Burger King Is Bringing Goth Black Burgers For Halloween

September 28, 2015, 2:06 am

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photo via Burger King

That's right, even Burger King's playing dress-up this year and taking a cue from their Japanese franchises by creating a spooky, all-black burger. And while the infamous Japanese version had black cheese and sauce in addition to black buns, the American version is keeping it just to the buns, which are dyed with A1 steak sauce. 

The "HA1loween Whopper" (cute branding, huh?) drops today in Burger Kings nationwide. Finally, a burger to fit your aesthetic.

[h/tJezebel]

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PAPER Premiere: Brooke Annibale's New Album The Simple Fear

September 28, 2015, 3:50 am

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There's a good chance you've already heard Brooke Annibale, as she's had songs featured in Pretty Little Liars, Vampire Diaries, One Tree Hill and more. But if you haven't heard Brooke before, you can rectify that right now, as PAPER has the exclusive premiere stream of hew new album The Simple Fear for your listening pleasure. All of the songs from this album would fit in nicely on a playlist next to smart folkies like the Swell Season, First Aid Kit and Kathleen Edwards, so if you need a gentle pick me up this morning, this should do the job nicely. You can pre-order the album here.

"Purgatory & Paradise": Scope Awesome '70s-Era Photos of NYC Suburbia and the City (NSFW)

September 28, 2015, 4:30 am

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For over forty years, New York-based photographer Meryl Meisler has been documenting the grit and the glamour, the decay and the rebirth of her home city, with a particular focus on the exhilarating -- and tumultuous -- '70s. Her previous book, A Tale of Two Cities: Disco Era Bushwick, juxtaposed the glittery nightlife of the period with images shot in Bushwick, including photos of residents hanging out in front of graffitied doorways and empty lots of rubble. Her newest collection continues this idea of a study in contrasts but this time turns its attention to the wild, libertine scene happening in Manhattan with the quieter, family-oriented traditions continuing in the suburbs. Purgatory & Paradise Sassy '70s Suburbia & the City includes photos of Meisler's own family members and friends at Jewish holidays, weddings, and the beauty parlor along with images of Patti Smith performing at CBGB, naked men on Fire Island and exotic dancers with tips collected in their fishnet stockings. The book, which is out now, can be purchased HERE and you can preview some of our favorite photos below.

Punk Snear
Stiv Bators, Dead Boys. CBGB
NY, NY
April 1977

Hustler on a Boat
Fire Island Pines, NY
July 1978

Stacey Walking Down Playmate's Stairs with tips in her Stockings
NY, NY
1978

On the "Big Day" Susan Could Still Find Something to Maker her Sad
Huntington Town House, NY
June 1975

A Flower Outside CBGB OMFUG
NY, NY
April 1977

Father and sons in 3 Piece Suits at the Easter Parade
NY, NY
Easter Sunday 1977

Two Nudes with Jewelry on Beach
Cherry Grove Fire Island, NY
Labor Day 1977

The Meisler, Forkash & Cash Clan Welcoming a Sweet New Year
North Massapequa, NY
Rosh Hashanah 1974

Elda (Gentile) Stilletto and Guitarists at CBGB
NY, NY
April 1978

King Shalom's Rubies (L to R: Helen, Ronda and Stephanie)
The Mystery Club
Seaford, NY
June 1975

Crowning the Plainedge High School Prom Queen
Huntington Town House
Huntington, NY
June 1976

Corrugated Hoses Emitting Smoke at Les Mouches Send in the Clones Party
NY, NY
June 1978

Patti Smith Sings Gloria at CBGB
NY, NY
April 1977

Mom Getting her hair Teased at Besame Beauty Salon
North Massapequa, NY
June 1979

Jive Guy on Williamsburg Subway
Brooklyn, NY
March 1978

Celebrity Photographer George Holz on 30 Years of Shooting the World's Biggest Stars

September 28, 2015, 4:59 am

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When he's not snapping portraits of the most famous faces in the world, photographer George Holz lives upstate in a house with sheep, chickens, two dogs, a cat or two, a couple of cars, a pick up truck and an original '60s Airstream. His wife Jennifer lives there too, her hand a presence on "Holz Farm" as well as in the light touch on the look and feel of his monumental new book Holz Hollywood: 30 Years of Portraits.

But it wasn't always like this. Certainly not 30-plus years ago when the fledgling photographer lived and worked out of an illegal loft on the corner of 4th Street and Lafayette in lower Manhattan, then a squalid downtown artist enclave, now a gentrified neighborhood with some of the most expensive apartments in the world. "Keith Richards lived across the way," says Holz. "You could see Rauschenberg sunning up on his deck across on Bond St."

By then Holz was already on his way to a major career but he didn't really know it. While a photography student at The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, he befriended Helmut Newton who was at the height of his infamous glory in the late '70s. Holz heard through a friend that Newton was expected at a Rodeo Drive boutique and waited around to meet his idol. "These days you would call it stalking," says Holz who parlayed the meeting into a job as an assistant. Still a student, he says, "I was torn between photographing a milk carton or tagging along with Helmut Newton." Guess what he chose.

After graduating in 1980, he worked around L.A. shooting album covers, before deciding, at Newton's urging, to go to Europe, specifically Milan. "Back then there weren't a ton of photographers going to Milan," says Holz. "I was living in an apartment with no heat with a modeling agency upstairs. I had a constant supply of models." But not much revenue. "It was tough. You're ready to give up and someone gives you a morsel and one thing leads to another. Everything was under the table there. We did our bookings through a modeling agency. They took 50 percent, but I didn't care. I had another week of film and food."

The road to celebrity photographer par excellence began with shooting still life portraits -- "from shoes to beauty," says Holz who worked under the watchful eye of his legendary benefactors Franca Sozzani at Italian Vogue and Paula Greif at Mademoiselle, eventually landing the global Elizabeth Arden campaign.

"Probably my first breakthrough celebrity portrait was Madonna in 1983 in California. And a little later I photographed Jellybean [Benitez] for Paper." But it wasn't until Holz received a phone call while he was on his yearly fly fishing trip in Montana that it all began to jell. "My agent called and said we have this young actor who's out here filming a movie. Would you be interested in photographing him. I probably would have said no since I was on vacation, but since I was literally 30 miles away I said ok I'll do it." The young actor was Brad Pitt; the magazine People.

Some 30 years later Holz has amassed many file cabinets full of negatives of the hundreds of celebs that followed Pitt. Holz Hollywood's 304 pages include many of his iconic images, as well as lots of others that have never been published before. "Over five years of going through the images, I kept wondering why the editors didn't pick this or that image. Maybe it was a shot with a breast hanging out that the magazine would never use but would be great for a book."

Today celebrities are used to being photographed and ogled but Holz's photos are different, stolen moments when something is revealed to the camera about the subject that isn't obvious. The defining photo often taken at the very end session when the shoot was formally over but "just a few more shots" were taken.

"I'd always try to push the envelope on the assignment. Try to do something farther than expected," he says. 'I was in Dennis Hopper's house all day for InStyle. I photographed him with his art work and showed his house architecturally but I knew that this was an interesting guy and I should do stuff for myself. I knew that the magazine would never use it but in the back of my mind I knew that I should do some iconic shots."

Surely, Holz has developed some tricks of the trade that help him get comfortable with the star and vice versa. "It's kind of like a dog," says Holz. "If they sense fear, they'll take advantage of you. You have to show a certain amount confidence. Take control. Feel that you can direct them but also need to know when to pull back. One time I was shooting Anjelica Huston and I could sense that if I started shooting she would move because she was a great model before she was an actress. I didn't have to tell her to do this or that. So I gave her that rope and let her do it. Other people, especially actors and actresses are comfortable when they are method acting the emotions are rolling and they can get into a role. They're used to being directed in films. But if you're taking one photo they get very nervous."
 
On the other hand, you have eccentrics like Joaquin Phoenix. "I had all these lights set up and I was shooting him and it wasn't going to work. He wouldn't sit still. I basically wound up following him around with the lights. He went to the kitchen and began washing dishes. He was talking to himself. I had to be flexible. I couldn't tell him what to do. The same thing with Kevin Spacey. He jumped up on a Times Square bus and I just captured him doing his thing. You have to be very flexible, especially with celebs. One of the tricks is being able to change everything 360 degrees at a moment's notice. Because it can go south very fast. They can walk. Other times you're spending the day and hanging out with their families and the day goes by and it's just like magic."

Holz manages to capture his subjects within the context of the greater buzz surrounding them. In one shot, Jessica Simpson, at the height of her early-aughts pop career, looking like a living Barbie doll. "When I was printing that image for the book in Italy I said I want her to look like Barbie. She was quite young and came from a religious Christian background. And they hadn't put her out as a sex symbol. When it came out on the cover of FHM, the cover line was 'Oh, Lord.' I remember the family was concerned."

And then there are people like Donald Trump who he shot for New York magazine. "As a photographer who does portraits there are people you really admire and those you do not but I still try to make it interesting and a great photograph. I still want to make them look good. I'm not going to shoot where you're trying to sneak something in to make a statement. I'm not going to do that."

Like most things media related, celebrity photography has been disrupted in the digital age. When massive stars like Rihanna can post revealing photos of themselves on Instagram, who needs photographers? "Now it's about shock," he says, "how to push the envelope even more. There's so much it doesn't seem special anymore. I have a nude of Carly Simon in the bathtub. No one's ever seen that. In this day and age is that going to be lost in the multitude of this kind of imagery that's surrounding the internet?

Well, not if you listen to Mariah Carey, Holz's most frequently photographed personality. "George is always focused on making me look the way he sees me when the camera isn't rolling," Carey writes in the book, "capturing the essence of the real person, not just a persona."

Madonna, 1983

Anna Nicole Smith, 1993

Jessica Simpson, 2000

Beyonce, 2006

Cameron Diaz, 1995

Jada Pinkett Smith, 1997

Terri May, 1983

Janet Jackson, 2001

Mariah Carey, 2001

RuPaul, 1992

Serena and Venus Williams, 2001

Joan Jett, 1994

Joaquin Phoenix, 2006

Lindsay Lohan, 2004

Jack Nicholson, 1997

Brittany Murphy, 2002

Be Ayn Rand In This New Life Simulator Game

September 28, 2015, 5:03 am

≫ Next: Who is the Hotline King? Ranking the Best (and Worst) Covers of "Hotline Bling"

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Ever wondered what it'd be like to be a disliked, yet vastly influential literary canon from Russia responsible for the logic of Paul Ryan and your not-that-smart high school boyfriend? No? Well too bad, because Tumblr user Jestershark has created an Ayn Rand game, which allows you to simulate her life -- and the only rational thing to do would be to play it, TBH.

There are couple different options, which result in you either leading a totally normal, reasonable, capitalist-loving life or marrying Queen Satan -- your pick. Just click through your life, engaging in super banal things like writing screenplays and fucking Frank O'Connor, cheating via the Ayn Rand Wikipedia page all the way through. Play it here and make good decisions, y'all.

Who is the Hotline King? Ranking the Best (and Worst) Covers of "Hotline Bling"

September 28, 2015, 6:00 am

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Whatever else you want to say about Drake, his skills as a pop songwriter are undeniable. As Lorde puts it, he has a "really creative clever way of saying something really simple," a description used directly in reference to the nigh-inescapable "Hotline Bling." The track has nearly everything you'd expect from a Drake hit -- a catchy, well-produced beat drawing on a previously established musical tradition in an interesting and universally accessible way, a hook that's lyrically impossible to forget, and, of course, a lot of performative sadness and angst about failed relationships.

Like Taylor Swift's 1989, "Hotline Bling" has produced a vast number of cover and remix versions from all sorts of artists, latching onto the simplicity and directness of the hook (with all of the Drake-like feelings it conveys in so few words) to express themselves. Let's look at a few different versions of "Hotline Bling," and mercilessly rank them to determine: Which one is the Hotline King?

7. Stella

Carlos Santana's daughter doesn't do a ton with "Hotline Bling," turning in a relatively straightforward cover that isn't necessarily bad -- it's just unnecessary, and kind of boring. Let's move on.

6. Disclosure and Sam Smith

This one is a bit of a change of pace from the original, but, like Smith's new Bond theme, it's exactly what you would expect from a Sam Smith and Disclosure cover of "Hotline Bling." If that sounds like something you'd be into, check it out! Otherwise... maybe take a nap or read a book instead?

5. Alessia Cara

Given her intensive introspection (and background in Toronto), rising pop star Alessica Cara has quite a bit in common with Drizzy. But her cover of "Hotline Bling" doesn't have much to do with the original -- it's an acoustic jam, tapping into a much different (but still authentic) set of emotions as the original. It's definitely slower and not appropriate for the club, but it certainly has its time and place. 

4. Jadakiss and Nino Man

The existence of a "Thot Line Bling" track, however obnoxious and retrograde, was an inevitability given the ease of rhyming. But we're glad that it was Jadakiss, of all people, who ventured into this sort of lazy territory, because "Thot Line Bling" is pretty fun.

3. Charlie Puth and Kehlani

This one leans hard into Aubrey's sadness, and, even though Charlie Puth is kind of in the Sam Smith "weepy belting" zone, Kehlani's presence (and the stripped-down piano arrangement) vaults it into the top tier of "Hotline Bling"s. If you're going to make a depressing version of an already kind-of depressing pop hit by Drake, you should really go all in, and at that, Puth and Kehlani certainly succeed.

2. Fuego

Not only is the Spanish remix of "Hotline Bling" excellent, imbuing the track with more humanity and genuine emotional pain than the original, it's also by Pitbull collaborator Fuego. And it's even truer to the original's influences.

1. Keyshia Cole

Somehow, the Keyshia Cole version of "Hotline Bling" sounds even crisper and cooler than the Drake version, and its lyrical conceit of redirecting the same narrative from the woman's perspective, reading insecurity and masking of pain into the original (and demonstrating that there are at least two sides to every relationship) is just fantastic. I've been listening to this remix for about a day, and it reveals new layers to how much fun (and how interesting) it is every time. Put down the phone, we've found the "Hotline Bling" queen. 

H Introduces Their First Hijab-Wearing Model In Major Campaign

September 28, 2015, 6:32 am

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photo via Youtube

H&M's latest sustainable fashion campaign stars a London-based model named Mariah Idrissi, who also happens to be a devout practitioner of Islam -- making her the first hijab-wearing model in the store's history.

Idrissi, who is of Pakistani and Moroccan descent, stars in the retailer's Close the Loop campaign video, which promotes their new in-store clothes recycling program -- alongside a diverse casting of models that also include an amputee, a Gulf Sheikh and a group of Sikh men.

Discovered via Instagram, Idrissi told Fusionthat, "it's amazing that a brand that is big has recognized the way we wear hijab. It might be because hijab fashion has boomed in the last few years and to finally see a hijabi in mainstream fashion is a big achievement." And we're inclined to agree. Hell yes, H&M. 

Watch the campaign video below.

[h/tFusion] 

Scenes from the Trans-Pecos Festival of Music + Love In Marfa, Texas

September 28, 2015, 7:30 am

≫ Next: Watch St. Vincent and Jenny Lewis Perform "Groove is in the Heart" Together at Trans-Pecos Festival

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By late September, it's easy to get festival fatigue, coming off of nearly six straight months of music fests that include Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, Electric Zoo and more (not to mention Burning Man) but then you get a second wind with the Trans-Pecos Festival, a psychedelically-inclined festival that took place this weekend in Marfa, Texas. While the remote town has long been known as an art oasis in the desert, more recently their music and food scenes have been on the rise and after three days of music from the likes of Jenny Lewis (who performed an awesome cover of "Groove Is in the Heart" with Texas native St. Vincent -- see the clip HERE) Portugal. The Man, Phosphorescent and more, it's clear the festival is only going to enhance the small town's reputation as an unexpected culture hub. Our photographer, Jackie Lee Young, was out there capturing the scene -- take a look at her photos from the weekend below.

Jenny Lewis

Jenny Lewis and St. Vincent

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Watch St. Vincent and Jenny Lewis Perform "Groove is in the Heart" Together at Trans-Pecos Festival

September 28, 2015, 8:50 am

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Jenny Lewis has a great sense of when to deploy her friends (take the delightful "She's Not Me" music video). So it's not surprising that she successfully brought out Annie Clark, a.k.a. St. Vincent, as a special guest at the Trans-Peco festival in Marfa, Texas, where we can say with certainty that no one called them Lewis and Clark at all (definitely, definitely not). Watch some video from the performance below, starting with their cover of "Groove is in the Heart," via Pitchfork and Consequence of Sound.

groove is in the 💓 finale?! @jennydianelewis @st_vincent @crybearxo @shishkebobby #transpecos2015

A video posted by Veronica Meewes (@wellfedlife) on Sep 25, 2015 at 10:46am PDT

Jenny Lewis on lead and Annie Clark on back up melting my heart

A video posted by hannah dees (@hannahdeeznuts) on Sep 24, 2015 at 8:39pm PDT

@st_vincent is here

A video posted by Al Giesler (@littlemanatx) on Sep 24, 2015 at 8:04pm PDT

The 5 Best Korean Sheet Masks In the Game

September 28, 2015, 9:55 am

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photo via Lady Gaga / Instagram

Korean sheet masks. You've seen a wall of them at Sephora, and in action on models' backstage beauty Instagrams -- and chances are, they've both repulsed and intrigued you. Of all the options, it's hard to tell which one's going to do exactly what, mostly because, well, they're in Korean, so we picked the five of the best out there, all locally sourced from NYC's Koreatown, and broke it down for y'all. Sheet up, people. Don't be scared.

Most "Oh Cool" Idea
TonyMoly Rice Mask Sheet

The gimmick here is that the mask itself isn't cotton or paper--it's actual rice paper. The kind you delight to see stretched out over your late-night Seamless spring rolls. The kind you douse in peanut sauce. And, if you've ever bought them yourself (unlimited rolls 24/7!) you know that they undergo rapid change from pantry to plate -- starting out crusty and brittle, then, after a few minutes in liquid, soft, jellyfish-like, rollable (but also, like using long stretches of tape, is liable to twist up and stick to itself. Unlike other masks, this one doesn't come already marinated in essence--the liquid is in a separate pouch, which you dump onto the rice paper three minutes before impact with your face. It's good, healthy, interactive, multi-step fun. The rice paper gels up and sticks to skin better than many of its cotton counterparts. The serum's pretty strongly scented, making it hard to eat my quinoa-and-soy-sauce without also getting a cross-breeze of gardenia in there. But the effects were undeniable--a plumped-up deep nourishment that, even though I didn't sleep in it, made my skin look better well into the next day. Five stars.

Best Target-Area Mask
Glam Rock Abracadabra Mask

This isn't the full-face horror show sheet mask you're used to--this one's actually (stand by to be totally shocked) got a little who-is-that-masked-stranger sex appeal. It's an eye mask, set in the shape of a good masquerade-meets-Zorro-type mask, with little lacy designs festooning its little jellyfish-y body. Good for spot-treating your world-weary eyes that have seen too much banditry or world-saving the night before. If you don't want to commit to the whole shebang of a sheet mask, slap one of these on and your eyebags deflate, puffiness is un-puffed, and the whole area is blessed and forgiven, so you never have to reveal your true identity as a Secretly Hungover Person living unknown amongst an unsuspecting office.



Best All-Around Nourishing

Leaders Coconut Gel Mask with Broccoli 

The Leaders brand is, as my K-beauty junkie friend describes it, "the Korean Clinique," highly dermatologically trustworthy with like little icons of beakers on the back of packaging. This is the thickest of the masks here--not a strip of saturated cotton but a full-face-adhering slab of gel, like an Dr Scholl's sole insert for your face. It gloms on and really stays put--you can walk around, do chores (lol throwback--remember chores?!) and get a glass of water (one imagines coconut is suggested). No cruciferous odor detected, but healthy benefits were nonetheless conferred. This mask is so intensely nourishing that you get this fully saturated face, totally drunken with hydration. The next morning was the best--my forehead lines reduced (for the time being), general tone evener, skin texture firm and supple to the touch. Are you gellin'?



Best In Clay

TonyMoly Egg Pore Tightening Pack Mask

Clay masks do not, that I've seen, come in sheet form. So if you want pore-tightening and that sense of all manner of impurity being sucked out of your skin my precision-placed mini vortexes, this is the mask for you. In the (admittedly sort of adorable) container, the kaolin-based formula starts out as a fluffy mousse, smears on like a cream, and dries and tightens like a good clay mask should. It doesn't flake off, but sort of balls up on your face when it can tighten no more. No Queen Helene like-the-deserts-miss-the-rain cracked earth face here. You'll have skin that's cleaned out and calmed down, not further reddened and parched. Give it a shot on oily, black- or white-heady spots. Out with the old, in with the...egg.

Best In Show

Benton Snail Bee High Content Mask Pack

 

Arguably the Gold Standard of Korean sheet masks. It feels light, has no heavy fragrance, and is jam-packed with tiny-creature ingredients like snail secretion and bee venom, floating in a solvent of super-soothing camellia sinensis leaf extract (tea, sort of) and aloe juice. Peel it off in front of mirror and you can almost hear that chorus-of-angels note that happens in movies when a minor miracle occurs or John Stamos enters the frame ("Ahhhhhh!"). Count on this mask for instant skin-brightening and -soothing effects. If you're planning on wearing anything red and don't want your face to match, do this first. With the mask's heavy load of skin-brightening arbutin, one could imagine one's freckles lightning over time with continued use, although there's also a strong argument to be made for being proud of your adorable freckles. Plus, it's on the cheaper side too, even for sheet masks. Stock up--go crazy.

Yasss Teen: Exploring YouTube with Lohanthony

September 28, 2015, 10:10 am

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The upcoming generation of teens is full of kids who are stars to each other, but inhabit practically a different social universe from adults. They're building their own social media followings on Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, you name it -- but to what end? For the olds among us: who are these teens, and how can we be as cool as them? Get to know the most fascinating teens on the internet in our feature, Yasss Teen.

It feels like I've known about Lohanthony forever, since his videos and images were so widely circulated (especially on Tumblr, which was my first internet home). Since bursting onto the viral internet with his nine-second magnum opus, "CALLING ALL THE BASIC BITCHES," Lohanthony has had an excitable, ubiquitous presence. Last year, Rich Juzwiak called him the "Littlest Big Diva" in New York.

Since then, Lohanthony has branched out from YouTube videos. He's appeared with the stars of Oxygen's Prancing Elites, has a movie on the way, and just released his first compilation album, titled Landscapes. We spoke to Lohanthony about his career and what it's like to have Kate Moss and Marc Jacobs make a tribute video to you.

Can you tell me a little bit about the process that went into choosing the songs on this album?

For this compilation, I basically just took thirty songs that I'm currently obsessed with to the manager of the compilation, and just sat around waiting for the review. Is this song gonna make it, will it be cut. But thankfully, all my favorite tracks got on the compilation, so that's great. I have such a huge obsession with music because I have access to so much, thanks to Spotify and Tumblr and websites that stream music. I find so many new songs and artists every single day thanks to those music streaming websites. I had so many current favorite songs that I was looking to share already, so I just gathered a bunch of them and put them in a compilation.

I was listening to it earlier, a lot of it is very pleasant fun electro-pop, and it kind of follows that motif. Is that just how your favorite music was when you were making that compilation, or was it a specific sound you were going for?

I guess all the songs kind of personally spoke to me. I love house/electronic music, and you can definitely tell listening to this compilation.

This is one of a few things that you've been doing lately in your career - performing with the Prancing Elites, and you announced that you had a movie role earlier this year in a video. Is this you moving more into working in the entertainment industry?

Oh yes, I am trying to make my way in the traditional entertainment industry as much as I can. Just letting everyone know that Anthony's taking over and Anthony's here. The movie is called Miss Stevens. Some information on that website is false, but what is true is that I star in it, and that Lily Rabe and Lili Reinhart and Timothée Chalamet star in it as well.

Can you tell me a little bit about how that came to be?

The writer of the movie reached out to me and was like, "I just know that you are perfect for this role. I have been looking for someone to play this role for so long. I came across you and your videos recently and thought, 'This is it. He is the one,'" and I have to agree with her. The role fits me so well, and I was just so grateful to have a writer be so supportive and so truly sure that the role was meant for me.

There's a lot of instances of really, really famous people like Marc Jacobs, are reaching out to you publicly over social media, and in his case doing your basic bitch leg video. How was seeing Marc Jacobs and Kate Moss liking your work so much and reaching out to you and doing their own version of it?

It's just all so surreal to me. Never did I ever think that uploading a video would get me in the eyes of all these influential and amazing people. I look up to so many people who have seen my videos and actually like them. I don't know how, but it's just absolutely crazy, and it only pushes me harder. I gotta give my love to anyone who supports me, no matter how big their status is in the world.

This ones for you @lohanthony it was Kate's idea!

A video posted by Marc Jacobs (@themarcjacobs) on May 28, 2015 at 6:34pm PDT

Does it feel like you're doing the same stuff that you were doing as a kid, and it's caught up with you?

Oh, yeah. Right now, it's just me doing what I love and I just have an audience of people who support me. That's the only difference. I'm so grateful for that.

How much time a week do you dedicate to your social media presence?

Social media like Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, I do every day. Just whenever I pick up my phone, or my laptop or desktop or whatever. But my YouTube, since I upload twice a week, it's an entire day dedicated to both filming and editing, and maybe even an extra day if I need it. It takes a long time.

Do you feel pressure to keep making the videos even as you're working on separate, larger projects?

Oh, yeah. It's definitely a struggle keeping up with both my YouTube and being on set every day, but luckily I have viewers that understand that I am only human and can only do a certain amount of things at once.

When the basic bitch video came out, and that went as huge as it did, that was what pushed your social media presence into a larger stratosphere?

I guess so, that opened a lot of peoples' eyes to me. The moment I realized that something was actually happening [for me] was when I woke up and saw a tweet from Katy Perry, and I went to school and everyone had seen the tweet. It went from just uploading videos that no one saw, no one acknowledged, to my YouTube channel actually being something. It meant something to people, and it was a product. It was really weird at first, but I just have to say to myself, "Just keep doing your thing, just keep being you, no matter how much the numbers change. At the end of the day, people just want to see you." It was definitely weird. That same summer, I got noticed for the first time in public at my local mall in my hometown. I got asked for pictures, and to me, that was just super foreign and weird, but now it's something that I expect if I go to a public place. I expect to be confronted by my viewers, which I love so much.

Truer words were never spoken! RT @MDMOLINARI: @katyperry if u & i had a child & gave it to @rihanna it'd b @lohanthonyhttp://t.co/aJy02mqR

-- KATY PERRY (@katyperry) May 15, 2012

Can you talk about how you deal with negative attention from people on the internet?

Underneath YouTube videos, obviously there's a comment section where people share their opinions, and some of it's good and some of it's bad. But when it is bad, I just remind myself that it is a good thing that I'm getting these hate comments, because if I was just to get all positive comments, it would just be from people who watch me and people who expect to see what they're seeing currently. 

If I have a hater, then that means that someone who does not watch my videos, is watching my videos, and that's actually good. It means I'm reaching a larger audience -- but when I do read it, it's just like, I don't really care. It doesn't really impact my life. I've gotten to the point where I have a huge, solid, strong wall when it comes to my confidence, so I just laugh at it. I actually have videos where I read my comments and laugh about it and react to them in a positive way. It's not a big deal.

Who are your favorite people to follow, and how do you find people that you follow?

I love GiGi Gorgeous on YouTube, I've been following her for so long, she's definitely one of my favorites.

Where do you see yourself and your career over the next few years?

I love acting so so so so so much, so hopefully in ten years you can catch me on set of a movie that I'm in a main role in, or something like that.

Kendrick Lamar Will Perform with the National Symphony Orchestra

September 28, 2015, 11:11 am

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On October 20, Kendrick Lamar will do a special, one-night performance of music from To Pimp a Butterfly at the Kennedy Center in collaboration with the National Symphony Orchestra. It's a first for Lamar, but not for the NSO, which worked with Nas on a performance of Illmatic last year. Still, it's not exactly surprising -- Lamar has evinced a flair for the dramatic with his recent music videos and Late Show performance, and an orchestral version of, say, "For Sale?" makes total sense. Tickets aren't available yet, but watch this space.

Mumford and Sons' Banjo Player Is Making Techno as "The Floppy Disc Jockey"

July 24, 2015, 6:30 am

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Photo: @johnsonty

A photo posted by Mumford & Sons (@mumfordandsons) on Jul 22, 2015 at 5:12am PDT

Mumford and Sons banjo player Winston Marshall is now making techno music as "The Floppy Disc Jockey," which, we're going to go out on a limb and assume is probably not the direction the Belleville Three envisioned this whole thing going in.

Also known as Tech No Notice (lol, get it?), seems like Marshall fancies himself a techno "connoisseur," saying in a recent interview that his foray into electro is all thanks to Simian Mobile Disco's James Ford, or as Marshall calls him, "Fordy."

"Simian Mobile Disco changed my life," he said. "They put me onto the EDM world. Although they would hate that term, they're more techno." 

He added toward the end of the interview, "The trick to techno, as a connoisseur, is that you got to do two things: keep your hands down and your mouth shut."

Belle & Sebastian's "Perfect Couples" Music Video Is a Super-Cute Dance Party

July 24, 2015, 6:43 am

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Belle & Sebastian have shared the new music video for "Perfect Couples", off their latest LP Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance.

Groups of couples dance and float around a suburban living room with a Wes Anderson-approved color palette.Though the video is teetering on the 9-minute mark, you gotta stick around for the group dance sequence.

It's dizzying, tedious, and adorable -- but isn't that what love is anyway?

Check out the video above.

Unmasking Beauty with FOMOFUKU

July 24, 2015, 7:31 am

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In an age where editorials often present beauty in a all too familiar way with homogeneous cast of characters, Paper is happy to challenge the norm and present a different take on the standard beauty story. One that uses a diverse cast of models and plays with the alluring possibilities of face masks, with designs from buzzy mask designers Fomofuku. (Check out our Q&A below with the Fomofuku designers Bon Duke and Hana Kim below!)

Dianara wears a Kenzo dress, Cosmetics by Make Up Forever

Mari wears a Kenzo jacket, H&M top, and Forever 21 denim, Cosmetics by M.A.C

Jason wears a Hunter jacket, PLAC shirt, Nail Polish by Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics 

Bojana wears an Adidas jacket, Topshop t-shirt and overalls, Cosmetics by Marc Jacobs Beauty

Jake wears a Lucio Castro shirt, PRPS jacket

Besa wears a Topshop raincoat, and Zara pants, Cosmetics by NARS

Philip wears a Topman button-up shirt and sweater, and a Nixon watch, Cosmetics by M.A.C

James wears a Kooples t-shirt, and A PLAC jacket, Cosmetics by Urban Decay

Anna wears an Adidas jacket and Opening Ceremony shirt, Cosmetics by Kat Von D

Hair by Janelle Chaplin using Original Mineral
Makeup by Michael Anthony,
Photo Assistant: Jeff Rose
Models: Dianara at Muse, Mari at Muse, Bojana at Muse, Besa at New York Models, Anna at Soul, Jason Santore, James White, Philip K at Soul and Jake Brodsky

We chat with Fomofuku founders Bon Duke and Hana Kim, whose new collection comes out next month. You can follow them on Instagram here.

Tell us about Fomofuku. Where do you see its role in the realm fashion vs. function?

Face masks are ubiquitous in some Asian cultures and it is becoming more popular there to wear them as a fashion accessory. On a recent trip to Vietnam, we picked up a few of these "fashion" masks and my friends went crazy over them.  When you stop and think about it, we have accessories to style every other part of our body so why not masks? Like sunglasses and hats, masks can offer utility but for FOMOFUKU, a means to express personality and more importantly, have fun with it.  Personally, when we think of when and where we would wear a mask... festivals, raves, skiing... we think of having a good time. And they definitely make for a good instagram photo. In the end its all about having fun and keeping it simple. 

How do you think masks relate to self expression and identity? 

Historically, masks have been used to hide or protect a person's identity. We think it can do the opposite and can be utilized to accentuate identity, make a statement and/or redirect focus.  You see a lot of musicians wearing masks and other facewear for these reasons.  Like hair and makeup, a mask is a canvas to self express. In addition to our prints, FOMOFUKU will be offering white masks in our signature contour shape to allow people to customize their own.  

Can anonymity be beautiful? 

Yes... even more so in this digital age.   

Its great to have a tease or only partially show something and it can be a beautiful thing when done well. Everyone is about exposure and showing face but isn't there always something special when its not fully revealing in an image? Its almost like placing bait or a constant draw for someone to return and look back.

What are your opinions on diversity in fashion beauty? 

It's boring, really.There is no risk or anything that inspires people. It's more like, 'buy this or that because this person or celebrity uses it.' Fine, yes, it makes money... but who's gonna break that and make amazing beauty stories? We feel like if a person looks at a beauty story they should be able to walk away inspired and make there own path of beauty for themselves. Yes, they can also walk away with some product guidelines, but its so about product placement nowadays. Where are the Serge Lutens and inspiring, raw, real beauty that people can interpret for themselves?  

What inspires your art? 

Food, actually. It's a basic thing of sharing. As in sharing a meal with others and experience those moments. It's a core basic natural behavior where it brings people together. It also shows you different cultures and stories that you encounter through it. That's what we want to do with our work -- share it with others.Having different inputs and views always helps you grow. That's why shooting fomofuku was fun. It's an interesting way to approach beauty. 

Where do the prints come from?

The mask prints are designed in-house. We have prints in everything from marble and peeling paint to kawaii kitty faces to burgers and fries to tropical flowers.  We are attracted to the unconventional and plan to create a diverse offering to speak to different styles and occasions. 

Who would you like to see wearing one of these masks? 

K Pop star ShinEE, Sia, Miley, Biebs, Cara, Katy P, Die Antwoord, Young Thug, Fetty Wap, Drake , M.I.A.,Tokimonsta, Skrillex --  basically anyone, really.

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Listen to a Charity Song about Boobs Featuring Florence Welch

September 29, 2015, 4:57 am

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Bringing together celebrities for ostensibly charitable causes has a long history, ranging from the unacceptably cynical to the sweetly earnest. "The Boob Project" features a song called "Boob Spelled Backwards is Boob," written by an eight-year-old in order to promote breast cancer awareness. In other words, it's the latter type of celebrity collab -- it's kind of corny, but still sweet to see and hear people like Florence Welch to Noel Gallagher contributing. Listen to the song below, and donate to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation here. [via Stereogum]

SOPHIE's New Album Comes With A... "SILICON PRODUCT" Sex Toy

September 29, 2015, 5:15 am

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Secretive PC Music producer SOPHIE is back after a long (and relative) silence. Without so much as a peep on Twitter or Facebook from the artist, a collection of eight tracks entitled PRODUCT, featuring his four previous releases and four brand-new productions went up for pre-order on iTunes late last night. This morning SOPHIE's merch shop went live featuring physical copies of the new album, clothing pieces that were teased at Pop Cube earlier this year, and what is referred to on the site as... "The Silicon Product."

The jet-black sex toy is described as "SKIN SAFE ODOURLESS AND TASTELESS PLATINUM SILICON PRODUCT," and it will set you back $75.81, but it does have SOPHIE's logo etched into the side (and comes with a digital download of the album). Consumer reviews have yet to come in to see if it actually works like we think it does. But even if it is just a hunk of plastic, we can definitely be sure it will be a guaranteed conversation piece.

You can pre-order "The Silicon Product"here and PRODUCT, which drops Nov. 27, here.

Nicki Minaj is Making a Sitcom About Her Life for ABC Family

September 29, 2015, 6:35 am

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Nicki Minaj will executive produce and act in a sitcom pilot about her life for ABC Family, Deadline reports. The pilot, which reportedly films this winter, will be written by Kate Angelo (Sex Tape) and focus on Minaj's life in her old neighborhood before becoming a star. 

There are some reasons to be wary of this news -- namely that pretty much every rapper who has ever worked in TV has been burned. (Remember when Mos Def was on Dexter?) And there's a spate of TV shows about rappers growing up, like this one, that have alternately languished in development (Nas) or should never, ever be made if there is to be peace in the world (Common). 

Still, if anyone can pull off this kind of stepping in to multiple audiences, it would be Nicki. At the very least, it will have some killer looks, shots at other celebrities, and a tie-in mobile game. And who knows, maybe she'll become the Shonda Rhimes of ABC Family, producing several shows at once that are all equally awesome while ignoring Drake's phone calls.

Arca shares cataclysmic "Soichiro" off upcoming album Mutants

September 29, 2015, 8:04 am

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Venezuelan producer Alejandro Ghersi, a.k.a. Arca, burst onto the scene last year with the beautiful, intricate, and stark soundscapes of his debut album Xen. (He's also had production credits for Bjork, FKA Twigs, and Kanye West.) 

Arca announced his upcoming LP, Mutants, late this summer and now he's given us a taste of what to expect with a brand new track "Soichiro." In a cascade grinding metal pangs, sharp strings, and slow-motion collisions "Soichiro" feels ominous and apocalyptic. The track takes its name from frequent Arca collaborator Jesse Kanda's Japanese middle name and is accompanied by visuals from Kanda. The blue-tinted music video is an intimate yet distorted view of Ghersi as he uncomfortably shifts around through a fish-eye lens.

Watch Lorde Have a Disturbing Love Affair in Her New "Magnets" Video with Disclosure

September 29, 2015, 8:16 am

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Disclosure and Lorde have released the video for their new track "Magnets," and though the track is a pretty straightforward affair, the video is fire. Literally. Watch above.