With immense passion for creativity, Nicole is turning heads at the From Houston, With Love (FHWL) collaborative exhibit as the renowned artist’s work appears on a three-wheeled Polaris Slingshot. Known for its dynamic styling and customization capabilities, the Batmobile-like vehicle is serving as the ultimate canvas for Nicole’s art.
Shelbi Nicole has decorated many unexpected things in her colorful career. But FHWL presented her with the ultimate platform for self-expression and creativity: transforming the Slingshot into a remarkable work of art. Polaris Slingshot itself is a statement, as each one is as unique as its driver with limitless customization opportunities. Few vehicles offer such an approachable and unique canvas for personalization through customization. As you’ll see, Nicole uses eye-catching colors and whimsical designs to let her personality shine through the Slingshot.
Nicole’s Slingshot will be on display at the 60-day collaborative exhibit, featuring over 20 local as well as globally recognized visual artists from Houston, TX, running from June 16, 2021 through August, 15, 2021 in Downtown Houston’s GreenStreet (1201 Main Street Houston, TX 77002).
CITY GIRLS DROP MUSIC VIDEO FOR TWERKULATORDIRECTED BY MISSY ELLIOTT
Miami’s own City Girls have dropped the long-awaited music video for their massive summer single Twerkulator, out now via Quality Control Music / Motown Records. After dropping the highly anticipated track in May, fans of Young Miami and JT have eagerly awaited the music video to accompany the club-ready track. Directed by hip-hop icon Missy Elliott, the video follows the chaos that ensues after Elliott delivers a city-wide warning that “The Twerkulators have already invaded Twerk-City and you don’t have much time.” The video is choreographed by Sean Bankhead with Creative Direction by Derek Blanks.
Alongside dropping their new video, City Girls have stayed busy as summer kicks off, blessing fans with an unforgettable and unapologetic performance of Twerkulator at the 2021 BET Awards, as well as gracing the cover of i-D Magazine in June. Watch for more to come soon from hip hop’s most notorious duo.
Watch the Twerkulator BET Awards performance here.
“You are only as good as the people you dress” – Halston.
To the world, he is better known as Halston: the first American fashion designer who changed fashion forever. The new Netflix limited series Halston tells the story of fashion legend Roy Halston Frowick.
Created by Ryan Murphy and directed by Daniel Minahan, the five-episode series is adapted from the 1991 book Simply Halston: The Untold Story by Steven Gaines. It focuses on the rise and fall of the late designer (played by Ewan McGregor) known for dressing socialites and celebrities–notably Babe Paley, Liza Minnelli, and Jackie O.
With being the designer that brought American fashion onto the grid, many have been interested in Halston’s life. It is not the first time that his glamorous and tortured story has been put in the spotlight (2019 documentary Halston). But Ryan Murphy takes Halston and produces a version of him that does not try to escape his queerness. Some might not agree with this version of him, but Halston definitely shows us that with fame and status, stardom can also be very lonely.
Episode 1: “Becoming Halston”
The opening shot brings us to Halston’s hometown in 1933: a farm in Evansville, Indiana. Quite creative since his early days, Episode 1 shows Halston taking feathers from the chicken coop and making a hat for his mom. By 1961, he is known for designing Jackie Kennedy’s pillbox hats. Unfortunately, by 1968 Jackie O stops wearing them, and Halston’s hats become an afterthought.
The intro shows us how quick trends fade, and Halston sets out on his journey to rebrand himself. He tries to take a page from Ralph Lifshitz (now globally known as Ralph Lauren). Halston tries to create an exclusive American couture line for Bergdorf Goodman. However, the fashion world is not interested in his black and white dresses and not a single piece sells.
Unfazed, Halston meets up with illustrator Joe Eula (played by David Pittu), convincing him to join the Halston team. Eula tells Halston, “You want to be Balenciaga. There’s already a Balenciaga. What we need is to figure out your signature.” At the same time, Halston is introduced to Liza Minnelli (Krysta Rodriguez), who compares Halston’s pillbox hats to her famous mother Judy Garland: “You and me are living under the shadow of something, and we’re both trying to do the same thing.” Minnelli becomes Halston’s first muse, shaping her into a friend and collaborator over the course of the series.
Securing funding of $100,000, Halston gathers a small crew to set up shop: Joe Eula, model Elsa Peretti (Rebecca Dayan), and junior partner Joel Schumacher (Rory Culkin). Halston takes Schumacher’s idea of a flowy, dyed fabric and makes dresses out of them. Though the show doesn’t lead to any sales, it gains American socialite Barbara “Babe” Paley’s interest. During the meeting with Paley (Regina Schneider), Halston shows her Ultrasuede synthetic trench coats, claiming “It’s sexy. It’s comfort. It’s freedom.” She takes one in every color.
Though at first, Halston was not interested in the 1973 fundraiser for the Versailles, which also doubled as a means to get the American fashion name out to the world. Despite every woman in Central Park wearing his Ultrasuede, Halston tells publicist Eleanor Lambert (Kelly Bishop) that he can’t do a fundraiser because he’s broke. Trying to balance art and commerce, Eleanor sets Halston up with David Mahoney who wants to buy Halston’s licensing, proposing mass production. However, Halston initially refuses, saying “you’re only as good as the people you dress.”
Norton Simon sponsors Halston’s team to go to the Versailles show, and Halston convinces Minnelli to tag along and perform for him. With his entourage, they travel to Paris with 24 designs in an attempt to show their worth to the fashion industry. While nothing seemed to be going right at first – the backdrop size is wrong, costumes have not arrived, looks need to be designed – Minnelli forces Halston to pick himself up as his nerves get the better of him. And Halston does, slaying the runway with a 70s purple sequin dress, topped with a feathered hand fan that gets him a standing ovation. Original designs can be seen here.
By the end of the episode, we see a glimpse of Halston wanting protection from his “magical” childhood that was actually lonely and scary. He signs the contract with David, “If I sign that contract, I must never, ever, be left to feel unappreciated, underfunded, unprotected, unsafe. Promise me that, David.” While not everyone agrees with him selling his name, Halston gets new cash flow at the expense of his trademark name, pushing him through to stardom.
Episode 3: “The Sweet Smell of Success”
Focusing on Halston’s first fragrance, the third episode reminds us of Halston’s roots and the scents that created him. In the opening scene, we watch Elsa design a sensual perfume bottle for Halston, though the gravity defying perfume stopper is not sold to Mahoney. In an interesting conversation about phallic symbolisms, Halston is told the stopper is impossible to manufacture.
Arguing that creativity wins commercialism, Halston writes a check for $50,000 to pay for his own manufacturer, unwilling to compromise the exclusivity of the design. To create his scent, we are met with Adele (Vera Farmiga), who forces Halston to dig into his past for scents that evoke emotions. Adele bends Halston to her demands, and we get to see Halston’s inner, broken child more than ever in this episode. They discuss different scents and the memories Halston has connected to them: his fascination with scentless orchids, spring grass, tobacco, and his lover’s jockstrap.
Liza is off getting married and Halston has a breakdown. His lover boy, Victor Hugo (Gian Franco Rodriguez), points out that Halston just wants yes men and loyalty, and not everyone can do that for him. While work-life balance is not something that Halston achieves, his perfume becomes one of America’s best-selling perfumes, achieving $85 million in sales within the first two years. This led Halston to launch a plethora of new products–including suitcases, sunglasses, and carpets.
Despite all his success, we see that Halston does not find much love at Studio 54. In the heartbreaking final scene, we watch Hugo witnessing his lover having sex with another partner. While people are lined up buying products by Halston, he does not seem to have anything for himself.
Episode 4: “The Party’s Over”
Studio 54-era of Halston’s life: This episode shows Halston’s spiral into drugs and partying. The surplus and gluttony in overwhelming success and his cocaine addiction has him dropping the ball on his business, Liza faints on the dancefloor due to her drug habit, and there is a vent death at Studio 54.
Calvin Klein takes reign as top designer, and Halston spends his time cursing his competitor out. David Mahoney believes that jeans could be Halston’s next best creation and proposes the idea to Halston, in which is declined. As he loses his self-control, Halston designs have stopped selling at a growing rate. On the other hand, Elsa starts to be successful at Tiffany’s as a jewelry designer. Halston’s ego takes a problem with this, as he thinks he is the only one with talent and that Elsa should be thankful for him and give him credit. Belittling everyone around him due to jealousy, Halston pushes everyone away, left with nothing but his own name.
Halston’s mother dies unexpectedly, and this changes his mind about designing jeans when he sees a Calvin Klein commercial (starring Brooke Shields, originally from the 1980s). His ego takes a beating when David tells him he is “six months too late,” and Halston is no longer setting the fashion trends.
Things don’t look up for Halston either, as Mahoney tries to take Norton private and fails, resulting in a change of management. The AIDS pandemic is seen through the lens of Victor who tests positive for HIV, and Liza checks into rehab. Unsurprisingly, Halston is left in isolation by the end of it. With no other choice, he becomes the inhouse designer for JCPenney for some petty cash, and we no longer see the Halston that believed in exclusivity and creative control.
Episode 5: “Critics”
With designing how JCPenney, Halston is no longer having any fun. With pushing everyone around him away, he is only left with his assistant by his side and that is only because she is “getting paid to do so.” Halston begins showing up to the office at dinner, pushing off his deadlines, all while snorting large amounts of cocaine.
The company replaces Halston with designer John David Ridge (Jack Mikesell), the first person that lets Halston know he is an embarrassment, “How dare you be so irresponsible with the empire you spent your whole life working for?”
After being diagnosed with HIV and forced to retire, Halston’s life is put into perspective, and he really thinks about what he wants out of this life. Perhaps afraid that he might die without a final design to call his own, he seeks out his friend Martha Graham, and designs a spandex collection for her show. The reviews for this design gives Halston the acceptance that he was searching for the entire life and he finally admits that “Halston” was not just him, it was his entire team.
The series ends with Halston leaving to the West Coast and spending the rest of his days along the Pacific Ocean, mixed with tearful snippets of him watching Graham’s Persephone.
“We’re given one name… just one. And that’s all we have when we’re on the earth. And that’s all we leave behind us when we’re gone. I wasn’t precious enough with mine.” – Halston to Joe Eula, Halston Episode 5.
While five episodes is not enough to talk about Halston’s magnificent life, we get to see the grandeur of Halston’s reign in Ryan Murphy’s rendition. Captivating and intoxication, we see his friendships and intimate scenes unfolding in the series. While it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, you cannot deny the legacy that is Halston.
Here’s just a few reasons why you should join all the cool cats as #1 global party purveyors, elrow make their triumphant return with their freewheeling Psyrowdelic Trip at Brooklyn Mirage. Both Indoors and outdoors, this 10 hour musical, visual, and experiential extravaganza will be anything but normal. The far out flower power themed experience will last from sunset to nearly sunrise.
Let us know please before our list closes – we’re nearly SOLD OUT!
WHEN: Saturday July 24, from 6:30 PM to 6:00 AM
WHAT:elrow will take you on a magical Psyrowdelic Trip through music, space, and time at their biggest indoor/outdoor immersive, experiential fiesta that launches their post-pandemic 2021 NY residency. This grooveadelic party is NYC’s first festival back! Get retro, expand your mind, trip out to peace, spread the love and happiness. Did we mention the biggest confetti guns in the world?
WHERE: One of the world’s most stunning venues, The Brooklyn Mirage, expands its indoor and outdoor capacity, transforming the space for this night only into a psychedelic world in which to lose yourself, body and soul. Elrow‘s famed artisans will convert Brooklyn Mirage into a psychedelic playground with outrageous props and scenarios where revelers are encouraged to dance in harmony until they drop!
WHO: YOU + hundreds of Psyrowdelic characters, fellow dancers, and over a dozen world-class DJs supplying the soundtrack that transports you into your next psychedelic adventure. elrow is a magic space where you are free to join the best and most diverse, friendliest of crowds, everyone is welcome!
WHY: It’s been a year of missing friends or making new friends on the dancefloor. Now, it’s time to get back out there and get down! Shake off all the bad vibes from the past year and put some positive energy into the universe.
We’ll be waiting for you!
“art and music extravaganza … a roaming celebration that is part Cirque du Soleil, part Alice In Wonderland.”
360 Magazine has revealed a new, bedazzled brand bottle in collaboration with Integrity Bottles. Decorated with approximately 6,040 Swarovski crystal gems, this lavish flask radiates glamour and elegance. The shimmering container was created by artist Gabe Majalca of Good Vibe Gliders, who constructed the piece in over thirty hours of dedicated craftsmanship. Thousands of glimmering gems encase the container, creating a luxurious, polished and sophisticated look, as 360 Magazine represents. The bottle is to be debuted at the upcoming 360 Magazine Immersive Bodega Pop-Up.
Chrysolite, which is Greek for “gold stone,” sheaths the outside of the gleaming bottle in a rich yellow-green hue. For the “360” design on the side of the bottle, Chrysolite AB was utilized. Further, the cork is detailed with Electric White DeLite. The construction of the flagon took 30 hours in total. Overall, the process in creating this custom Swarovski-swathed bottle was time consuming, but the end result is an incredible feat of precision and dazzling artistry.
On 360 Magazine’s website, the popular Summer Sip List showcases some of the magazine’s favorite alcohol brands and drinks, all of which can be enjoyed in the new container. Cocktail recipes like Pinnacle Vodka’s Apricot Honeysuckle Spritz, Santo Spirit’s Hibiscus Smash, D’USSE’s champagne sparkler, and Cavit Wines’ Rosjito all invite readers to host a happy hour of their own. 360 Magazine is sure that the new pitcher will bring good times spent together enjoying fine sips and spirits. Now that the careful process of creating the bottle is over with, we will be sure to use this bottle in our everyday lives, whether we’re trying out new cocktail recipes, transporting drinks on-the-go, or simply displaying the container’s magnificent beauty.
This isn’t the first time 360 Magazine has worked with Integrity Bottles. In November of 2020, Integrity Bottles unveiled the 360 Magazine collection of glassware. The collection features seven products, including decanters, a refillable bottle, a stemless wine glass, a whiskey rocks glass, a 16 oz pint glass, and a Gibraltar beer mug. As with the previously released products, the new bedazzled carafe can hold your scotch, vodka, tequila, gin, rum, or any other desired sips. As the two brands look to their most recent collaboration to create the Swarovski-coated container, Integrity and 360 Magazine gleam with pride and assurance in the highest quality of production.
Integrity Bottles started as a small business between friends, but has blossomed into a thriving online store and studio based in San Diego. The company is run by military veterans and former law enforcement officers who always place integrity and honor at the forefront of their business practices. Having sold more than 3,200 bottles and earned 100% positive reviews on Amazon, Integrity Bottle products are sure to bring more merry making into your home. Integrity Bottles’ website can be accessed here, and customers can use the discount code “GIVEBACK” for 5% off their purchase.
Gabe Majalca, who constructed the 360 Magazine × Integrity Bottles’ bottle, spoke about the design process. His brand, Good Vibe Gliders, provides custom, crystal-encrusted creations to suit customer’s vibes.
What was your process of decorating this brilliant 360 Mag bottle?
First thing was choosing the right color. We wanted something that resembled sacred water or a magical lagoon. Chrysolite and Chrysolite AB Swarovski turned out to be the color most true to my vision. Next, was construction. It’s most important to keep your lines straight at the beginning, starting with the foundation. So, by the time your pattern reaches the top, your lines will still be straight!
How long did the process of decorating the bottle with Swarovski crystals take?
It was a tedious 30-hour [long] project. The thing is, you’re not just laying stones in a line–eventually you need to fill in the 360 Logo–and that right there was a massive challenge. It’s similar to a jigsaw puzzle. Putting the right stone in the right place is paramount to the letters looking clean [and] uniform. Lots of mental energy went into the letters. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.
What did you think when Vaughn first came to you with the idea?
Vaughn’s the homie and I knew he had worked with Integrity Bottles before. So, naturally, I was stoked to hear 360 Mag was getting themselves an iced-out bottle. I’ve always wanted to complete a Swarovski bottle–so the project made perfect sense to me and I jumped right on it. Anything for Vaughn.
How do you feel after seeing the original vision tangibly come to life?
It feels great! Looks like a magical lagoon! Something to keep in mind–it’s always a marathon when doing this artwork, so seeing something come together, completely finished–well, that makes me really happy inside. This was a challenging but very satisfying project, no doubt about that.
What was your first thought when you viewed the finished bottle product?
“I’m done! I’m finally done!” Haha No really though, I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what I said. This bottle was a deceiving hard project to complete – so many elements. Since this was my first try at a something like this, there were many twists and turns to the design that I simply did not foresee. In the end, it was like someone giving me an XL pizza and sa[ying], “you can’t get up until you finish it.” Not that it wouldn’t be totally delicious while I was eating it, but eventually you slow down at about half way through [when] you’re getting full and your stomach starts to hurt, but your tastebuds and your will power keep saying MORE! That’s what this project felt like… right up to the point when [I] took the last delicious bite. Worth it.
What do you think would be the best use of this bottle? Do you have a drink of choice you imagine drinking from it?
Easy, tell Vaughn to make me a Caramelized Citrus Smash! This refreshing summer cocktail is equal parts vodka and grilled citrus juice with sparkling water or lemon-lime soda. Vaughn will need some ruby-red grapefruits, lemons, limes, and navel oranges. Slice your citrus in half, brush the cut side with some honey, and dip the cut sides in sugar. Throw your fruit cut-side-down on the grill to caramelize the sugar. Once grilled, let it rest until cool. Lastly–the booze. Mix 1.5 ounces vodka, 1.5 ounces juice, and 1 ounce of water or sparkling water.
Hey V, I’m on my way!
Vaughn Lowery, President of 360 Magazine, spoke about the concept and creation the 360 × Integrity Bottles design:
How you originally come up with this idea of encrusting a bottle in Swarovski crystals?
Not too long ago, Victoria Secret had embellished some lingerie in diamonds for a runway show. Shortly after, Joe Boxer mocked the idea with boxer briefs for a stint during NYFW in Bryant Park. As the former spokesperson for this brand [Joe Boxer], I struggled in these uncomfortable underwear (the rhinestones literally dug deep into my skin causing several scratches on my thighs). Over the years, Gabe has bejeweled scooters and e-bikes for Good Vibe Gliders. Once we saw that he’s ventured out into sneakers with various customizations, we knew that he had to lace one of our Integrity Bottles with Swarovski crystals, adding a touch a glam and panache. This meticulous process took more than 30 hours and was executed by a total of 4 craftsmen with close to 1000 dollars of materials (not to mention intensive work).
Did you come up with the Chrysolite color way? We wanted the bottle to embody a monochromatic color palette to reflect today’s modern and colorless society in celebration of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Why were these gems/colors specifically chosen? We provided Gabe with a water theme and the end product represents clarity and purity, mimicking our eclectic mantra of transparency. After all, 360 readers are permanently celebrating their uniqueness along with this masterpiece.
Does the vessel actually cost $1,000,000? No, not at all. But Swarovski crystals are the closest thing to a blood diamond without destroying the lives of people like in the Congo. They refract light as a prism, showcasing almost all the colors of the rainbow (thus paying tribute to the LGBTQ community).
Why did you choose to work with Integrity Bottles again? What is working with them like?
Integrity Bottles is a veteran-led business and provides opportunities for people who have proudly served our country. The[y] [are the] same people who return from a period of service to find themselves displaced in society, especially [from] the work force.
How do you envision using this bottle in your own life?
We will exhibit the container in our workspaces and activations though out the world where guests will be able to witness its unforgettable beauty. Furthermore, several team members mentioned that we could auction the carafe in the hopes of helping to raise awareness and offer them some financial support for their efforts.
How do you view this product as representative of 360 Magazine?
Everything in this made-to-measure bottle embodies 360. Similar to life’s circle, we start our journey into this world as a fragile piece of glass. Over the years, we have evolved into something bigger and better than we were before.
This year, one of the world’s largest precious metals wholesale trading firms, Dillon Gage Metals, is sharing secrets behind the globally recognized Olympic medals athletes train so hard to obtain. The value of an Olympic medal is said to be worth quite a bit, and with the major sporting event just around the corner—beginning July 23 through August 8, in Tokyo, Japan—all eyes will be glued to the television wondering who is going home with a precious piece of history.
The design of the Tokyo medals, designed by Junichi Kawanishi, reflects the ideology that athletes must always strive to achieve glory and victory daily. The design incorporates light and brilliance in the shape of polished stones, symbolically mirroring the warm glow of friendship, diversity, and representation, and the athletes’ energy and those who continue to uplift them.
“The value of gold is a curious inquiry we receive all the time, especially around the time of the Olympics,” said Terry Hanlon, president of Dillon Gage Metals. “It’s one of the most discernible medals in the world, and it’s only natural for individuals to be curious about what it’s made of and its true value. Most medals awarded during the sporting event aren’t worth much because they aren’t solid gold but rather silver with gold plating.”
So, the question resides, how much is an Olympic medal actually worth? Every gold medal that athletes receive for their accomplishments is comprised of 99.9 percent silver and 6 grams of plated gold, weighing about 556 grams. Subtracting the gold from the silver brings the medal down to 550 grams in weight, while silver and bronze are a lesser metal weight at 550 grams and 450 grams respectively.
Considering it takes 31.1033 grams to equal a troy ounce, and if the silver is truly pure silver, it takes some simple mathematics to discover the true value of the Olympic medals. Taking these numbers plus the current trade price of silver, approximately $26.00, and utilizing a common equation, the estimated value of gold can be calculated.
The equation includes grams divided by troy ounce, then multiplying by trade price to find the dollar amount. In practical terms to solve for the total dollar amount in silver, use 550g/31 x $26.00 to equal $461.29.
In addition to the previous calculation, then add in 6 grams to account for the gold plating. In today’s currency, an ounce of gold is trading approximately for $1,808. Using the same equation to solve the gold composition: 6g/31 x $1,817 = $350.75.
Combined, the gold and silver composition’s value for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics gold medal is approximately worth $812.04. And the value for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medal is approximately worth $461.29.
But no matter the actual value of all these medals, to compete on the world stage of the Olympics, one of the most prestigious sports competitions, is truly priceless. Dillon Gage Metals wishes every Olympian luck and sends their support to each nation’s competitors during the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Vevo, the world’s leading music video network, announces the release of Billie Eilish’s Official Live Performance of “Your Power” off her forthcoming album, Happier Than Ever via Darkroom/Interscope Records. Vevo’s Official Live Performances are the result of close creative collaboration with artists and their teams, resulting in a series of very special exclusive performances.
“All of us at Vevo have been huge fans of Billie for years and love working with her. We got to collaborate with her so closely on these Official Live Performances evident in how much they blend with her aesthetic and the creative sound of this new material.” says JP Evangelista, Vevo’s SVP of Content, Programming & Marketing, “Billie is always so involved in the vision of her music videos, and her detailed input is a huge part of what makes these performances special. It’s been such a pleasure watching her blossom into the superstar that she is today, from her first music videos, to very intimate fan shows, Billie is truly one of a kind. We look forward to more successful future collaborations”
Billie worked closely with Vevo’s team to create a performance that was rooted in simplicity, allowing the music to speak for itself. Shot on 35mm film, the duo is surrounded by burnt orange velvet curtains, bringing a retro, 1950’s feel to the space. Billie’s delicate vocals quickly fill the cozy room, telling a story that keeps viewers riveted without so much as one special effect.
‘HAPPIER THAN EVER’ DEBUTS AT #1 IN THE U.S. [DARKROOM / INTERSCOPE RECORDS]
#1 IN CANADA, UNITED KINGDOM, AUSTRALIA, GERMANY, FRANCE, ITALY, BELGIUM, AUSTRIA, DENMARK, NETHERLANDS, NORWAY, SWITZERLAND, IRELAND AND NEW ZEALAND.
“Secures her status as a generational great.” – NME
“Some of the most dynamic, emotionally complex and brilliantly produced music of her career thus far.” – Paste
“Happier Than Ever climbs down from the gilded world of fame to offer a candid report from the coming-of-age trenches, where the past is embarrassing, the future feels excruciatingly distant, and the present is simply exhausting. Eilish doesn’t pretend to have it all figured out.” – Pitchfork
“A mature, deeply personal album.” – The Ringer
“A thoughtful, confident statement of intent.” – SLANT
“A joyous experience.” – VARIETY
“Eilish is best in the shadows, exploring our messiest impulses.” –Associated Press
“She is owning her body, and the lust and rage and pain and the rational and the irrational pangs that come with it.” – Vulture
“It’s the unwavering vulnerability of Eilish’s songwriting that makes Happier Than Ever most impressive.” – SPIN
“Her candidly politicized reads on misogyny are powerful, especially from a 19-year-old who has to do her learning in public, making art out of trauma she has every right to keep to herself.” – Rolling Stone Magazine
“Billie Eilish proves all she needs is herself on the stunning left turn, ‘Happier Than Ever’ – Uproxx
“Each song shines in its own way.” – USA Today
An album that, like its predecessor, sets itself apart from the sonics most contemporary pop stars favor.” – Vulture
“A smart, ambitious record that never stops interrogating itself.” – AV Club
“It’s rare that the most famous musicians are also the ones taking the most risks and writing some of the best music around, but Billie Eilish is one of those musicians.” Brooklyn Vegan
“‘Happier Than Ever’ Is a Rebellion, a Wink—and a Demand for Respect” – Daily Beast
“[The] superstar continues to break pop’s status quo.” – Grammy.com
“Eilish is clearly not interested in simply replicating the formula that made her debut album such a world-conquering smash — and the emotional turmoil chronicled in these post-fame songs perhaps suggest why. We’ve seen her in a crown, but in its most antagonistic moments, “Happier” feels like an abdication.” – TheNew York Times
“Excellent.” – Washington Post
Billie Eilish‘s sophomore album ‘Happier Than Ever’ has officially debuted at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., as well as in Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. ‘Happier Than Ever’ also now officially holds the record for highest vinyl sales upon release over the last 30 years. This is her second Number 1 album in the U.S. and in multiple countries around the world.
Fans and critics across the globe have praised Eilish, applauding her unflinching defiance and unwavering artistic approach, as she continues to rule the pop landscape instead of pandering to it. The 16-track full-length proves to be another welcomed triumph for popular music. A combination of non-fiction and fantasy, Eilish steps out into the limelight as one of the most treasured, talented and intricate songwriters of her generation. Weaving razor-sharp wit, everyday observations, secrets and escapades, all-the-while exploring what it is to be a complex human being, navigating the modern world. Listeners are left enchanted and captivated by this new chapter, as she delivers her rawest, most confessionary work to date.
The album’s essence, artwork and color palette was inspired by some of her all-time favorite recording artists Julie London, Frank Sinatra and Peggy Lee, and the 1950’s and 60’s “golden era’ they once reigned. Produced by her brother FINNEAS at his home studio in Los Angeles, ‘Happier Than Ever’ solidifies Billie Eilish once again, as one of the most crucial pop artists of our time. Listen to ‘Happier Than Ever’ HERE.
In other news, seven-time GRAMMY® Award-winning Billie Eilish will make her Disney+ debut with “Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles,” a cinematic concert experience, premiering globally on Friday, September 3. Fresh off the heels of her brand-new album, “Happier than Ever,” the Disney+ original will feature an intimate performance of every song in the album’s sequential order – for the first and only time – from the stage of the legendary Hollywood Bowl.
Directed by Robert Rodriguez and Oscar-winner Patrick Osborne the special will also include animated elements, taking viewers on a dreamlike journey through Billie’s hometown of Los Angeles and its most iconic backdrops. “Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” features FINNEAS, the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus, the Los Angeles Philharmonic conducted by Music & Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel, and world renowned Brazilian guitarist, Romero Lubambo, with Orchestra Arrangements by David Campbell. “Happier than Ever: A Love Letter to Los Angeles” was produced by Interscope Films and Darkroom Productions, in associate with Nexus Studios and Aron Levine Productions, with Kerry Asmussen as the Live Concert Director and Pablo Berron as Director of Photography.
Starting February 3 in New Orleans, Billie Eilish’s sold-out HAPPIER THAN EVER, THE WORLD TOUR commences. The arena run will be making 32 stops across North America, before heading over the Atlantic for an 18-date arena tour through Europe and the United Kingdom, starting June 3. For merchandise and more details go to Eilish’s website.
Tonight, Billie Eilish will be performing and talking on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
‘Happier Than Ever’ the album is out everywhere now.
03/19 – Ball Arena (formerly Pepsi Center) – Denver, CO
03/21 – Vivint Arena – Salt Lake City, UT
03/24 – Rogers Arena – Vancouver, BC
03/25 – Climate Pledge Arena – Seattle, WA
03/29 – Chase Center – San Francisco – CA
03/30 – Golden 1 Center – Sacramento, CA
04/01 – T-Mobile Arena – Las Vegas, NV
04/02 – Gila River Arena – Glendale, AZ
04/06 – The Forum – Los Angeles, CA
04/08 – The Forum – Los Angeles, CA
04/09 – The Forum – Los Angeles, CA
2022 EU/UK TOUR DATES – SOLD OUT
June 3 – SSE Arena – Belfast, UK=
June 4 – 3Arena – Dublin, IE
June 5 – 3Arena – Dublin, IE
June 7 – AO Arena – Manchester, UK
June 8 – AO Arena – Manchester, UK
June 10 – The O2 – London, UK
June 11 – The O2 – London, UK
June 12 – The O2 – London, UK
June 14 – The SSE Hydro – Glasgow, UK
June 15 – Utilita Arena – Birmingham, UK
June 16 – The O2 – London, UK
June 18 – Ziggo Dome – Amsterdam, NL
June 19 – Festhalle – Frankfurt, DE
June 21 – Lanxess Arena – Cologne, DE
June 22 – Accor Arena – Paris, FR
June 25 – The O2 – London, UK
June 28 – Sportpaleis – Antwerp, BE
June 30 – Mercedes-Benz Arena – Berlin, DE
July 2 – Hallenstadion – Zurich, CH
*Members of the Verizon customer loyalty program, Verizon Up, will receive access to US dates on this tour.
Limited quantities of Super Tickets will be available in 2022 for Verizon Up members to claim through the My
Verizon app.
About Billie Eilish
With the release of her highly anticipated sophomore album ‘Happier Than Ever,’ the 19-year-old Los Angeles native remains one of the biggest stars to emerge in the 21st century. Since the release of her debut single “ocean eyes” in 2015, Eilish continues to shatter the ceiling of music with her genre-defying sound. Fast forward from her humble breakout, her album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S as well as 17 additional countries around the world upon release in 2019, and was the most streamed album of that year. WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? was written, produced and recorded entirely by Billie Eilish and brother FINNEAS in their childhood home of Los Angeles. Billie Eilish went on to make history as the youngest artist to receive nominations and win in all the major categories at the 62nd GRAMMY® Awards, receiving an award for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album. Billie Eilish is also the youngest artist to write and record an official James Bond theme song, ‘No Time To Die.’ Most recently, Billie Eilish was nominated for four additional awards at the 63rd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2021, and took home both Record of the Year for ‘everything i wanted,’ and Best Song Written For Visual Media for ‘No Time To Die.’ Billie Eilish’s latest album ‘Happier Than Ever’ was written by Billie and her brother FINNEAS, who also produced the album.
“Kate Vargas’ ‘Glorieta to the Holy Place’ creaks and sighs with otherworldly atmosphere” – Rolling Stone
“Frequently labeled as ‘junkyard folk,’ Vargas’ work is marked with deep intention, frequently emerging as some of the most ‘honest, authentic’ in the Americana scene.” – American Songwriter
“Eccentric experimental indie darling Kate Vargas explores anxiety, sobriety, the dark side of humans and their flaws in her music.” – Atwood
“Vargas is definitely a dynamic addition to any musicians-to-watch list” – Elmore Magazine
“quirky phrasing, erotic substratum” – Robert Christgau, Noisey
“Her poetic lyricism is rooted in the folklore and storytelling” – NPR
“There is an unlimited amount of potential in this superstar on the rise” – The Huffington Post
The New York City-based, New Mexico native shares her album Rumpumpo with the world. Kate Vargas, the “junkyard folk” artist, has put aside the party for meditation, yoga, clean eating, and a fresh perspective on life as she hones in on her music.
Weeks before Vargas was scheduled to record her new album, the pandemic struck. At an impasse, she struggled to move forward in her craft. Months later, in a conversation with a friend about feeling stuck, he stated Newton’s First Law: “An object in motion stays in motion and an object at rest stays at rest unless acted upon by an outside force,” which subsequently inspires the first single and title track off her album, “Rumpumpo.”
Rumpumpo features the previously released singles “Church of Misdirection,” and “Glorieta to the Holy Place”, an ode to her home of New Mexico that celebrates the pilgrimage to Chimayo. Each year, thousands of people travel over 30 miles to El Santuario de Chimayo on Good Friday to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus. The church is said to have healing powers, particularly the sand inside. Vargas sings about a young girl who hears of this holy place and takes it upon herself to make the pilgrimage for the sake of her suffering family amidst the pandemic.
With Rumpumpo, Vargas continues her meteoric rise with songs that stir the emotional cauldron, blazing a genre-bending path that is both sonically and lyrically daring.
The New Mexico-raised, NYC-based artist is building ever more mindfully on her sound, and the music press is taking notice, Vargas receiving praise from a variety of respected outlets including Billboard, NPR, Noisey, and the Huffington Post, the latter assessing, “There is an unlimited amount of potential in this superstar on the rise.”
Vargas has packed houses from Ireland’s Westport Folk and Bluegrass Festival to The Troubadour in London, The Mansion on O Street in Washington D.C. to New York’s Bowery Electric. Featuring her singular folk-style storytelling, Vargas’ songs are grounded in a darkly melodic, reverb-washed sonic palette of dreampop, dusty folk and junkyard blues, all carried by rough-hewn vocals and guitar playing. In equal measure, she channels a surprising array of artists, from Tom Waits, Fiona Apple, and 16 Horsepower to Lana Del Rey and K. Flay.
In March of 2020, the pandemic brought the world to a screeching halt just weeks before Vargas was scheduled to record her new album. With plans on indefinite hold, Vargas found herself struggling to find a way forward. Months later, while talking to a friend about her feeling that she had stalled out, he simply stated Newton’s 1st law – an object in motion stays in motion, an object at rest stays at rest, unless acted upon by an external force. She needed an external force.
Around the same time, in a fortuitous twist of fate, Vargas found herself on the west coast just as her producer was relocating out west as well. An external force. Not one to squander an opportunity, Vargas quickly made plans to record in Los Angeles. Two more problems emerged. One, Vargas’ beloved Gibson guitar was twenty-eight hundred miles away in her apartment in New York and two, she still needed to write one more song for the album. Ever resourceful, calls were made and in the eleventh hour, Vargas found herself writing a song based on Newton’s 1st law on a guitar on loan from Jackson Browne. That song would become the title track, Rumpumpo.
“Gotta make the levee break, let the tonic take, double-stroking in a swim-or-syncopation; Well you won’t if you don’t get to doing, it’s Newtonian.”
Always challenging, Rumpumpo is peppered with restless moments, from the title track to the mesmerizing “Glorieta to the Holy Place”, a New Mexico-based story of a young girl’s pilgrimage to the town of Chimayo as a test of faith during the pandemic. Vargas escorts us to dark and uncomfortable places, but always with an arm around the shoulder and a reassuring grin. In the swampy “Spit 3 Times”, we are taken on a musical Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, exploring the nooks and crannies of obsession, then thrust into the stripped-down ballad “Someday”, a love song at once morbid, disturbing and yet beautiful that reaches a peak reminiscent of George Martin and The Beatles (circa 1967). Whether drawn from folklore or direct experience, Vargas injects an intimate feel into each song via her poetic lyricism and jagged vocal delivery. At times, Vargas damn near hypnotizes, her compositions seeping to the edge of the subconscious, hardwiring listeners to ponder questions that, in other contexts, might make them squirm.
Vargas’ childhood in Corrales, New Mexico, had a profound impact on the woman and artist she would become. This artist and farming village just outside Albuquerque was populated with Mexican-Catholic families like hers, as well as creatives and a variety of seekers. It was a community rich in oral tradition and folklore, steeped in tales of good and evil, ghosts and witches, sin, The Devil, even extraterrestrial visitors. “It was a strange and wonderful place that I’ve really come to appreciate as an adult. There was a culture of storytelling, and the stories were often dark: the way I write songs now is rooted in that tradition. The paranormal and the supernatural always seem to make their way in. It was a great place for an imagination to run wild. If I told my mother I was bored, she’d tell me, ‘Go outside and pretend something.’”
Still, the slow pace of rural small-town life was excruciating at times for Vargas, who longed for the action and possibility of the big city. She began playing the flute at a young age and by the time she was in high school developed an interest in jazz that led her to Boston where she studied music at Berklee. Once there, she consistently found herself coming back to writing and guitar after classes. Upon graduating from Berklee, Vargas relocated to New York City, playing an open mic night every Monday at the now defunct P & G Bar on the Upper West Side. “People were so disgustingly positive,” she says, “and that kept me coming back.”
Eventually, the club gave her a showcase spot and more gigs followed. With people continually asking her for a CD, Vargas knew the time had come to make an album. Her debut, the DIY affair Down to My Soul, was released in 2014, hinting at the promise of a vibrant new voice. Her follow-up, 2016’s Strangeclaw, was recorded at New York’s Mercy Sound Studios (Blondie, Macy Gray) and mastered at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London, capturing Vargas’ impressive growth as an artist in gorgeous fidelity.
Vargas really hit her stride with 2018’s For the Wolfish & Wandering, connecting with audiences like never before, culminating in invitations to perform on NPR’s Mountain Stage, an official showcase at Nashville’s AmericanaFest, several performances at the 30A Songwriters Festival, as well as her songs appearing on television shows Stumptown (ABC), Midnight, Texas (NBC) and Good Trouble (Freeform).
With Rumpumpo, Vargas continues her meteoric rise with songs that stir the emotional cauldron, blazing a genre-bending path that is both sonically and lyrically daring.
As the world has remained in their homes this past year and a half, traveling abroad seems to be the light at the end of a very long tunnel for many. While globetrotters stayed home bound and planned their trips for the second restrictions lifted, the travel industry underwent a rapid and drastic transformation. As such, many experts claim that travel – and particularly global travel – will be forever changed.
In the midst of the pandemic and the ubiquitous desire to be anywhere but home, travel destinations have begun to accommodate traveler’s concerns in the face of the virus. In some cases, it was changing the distance between tables in a restaurant or limiting the capacity of occupants in a hotel. In other cases, however, the only changes were claims of improvements or safer accommodations. While many hotels and restaurants truly began taking necessary precautions, some did not adapt – despite claiming to.
And such, in the age of the internet and modernity’s obsession with bureaucracy, innumerable COVID safety certificates – some valid, and some pure and simple money grabs – were born. Resultantly, the great saturation of these valuable assurances ultimately renders them to be valueless. For even the avid travelers and eagle-eyed among us, such certifications will likely prove to be a nuisance at best, and a health concern at worst.
In the travel industry, the remaining agencies have sought various solutions to this issue of verifying credibility. What happens when someone who is particularly at risk for COVID is infected by the virus at a supposedly safe hotel? Why even take these risks at all?
This past week, 360 Magazine attended an event with several travel experts who discussed this very issue and presented potential solutions. Though the situation is troubling and promises to only get worse, experts are beginning to craft plans and act against this rubber-stamping.
Terrence Suero of Buffalo-based travel agency Toca Travel has a promising and apt response to this new strain of scammers. While he is confident that the world will never return to its pre-pandemic state, Suero understands that travel is an essential part of many people’s lives. Even now, just months after the commencement of vaccine distribution, Americans have started to travel. While most are now staying within United States’ borders, some are wandering to more distant corners of the globe.
But, every new strain and ensuing restriction springs new doubts and trouble for the average traveler. And for travel agents, their work has only gotten more difficult–not only in the face of these conditions, but also regarding the endless onslaught of dubious safety certifications. To this end, Suero has started Safe Travel Pathways – a new endeavor that he hopes will eradicate, or at the very least assuage, travelers’ health concerns related to COVID.
Safe Travel Pathways at its core is an open-source directory of vetted hospitality companies. The company hopes to begin its directory abroad in Costa Rica, and if successful, to gradually expand globally. Behind Safe Travel Pathways is Suero’s ethos as a travel agent: to treat travelers as adults. His aim is simply to provide helpful and accurate information, with the goal being that travelers can make their own informed decisions.
The main criteria for Safe Travel Pathways’ approval includes adherence to internationally accepted health standards, a third-party audit system that can determine the provided level of safety and strict governance. Safe Travel Pathways uses a grading system from one to five that considers various accreditations, verified safety precautions, and guidelines to evaluate companies. The idea behind this system evinces once more Suero’s desire to allow travelers to choose their own itinerary in light of the safety information provided. While certain places may receive lower scores than others, Suero acknowledges that some people are more comfortable than others regarding COVID safety precautions.
However, Suero has more than just coronavirus in mind. His future offerings likely will include restaurants and other accommodations that have been vetted for specific allergens and other necessary health considerations. Suero was careful to note that most travel agents are not health specialists. With these future additions, he hopes to assuage as many health concerns as possible, for both travel agents and travelers. Such other future additions may highlight businesses that are accessible, sustainable, or accommodating for similar travel concerns.
Safe Travel Pathway’s test run is starting soon in Costa Rica to gain a greater understanding of its capability and viability as an international travel database. Suero hopes to soon expand into Europe and South America with the help of travel bureaus, which validate businesses on a local level. The database is free and accessible to all, with certain features limited to travel agents or agencies.
As the world reopens, much is still left unclear. With each new strain and constantly shifting guidelines, creating travel plans can be unnecessarily convoluted and stressful. Though the world may never return to “normal,” tools like Safe Travel Pathways can hopefully move us in the right direction.
His inclusion of varying genres like old school jams and G-funk into his inventive music combined with the therapeutic nature of his lyrics give listeners a personable feeling that leaves listeners craving more – Flaunt
…clearly genius to be found within the madness… – British GQ
The first thing I thought when I heard [Carter Ace] was, ‘He sounds like a combination of Anderson Paak and Pharell,’ and then [I realized] that he could even be better than both of them put together. – Magnetic Magazine
Posting up 10 million-plus streams and receiving acclaim from GQ, Flaunt, and more, Cameroonian American singer, songwriter, and rapper Carter Ace releases his brand new single and video The One and Lonely today via Let’s Get It Records/Republic Records.
Produced by Kieran Watters [Dizzy Fae, Tinashe], the track captures the punchy power of Carter’s idiosyncratic style. He intensely freestyles over otherworldly keys and psychedelic-spiked riffs courtesy of his guitarist Fahem Erfan and keyboardist John Redwood. The momentum just never relents. The surreal accompanying visual pairs seventies-style vibes with high-octane imagery of Carter wilding out in a dress shirt about 12 sizes too big, staring down paparazzi, and running through the desert. It seamlessly bottles the uncontainable energy of The One and Lonely.
This track is about creating art in the void of loneliness, intensified during the last year with the forced isolation of the pandemic and navigating my growing success. In this void, the pressure to create has turned into a distracting white noise as I recognize that I am truly ‘the One and Lonely.’ As the track morphs static noise into inspirational melodies, I realize I don’t know my purpose, so I might as well enjoy the ride, says Carter Ace on the track.
Rising up out of the San Fernando Valley, Carter Ace initially incited waves through the culture with If It Don’t Work in 2017. A year later, he served up I Think I’m Normal with production by Isom Innis of Foster The People. It notably eclipsed 3.4 million Spotify streams as he buzzed to the forefront of the conversation with features in GQ and Flaunt. Joe Jonas heard his music and immediately reached out, signing him to Let’s Get It Records in conjunction with Republic Records.
Now, Carter formally introduces himself with much more music to come. Get ready!
About Carter Ace
For as much as Carter Ace’s music may draw on international inspiration, the execution of his genre-agnostic alchemy remains damn near intergalactic. The Cameroonian American singer, songwriter, rapper, and artist seamlessly integrates otherworldly R&B, hard-hitting hip-hop, neo-soul drip, space funk, and even a little punk straight from the San Fernando Valley into a simmering signature style cooked up by his equally badass live band. Born in Los Angeles, he split his childhood between the United States and West Africa. With dad an artist and mom a dancer in his band, music surrounded Carter. During middle school in the Valley, he started to perform anywhere and everywhere with a stage, cutting his teeth at all-age venues, restaurants, and underground gigs. At the same time, he studied the likes of OutKast, Kanye West, and D’Angelo. Along the way, he assembled a group of likeminded players (who are with him to this day), including guitarist Fahem Erfan, keyboardist John Redwood, drummer Gio Alford, and bassist Daniel Durant. Grinding nonstop, he started to put up numbers on singles such as If It Don’t Work, I Think I’m Normal, and Come Back 2 Me, landing a deal with Joe Jonas’s Let’s Get It Records and Republic Records during 2020. After generating 10 million streams independently and earning looks from GQ, Flaunt, and more, this buzzing iconoclast continues to bust every sonic border on a series of 2021 singles led by The One and Lonely.
