taking this day trip to San Diego or we’re going to Ojai. Help me create three memorable things that we can do there.” And it’s just boom, boom, boom. It’s crazy. I’m about to go have holiday dinner with a big group of girlfriends, and I’m like, “Okay, tell me five of the most talked about restaurants in LA right now, and provide all of their menus.” Boom, it’s there. It’s just a crazy good assistant. I’ve been utilizing it, and it’s been helping me so much. Also, the more you use it, the more it gets to know you, and that’s been really helpful as well.

You came up during the Y2K era and were a celebrity in the early 2000’s when Google was just coming about. Meta AI is like Google times ten. What was that like for you, and what advice would you give to young actresses who are just coming into fame during this crazy AI era?

I don’t really know how to speak on the AI era of it all because some of that is also still kind of confusing to me. Meta AI is different for me than some of the other AI — people that look like you, that kind of stuff. I don’t really know how to wrap my brain around all of that. I will say that for me, it was a really tough time to come up in the gossip era where people were talking about everything you were doing and everyone you were seen with. Paparazzi started to really take off. Now, I feel like it’s shifted a lot into something different. I think there are pluses and minuses to all of it. You take a job in the public, and all of a sudden you lose a big part of people’s lives where they get anonymity. You instantly give that away. Again, there are pluses and minuses. But I think as long as you’re staying on top of and in the mix of the different media that sits in our hands because of our phones now, it’s helpful. You ride the wave of that. I feel like it’s an important part of pop culture. I have so many different directions in which I can talk about it. It brings on new challenges, but it’s also a helpful tool, in a way.

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It’s the good and bad. It’s scary, but exciting at the same time.

It’s instant now. So that’s definitely different from when I was coming into the scene. Now, everything is within minutes. Something can come on the internet, or there are reports. Everything’s just instant now.

It reminds me of DCOMs, the Disney Channel Original Movies. That’s all of our lives now. Did you watch those DCOMs, and do you have a favorite one?

Of course. I loved Zenon because I loved the clothes, but I think I liked Smart House more because the Smart House idea of it was so cool. But now we basically have that. I actually hate how smart my house is. It’s way too smart for me. I want actual buttons to push on things. I’ve been able to turn my lights off in my house on my phone forever, and I’ve just started using it. I’m like, “Oh yeah, I left the kitchen lights on. I can turn them off on my phone!”

But there’s something nice to turning off an actual light switch.

Maybe that’s because I think I’m old, I don’t know. I crave that button.

No, you’re forever young.

Thanks!

What’s a day-in-the-life of Hilary Duff nowadays? I know you’re focused on being a mom. How does Meta AI play a part in that? Aside from this partnership, do you find yourself using it to help you out in certain situations?

Yes, all the time. Honestly, this morning, I was like, “Give me some new snack ideas for lunch boxes.” Because your stuff just gets stale. You’re like, “My kids aren’t eating this anymore, what can I do?” You have to be the mind for so many kids that aren’t really there yet. You also can’t be a mind reader, but you wanna try new things and expose them to new things. So that’s a helpful tool with Meta AI — just brainstorming new ideas when you’re tapped [out]. But a day in the life? I wake up around 6 or 6:15 AM. I get up with the baby. I have coffee. We chill, we play. By 6:45 AM, the rest of the house is waking up. I usually pass the baby off to someone and start cooking breakfast and packing lunches and getting backpacks ready to go out the door. Getting everybody dressed. Right now, my six-year-old has to have her hair perfect before she leaves and she’s very particular about that. My 12-year-old’s stuff is scattered all over the house, so if Meta AI could grow some hands and be like an actual person around here sometimes, that would be great.

You could get a Tesla Robot!

I know. I don’t think I’m down. I really don’t think I’m down for another person living in the house. We’re pretty full at the moment [laughs]. But honestly, in more fun ways, sometimes my son will ask me, “Who played soccer in this 1996 team for Manchester United?” And I’m like, “I swear to God I listen to you when you talk to me, and I should know this,” but I’ll secretly just ask Meta AI. Boom, I know the answer, and he’s like, “You’re a genius.” And I’m like, “I know.” Silly things like that, but also planning a girl’s trip — you can throw it into a conversation with multiple people so you can all be asking and coming up with it at the same time, which is really cool. And then if we’re getting back to my day-in-the-life of, usually my husband drops off the kids so I can get a workout in. I’m usually spending at least two hours on emails. I am working on a project right now, so I will usually go to that job that I can’t totally talk about right now for a little bit every single day. And then, it’s usually sports and dance and all the other kid things. Sometimes I’ll grab dinner with a friend, but that’ll be after I put children to bed. Then I’m waking up and doing the whole thing all over again.

Well thank you so much for talking to me. You’re an idol to me.

Thank you so much, Ivan. I hope you have a good holiday.

Photo via Getty

Tomorrow, just a day before his birthday, Offset will drop his new single “Swing My Way” via Motown Records. The track comes with a polished yet rugged video directed by Kid Art and stunning album artwork — both featuring supermodel Anok Yai. Check out the artwork premiering exclusively today on PAPER, below.

“Working with Anok for ‘Swing My Way’ was great,” Offset tells PAPER. “We matched each other’s vibe and style. This is one of my favorite cover artworks. I’m looking forward to sharing the new song and video I created with Anok tomorrow ahead of my birthday.”

In the album artwork, Yai is shown sprawled out on the hood of a black Cybertruck wearing Offset’s rap chains and little else. “Anok said she wanted to go there, so we went there!” stylist and art director SheShe Pendleton tells PAPER. “With her suggestion, we decided to go for nudity paired with an Alaïa heel and Offset’s famous jewels. That’s it, that’s the look. What better way than to pose on top of the cyber truck, highlighting Offset’s favorite lyric from ‘Swing My Way?’”

In the video which was filmed in Brooklyn, the supermodel wields a knife to put on her eyeliner, licks at a flickering lighter, and struts in front of Offset as he raps, “I pulled up in SoHo in a robo cyber tron/ I don’t care what they’re on I’m two fingers and thumbs/ Shorty swing my way/ I got racks to pay.”

Produced by Turbo (Young Thug, Travis Scott, Lil Baby), the track tells the story of the rapper’s jet-setting, incomparable, opulent lifestyle, reminding listeners, “Baby, I’m not one of them/ I’m really one of the ones.”

The collaboration with the supermodel is just one of many recent ventures into the fashion world for Offset. In September, he kicked off New York Fashion Week by joining Anna Wintour for a ribbon-cutting ceremony as CFDA’s celebrity ambassador. He also walked for Luar and Melitta Baumeister. Yai’s addition to his visuals continues the Vogue cover star’s dominance in fashion, from walking the runways of Versace, Louis Vuitton, Fendi to becoming a staggering video vixen.

Art direction: SheShe Pendleton
Styling: SheShe Pendleton
Photography: Matthew Gonzales
Retouching: Lesly Saint Louis

Collaborating with the original creators on your own cover is heaven, and for The Scarlet Opera, heaven is a place on earth.

The rising Los Angeles band, beloved for their glam rock attitude and frontman Luka Bazulka’s powerhouse vocals, had the recent pleasure of working with Rick Nowels, the original producer and co-writer of Belinda Carlisle’s 1987 classic, “Heaven Is a Place On Earth.” Their new version, polished and revamped for 2025, still packs a massive punch — and arrives today with an equally nostalgic music video.

The visual features all five members in a lo-fi haze, as if it were lifted from an old VHS tape from decades past. Bazulka is pictured alone in heaven, surrounded by glittery clouds and wearing angel wings, as he lifts his bandmates from the flames of hell. Directed by Alexa Cha and edited by Justin Moon, The Scarlet Opera’s “Heaven Is a Place On Earth” has everything from campy choreography to dramatic guitar solos.

“The goal was simple, to have a very good time,” Bazulka says of the release. “I think at first we tossed around the idea of having a little glass menagerie of the boys for me to break in this elaborate set, but the budget permitted us puppets and a green screen instead — and thank goodness.”

“Heaven Is a Place on Earth” follows The Scarlet Opera’s Mirror Mirror EP, released earlier this year. Bazulka is joined by Colin Kenrick (keyboard), Daniel Zuker (bass), Justin Siegal (drums) and Chance Taylor (guitar). Together, they deliver an arena-sized sound that brings a theatrical sensibility to contemporary pop-rock. From the urgent “Catch Me If You Can” to the tongue-in-cheek “Slutty” and anthemic “What Good Is Love,” Mirror Mirror was a real standout this year.

Below, PAPER chats with The Scarlet Opera’s Luka Bazulka about telling Belinda Carlisle’s story to a new generation and championing the “wonderful and enticing delusion” of glam rock.

What initially attracted you to cover this song?

We had been slowing down some of these bouncy ’80s powerhouse records, and really chewing on the words and heart of the songs, mostly to find a new cover for tour. This particular song felt like that scene in Angels In America when the Angel (in this case, Belinda Carlisle) breaks through the wall to share one of life’s most humbling truths: that true love doesn’t send you spiraling obsessively, it calls you home. We were swept away by the good news and needed to sing it for ourselves. A short snippet of me wailing in the garage got the attention of the original producer, Rick Nowels, and Belinda too. It was Rick’s idea to recut and rerelease the record, and when Belinda sent her blessing, it was off to the races.

Are you inspired by this era of music, the late ’80s?

We’re inspired by what was at the core of ’80s music, yearning. That decade gets a bad rap sometimes for being too indulgent, cheesy — and it was so dramatic, but there was always good reason. There’s something so hot and too easily dismissed about caring.

How did you approach bringing your own perspective to this?

When we sat with Rick to build this out, we had already been touring our rendition of the song and had a closeness to it that Rick wanted to maintain. The choice to not begin with the hook (as the original does) gave us the chance to set the scene on our stage every night before taking the audience right up to the pearly gates themselves (as the original does). An eerie lamenting guitar shuffles in the first lyric, “When the night falls down, I wait for you.” We wanted to tell Belinda’s story in a way that maybe felt a bit more fatal instead of reassuring.

In what ways is this release reflective of The Scarlet Opera and your original music?

It’s larger than life, sweeping and romantic. It’s absolutely ridiculous, really, all of our favorite things. This record demands your attention and so do we.

Creatively, how did you approach bringing the cover to life in a music video? Who were some of your collaborators and how did you all work together?

We love Alexa Cha in this house. Hailing from 1824, we’ve been lucky enough to work with her before on a few visual projects. She seems to have a better idea of what we need than we do most times. The benefit of leaning on her (or any other visual artists you trust) is that you get an objective, egoless take on the work you’ve created. The goal was simple: to have a very good time. I think at first we tossed around the idea of having a little glass menagerie of the boys for me to break in this elaborate set, but the budget permitted us puppets and a green screen instead — and thank god.

In what ways are you influenced by glam rock and theater, and how do you see that building as you move into the future?

Glam rock is a genre born out of classical theater, genderless expression and a great fuckin’ time. Decades later, what’s its use? We think about that a lot. We see some carbon copies of the old aesthetic. Attempts to nudge us in that direction have been made, as well. We get it, it’s familiar. It’s safe. You want to believe that Queen 2.0 is here, but they aren’t and besides, Queen was never safe. There’s a desire for honesty from the world at large, the raw naked truth. I want to talk more about growing up in rural Pennsylvania and the magic of my childhood. I want to talk about my sisters going to war and how I’d try on their dresses when I missed them. I think glam rock will be to us what it has always been to the world: a delusion, a very wonderful and enticing delusion.

What does 2025 look like for The Scarlet Opera?

If I may be so bold, I think the theatrical ticking time bomb that is this band will really be set off this next year. Transparently, we’ve been through some personal shit in 2024, it was fuckin’ rough and weird. I’m sure it’ll reveal itself in due time through the music. We are, now more than ever, hyper focused on the preservation of joy. We intend to stay whimsical and elegant and kind.

There’s a desire for honesty from the world at large, the raw naked truth.

Photography: Brian Ziff