NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND: slime fetish
The next installment in my series Notes from Underground is a sartorial, biological and philosophical investigation into the world of slime, in response to Prada’s SS2024 show. With the help of a digital subculture of enthusiasts, slime has undergone a significant cultural rebrand since 2017. Slime is no longer something we fear –– it is […]
Lil Uzi Vert: Culture Crisis, 032c Issue #43
For the cover of 032c’s CULTURE CRISIS issue, I spoke to Lil Uzi Vert about their seven months in rehab, the thinking behind their gender-neutral pronoun change and what we can expect from their upcoming album, The Pink Tape. Click here to purchase the summer issue of 032c and here to see a few highlights […]
Karol G keeps it authentic
“When Karol G appears in my window, she is the quintessential image of the Little Mermaid. The Colombian superstar’s bright red hair is long, wavy, and wet, and her glowing skin looks like it was just sprayed with sea mist. Her love of the fantastical creature is well known—at her concerts, fans in red wigs […]
Raye talks ‘Escapism’
“Shortly after the release of her debut album, My 21st Century Blues, the British musician Raye posted a TikTok with the caption “I find myself in a great position,” an inversion of a line (“I find myself in a shit position”) from her breakup anthem with 070 Shake, “Escapism.” The song, which has been used in […]
The cult of Drain Gang
Originally published in the sold-out issue #42, the 32 page Drain Gang dossier––which investigates the history and mythology surrounding the music collective consisting of BLADEE, ECCO2K, THAIBOY DIGITAL, and WHITEARMOR––is now online. Click here to read the cover story on 032c.com.
‘It’s about spreading hate’: RuPaul’s Drag Race’s Aura Mayari strikes back against the Tennessee drag ban
“Last week at Nashville’s Centennial Park, Aura Mayari paraded and posed around the famous Parthenon building with a face full of fabulous, gravity-defying makeup. A photographer’s flashes followed as she modeled a towering top hat with ostrich feathers, a bedazzled leotard, and a pair of thigh-high, crystal-encrusted boots. Mayari, who was born and raised in […]
NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND: Luke Nugent’s AI clubkids
NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND is a series of investigations into the shifting definitions and manifestations of subculture in the digital age. The first installment is an exploration of Luke Nugent’s AI work, which celebrates alternative definitions of beauty and the lifestyles of people on the margins. Using the controversial text-to-image AI software, Midjourney, Nugent depicts subcultures […]
Lancey Foux’s purple reign
“When the enigmatic British rapper LANCEY FOUX drops a new album, the buildup and excitement are reminiscent of that created by a best-selling fantasy author. In late October, Lancey handed over the next stage in his musical saga to his voracious listeners. The 22-track sonic narrative, titled Life in Hell, is set in a world of far-out samples, […]
The future of club culture is a hyperpop rave called Subculture
“Looking for Subculture?” asks a bouncer at the L.A. club Catch One. “In more ways than one,” I reply as I pull out my ticket to the hyperpop rave happening inside. As a turquoise band is wrapped around my wrist, an artist named Babylungs, who’s dressed like a cybergoth hosting a Pride party at Chuck E. Cheese in the […]
Pop has officially entered its clown era
“HARRY STYLES HAS been the subject of countless headlines in the wake of the 2023 Grammys — and for all the stories thinking over his unexpected win for Album of the Year, there have been nearly as many celebrating the rainbow, sequinned, harlequin-style onesie that he wore on the red carpet. “Best dressed,” they rave. “King of jumpsuits!” It’s a far […]