It’s been 14 years since Missy Elliott treated the world with a new album. Sure there were a couple of bops in between — 2015’s ‘WTF (Where They From)‘ was classic Missy in all her pop-weirdness — but it’s been simply too long since she provided hungry listeners with trippy hip-hop tunes and even trippier visuals. But tonight she’s finally back.
Earlier this afternoon, Missy Elliott revealed on Twitter that she’s “dropping a collection of new songs!” Whether or not it’s a full album or EP is to be determined, but ‘a collection of new songs’ is good enough for me. The forthcoming release is dubbed ‘Iconology,’ which is perfectly suited for the hip-hop queen whose rumored return to music has kept fans on their toes for over a decade. Plus, she’s gonna be presented with the Video Vanguard Award at this year’s VMAs on Monday. Long live Missy!
Be sure to stream Iconology when it drops tonight.
At midnight tonight I’m dropping a collection of new songs! Let’s #ThrowItBack to a time when music just felt good and made us want to dance! Sincerely, Dr. Melissa “Missy” Elliott #ICONOLOGYpic.twitter.com/rv2eVYGy1J
The top comment on a 2015 YouTube video of Austin Mahone preparing for prom dissects his date, high schooler Ashley Hare, with razor-sharp critique. The teen’s on-camera composure apparently wasn’t indicative of a “real Mahomie,” wrote user Kim Coleman, referencing the shorthand title for Mahone’s league of acolytes. If Hare indeed deserved time with Mahone, she would’ve been “crying and smiling non-stop.”
Of course, the clip doesn’t document Mahone’s own high school prom but Hare’s, the winner of MTV’s Promposal Mania—a show connecting fans with their favorite stars for one memorable night. Hare had been following Mahone’s singing and dancing career since 2012, evidently just months after he filmed himself (accessorized with braces and diamond studs) singing the Justin Bieber Christmas classic, “Mistletoe.” The likes of star-making platforms Music.ly or Triller were still half a decade from global ubiquity, and after several years of persistently sharing his own covers of pop songs to YouTube, this was the Texan’s breakout moment. The rudimentary music video, which concludes with a 15-year-old Mahone winking at the camera and mouthing “I love you,” has since accumulated almost 20 million views. No one sets trends like teen girls, and with their investment, mainstream media quickly proclaimed Austin Mahone the “Baby Bieber.” Eight years on, and at the precipice of his next full-length release, he’s a rockstar in his own right.
Consequently, the singer never attended his own prom. All the milestones experienced by “regular” teens were quickly interchanged with glamorous substitutions, like record deals (Universal), relocations (Miami), and automatic entry into celebrity circles (including studio sessions with Bieber himself). Perhaps for these reasons Mahone doesn’t feel like he really missed out, adding he “wasn’t liked too much” in high school—something that allowed him to better adjust from life in the San Antonio suburbs to superstar status.
“I was never a popular guy, I didn’t have many friends,” he reveals. “I left high school early and didn’t care what anyone was doing. I was a city boy living in a country town, and going from that to ‘You’re a superstar, girls are chasing you’ really helped me break out of my shell. Being a ram, you have to go headfirst in every situation and adapt—we go for what we want and don’t stop until we get it.”
This isn’t the first time Mahone references his semblance to the roguish animal during our conversation, and it won’t be the last. We’re speaking on the eve of his 23rd birthday, and the singer is remarkably well-versed in his zodiac placements. An Aries sun and Libra rising, Mahone deeply relates to both the fire and air elements—which he claims he’s currently dressed to reflect: Nike Air Jordans 1s with the red soles (fire) and a Chanel chain with pearls (air). Unsurprisingly, fashion is the latest industry he’s set his sights on, and it didn’t take its gatekeepers long to return the love. This year, Mahone walked New York Fashion Week for Philipp Plein’s Fall 2019 collection, hot off the heels of his international Dolce & Gabbana campaign in 2018.
It doesn’t end there. In true Renaissance-man fashion, multi-hyphenate Mahone recently added another skill to his repertoire: shooting film. On his thousands-strong photography account Honoroll, the artist oscillates between Spring Breakers-esque debauchery and Southern serenity—interweaving surreal scenes from fast-lane living with celebrations of the female form. It’s all part of his newfound commitment to non-conformity: “Take it or leave it,” he says, “this is who I am.”
“I’m still kicking a lot of doors down, but it feels like there’s nothing I can’t do right now. I feel like anything I put my mind to, I can do it. I remember when I signed this record deal when I was 16 and thinking, ‘This is it, we’re playing in the big leagues with the big boys now.’ The ride has been a lot of ups and downs, but I’ve become a better artist all-around.”
Still, the big leagues present heightened challenges: going weeks without connecting with friends or family, as well as the full-body fatigue of performing in 20 countries in 30 days. Mahone waved goodbye to privacy with the iPhone’s omnipresence (“You can’t hide anything”), which has created a plethora of dating difficulties.
“It really is a very tough thing in this industry [to find genuine people], nowadays. Especially with social media and never being in the same place for long,… it’s definitely hard to live in a world where everybody watches you and expects you to impress or entertain them. But the right one will come along, one day.”
After several high-profile relationships (Mahone has been linked to fellow artists Camila Cabello and Becky G), the singer has a formula in place: no online posting of any love interest with whom his relationship hasn’t yet graduated to “serious”—not while fans wait outside his condo and proclaim themselves “Mahone’s wife” online. Case in point, one young woman made international headlines in 2017 after sending the singer photos for almost three years.
But that doesn’t mean they don’t have a chance. “I’ve dated a fan before. I can’t tell you who, I have to keep that a secret. She DM’d me—you know everybody can get a hold of anybody now. You can’t help who you fall in love with.”
Mahomies have been chomping at the bit lately with even more ferocity than usual. It’s been two years since the release of his last EP, and the soon-to-be-released follow-up is shaping up to be a departure from all of his previous offerings. Recruiting songwriter extraordinaire Charlie Puth, Mahone is fresh off the consecutive releases of jazzy soul-pop singles “Why Don’t We” and “Anxious.” Their visual accompaniments provided the singer opportunities to show off a newly-shredded torso and superior choreography. And all signs are pointing to a chart-topping project.
“I keep an eye on the numbers, but I’m also trying to create something new,” Mahone claims. “A new style or a new feeling… It’s such a good feeling to see people smile. That’s the energy I want to build. I don’t want to just be for one group of people, the teens, or the college kids. I want the parents to be listening.”
They might not be far off. The singer has been reaching out to “one of his first loves,” Rihanna, about a potential collaboration, and expresses dreams of cooking something up with Ariana Grande. While Mahone credits humility for his commitment to the straight and narrow, he reiterates it’s his “full-blown Aries power” to which he owes his relevance.
“I just want to be remembered for someone who was fearless. I want to not care what the rest of the world thinks of me. I want people to remember I went for it and made a real stamp in whatever industry I’m in. There have been times when I’ve wanted to take a breather, but nothing beats traveling the world and seeing fans sing your songs.”
And you can bet they’ll be crying and smiling non-stop while they do it.
Correction: An earlier edition erroneously titled one of Austin’s singles as “Anxiety.” It has been corrected to “Anxious.”
This story appears in the Summer 2019 issue of Essential Homme, out now.
It’s been a week since noted Queen of Pop Madonna released her newest single “Medellín,” the leading number ahead of her 14th studio album Madame X (out 6/14). The steamy Latin pop tune features Colombian artist Maluma and finds the pair singing about a romantic getaway to the South American city in what’s already a contender for song of the summer.
The accompanying video was released today exclusively on MTV — a real throwback to the days before the internet when people would post up in front of the TV to get the latest in pop culture. The video features several Madonna-isms, including Catholic imagery, vague monologues, and general debauchery — she even licks Maluma’s foot. All in all, it’s a fun and welcome return to form for the songstress and a promising indication of what’s to come — see for yourself below.
As per usual, art-skewing fashion designer Bernard Willhelm‘s latest collection is anything but usual clothes. His just-released lookbook for Spring/Summer 2015 (below) reveals slightly revealing but mostly subversive garments that tackle cultural tangents ranging from the over-branding of American patriotism, the ever-increasing stardom of supermodels, society’s constant desire for the “next” (à la the former hit MTV show from the late ’00s of the same name… but also pointing fingers at the severity of our consumeristic culture), and—last but not least—gorillas. Duh. It’s an eclectic assortment of super dyed swimwear, gender-crossing attire, and dazzling prints—not to mention the designer’s ever popular quirky footwear—that keeps us anything but not interested.
Nev Schulman exposes online dating frauds as host of his MTV docu-series Catfish, now in its third season. No big surprise that when it comes to his style, what you see is what you get.
Essential Homme: You grew up in New York City. When did you begin finding your personal style?
Nev Schulman: For a long time I was the recipient of my older brother [filmmaker Ariel Schulman’s] hand-me-downs. He’s an avid shopper and clotheshorse, so I’ve always stolen and borrowed from him. I recently came home to find a pair of A.P.C. jeans neatly folded on my dresser with a note that said, “Hey, got these, too tight.” I used to be amazed at how much time and money he spent on clothes. Only in the last few years have I realized that there’s an art and a joy to quality shopping and investing in a wardrobe. This, of course, coincided with becoming more in the public eye, so I wanted to look and feel good.
EH: You began shooting your 2010 documentary Catfish back in 2007. Are you critical of your clothes in the film?
NS: Definitely, but that’s been the story since my teen-age years. I was weirdly rudderless in my fashion sense. My mom, who was a creative dresser, encouraged me to wear an eclectic mix of things. Some were cool and some weren’t. Now I want my style to be unanimous and refined.
EH: Are you attracted to any particular labels?
NS: For basics I find that J.Crew, right off the rack, works really well for me. I’m very lucky that I have sort of a mannequin-esque body. When I want to invest in something more long-lasting, Ralph Lauren’s RRL is a favorite. My two go-to pairs of jeans, one blue and one black, are both RRL. I’ve had a pair repaired a couple times, but it only gets better. I recently discovered Rag & Bone and fell in love with their t-shirts, which are simple but incredibly thick and well cut.
EH: What else do you look for in an outfit?
NS: Well, when I’m dressing for the MTV show, I’m very conscious about not distracting from the story. I don’t want it to be about what I’m wearing or me looking cool, so I’m searching for something clean and put-together but not ashy. I guess that’s always been my style anyway.
EH: You wear your own clothes on the show?
NS: Oh, yeah. Going into production, one of the things I was clear about is that I didn’t want anything like lighting, makeup, or wardrobe. I never wanted to be pressured to wear something I didn’t want to wear. That’s why we don’t have any sponsors, because whether it’s a computer or a sweater, I want it to be me. We do get a shopping budget, which isn’t much, but I still wear things I’ve been wearing for years. I want the way that I dress to match my personality.
EH: We imagine you also want to put the online daters at ease.
NS: Yeah, I need to be approachable. I can’t have an outfit that screams high fashion or couture. Most of the people on the show—and most of the people watching it—are working with a limited budget, so I don’t want to put anyone off. I want to look like an everyman. But I also hope to influence this generation of MTV watchers to wear clothes that fit them and that look more mature. It seems to be working, because a lot of people have commented on my style.
EH: How does your style compare to that of your Catsh co-star Max Joseph?
NS: He definitely likes a different palette, but we do have a similar look. Every morning while shooting we have to knock on each other’s door and make sure we’re not wearing the same thing.
EH: Do you use a stylist for red carpets or special events?
NS: I’ve never had a stylist, no, but right now my dress-up wardrobe consists of Theory suits, which are clean, handsome, and fit me nicely. I’m turning 30 this year, so I may be ready to graduate into some-thing more sophisticated, possibly a Tom Ford.
EH: What’s the last item of clothing you splurged on?
NS: I’ve never been one to wear logos, but I did buy a Comme des Garçons Play sweater with the heart on it. I could’ve found a more affordable wool sweater, but it’s a nice reference to the show, and it makes people smile.
It’s been two years since actor Gregg Sulkin concluded his role as Selena Gomez’s character’s boyfriend, who also happened to be a werewolf (hey, it happens), Mason Greyback, on Disney’s hit series The Wizards of Waverly Place. Since then he’s appeared on Pretty Little Liarsand Melissa & Joey before landing his current gig: a bonafide leading role on MTV’s newest scripted series Faking It. No longer a werewolf (at least from what we can tell), Sulkin now plays Liam Booker, an aspiring artist and romancer to lesbian (but, spoiler, not really a lesbian) Karma, played by Katie Stevens.
Essential Homme: You just celebrated your 22nd birthday this past Thursday, did you do anything fun?
Gregg Sulkin: I was on set. We’re doing night shoots, so unfortunately I was stuck working under a rain machine for three days in a row. It was a very cold, wet, and muddy birthday. Very different than my last birthday in Vegas, but there was cake and everyone sang me “Happy Birthday,” so it was nice.
EH: How would you describe Faking It?
GS: A very fun, contemporary, unique, and somewhat refreshing show. I feel very lucky to be a part of show that sends out such a good message but at the same time is very entertaining to watch.
EH: How would you describe the atmosphere behind-the-scenes?
GS: I love it. Honestly, I’m working with some of the most humble and talented people. We knew from the start we had a special concept, but obviously when you work with people you really get to know them, and I think our chemistry off-screen has shown on-screen and that’s what makes the show so magical to watch.
EH: What is your reaction to hearing words like “scandalous” and “offensive” used to describe the show?
GS: People don’t understand what the show is about if they haven’t watched it. [Some might] think it’s about pretending to be gay to be popular. But it’s not. It’s about two girls that are mistakenly identified as lesbians at school and it catapults them into popularity so they run with the lie. Then one of the girls, in fact, does develop feelings for the other one, so that’s where the heart of the show is.
EH: The trailer for your upcoming film Affluenza just came out and it looks like a mess — not the film, but what transpires in the trailer alone. Can you tell us a bit about this movie and the character you play?
GS: The movie comes out July 11th. We shot it in New York, and it is directed by Kevin Asch. It’s set in 2008 when the financial crisis happened, inspired by The Great Gatsby. It’s the story of these young kids living through their Summer in Long Island, and this rich neighborhood crashing down as real life begins to set in. I play Dylan, who’s sort of similar to Gatsby in that he throws all these massive parties. He goes on this crazy arc from this likable, charming, party boy to a very depressed, alone, sad character. Everything from the outside looks like you’d want his life but really he’s miserable.
EH: What about that fight scene?
GS: I loved it. Grant is a very close friend of mine. It’s always fun and funny and weird hating someone that you actually really get along with off-screen, but that’s the fun part of acting. I played sports my whole life, so I’m very physically active — I have a lot of testosterone — so I think it’s good fun safely punching people… with stunt guys around, obviously.
EH: Circling back a bit to your early career, what was the highlight of your experience working on Wizards of Waverly Place?
GS: My first live taping, because I got to go out and bow to the audience and thank them for coming. It was a very humbling but overwhelming experience to know that I’d just moved from London to be a part of a very successful show, and it was the first time I saw the fans’ reactions in front of my eyes. The last day of set was [also] very emotional. It was a reminder of how far we’d come as people, as a family, as actors. It was a very special place to go to work. Originally, I was only meant to do one episode and the fans liked my character enough to have them keep him around.
EH: What’s it like performing in front of a live audience?
GS: Very, very embarrassing when you forget your lines. You want people who are massive fans of the show to have the best day ever when they come to set. You can never buy that energy. We pre-taped in the morning and then the live audience was in the evening. Friday was always the most exciting day because it was always showtime.
EH: What’s something about Selena Gomez that people would be surprised to learn?
GS: I think Selena’s life is out there for the public eye, so I’m sure they know a lot more than I even do. I was just very lucky to work with a very professional girl. You never know how people are going to welcome you in those circumstances and she was always very nice.
EH: Coolest famous person you’ve met so far?
GS: David Beckham. He was the most humble. You meet a lot of celebrities and unfortunately they’re not as nice as some people think. He definitely lived up to my expectation of him.
EH: Best meal you’ve ever eaten?
GS: I don’t know about ever, but I did a Fox pilot about a year ago called Delirium. Unfortunately we didn’t get picked up, but one reason in particular that I was sad about it was the craft service. We literally had the best steak, fish, and chocolate covered strawberries—the whole shebang. Popcorn! Everything we wanted, no expense spared.
EH: Going off of that, what’s one of the biggest perks of being an actor, besides the fame and money?
GS: The free shoes. Or the craft service on set. The caterers are usually really good. And I can’t cook. So it saves me from having to go out and pick something up.
EH: Favorite shoe designer?
GS: Armani does amazing shoes. I did a trip to New York recently and wore Armani most of the time.
EH: What’s a bizarre and unexpected place you’ve been that really shocked you with how great it was?
GS: I did a trip to Peru about two years ago that changed my mentality and perspective on life. We went to poorer areas and helped build houses. At first, I wasn’t sure I was going to enjoy it — I was worried about the mosquito bites, things like that. And when you get there, you quickly learn the least of the problems here are the mosquito bites. I became more grateful and hopefully a nicer person from that trip.
EH: What are you most looking forward to about this Summer?
GS: I’m very lucky because right now I’m doing my first horror movie, Don’t Hang Up. I get to go back to London for the World Cup to be with my family, and with English people. It all pivoted perfectly timing-wise. I also want to do a trip around America if I can fit it in. If the show gets picked up, I’ll do that before we start filming. Apparently New Orleans is fantastic.
EH: I highly recommend checking out Pittsburgh.
GS: Pittsburgh it is. I’ll find, what do they call it, an RV, and take it around.
In his acceptance speech for the Generation Award at last night’s MTV Movie Awards, Mark Wahlberg commented that like past winners—including Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, and Jennifer Aniston—he is now a part of a group who is, in MTV’s gaze, “f*cking old” and “f*cking done.” He spanned the breadth of his highs and lows commenting, “I’m a lucky guy in so many ways to have worked with so many talented people, to have gone from literally being incarcerated to having a one-hit rap career to having an underwear modeling career to getting a real chance from Penny Marshall,” he continued, pausing only to lay down a few more bleeps, commanding the audience to shush. “I’m about to cry in a minute — hold on!”
Image: NYDaily News.
The rambling-but-coherent speech came from a “truly blessed man” with an “extraordinary life.” He also managed to plug the upcoming Entourage movie, Ted 2, and his Victoria’s Secret wife (“I don’t know how the f*ck that happened, but this is America and anything is possible!”). In the end Wahlberg proved that ten-fold.
If it’s been a few years since you checked in on The Real World, you’d be among a group commonly referred to as “most people.” So what’s a 29-year-old show cusping on the verge of the big 3-0 to do? Revamp the “this is the true story of seven strangers…” mantra in favor of a twist. Slightly off-brand in the sense of not being real at all — which, if you harken back to Seasons 1-9, was once a thing— the upcoming season (premiering Jan 15th) will welcome houseguests 219 through 225. (Yes, we’re all old). The revamped show is complete with a name change — Real World: Ex-Plosion — as well as a new caveat: seven strangers will break bread in their lush San Francisco digs for month one, then it’s trip time, and when they return, they’ll be joined by their exes, who’re moving in for the remaining two months.
Co-creator and Exec Producer Jonathan Murray is not unaware of today’s television climate, stating “When The Real World went on the air in ’92, you put seven diverse people together and you get conflict, and out of that conflict, change–and then you have a story. Now that it’s 21 years or so later, maybe we’re a bit of a victim of our own success. Diversity is a fact of life today. A lot of young people date people of different races, or have friends who are gay. The world has changed. We’ve had conversations [with the network] throughout 28 seasons of the show, but we’ve never made this big of a commitment to change.”
In yet another shocking twist, the houseguests will be given cell phones (ordinarily a reality TV no-no), for posting messages and photos throughout their experience in the house. Call it Confessional 2.0. Will all these changes, including a super-sized house roster, see a rating’s spike for the show? We’ll have to wait until 2014 to find out.
When Revolt TV tells you that Jay-z, Beyon… Wait. What is Revolt TV? Right. (Revolt TV is “a new music network Sean Combs dedicated to the creators of this of this generation”). Make of that what you will.
When Revolt TV tells you that Jay-Z, Beyonce, and Justin Timberlake will be playing a secret Brooklyn show at 421 Troutman Street… nothing happens at all. Well, nothing by way of a secret show, something by way of a lot of pissed off fans standing around in clueless desperation on an otherwise perfect Saturday afternoon. Revolt TV sent the ambiguous tweet out to their 30,000+ followers on Saturday morning, quickly getting picked up by a number of media outlets (quietly deferring any mislead to Revolt TV).
The crowd’s swelled as… nothing… happened… at all…
http://instagram.com/opinionateddiva
Unfortunately, what sounded too good to be true, was indeed, when at 2:21PM Revolt TV retracted their earlier statement about the show and issued an apology to all those waiting. And with it, the silent crash of a million shards of credibility.
One Twitter user (@MayorOfBushwick) summed it all up succinctly:
The Jay Z Secret Show on Troutman has become Bushwick’s “Waiting For Godot”
