I rarely commute for work, but I can make an exception.

In this instance, my “commute” means traveling to Manhattan from across the Brooklyn Bridge and “work” means sauntering to Le Bain on a Thursday to attend Viper Room — the musically eclectic party series organized by DJ Thank You, an alum of PAPER‘s mix series “The Tear” and a local favorite.

Viper Room has made a name for itself by pairing underground legends with those on the come up in NYC. Tonight, DJ Thank You is playing on a bill that includes DJ Manny and Chicago footwork and house legend Traxman.

DJ Thank You sees her historically-minded curation as a form of subtle education for her cohort of local dancers and sound architects, many of whom skew younger. “So much of the popular music among Gen Z is a mirage of nostalgic references repeated over and over and I worry that many of my peers don’t really know the source of that culture,” DJ Thank You tells PAPER. “I have nothing against the nostalgic impulse though, as long as it isn’t the catalyst for ignorance or malaise.”

Viper Room is worlds away from a dreary malaise. That’s always true, but especially so when it’s popping off at Le Bain — Manhattan’s much-discussed north star club that sits pretty atop The Standard hotel. “Something about [Le Bain] embodies the feeling of decadence and serendipity I find so essential to a good party,” she reflects. “No other club can blend so many genres of people: suits, hypebeasts, punks, sorority chicks, faggots.” Plus it can accommodate a party that has no cover, which makes the whole affair “feel like a gift.: All you have to do to enjoy Viper Room’s offerings is RSVP and get past Connie Fleming, Le Bain’s infamously fabulous door woman — a storied legend unto herself.

In the end, I do feel lucky (and chic) swaying above a sparkling Chelsea to some of dance music’s most legendary artisans. For those of us who rarely venture towards Manhattan’s glimmer, or who seldom twirl at Le Bain, Viper Room is a special chance to do so amongst a crew of both queer dance music regulars and unfamiliar professional types. At the party, I catch some steely eyed men in suits, fulfilling my Industry fantasy. But in more “classic me” fashion, I also meet one Brooklyn diva who plops herself on the VIP couch next to my friends and I and asked us bluntly: “Can I call you guys the faggots?” Well yes! Oh, New York City …

Still humming from the party, I spoke with DJ Thank You to talk about what makes a perfect party, the role of New York City’s queer history in shaping the city’s nightlife, and her secret to curation.

It’s rare for those of us in the Brooklyn “scene” to find ourselves partying in Manhattan. What made you want to start organizing events in the heart of the Big Apple?

Borough is not something I typically care about too much. I would throw a party in Staten Island if I thought it would be fabulous. Viper Room actually started as a party in the ballroom of Little Italy’s Bella Ciao before I moved it to Brooklyn. I loved the ambiance of Bella Ciao (think: linoleum floors with a grand piano and a bunch of random couches). It had a tacky old New York sensibility which really spoke to me, but the sound wasn’t very good. Once I moved it to a club with better sound, I could take more liberties with booking artists that really inspired me. But in terms of locations beyond Brooklyn, I’ve been itching to do a party in Atlantic City. It would take some time to pull off, but I have a building in mind.

The last few Viper Rooms have been at Le Bain. So chic. What’s the experience been like organizing events there?

It’s been a dream of mine to throw events at Le Bain. The production team really goes above and beyond to put on a good show. I grew up within walking distance of The Standard, so to me, Le Bain has always been a personal apex of sophisticated clubs in New York.

Something about it embodies the feeling of decadence and serendipity I find so essential to a good party. No other club can blend so many genres of people: suits, hypebeasts, punks, sorority chicks, faggots, etc. I want my parties to feel like a gift, so the fact that there’s technically no cover is also very exciting to me. Plus, guests should be so lucky as to have the honor of being invited in by Connie.

There’s a spiritual dimension for me as well. I’ll often look out upon the panoramic views of West Side Highway and think about how the city has transformed in the wake of the AIDS crisis, particularly how commercial forces took advantage of it to reconstruct the city. New York is notorious for its unrelenting approach to demolition. In some perverse way, Le Bain is a byproduct of those regimes. I think this historical tension is actually something I draw from, if only on a psychic, subliminal level. It makes me think a lot about transgression and permission, particularly in an increasingly privatized and militarized city.

Viper Room always mixes up-and-coming/newly established DJs with some true legends of the craft (Diamond K, Kevin Aviance and Traxman have all played). What’s your approach to curating your lineups?

I really try to book artists and DJs that I want to personally thank for enriching my life with their music. In this mission, there are noticeable throughlines. The Viper Room formula is typically one-third classic, one-third clouty and one-third curveball. I love booking an old head. So much of the popular music among Gen Z is like a mirage of nostalgic references repeated over and over, and I worry that many of my peers don’t really know the source of that culture. I have nothing against the nostalgic impulse, though, as long as it isn’t the catalyst for ignorance or malaise. Viper Room certainly longs for the days when New York was the dance capital of the world, but I want that to be an energizing point of reference rather than a disempowering one.

There are so many parties in this city, but Viper Room stands out. What would you say makes Viper Room, Viper Room?

It’s hard to say. Ideally, you want every party to feel “special,” but there is no exact way to go about that. You can’t really force it. I think what sets Viper Room apart is that it’s actually kind of a heady and intentional party disguised as something accessible and pedestrian. I’m really turned off by pretension and exclusivity. Making your party accessible is a good way to usher in the initiated and pull the rug out from underneath them, giving them a night they’ll never forget.

Photography: Lilith Soros

“Carnal is a normal mode,” sings Baths’ Will Wiesenfeld on his latest single, before continuing: “Fucking all the men in droves.” Aptly titled “Sea of Men,” the unfiltered, new song is a preview of his forthcoming album Gut, due out February 21, and sees the musician writing “from the stomach” with “no regard to personal embarrassment or relatability.” Beyond sex and romance, Wiesenfeld bravely dives head first into the spectrum of his “personal shortcomings,” from “dreamless living” to “harmful fantasies” and “dissonant self-identities,” as he describes.

The “Sea of Men” music video, premiering today on PAPER, delivers something with “immediacy,” a word Wiesenfeld uses frequently to explain the world of Gut. Rather than a dark, mysterious feeling, the self-directed film aims for a classic look, as the band performs in a bright white space before an audience. He has nothing left to hide, unleashing everything on this project — a fearlessness visualized by the video cast circling around him seated at the center, as he stares deadpan into the camera.

Below, PAPER talks further with Baths about “Sea of Men,” and the “disarmingly forward, maybe even belligerent” nature of Gut.

Gut is your first album in seven years. What did you learn during that time that you’ve put into this project?

I’m sure that I’ve grown in plenty of ways, but it’s hard to take stock of my life as a whole and say anything definitively. I’m literally just living one day to the next. I’ve certainly taken in more art, books, movies, games, music. Maybe one thing I’m more certain of than ever before is how important exercise has become to my mental health — that my mood on an exercise day versus a non-exercise day is tangibly different.

You mention there’s newfound honesty in this project. How did you tap into that and why now?

I had to come to terms with how intensely sex governs my thinking, in all aspects of my life. Like I’m proudly out and gay and all of that, but it’s still embarrassing how pervasive my sexual thoughts are, or my self-analysis and criticism of those thoughts. Making a new record that reflected something honest about the most recent chapter of my life meant addressing those feelings, living inside of them — attempting to understand my sexuality and isolation by not diluting how those things exist for me, and chasing that same immediacy with the lyrics.

Musically, Gut reflects my more recent listening, but obviously gets funneled through whatever weird process I have, which eventually got to a place that fueled the emotional push I was trying to get across with the lyrics. It wasn’t exactly a natural process to get to that cohesion, but I do think I found it in the end.

Lyrically, what’s the story behind “Sea of Men”?

The story of it is more fun to leave to the listener, but I can share that it was obtuse, messy and laborious, where my love life and songwriting exist in an exact parallel. I think a good lyrical summation of “Sea of Men” is “reckoning with my voracious sexual appetite.”

How do you think “Sea of Men” is a development of where you’ve been and a reflection of where you are now, musically?

“Sea of Men” doesn’t make an effort to change how I feel or express myself through music, but it does take on a palette or medium that is less familiar to myself and the Baths repertoire. I’m a fan of all sorts of rock, but especially the sort where artists are doing something different, and that electricity was a driving inspiration. Like, the idea of a “band-sounding record” was the inciting concept, but I can’t help myself, and I always fold in all the other things I find interesting along the way as well. In part Gut was an effort to prove to myself that I’m capable of a sort of music that I hadn’t actively pursued before, but it very quickly just became “correct” to have the album sound the sort of direct way that it does, and I didn’t have to focus on it as conceptually as I did at first. I could just sort of build the world of it from the inside out once I realized I was comfortable there.

I love this video. How did you approach it, creatively, and as an extension of the song?

I wanted immediacy. That’s one of many keywords in my explanations around Gut: immediate, nude, adult (and unadulterated), relentless, angry. I wanted the video to feel sort of stark and simple, where the thing you take away from it is essentially just very visible people. Maybe movement, like an edit-enhanced performance that gives the video and the song itself a solid symbiosis. And I wanted the look of it to be defiantly bright. A lot of music videos, including my own, are often darker and obfuscated, but I want to not live in any deep mystery about the music of Gut or the world built inside of this record. There’s no part of me that has anywhere left to hide, sort of. It’s supposed to be disarmingly forward, maybe even belligerent.

Who’re the different people featured in the space?

I put out a “close friends” call on Instagram and these are the friends who responded [laughs]. That casting was remarkably one of the easiest parts of the process. Everyone was great, thoroughly amicable and great with taking directions when needed. As it so happens each and every one of them are fantastic artists in their own right, and contributed some great ideas too.

How does “Sea of Men” represent this project as an early taste of what’s to come?

I think it has a good balance between the extremes of where Gut ends up. It’s got band elements, but rides like more of a pop song, has some experimental sounds and moments. It’s a taste of the sort of skeletal structure of the record without giving too much away about where it diverts, both sonically and lyrically.

There’s no part of me that has anywhere left to hide, sort of.

Photography: Tonje Thilesen

Rich Amiri has been training for this moment. Since percolating in the 2016 Soundcloud scene, the Boston-raised rapper bubbled up as someone to watch within the internet rap world for a couple of years now with his Future-infused vocal stylings and cover boy looks.

“I had to get it out on the internet because I couldn’t get it out of my city,” he tells PAPER. The 20-year-old rapper finally got the lightning-in-a-bottle moment he was waiting for late last year when his song, “One Call,” blew up on TikTok. With streams in the nine digits, the track propelled him to a level of notoriety that every budding rapper dreams of, but it also made him some enemies.

On Reddit threads, chronically online hip-hop heads flooded Amiri, real name Elijah Policard, with petty hate comments and detractory comparisons. It’s hard being a new artist in the internet age, especially when you suddenly gain a massive amount of attention very quickly.

“It was my first time being famous,” he says. “I was combatting the negativity that I was struggling with at the time from the internet.” That song put him in the spotlight: it was in the Lebron James Netflix documentary, it was his first Billboard Hot 100 entry, and he earned a spot on the 2024 XXL Freshman list. But since that viral moment, Amiri has been putting his head down, collecting his armor and now is ready for war.

In comes his debut album, War Ready, released last Friday. His proudest work to date, the project is an assured statement from the rapper who toggles genre and moods in a way that is uniquely his own. The album has been teased for nearly a year, during which Amiri remade it multiple times, fine-tuning every detail to match the vision he’d cultivated.

Thematically, War Ready represents resilience, ambition and the delicate balance of personal triumphs and public expectations. Drawing inspiration from Tame Impala’s psychedelic textures and Future’s emotive trap, Amiri pushes boundaries with tracks that feel cinematic yet deeply intimate. Teaser singles like “MADONNA & RIHANNA,” and “COUNT MY BANDZ” showcase his ability to meld futuristic soul, trap and R&B into something that is not just a one-off TikTok sound. This is Rich Amiri coming into his power.

PAPER caught up with the rapper to discuss internet-internal connection and why he’s so proud of this album.

You’ve had quite a year. Can you tell me about your new album, War Ready? I heard you’ve been reworking it over and over this year.

Yeah, for the most part, it’s an album I’ve been working on for a year now. I’ve gone through a lot of different stages with different producers, different sounds and different beat selections. I finally think I hit the mark with the tracklist.

What about the title? I see in your Instagram bio, it says, “ready 4 war?” What was the inspiration behind the album’s name? I guess there are multiple wars going on in the world right now.

Yeah, it wasn’t too much of a political thing as much as an internal battle. When I had first come up with the album name, I was just dealing with a lot of pressure from the internet. That’s what originally inspired me to title it War Ready. I was just like, “I’m ready to go to war with all of you motherfuckers.”

It made me want to go watch Madonna’s “American Life” music video.

I haven’t seen that video. I’ll go check it out, though. I didn’t even know about that.

You also have a song called ”MADONNA & RIHANNA,” which has some war-themed visuals. Can you tell me about that video?

As far as the concept, I really just told my videographer that I wanted to go with a war theme to go hand-in-hand with the rollout of my album. My boy Nev, he does most of the creative direction behind that stuff, so I wouldn’t wanna take any credit and explain stuff that came out of his head. But yeah, I really just told him that I wanna go with the war theme, and he just went crazy from there.

When you say you were more at war with yourself, what does that mean?

Not at war with myself, but it’s more that I was combatting the negativity that I was struggling with at the time from the internet — an internal struggle.

You came up on the internet. You were uploading on SoundCloud from your room. That’s sort of the blueprint for how artists come up nowadays and dealing with people on the internet is a big part of that. Was that a struggle for you?

It definitely was. It was almost like my first time being famous. I had a few tracks here and there, but I hadn’t really been broadcast on a mainstream setting. So once I finally reached that point, I don’t think I was fully prepared to see everything that comes with that, you feel me? I had to have an adjustment period. That just goes back to why I named the album [War Ready] because that was my first time dealing with that scale of [fame]. Even though I was selling out more shows, the hate is always gonna be louder than love. So it was my first time dealing with that many people saying whatever they were saying.

This is your first full-length project. What do you think makes you so proud of this work to have it as your debut album?

I feel like the music really just speaks for itself. Some of the times with my older work that I put out, it was either that I really liked the song but I didn’t know if people were gonna love it. Or I don’t really like this song, but I think it’s gonna resonate with my audience. But with these songs, I’m really sure. I love these songs to death, and I know that people are gonna love these songs to death. Even the few snippets that I’ve been putting out and the reaction that I got from those, I’m just 100% confident. It’s really amazing music.

Who are some people that you reference visually? Even from your childhood, who were the main icons that you feel like impact your work today?

For my visuals, I mainly leave that up to my director and videographer. I’ll tell them, “We should try this thing,” but as far as being completely involved with my visuals as much as I am with my music, I can’t say I’m really like that. I really like to leave that up to the videographers and directors. I’ve been dealing with music my whole life. I’ve been writing rhymes since I was eight years old. But I can’t say it’s been the same with visuals. Even though, of course I still have my creative direction and a general idea, I really like to let the directors do most of that.

You’ve also been on some runways recently. How has it been dipping into the fashion world?

It’s really amazing. Fashion has been another thing, almost like music, that’s been with me since I was a kid. So to finally be able to really be a part of this is a surreal feeling.

Where did you grow up?

Boston, Massachusetts.

How do you think your upbringing primed you for this moment?

As far as the local scene, I don’t really think Boston has had too much of an influence on my career at all, actually. It’s not a major city that an artist can blow up out of, like if they were to come from Atlanta or Chicago. I had to get it out on the internet because I couldn’t get it out of my city. I wouldn’t say Boston really had too much of an effect on my music or my career. It was really just the internet.

What would your advice be for a 13-year-old kid who is rapping on the internet and wants to blow up? Because you’ve lived it and have had success.

I would say a lot of people try to do it out of their city. If you’re not in a major city, and even if you are, I wouldn’t suggest doing it out your city. I would say to try and get as involved with the internet. Use it to your advantage. Don’t just use it as a waste of time.

In five years, where do you see yourself being?

Only time will tell, but I am predicting very successful. Successful and a whole lot of blessings.

Photography: Edwig Henson

It’s arguably Sabrina Carpenter‘s year: releasing her sixth studio album Short n’ Sweet, selling out the US tour that concluded last month in LA and receiving eight Grammy Award nominations.

For the Short n’ Sweet era, Carpenter made a strong image for herself as a ’60s-inspired bombshell thanks to the vision of stylist Jared Ellner, who also works with the latest generation of A-list celebs like Rachel Sennott and Emma Chamberlain.

It makes sense that Ellner worked closely with Victoria’s Secret throughout the album cycle, especially as the brand makes a comeback after six years of pausing its fashion show. Carpenter wore a 2001 Victoria’s Secret runway archive corset minidress originally worn by Bridget Hall the NYE ball drop, an archive gown originally worn by Naomi Campbell in 1997 for the cover of Time and another 1997 runway piece for her Coachella promo. And besides pulling from the brand’s archives, Ellner worked closely with the brand to make custom pieces that the pop star wore on tour.

“The biggest shock in this whole process has been getting to watch everyone’s reactions to all the hard work that my team, Sabrina and I put into these looks,” he tells PAPER. “I’m so deeply grateful to have had a small part in such an impactful, thoughtful show.”

PAPER caught up with Ellner after the US tour concluded about working closely with Victoria’s Secret and creating back-to-back major moments with Sabrina Carpenter, below.

You worked with brands like Victoria’s Secret for Sabrina’s outfits. Can you tell us about the process of pulling pieces from their archives?

The first time I pulled from the Victoria’s Secret archives was for a New Year’s Eve look. Sabrina wore a look from the 2001 show originally worn by Bridget Hall. I found the look online and VS happened to have the exact one still in their archives. Once I knew that pulling from past shows was a real possibility my team, and I continued to explore their archives for a variety of creative projects.

How do you balance using archival pieces and styles with more contemporary fashion?

I adore pulling archival fashion, but I do my best to use it when it’s truly the perfect garment for the client and event. I think now a lot of times people wear archive just for the sake of wearing archive whether or not it’s the best option for the occasion. For me, regardless of whether it’s archive or contemporary clothing, it’s always most important to use the look that best fits the project at hand.

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Do you have a favorite look from Sabrina’s tour wardrobe, and what makes it stand out to you?

I honestly love all of the looks equally, which almost never happens. However, the opening towel look really does hold a special place in my heart. I love that we were able to turn this look into a moment that really engages the audience and makes the show almost interactive. I am also always a sucker for a lingerie-inspired look.

How do you ensure that the outfits are also functional for Sabrina’s performances on stage?

Sabrina is such a pro and has years of experience wearing stage outfits. She really understands what she needs for a stage look to be functional. I’m lucky enough to just follow her lead.

Was there anything surprising or unexpected in the design process for this tour’s wardrobe?

The biggest shock in this whole process has been getting to watch everyone’s reactions to all the hard work that my team, Sabrina and I put into these looks. I’m so deeply grateful to have had a small part in such an impactful, thoughtful show.

Photos courtesy of Jared Ellner

When Lizeth Selene made the move from her small beach town to Mexico City, it changed the trajectory of her life. The singer, actress and burgeoning fashion icon has become one of the country’s biggest “it girls,” nabbing a YSL Beauty campaign alongside the likes of Hailey Bieber, Bianca Jagger and Precious Lee.

Much of Selene’s creativity is tied to what she wants to represent in the world and across media. As a woman with dark hair, indigenous features and brown skin, she’s made it possible for more women to see themselves in beauty campaigns and television shows. “It’s because I have a face that represents us in Latin America,” she tells PAPER. “The skin color, the tattoos, an image we weren’t used to seeing in the media. It’s really beautiful that there’s representation that looks like you.”

Her role in the show Rebelde as a young queer woman was a turning point for her acting career. “I think what happened with the character of Andi was magical,” she says. “I had no acting experience, so I just tried to make her as true to myself as possible but with her own features. We had a lot in common — like being into girls, being rebellious, tough. A lot of women followed the character, and it’s really nice to see how she inspired them to be freer, to be themselves.”

Now, recording as Selene, she’s poised to connect globally as a songwriter. “The songs I write are like an open heart,” she says. “It’s like I’m giving you permission to enter my soul and see everything that’s going on inside me. But now that I’ve reconnected with that part of myself, I realize it still scares me, but maybe a lot of people will relate to it.”

Below, Lizeth Selene talks to PAPER about early crushes, being “shipped” with Billie Eilish, creating vulnerable art and what she wants to share with the world next.

How are you?

I’m good, calm.

Are you happy?

Yeah, mostly just peaceful. There are birds singing at my window.

For those who don’t know you, who is Selene?

I’d say Selene is the most vulnerable part of me. I always try to pour all my emotions into my projects, let myself get carried away by how I’m feeling, and it feels like my soul stays in it because I’m being completely open, sharing a piece of my heart. I think Selene really loves to connect, whether it’s through a character or a song. I want people to identify with it.

Right, you put yourself in a vulnerable spot, which must be tough, especially for someone like you who’s really sensitive.

Yeah, I’m like a channel for emotions. I think it’s fun. I love it when people feel what I’m feeling and react to it. With fashion, for example, I have so much fun. I like expressing myself through clothes. I dress depending on how I feel, what I want to say. Overall, I love expressing myself.

Yes, because you act, sing and started modeling in Mexico City. What’s been your favorite part of starting your career from scratch on your own?

The experiences, definitely. At the beginning, I had a tough time. It was hard, but I’m grateful for all the good and bad experiences because they gave me the perspective to find my place.

Would you say you’re someone who’s always searching for things, looking for opportunities?

Yeah, I think it’s about searching, not settling for the first opportunity that comes your way. It’s important to feel comfortable and confident with the decisions you make. I’m very much about feeling things out, so I just keep looking for opportunities until I find the one where I feel comfortable being Selene.

You’ve gained a lot of experience, both professionally and personally, thanks to that drive to find opportunities. You’ve carved your own path, and now you’re the face of YSL Beauty alongside big global pop culture icons like Dua Lipa and Hailey Bieber.

I started modeling six years ago, and this moment didn’t happen by accident or by luck. It’s all been hard work and the universe rewards you for it. I’ve been working nonstop since I started, constantly searching for opportunities and for the right place where I can be Selene.

And how do you feel about that?

Honestly, I still can’t believe it. It feels like a dream.

Talking about searching for spaces and opportunities, has it ever scared you to say no to things?

Definitely, but I think knowing yourself helps you make those decisions. Sometimes, even if it hurts or doesn’t seem like the best move, I have to stay true to myself and say no. It’s happened in a lot of castings where I don’t feel connected to the character, or if the message isn’t right — even if they’re big productions — but I’d rather say no if I don’t think it represents who I am or what I stand for. Saying no is hard, but I know myself and I know what I want.

It takes guts to say no.

It takes a lot of guts.

At the end of the day, you’re very true to yourself and your style, which is why you’re considered one of Mexico’s it-girls. You really bring something unique to the scene.

I’ve felt lost at times too, but I think the key is always coming back to yourself. I give myself days to just be with me, to reconnect. This industry is dangerous and it’s easy to lose yourself. Growing up, I admired so many celebrities and I liked connecting with the real, human side of them, not just the image. Today, I really enjoy hearing from people who identify with me. I get messages saying, “Today someone told me I look like you.” It’s because I have a face that represents us in Latin America — the skin color, the tattoos, an image we weren’t used to seeing in the media. It’s really beautiful that there’s representation that looks like you.

Yeah, it’s so important for people to identify with you, to look at you and think, Wow, there’s someone like me there, I can do this too. That’s what happened with you in Rebelde. People in Latin America saw themselves in you, and with a platform that big, you really blew up.

Yeah, I think what happened with the character of Andi was magical. I had no acting experience, so I just tried to make her as true to myself as possible but with her own features. We had a lot in common — like being into girls, being rebellious, tough. A lot of women followed the character, and it’s really nice to see how she inspired them to be freer, to be themselves.

Do you feel like you’re a figure for the Lesbian community?

I don’t know if I’m a figure, but I feel like the character helped a lot of teens realize it’s okay to like women. And I, as Selene, really identified with that, and I keep sending the message that we’re all the same. We can be who we want to be, and love who we want to love.

How did you discover that about yourself?

Growing up, I would look at girls and think, She’s pretty, but I didn’t think much of it. As I got older and learned more, I decided at 16 to experiment, to see if what I felt was what I thought it was. I feel free, I don’t question things much, I just went for it. That’s when I realized I could love whoever I want. It’s so beautiful to know that and I’m happy.

That’s such a powerful message. It may sound selfish, but I think it’s so important to prioritize yourself.

Yeah, I don’t think it’s selfish. You have to prioritize yourself. When you’re ok with you, everything else falls into place.

Who was your celebrity crush growing up?

Justin Bieber.

And girls?

And as for girls, it was Danna [laughs]. But now we’re friends.

Online, the internet has “shipped” you with a few other girls, like Billie Eilish.

Yeah, the internet is fun. Fans love to create relationships between queer people or women they think have something in common. With Billie, it was a bit different. Fans saw us liking each other’s posts, and once she shared a video of me dancing to one of her songs and they ran with it. We’re actually internet friends. We don’t talk much, but she’s one of my favorite artists, and I admire and respect her a lot.

Back to finding yourself and expressing who you are, how did you find your voice in fashion?

I grew up seeing people who didn’t look like me on TV, in ads and in the media. Being part of that world was something I always wanted, so when I moved to Mexico City, I decided to take the leap. Around that time, there was a strong movement in the Mexican fashion industry that grew alongside BLM. In most productions, I was the only Brown-skinned model, surrounded by white models. There were 10 foreign models, and just me — but that didn’t matter. I was the change, I was the shift. And that’s how it went — claiming spaces and making your own place in the industry.

Yeah, thankfully, the industry has changed a lot in recent years.

It feels great to be representing Mexico abroad. Last year, I got to go to Milan for Ferragamo’s show as a guest, and in September, we were at NY Fashion Week. I attended a couple of shows from emerging designers, like Kim Shui, Bad Binch Tongtong and Willy Chavarria — ¡Viva Mexico!

You should definitely work with Willy.

I’d love to. I started as a model in the independent scene in Mexico, and emerging projects will always have a special place in my heart because I know what it’s like to come from zero. Plus, he’s a genius.

How’s music going for you?

I really love writing, and I’ve been doing it for a while now, but I used to be scared. Like I said, Selene is the most vulnerable side of me, and the songs I write are like an open heart. It’s like I’m giving you permission to enter my soul and see everything that’s going on inside me. But now that I’ve reconnected with that part of myself, I realize it still scares me, but maybe a lot of people will relate to it. I’ve been writing in my room, playing with sounds and rediscovering that connection. I’m hoping to drop some new music early next year.

I can see you’re excited.

Yeah, I’m super excited. I had a bit of a falling out with music, not with the music itself, but with the environment. But I realized I can make my own music and just put it out there for whoever is meant to hear it. I just want to express myself. For example, when I’m sad, I’ll play the exact song I know will make me feel exactly how I want to feel. Music helps you get even sadder or happier, depending on what you need. That’s what I love about it, pushing my emotions to the limit.

What would you say is the biggest difference between Selene five years ago and Selene today?

I think there’s been a lot of growth, not just professionally but personally too. I feel like before I was in a more vulnerable place in every sense — constantly searching for opportunities — and now, I’m way more confident in who I am, in my career, and I’ve got my feet firmly planted on the ground.

I think it’s the result of your adventurous spirit, even in love and just living through experiences.

Yeah, I throw myself into everything, experiment and even if I end up feeling sad in love, it’s okay. Sometimes we just go through short experiences, and that’s fine.

Photography: Joaquin Castillo
Styling: César Alvarez
Makeup: Christyna Kay
Hair: Sol Rodríguez
Nails: Viviane Lee Hsu
Retouching: Victor Trani
Styling assistant: Saint Varsity

After a four-year hiatus from music, Joey LaBeija is back. The New York-based artist (and lowkey legend) returns today with “less than three,” his first release since 2020’s enemies of progress EP, which featured underground smashes like “unavailable” and “cuffin szn.” While his signature pitched-down vocals are out in full force again, LaBeija arrives this time with newfound confidence, now striving for real authenticity in all his work.

It’s fitting then that “less than three” is a breakup song, only LaBeija says he’s breaking up with the version of himself he no longer wants to be — not a significant other. “Purging is not a linear process,” he wrote on Instagram, announcing this comeback. “Why not find beauty in the pain of letting go of the person you were to become the person you’re destined to be?”

The Chandler Clemens-directed music video, premiering today on PAPER, brings this personal vision to life. “I don’t wanna be another one of your little hoes,” he sings, looking directly into the camera, as if talking to his reflection in the mirror. “But kiss me one more time, because we’re moving on.” A devilish extra is featured throughout the film, seducing and tempting LaBeija, who wrestles with the push-pull process of finally shedding what no longer serves him.

Below, PAPER catches up with Joey LaBeija to talk more about “less than three,” written, produced and performed entirely by himself. “I am no longer chasing perfection,” he says, teasing a 2025 full of new music.

You’ve taken some time away from releasing music. Why the pause and what have you been up to?

Truthfully, I thought I had gotten over the unfortunate experience of my record deal not working out in 2020, but I wasn’t. I grew callous and bitter. My relationship with my art was not in a good place and I knew in order to salvage it, I needed to step away. The longer I went without making music the more I felt incomplete, like there was a hole in my heart. I knew in order to move forward, I had to take my inventory, change my perspective on life and let go of my resentments. It’s something you must actively work towards every day. Healing is no one and done. Shadow work is real.

Over the course of these four years, it dawned on me that I’d actually never had a longterm vision for myself, artistically speaking, because it all happened so organically. I never intended to start making music, I’ve learned everything I know on my own. Making music just happened to be a natural progression from DJing, chasing the burning desire to express myself as one does in their twenties. One day while working in my studio, I decided to hop on the microphone that I used for recording my friends, showed them what I made and they all told me to lean into it.

Once I started putting music out, I had a vision of how I wanted to present myself, but I never thought about building a world for myself to exist in, nor did I have the means to bring what little vision I did have into fruition. Everything I released was based on pure emotion, and while that’s beautiful, it’s not sustainable for the long haul. These last four years have really pushed me to hone in on what exactly I want to present to the world, and at the end of the day, that’s authenticity.

What did you learn about yourself, and about music, during the time away?

I’ve learned to give myself grace and prioritize my feelings over everything. There is nothing more that I love than alone time in my studio, hiding away from the world. It’s become my safe space again. All the constructs I ever conjured up about my skills or taste have magically dissipated, and being in the studio is fun again.

How would you say you are approaching music now?

I’m no longer chasing perfection and enjoying being experimental. They say perfection is the killer of creativity and that’s pretty much my mantra these days. For a while I was chasing what I did on enemies of progress, especially “unavailable,” because I knew it resonated with a lot of people, but nothing I made felt genuine. My approach now comes from a place of curiosity and exploration. The best songs I’ve made, past or present, are all products of happy mistakes.

Lyrically, what’s the story behind “less than three”?

When I wrote this song, I was still in the very early stages of getting back into making music. Everything I made felt inauthentic, like trash, or like I was reaching for a sound that felt safe but no longer resonated with my desire to grow. My brain was a dangerous neighborhood and I would think the worst of what I was creating until one night I realized… If I heard someone talking about a loved one the way I was thinking about myself, I would beat the shit out of them. That moment changed everything almost instantly, my aha moment. It was a liberating conversation with myself and I thought it would be healing to make a breakup song to the person I no longer wanted to be. It most definitely was.

What was the thought going into the video, bringing this track to life? How’d you work collaboratively with the director, Chandler Clemens?

The video was originally meant to reference Nickleback’s “This Is How You Remind Me,” but it’s turned into a personal and beautiful story about growing pains, strength, vulnerability and the never-ending battle moving on from something toxic. On set, I could not stop crying once the room was cleared and the cameras were rolling because I genuinely never thought I would see the day where I’d be producing, directing and financially backing my own music video. Dreams are expensive and in that moment, every L that I took over the last four years felt like a fucking win.

Working with Chandler on this edit has been one of the most beautiful creative experiences I could ask for and I am so beyond thankful for the friendship we have built through this. He’s brought this video to a level that moves me to tears because it captures the essence of the chaos I’ve been through to get here today. May I just add, in a day and age where everything is made to be easily digestible content, deciding to present myself in such a vulnerable manner was not an easy decision, but I’m happy I followed my instinct because this story is something everyone can connect or relate to.

What do you see 2025 looking like for you?

Well, I’m happy to say that I have a ton of music coming out this coming year and it sounds nothing like anything I’ve ever made before. I hope you bitches are ready to dance. Chandler, Jordan and I are having so much fun creating a place for all of this music to exist in and we are already working on the next video, set to come out this February. This is the last sad song you’ll get out of me for a while so, consider this song an ode to my past and a warm embrace to my future.

My approach now comes from a place of curiosity and exploration. The best songs I’ve made, past or present, are all products of happy mistakes.

Photography: Eric Johnson

Styling: Jordan Figueroa

Makeup: Joshua Hilario

On their new collab, “I Want More Money,” actress Chloe Cherry raps over a slow beat as Blaketheman1000 (Blake Ortiz-Goldberg) harmonizes on backing vocals — earnestly singing, “You shouldn’t have to work at your stupid-ass job” and “I wanna pay your rent.” It’s cheeky and catchy, a fun track from the pair who met after Cherry covered Blake’s “Pixies” on TikTok, and found mutual connection hanging out, going to restaurants smoking weed and talking about pop culture. Making music felt like a natural next step.

“I Want More Money” marks the first musical release for the Euphoria actress and model, and is dropping via Mad Decent’s Pizzaslime Records imprint. Blaketheman1000, the infamous artist producer, and songwriter is currently working on his debut album, which is due out next year.

Bellow, the pair tell PAPER about the Sugar Daddy relationship that inspired the track, participating in “awesomeness” and why non-musicians sometimes make the best hits.

What was the inspiration behind the track?

Blaketheman1000: I wrote the chorus because I was seeing someone who had a sugar daddy, and it sucked whenever they’d leave me to go hang out with the sugar daddy.

Chloe Cherry: I really just love Blake’s music and wanted to participate in the awesomeness.

How do you hope fans feel when they hear it?

Blaketheman1000: I hope fans feel thankful for life and the people in their lives.

Chloe Cherry: I hope they feel joyous and kind to others because the song just makes them so happy.

Since you’re collaborating on this new music project, I’m curious Chloe what made you want to pursue this new creative outlet and what excited you about it Blake?

Blaketheman1000: I’ve always loved when “non-musicians” make music — some examples would be Paris Hilton, Adam Sandler or Shaq. I think making pop music is less about making music and more about performing personality. Chloe has so much personality and collaborating on a song felt like the best way for us to be creative together, in a way that is reminiscent of the many “non-musician” songs I grew up loving.

Chloe Cherry: I’m nervous about seeing how people will feel about it because I’m not a skilled musician — I’m just having fun. I think I’d like to make more songs if an idea strikes me.

What are you most excited to share next?

Blaketheman1000: We’re selling T-shirts that Chloe designed. Then I’m releasing my debut album via Pizzaslime Records and Mad Decent.

Chloe Cherry: I’m most excited for this song, my movies and everything I’ve ever done to be released to the world.

Photography: Pizzaslime

It’s early November in Los Angeles, and PAPER has plans to meet up with singer-songwriter Bishop Briggs at a local karaoke bar. The unconventional interview backdrop makes sense. The now LA-based vocalist got her start singing in karaoke bars in Japan as a kid, long before her massive hit “River” took over the airwaves, becoming a commercial success and taking the top 10 spot on multiple Billboard charts.

But — much like our plans that day — after achieving industry fame, Briggs’ trajectory shifted. Her first full-length album release in five years, Tell My Therapist I’m Fine, details those staggering changes, from the birth of her son to the tragic death of her sister, who was also her manager and best friend. The raw journey doesn’t wade in despair, however, but takes on the whole breadth of human emotion, from the glittery, pop song “Good For Me,” where she questions her longing for stardom, to “Mona Lisa On A Mattress” where she details the lethal impact of a situationship. There’s also “Isolated Love,” a track that features Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker and slowly builds and crashes, an encapsulation of the music she shared with her sister as well as the heartbreak of losing her.

After listening to the album and scoping out its themes, it didn’t come as a surprise that Briggs would want to spend our interview doing something a bit more “healing” than karaoke. We planned to get foot massages instead, but when we walked into the parlor for our chat and the kind lady at the front gave us an upsell, we nodded in agreement, noting that it felt like the perfect way to work out the album and maybe a few knots.

So, ahead of her tour kicking off in March and following her live rendition of The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” at this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, PAPER got couples massages with Briggs at a tiny LA strip mall and talked about healing, battling depression and the cathartic process of creating Tell My Therapist I’m Fine.

What headspace were you in going into the studio for Tell My Therapist I’m Fine? Heading back in after five years would must’ve been a daunting task.

The first song was written before lockdown, and it was called “Isolated Love.” That’s the one with Travis Barker, which is insane. I remember leaving that session because it was so much fun to sing in that way, with a different vocal style and totally different instrumentation. I was like, “I’m so excited. This is gonna be for another artist!” It was just unlike anything I’d ever done before. Right at that time, my sister had been diagnosed [with ovarian cancer], so I got to play it for her and see her reaction. Consciously or subconsciously, I was chasing that the rest of the time I was making the album. You know? Like, “How does this compare to the music she showed me?” That was really the beginning. But also, the joy and beauty of creating is that you don’t realize you’re making a body of work until it starts coming.

Was there an “aha” moment in the studio where you could feel that it was going to be a cohesive collection and a theme and not just one-off songs?

There’s a song on the album called “I’m Not A Machine.” I wrote that after watching the Barbie movie. I know it’s classified as a comedy but it felt very real and was more of a horror film in some ways for me. That was the main theme that I realized, “Okay, I want to have an album, have a body of work that really talks about girlhood and all that comes with it.” There can be a lightness to that, but there’s also so much heaviness. I feel like when I’m talking to women, we all carry these similar stories. Then it became this goal of making sure I write more about those themes. Like in the song, “Shut It Off,” where I was talking about the men in the music industry and trying to just talk to my 22-year-old self.

Speaking of “Shut It Off,” what was the experience you were sharing? What was it like for you as a young woman trying to navigate the music industry?

I realized what I was experiencing wasn’t okay and it wasn’t normal, and so I shifted everyone I was working with that wasn’t a feminist. When you’re in that situation, when you are constantly told that you have no power, and then you realize that you have the ability to fire people … it’s important. What I inevitably realized was, “You’re just promoting those people to young artists that potentially like your music.” It made a huge difference.

The process of making this album, did it feel cathartic? Did it feel challenging? What was the overall energy of pulling this together?

Cathartic is a good word to describe it. I was writing all these sad songs and I was like, “Where is my sister? These represent her and I don’t feel any closer to her.” I felt farther away. So then once I found this sort of itch that I needed to scratch, I felt like I got to connect with her again. That felt really healing and it was in the way that she existed in the world. She was a huge music lover. We were kind of raised as twins hence the closeness.

If you’re comfortable talking about her I’d love to know more about those formative experiences.

She set up my first YouTube account and was the first person to ever encourage me to pursue music. I would come to visit her in LA and we would drive through Mulholland Drive and she would play me Portugal The Man or Local Natives. She just was a connoisseur of all things music. When we were much younger, any sort of memory of those bands like Good Charlotte and Panic at the Disco were really encapsulated with all the posters on her walls and crazily, I’ve been managed by Good Charlotte’s same management company. And as you can imagine, we just freaked out. Something I’m noticing with artist friends of mine is that they’re doing things for your younger self. In a lot of ways you’re trying to heal those parts of your younger self that maybe have not yet healed, and there could be so much joy in that, which is why I love being a mom too, because I feel like I get to redo things in a different way than what my parents did.

How has becoming a mom transformed your life and what you’re creating? Also, how you navigate and exist in the world?

It’s the biggest gift. I didn’t really see a future for myself after my sister passed away. I had a lot of work to do on myself before entertaining the idea of having a baby. Not everything stuck. I did EDMR, equestrian therapy and art therapy, but the biggest thing that changed my life was self-care and [medication]. I wasn’t on a high dose but even just the placebo effect — I was choosing to live. We don’t get a choice in that ultimately, with health and everything, but I was actively trying to. Because I really had the dream of being a mom one day. I dreamt of that with my sister, that we would raise our kids together. It was hard to have that dream again, but that made the biggest shift.

I’ve since come off the antidepressant. But someone once described it to me as a leg injury. You’re wearing a cast, and you can practice the movement of what it would be like to build up that muscle and sometimes you have the ability to take the cast off but that’s not the same for everyone. It’s literally a deficiency in your brain at that time. That’s what depression is. That’s what anxiety is. It shows up on a brain scan. That’s why these things exist.

You’ve clearly made this album for yourself but also for your those close to you. For fans, though, what do you hope they hear when they listen to Tell My Therapist I’m Fine? What message do you want to leave them with?

For people to feel less alone by hearing the music. That’s what music has been for me. When I felt the most alone, I heard Adele singing about heartache and I’m like, “Oh, she’s going through this too. It’s not just me.” I think it’s really common when you are going through any sort of difficult time, whether big or small, it feels as though the world is collapsing in on you and you’re completely alone in it. So I think the biggest takeaway that I want people to have is to feel empowered to use their voice and to know that they’re not they’re not alone in it.

Photography: Nick Walker

Getting into a party is not unlike making it big in Hollywood. Either you prove your worth, know someone who knows someone, or be so ubiquitous that queues and lists don’t apply to you. Once inside, the next opportunity presents itself: working a room full of Los Angeles’ unruly cast of characters, from reality stars to viral sensations and industry leaders, pop artists to drag queens and… that person you see at every event, but don’t entirely understand what they do. (Hugs and air kisses, regardless!) Any given crowd in Tinsel Town can have millions of followers combined, with celebrities that all arrived believing in themselves — sometimes delusionally — before the rest of the world finally took notice.

For PAPER People LA, which follows our 40th Anniversary New York City cover series, we wanted to end the year with some famous friends keeping the West Coast interesting. On any given day in sunny LA, you could rub shoulders with Lisa Rinna (in this case, dressed like a gothic Balenciaga alien) or swap gossip with Tana Mongeau while sucking back a vape. You might find yourself waiting for an Uber XL on Sunset Boulevard alongside Rebecca Black or get caught in the crossfire of The Cobrasnake snapping shots of the Queen of Melrose (in this case, dressed like a vampy sequined villain). And even though clubs close at 2 AM, there’s always an after party somewhere in the Hills (as Channel Tres sings, “We ain’t leavin’/ ‘Til six in the morning”).

It’s all nonstop chaos and magic. Few can handle it, but everyone wishes they could — and PAPER has been on the frontlines to document and celebrate it all since first launching in 1984. Below, learn a bit more about PAPER people we love, in a special dinner party shoot inspired by our own archives. We cast each cover group to be as random and dizzying as any night out in LA — so if you’re wondering why? That’s exactly correct.

— Justin Moran, Editor-in-Chief

Cover one is a collaboration between H&M and PAPER.

What’s your craziest LA memory?

Rickey Thompson: I’ve had so many crazy memories. I would have to say when me and my friends went to Disneyland for the first time. We packed an Uber XL. It was like 10 of us, girl. It was crazy, but it was fun.

Mette: I just make people come over and I DJ for them. My house has turned into the greatest house party in the world.

Rebecca Black: My craziest LA memories probably happened when I was too drunk to remember them.

What makes LA special?

Rickey Thompson: All my family’s here, my friends are here, I love the sun. I’ve been here for 10 years, I made this city mine. It was always my dream, so I’m glad I’m here.

Mette: I’ve lived here in so many iterations of my life. I moved here fresh from college and I was a dancer for years, lived in the Valley. I ran around with everything from jazz shoes to high tops and skis — anything I needed to audition for a role was in the back of my car. I came back here this year to make music after a stint away for five and a half years. Obviously, I’ve grown up and I started making music, so coming back here as a musician with a different discipline that I’m trying to cultivate has been crazy. LA has always been here to propel me to the next chapter in my life.

Rebecca Black: I’ve lived in LA for — I’m coming up on my 10th year. It is a place that I was so close to growing up, but really knew nothing about until I graduated high school and came out here. It is what has bred my individuality, funny enough, which I feel like it doesn’t have a reputation for.

Where do you go in LA to escape?

Rickey Thompson: I love going to Soho in Malibu.

Mette: Pilates, as we all do, to become one with my breath and my body, and get out of my head. I root myself in Pilates and form, and that always makes me feel peaceful.

Rebecca Black: I go to Orange County or Joshua Tree, two very different vibes. That’s what’s so amazing about LA and growing up in California. You’re so close to so many different types of environments to find exactly what you want.

What’s your craziest LA memory?

Shamu Azizam: Doing landscape photoshoots, there’s been so many instances where we pick a location and pull some stunts, and a lot of them involve heavy costuming. I had this full metal, medieval armored suit in the middle of August. It’s scorching heat. We tried to start early, but it didn’t matter. I’m wearing this huge Tin Man outfit, and it’s like 70 pounds and I’m climbing on these rocks and doing all these poses. I’m super dehydrated and sweaty, and it’s such a full-body experience. Then I get home and the day after my butt is covered in poison ivy. I’m stuck with poison ivy for a month, but we have these really great photos. That’s LA to me, sacrificing a lot to make something beautiful.

Spice: The craziest moments are when I’m in full drag and I’m going to the Spirit Halloween or Home Depot. Those are fun because you take our art and throw yourself to the wolves, the locals. I like shaking them up.

Sugar: Going to the local Trader Joes in drag, because that’s when I leave the house.

Terri Joe: Everything is crazy about it. Every time I come here, I feel like I gotta drown myself in light before I leave. There are so many negative spirits around, I gotta keep the Christian about me intact.

Bonnie McKee: I threw a Halloween party and it was completely out of control. This was in like 2012 and my house was suddenly full of celebrities. Pete Wentz was there, Shaun White was dressed as Pretty Woman, and Diplo showed up and started DJing. My neighbors were so mad, I had to write apology letters. I went to my neighbor’s house, and they were like, “Do you know what I found in my yard? A wine bottle and a pair of pants.” I was trying not to laugh because that means someone left without their pants.

Rio Uribe: I grew up here, so I have a lot of them. I remember being seven or eight years old, growing up in Koreatown and hearing a bunch of Asian people speaking Spanish. That was one of my very formative memories of, “Oh, you can be multicultural.”

Stevie Mackey: I remember my parents taking me to the beach in the morning and then camping in the mountains at night. Going from the beach to snow in one day didn’t take long. That shows you just the craziness that happens here. That’s when I said to myself, “I must live in a movie set. This is really weird.”

What makes LA special?

Shamu Azizam: LA is like nowhere else, especially if you’re living in America. Everybody’s here and everybody around the world is coming here, but it’s not like New York where everybody’s closed in on each other. There’s some space to actually go to a house party and meet people. It feels like a place where you can really lean on the weird and be yourself, figure yourself out. I feel like LA holds that space.

Spice: I wouldn’t be able to make it in New York because a hoe does get cold. We need to be able to wear our little tube tops and not be freezing. So if you see a vampire twink with an umbrella on the street just know, that’s probably Sugar or Spice.

Sugar: Well girl, I’m the tan twink. That’s the thing with being a New Yorker in LA. We stick out like sore thumbs because we’re walkers here and no one walks.

Terri Joe: Absolutely nothing about LA is special because it’s full of demons and devils and homosexuals. So there’s nothing special about it. Actually, it’s kind of trash.

Bonnie McKee: LA is a city of dreamers. You can be as wacky as you want and no one’s gonna judge you. You can say, “I have to charge my crystals,” and everyone’s like, “Of course,” no question. So I like that it’s a free-thinking city.

Rio Uribe: The people make it really special because everyone who is here grew up around Hollywood, celebrity, music, culture. But then also everyone who moves here has big dreams, so it’s constantly reinventing itself. And people are, for the most part, pretty excited and optimistic to be here. So you get to that jaded point, but the new implants and people that come to LA with dreams keep it very happy and fresh and exciting.

Stevie Mackey: LA is one of the only places in the world where you will not be judged for anything. You can say, “I’m gonna go ride a pink elephant around town,” and people say, “Great, that’s awesome.” It’s full of individuals. It’s so individualistic that we don’t even like mass transport. We like to be late in our own car.

Where do you go in LA to escape?

Shamu Azizam: That’s easy to do because 45 minutes anywhere outside of LA is gorgeous nature. I’m a big nature boy. That’s my art, nature photography and landscapes. There’s nothing like a west coast sunset. You can get on the 10, go to Santa Monica, go to the pier or go to the Angeles Forest. That’s why I live here, because of the options of. I can escape all the crazy traffic, and go out and not see anyone for miles.

Spice: Definitely walking in the Hills.

Sugar: I love walking through the Hills in Los Feliz, by Runyon Canyon. I think it’s a creative person, an artist person thing, where you need your downtime to recharge and supercharge your creative spirit. If you’re constantly around others, there’s so much noise. Isolating yourself on a walk does the trick.

Terri Joe: I like to go to church to, you know, spread the word of Jesus. But I would say back home to Louisiana, it’s where I feel most at home.

Bonnie McKee: I also love cemeteries, I love Hollywood Forever. That’s my favorite place to go to an event and it’s funny that everybody hangs out in cemeteries here. That’s something that I thought was so strange when I came to LA.

Rio Uribe: I either go to my mom’s house to eat some really yummy, home-cooked Mexican food, or I like to go up to the views where people go to park and make out. But I’m usually alone in my car listening to music.

Stevie Mackey: Number one, Malibu beach — I know it sounds generic, but I love going to Soho House in Malibu. I love going to Sunset Restaurant in Zuma [Beach]. I’ve been going since I was a kid. Also, I love the Arboretum in Arcadia. They have gardens that represent plants from all over the world. I love to go there and walk around and clear my mind.

What’s your craziest LA memory?

Isaac Dunbar: Oh god, definitely parties that I should’ve signed NDAs for. And that’s that.

Marsha Molinari: Oh, there’s so many. But it’s kind of magical that you can bump into Lana Del Rey at, like, a coffee shop, or Lisa Rinna at a photoshoot. I’m just constantly gagged.

Symone: When I first got here — I call this the boom boom gun — I lost my shoe and I left my phone in the Uber. That’s all I remember. I woke up and I had one shoe on and not a phone call to make. So fill in the blanks!

Lisa Rinna: The riots, ‘93. I was living on Orange, in Wilshire, and the riots were happening literally right outside my apartment. I don’t think I’ve ever come that close to that kind of violence. It was pretty frightening.

Channel Tres: Watching the “California Love” music video with Tupac and Dr. Dre, and seeing them do some shots around the corner from my house, and waking up and walking to school and thinking, Oh, this is where they shot the music video, oh snap!

What makes LA special?

Isaac Dunbar: People’s ambition and drive. It’s unlike any place I’ve seen. I’m inspired to be the best version of myself at all times, which ultimately gets me to where I want to be. Like sitting here.

Marsha Molinari: Growing up somewhere like central California, I dreamed of the movie magic and all the glam girls, and growing up queer myself, it just seemed like the place to be. When I had the chance I packed my bags and drove right here.

Symone: Well, it ain’t the food, we’ll start there. Let’s see, it’s the people, I think. Everyone that comes here has a dream or something they want to do. It’s its own little world.

Lisa Rinna: I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, really. It’s the whole vibe, the sun, the palm trees, the laidback-ness of it, the authenticity of what it is to itself. LA stays true to itself.

Channel Tres: It’s where I grew up, so it’s special for that. I grew up in a very rich musical culture, from the jazz musicians I know, the hip-hop legends, the foundations of west coast music. And the comedy is very rich out here. And being able to drive to the beach, all the scenery out here. And you can’t beat the weather. I’m lucky to be from here.

Where do you go in LA to escape?

Isaac Dunbar: I go to my home girl’s house. It’s so simple. I love a house, that’s my escape. Most people retreat to nature, I prefer the comfort of a home.

Marsha Molinari: I like to be out in nature, there’s lots of beautiful places to hike. Or I find escape through music. I have a DJ duo with my boyfriend, we like to lose ourselves in music.

Symone: I go home, either in Atlanta or to my studio in Koreatown.

Lisa Rinna: The beach. The water.

Channel Tres: I like going to Manhattan Beach. Or Bigsby Nose in Long Beach, you can go all the way to the park. I used to go there a lot when I was younger, and just think and dream.

What’s your craziest LA memory?

Tana Mongeau: For an entire year and a half I was living in a house in the Hollywood Hills, and the people who lived there before me were Justin Bieber and Juice WRLD and FaZe Clan. My neighbors were the Hype House and all the TikTokers like Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae, and next door was Post Malone and all his friends. We had an open door policy, so I would see everything in the world in my living room, whether it was a rap concert or chefs making us food with weed. I have so many stories from that time that I’m saving for a book.

Bonavega: I went to a gloryhole once.

Christina Milian: Basically all of my thirties. I partied my ass off. I feel like when I ended, so did the scene.

Carter Gregory: I love Beyoncé, and I got to go to her birthday show in LA for Renaissance and I actually met her that night on her birthday. It was a surreal, full-circle moment for me.

Heidi Montag: Well, today is a really fun one. And another recent one was performing at Subculture, that was incredible and really out of the norm of my daily mom life. But there’s also nothing that beats the 2007, 2008 clubbing era, height of the paparazzi. The world was just so different then.

What makes LA special?

Tana Mongeau: The people. Even if everyone has nothing in common, we moved here with a delusional belief in ourselves — the transplants, that is. When that’s great, it’s really great. My favorite thing about LA is how accepting it is. And LA can be so anonymous, you can be hiding in plain sight and be completely yourself.

Bonavega: The collective, highest form of any given art form and then the bottom-of-the-barrel punk vibe — LA does a good job of meshing those two things together. There’s really good DIY mixed with really high-end stuff.

Christina Milian: The weather is number one. I mean, it’s the definition of forever young. Something about the essence of the weather, staying warmer, that vitamin D, really kicks in and keeps you younger. And you can have a balance of work-life, though sometimes we do work a little too hard. And the beach, of course.

Carter Gregory: It’s a land of opportunity, a place where anyone can be whatever they want to be and pursue your dreams. There’s so much room for growth. Once you find the people you really care about here, they’ll be your rocks.

Heidi Montag: It’s the dream to be on the beach year-round. And it’s the place where you can make all your dreams come true.

Where do you go in LA to escape?

Tana Mongeau: I don’t think there’s such a thing as escaping LA, even when I’m in Malibu or somewhere that feels more remote, you still see the craziest shit happen. When I want to run away, I get the fuck out of LA.

Bonavega: The Self-Realization Center in Mount Washington. Or Las Vegas.

Christina Milian: Definitely Runyon Canyon. I love it there. Just at peace with nature, hustling up some damn hills — there’s some clarity. And the beach, too.

Carter Gregory: My bedroom. And I love driving, it’s the best time when I get to listen to music and unwind, windows down, listening to new artists. I love to drive to some beach area with a friend and chill out somewhere. And the dog park with my dog, Froggy.

Heidi Montag: My house.

What makes LA special?

Queen of Melrose: I’m not gonna lie, girl. I just came back from New York City and New York City has a vibe again. But I do love LA.

The Cobrasnake: LA created me. The Cobrasnake was born in LA, I grew up here. I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing if I wasn’t from this place. Everything points at Hollywood, music, television. That was my big inspiration.

Mayah Hatcher: LA normalizes a lot of all these things that seem unattainable — these celebrities, you get exposed to so many kinds of people and existences. It’s special that you can come here feeling regular and be surrounded by people you might consider extraordinary, and it just feels regular. There’s a lot of inspiration that comes from being here.

Zana Bayne: The space. Walking around with my arms stretched out and not touching anyone or anything else. And being able to get to the beach in 20 minutes is incredible.

Mel 4Ever: It’s the most psychotic place on Earth, I swear to god, and I lived in New York for eight years. LA gives people so much room to be such fucking freaks, and everyone takes the opportunity, it seems.

Princess Gollum: It’s special to me personally because it’s where I was born, it’s given me so many things. We got the best Korean food, I have to say. And the pace is special, it’s always moving, but everyone’s a bit slower. Once you get used to the pace, it really unlocks things.

What’s your craziest LA memory?

Queen of Melrose: I don’t know if I can really say it right now. It’s not very G-rated. I did share it on a podcast… let’s do another one. Deontay Wilder, the heavyweight champion, I made all his outfits, his ring walk outfits. He goes, “I want something so intimidating.” Long story short, I go sit in the front row, watch the fight and he just gets demolished like a fucking rag doll. I was devastated, he was supposed to win in this fabulous outfit, right? But it was voted the best ring-walking outfit in boxing history. So I get a phone call from some magazine and they say, “Deontay says he lost because the outfit was too heavy.” So I was like, “I gotta talk to Deontay,” but he was in the hospital, because he was so fucked up. So I call him and he says, “No, that was my coach, I would never say that, I was just having an off day.”

The Cobrasnake: In high school I would go to AM/PM, they had a deal where you could get two hot dogs and a large soda for like $2. I’d be walking home from school eating these hot dogs and something disagreed with me. It all ended up on the sidewalk.

Mayah Hatcher: I recently booked Doechii just after she released her latest project — she came to us actually — and we held her release party. Also, I did this Calvin Klein campaign a few years ago and got to model with Solange, which was just like, Girl, what?

Zana Bayne: The first time I ever came to visit, I ended up taking samples to a Dita Von Tease shoot, but she was on jury duty. So I had all these samples in my trunk and went to Chateau [Marmont], and John Waters was there with an actress on his lap and an editor who was just doing blow off the table in the midst of dinner and bolognese. So I was like, “Oh, this is LA, I love this.”

Mel 4Ever: I went on a date with the kid from Modern Family, and he made me cum twice.

Princess Gollum: There’s so many, I’ve been here so long. When I was like eight months old, the big earthquake happened and I didn’t even cry. Then when I was four years old, we had a crazy amount of monarch butterflies come through, just swarms going through the city. Imagine the crustiest area of K-town with millions of butterflies going where they needed to. It was so romantic.

Where do you go in LA to escape?

Queen of Melrose: I go to my backyard. I walk my huskies. I live in a beautiful area, I wake up and there’s people riding horses. I had to do that for my brain when I got sober. I used to live on Melrose, and I have my shops on Melrose and I felt like I was never getting away from Melrose. After the pandemic, it started getting on the queen’s nerves. It’s more tranquil.

The Cobrasnake: The top of many mountains. I love hiking. You can catch me at Runyon or on top of the Hollywood sign. It’s something that grounds me

Mayah Hatcher: Honestly, I love my home, I love my apartment. I love my neighbors, we cook for each other, we check on each other. When I want to get away from LA, I probably go to New York.

Zana Bayne: I want to say the Cabazon outlets.

Mel 4Ever: I go to, like Malibu. I don’t know, I go to the beach and freeze my tits off. Also, my patio. I dance and perform under the moon, that’s where I go to hide.

Princess Gollum: The beach, definitely. It’s the only place you can find without a human being in sight.

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PAPER People: NYC Icons, Freaks and Legends

Photography and direction: Julian Buchan

Styling: Marta Del Rio

Hair: Gregg Lennon Jr, using Unite Hair and T3 for The Only Agency

Makeup: Nick Lennon, using Pat McGrath Labs for The Only Agency

Nails: Michelle Tran

Set design: Stefania Lucchesi

Styling (Lisa Rinna): Danyul Brown

Editor-in-chief: Justin Moran

Managing editor: Matt Wille

Production: Sammy Case

Publisher: Brian Calle

Interviews: Reanna Cruz

Cover type: Jewel Baek

Studio: Moonlight Studio + Rentals

Lighting direction: Dannel Escallon

Digitech and grip: Lindsey Kusterman

Styling assistants: Grace Taylor, Niki Ravari, Gaia Khatchadourian, Arturo Delgadillo

Hair assistant: Stefanie Hernandez, Gina Garcia, Kyle Heinen

Makeup assistants: Luna Vela, Nikole Vega, Chloe Goddard

Nail assistant: Cameron Fukuwa, Alyssa Cardiel, Alexander Tran

Set design assistant: Josefina Valadez

Production assistants: Jesse Zapatero, Lena Elgab, Gregory Shark

Gaffer: Albert Gonzalez

Grip: Kevin Aguilar

Miya Folick was spent after her last album, 2023’s ROACH. The album mined the depths of the LA-based artist’s psyche amidst a sea of synths and guitar, each song landing with the weight of a film’s climactic resolution. “Exhaustion,” after such output, was inevitable, so Folick hibernated and recharged her creative energies. But then, “at some point, the ideas just started coming,” Folick tells PAPER.

The result of that ideation is Erotica Veronica (out February 28th via Nettwerk), Folick’s third full-length album and yet another expansive exploration of what makes her tick. On Erotica Veronica, her primary focus is desire and embodiment. The album, which plays out like a psychosexual epic, is sonically rich, overflowing with orchestral flourishes, spiraling song structures and lived-in acoustic textures that render Folick’s clear-eyed lyricism in vivid detail.

In addition to her album announcement, Folick is sharing a new single, “Erotica,” alongside a video directed by Antonio Marziale. It’s a salacious taste of what’s to come on the full project.

“‘Erotica’ is a song about fantasy and pleasure — It’s not just about sex, it’s about a richness of experience, a playfulness, a connection, an open approach to each day,” Folick says. The song moves with a quick pulse and a nervy sense of urgency. It’s ultimately a shirking off of expectations and conventional norms, a move towards a true expression of desire. “I think that we’re fed rules about what an appropriate fantasy looks like, especially when you’re coupled. Our culture is so puritanical in that way. But I think that it’s important for me to retain my autonomy of thought and truthfully sharing my fantasies is an act of tenderness and intimacy,” she says.

In the video, Folick and Marziale unpack these ideas through a surrealist sequence that shows the singer doubled, with one version of her strapped in for medical experimentation and another version observing from behind a one-way mirror. As the video churns on, the cold clinicism of the environment gives way to something more feral and dirty.

PAPER spoke with Folick about her forthcoming album, her dream-like new video and her hopes for this next chapter of her artistry.

I first found your work through your last record, ROACH, which really stunned me. What was your mindset like coming off that record and into Erotica Veronica?

At first my mindset was pretty bleak. I didn’t think I had an album in me. I was just spiritually and physically exhausted, as I think a lot of people were coming out of the pandemic and re-entering the “normal” speed of things. I was searching for that hook, the germ of an idea that would catalyze the rest of my writing process. For a couple of months I just moped around, a bit unmoored and unsure of what I was even interested in. I had the instinct to fuel up, so I ate a lot and slept a lot. And then at some point, the ideas just started coming.

The video for “Erotica” is so cinematic. Tell me about how you came up with the concept and what shooting it was like.

There were so many ideas that were thrown around before we landed on this one. I reached out to Antonio because I’d seen his short film Starfuckers on Mubi and was really blown away. It’s dark and strange and moving and funny all at once. I sent him a quick sketch of an idea, and he sent me back some ideas of his. And then we met up and decided to go in a different direction, one that was a sort of convergence of the ideas that had come before it. But the final form of the video emerged when Antonio and the producer Eli scouted the location. That’s when Antonio pitched me the idea of double.

The parameters that we were working within were fun and absurd, but not carefree. The fun is earned, deliberate, and contains struggle. My character’s awakening does not just “happen” to her. She is the engineer of her own awakening. Sexy, but not necessarily about sex. It’s about eroticism as one’s sensual relationship to the world.

I’m really taken by the orchestral scope of “Erotica”’s production, which mirrors the grand style of the whole record. How did you hone the sound of Erotica Veronica?

A lot of these songs started on acoustic guitar, and I knew that I wanted to retain the raw energy of their gestation in the final production. But I’m also drawn to songs that feel expansive and “cinematic” — by which I mean they contain a sense of drama — so I wanted to have strings and woodwinds and piano across the album. I worked with my co-producer Sam KS to really nail the band performances of all the songs live in the studio, and then we spent a bunch of time just fucking around with the files at home.

Originally, “Erotica” just started at the first verse where the vocal comes in, but I spent four days banging my head against a wall, knowing that it needed something more … almost like a dream sequence reveal to let you know it’s a fantasy. Eventually, that piano part came out of me. I wasn’t technically able to play it very well, so I brought in my friend Jacob Ungerleider to do it justice. I still think that the strings would have maybe sounded a bit better if I was able to afford a string section, but I’m hoping my midi violin has a sort of je ne sais quoi.

For fans who have followed you for a few records now, what do you hope they take away from this next chapter in your artistry?

Oof. That’s a big question. My hope is that they feel about this record the same way I feel about my favorite records — that it’s transportive and challenging. That they can put it on and go for a walk, and the world might feel a little more magical. But also that it brings them closer to truth.

Photography: Jonny Marlow