charlieonnafriday is living the dream. Many grow up yearning to be a singer, some even go as far as making music in their garages with their friends...and while he did both of those things, his dream has extended a bit longer than most.
Thanks to his fun-loving, genre-bending tracks, fans quickly became enthralled with charlieonnafriday's music. Quickly amassing a social media following that most only dream of: 2.9 million TikTok followers alone, where he's constantly teasing new tunes, or showing viewers a little peek inside his hectic life, or even interacting with fans. And that's not to mention his 2.5 million monthly Spotify listeners
or 763k Instagram followers.
charlieonnafriday is one of the examples of how social media can take your life and change it forever...but he's completely deserving. After spending his high school years making music with his friends in his basement in Seattle, and by 2022, charlieonnafriday had released his debut album,
OnnaFriday, with Island Records.
What's refreshing about his sound is that it's not to be pigeon-holed into one category. charlieonnafriday's music can span from rap, to pop, to country, without missing a beat. He's staying authentic to himself by making music that he can relate to. One instance, he mentions, occurs with writing songs for his new album.
During a stint in Nashville, Charlie was not in the mood to write about heartache and breakups. What was resonating with him was having a good time with your friends, and when he overheard the words "Bottle Go Down," he knew he had a song within him. His new album,
Wild Child, is a summation of his life right now: some fun-loving party anthems, some country influence, and a lot of heavy hitting anthems. You can listen to the album here:
We knew he had the star power, with previous songs like "After Hours" from his debut album going platinum...but his sophomore submission is possibly even better than his first. It's proof that charlieonnafriday, who has now toured with Tate McRae, Macklemore, and more, has found his stride in the music industry.
For our second episode of Popdust On Record, we spoke to Charlie about Wild Child, his current solo tour, and more! Watch the full episode here:
In terms of festivals, it doesn’t get any better than Sea.Hear.Now. Remove the uncomfy camping vibe that’s borderline abusive, and all the intensity of large-scale festivals located in remote areas…and you’ll have SHN.
An oasis nestled in Asbury Park, New Jersey — you won’t get a better experience than a concert on the sand. With local food, an easy-going crowd, and plenty of shopping opportunities, there’s something for everyone at this festival.
This year, Sea.Hear.Now 2024 is garnering more excitement than ever thanks to their star-studded lineup. With headliners Noah Kahan and New Jersey’s own, Bruce-The-Boss-Springsteen. Springsteen — the Sunday headline act — will have an extra-long, 3-hour set.
We attended the festival last year, and I was most surprised by how terrific the food was. I even heard people raving about the seafood at SHN. Admittedly, I’ve only eaten one Korean corn dog in my life…but this seemed to be a pretty good intro.
If you’re going to buy VIP tickets for any festival, this is the one where you’ll get the most bang for your buck. A guaranteed good view for Noah Kahan and The Boss, exclusive merch and food stands where you’ll have less of a line…and of course, my favorite: private bathrooms!
Sea.Hear.Now is only a few days away…But if you’re last-minute-spontaneous, tickets are still available on resale sites. If you want to know more about one of my favorite festivals, here’s the inside scoop for Sea.Hear.Now 2024!
Sea.Hear.Now 2024 Lineup
Sea Hear Now
The crowd at Sea.Hear.Now isn’t your typical festival crowd. The locals bring a certain informal atmosphere, and since there’s such a wide variety of performers, the crowd is just as diverse.
On Saturday, Noah Kahan, The Black Crowes, Grace Potter, and Joe P are names to watch out for. Sunday features megastars like Norah Jones, Joy Oladokun, and Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.
Since the festival is only 2 days long, it’s more manageable than a 3 or 4-day taxing experience. While I always have the time of my life at festivals, I’m often ready to go home earlier than anticipated.
Transportation at Sea.Hear.Now
I definitely would not take an Asbury Uber or Lyft during this festival. Last year, I wasted hours in Ubers just sitting in traffic (I think it’s because I wasn’t staying in Asbury Park). But even if you are: don’t use a rideshare service.
There’s a train that runs into Asbury Park itself, which I’d highly recommend. Go with the option where you won’t stuck in traffic, wishing you were home. Believe me.
Plus, rideshare prices will surge due to demand. Our Lyft driver last year charged us close to $100 extra because she took a different route and we ended up in more traffic. A train ticket is never market-based.
The Food
Surf Taco
Sea.Hear.Now features some of the best food from the Jersey Shore area. I’m addicted to Surf Taco — especially the eponymous fish taco which is a Jersey shore delicacy. Looking for food that’s absolutely delish and not just a mass-produced, high-caloric, flavorless mess? Surf Taco is for you.
Other favorites include Dank Dogs, Local 130 Seafood, and Lobster Rolls & More. Normally, I’d warn against the seafood options at a festival…but we’re literally at Sea.Hear.Now. It’s necessary.
Now, I’m not going to say that these food options will be the best meals in your life…or the cheapest. However, when it comes to festival life, pick your battles. Remember, the food is never the star of the weekend.
The Drinks
At every festival, there’ll be those random alcoholic beverage stands featuring familiar brands like Twisted Tea, Hendricks Gin, Aperol Spritz, and Tito’s.
These booths are my favorite stops because they offer photo ops left and right, exclusive brand merch that’s super cute. Last year, the Aperol Spritz sun hats were all the rage, and don’t forget the cute cocktails.
This year, keep an eye out for Bud Light, Mamitas, White Claw, Hendrick’s Gin, Twisted Tea, and more! I loved the Hendrick’s cocktails last year — and I’m not even a gin gal.
The Stages
Sea Hear Now
It’s not easy to get lost at Sea.Hear.Now, which is good news. The festival setup is truly manageable, you can stroll around and easily find each stage without getting overwhelmed or exhausted.
The 3 stages — the Surf Stage, Sand Stage, and Park Stage — are pretty self-explanatory. The Surf and Sand Stages are located across from one another right on the beach, while the stands are on the other side of the boardwalk.
Then, the Park Stage is between stands and the Sand Stage. Sprinkled throughout the festival are some of Asbury Park’s most famous bars and restaurants. Across from the Surf Stage — where Bruce Springsteen will be performing — stands The Stone Pony — the iconic music venue where Springsteen launched his career.
So, if you’re weary of the festival and simply want to rest somewhere and absorb all the fantastic sensations…there are plenty of places where you enjoy the glories that Asbury Park has to offer!
If you’re still looking for Sea.Hear.Now tickets, it’s not too late! Grab them here.
When we talk, Becca Stevens is in Hong Kong, playing a string of shows. Before that, she was in Japan. Before that, she was on Broadway on the cast of the Tony Award-winning musical, Illinoise. All while juggling the demands of motherhood and working on her new album, Maple to Paper.
“It’s all very surreal and exciting,” she says. But as someone whose artistry has developed over
years, she’s used to being in service to the art — wherever that takes her. Maple to Paper is proof of her commitment to following her inspirations, no matter how painfully personal. An album about motherhood, artistry, and selfhood, it explores Stevens’ grief over losing her mother while becoming a mother herself. Known for her ability to infuse her personal reflections with universality, Maple to Paper shows Stevens at her most vulnerable.
As her first acoustic folk album, most of it was recorded in single takes, produced alongside Nic Hard to create a stripped-down sound that keeps the listener grounded as the lyrics explore philosophical realities and existential meditations. But this doesn’t feel like a departure — rather an extension of herself. With each album, she says, she embraces a different muse.
Maple to Paper involved searching through the most tender parts of herself by stepping into a character and a new sound and transmogrifying them for an audience.
“This record is very different from
Wonderbloom,” she says. “I'm sure that there will be people who are not into it, and they'll think, I guess this is how she is now. But by the time that happens, I will already be working on the next thing, so I'm not even what they think I am. Once it gets to that point, I'll already be somebody else.”
Becca spoke to us about all things
Maple to Paper and Illinoise — talking transformation, transmuting painful emotions to an audience, and her inspirations (including Sufjan Stevens).
(Photo credit: Shervin Lainez)
POPDUST: How has it been to play the new songs?
Becca Stevens: So much of this process has been a solo venture — writing them at home alone, recording them at home alone — so getting to play them in front of human beings who are reacting to things is awesome.
One thing that has been really cool and refreshing is to hear people laugh at my jokes. Because my sense of humor in a couple of the songs is a little dark and dry. And to hear people get it and laugh at it is startling to me because I've just been singing them alone, and then I hear people get my dumb little jokes, and it startles me in a really nice way.
POPDUST: You’ve talked about the anxiety of sharing such a personal album. Can you speak to that a little bit?
Becca Stevens: In the darkest moments of this album – processing my grief and also birthing the album artistically – I would get in my head about feeling like it was too much to share, too personal to put out into the world. And these intense moments of imposter syndrome being like, Why? What makes me important enough to share this kind of grief with a bunch of potential strangers? Why would I do that?
And it's actually funny that I ended up doing
Illinoise because I was feeling that way one night, and one of the things that brought me out of it was listening to Sufjan Stevens's Carrie & Lowell. The deep sense of catharsis that album gives me made me think, I need to be writing this stuff anyway. The only difference is that I'm recording it and sharing it with people. And if, by sharing that, I could have that kind of effect on one person, then it's worth it to me.
POPDUST: How do the songs change when you go from that initial cathartic expression to something for an audience?
Becca Stevens: There are stages. The writing process was like ugly therapy sessions. Just processing and going through all the stages of grief randomly, like a grief roller coaster. Then, the recording process was one step removed from that. I was more focused on trying to rise above the technicality and go back into the emotional — but in a more controlled, spectator-type way, dipping back into the role of how I felt when I wrote the songs, but without losing control. And I say that because in the recording process, I had takes when I was able to fully commit to this character that was experiencing the grief, but if I had gone fully into it, then I wouldn't have been able to execute the song.
So it's a balancing act there. And that was almost an athletic venture. It took me the better part of a year to get to the point where I believed all of the takes. The recording was done live. Everything. I was singing and playing at the same time, and I was really hoping for as close to complete takes as possible. The third stage that I'm in now, performing this stuff, is totally different. It's a totally different experience to be able to witness the exchange of energy and have it be received by an audience.
POPDUST: In some of your lyrics, you talk about this juxtaposition of privacy and performance because you’re talking about such private moments. But you’re very aware of the Artist as a performer and the Artist's role in translating a feeling to an audience. Can you talk about where the idea of character fits in?
Becca Stevens: This record came at the perfect time in my artistry. Separate from the process of traversing this grief of losing my mom and while becoming a mother, I have been, with each record, more and more inspired by the task of stripping away the veil, like the artistic veil, and really cutting to the core of honesty. I think it's easier to do that when there's something that you have to be really honest about. On the hard days, I'm like, This is too much to share. And then on the good days, I could be like, Okay, this is the ultimate challenge — to really buckle down and embrace the truly authentic voice that's coming out of an experience that literally everyone goes through at some point in their life: loss.
If we're lucky, our parents die before we do, and so it's a very shared human experience. So, committing to the expression of honesty and authenticity was a refreshing challenge and something that I'm interested in anyway. Early in my songwriting career, it was my tendency to avail myself of things that I was really feeling or ashamed of feeling. And I'm always going to be a person that's drawn to doing the thing that's harder for me. And so this record was like, Okay, this is already hard, so I might as well go full throttle into that thing that's been interesting to me.
POPDUST: Do you feel differently about any of this album – or can you see growth or evolution in your perspective with distance? Or even answers to some of the questions that you pose in the songs?
Becca Stevens: When I was in Hong Kong, I was playing old songs and these new songs on the same set. Also, in Japan, I sprinkled in a couple of old songs and played them after the new songs. And they feel so different to me. It's not it's not like I dislike my old songs. It just feels like such a different version of myself, a different part of my brain, and a completely different energy on stage. Songs from Regina make me feel empowered, and I feel like I'm stirring up energy and raising the energy in the room. Then, songs from Maple to Paper feel heavier, like I'm bringing people into this really heavy, dark, but womb-like state.
As far as my reaction to the songs, after some time, it's much easier for me to get through them without crying. Now, I can enjoy the process of playing them, and I can enjoy them. I can step outside of them and enjoy the music and the process of sharing them with people.
POPDUST: For this album, you reference confessional folk influences. Who was inspiring you, and what was drawing you to those influences?
Becca Stevens: Nick Drake and Elliot Smith both come to mind — not only as songwriters but as guitar players. Some of their records are just guitar and voice, but — at least for me personally, as I'm listening to them — it doesn't occur to me. Then I'm like, what's happening here, and it’s very simple. It's just guitar and voice, or guitar and voice doubled. But because of how it's recorded and played, particularly the guitar playing, it feels so full, and you don't miss the fancy overdubs, production, orchestrations, and stuff like that. So, that was something that I referenced with Nic Hard when we were mixing it. We sent a lot of stuff back and forth — we talked about Nick Drake and Elliot Smith, and then there's some Kurt Cobain and Radiohead in there. There's Robert Johnson, Piedmont blues guitar, and right-hand stuff in there. And also people like Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell. And almost the sound of folk, without it being specifically attributed to any one person,
POPDUST: Some of the people that you mentioned make me think of that opening line of that opening track, “Now Feels Bigger Than The Past.” You say: “What is it about an artist dying that makes art feel more palatable?” What was on your mind when you wrote that?
Becca Stevens: Do you remember what year Prince died? Like 2016. I wrote the first line on a little piece of paper and stuck it to my wall shortly after he died because I'm a huge Prince fan. And I remember being annoyed by seeing people who I knew weren't really fans sharing bite-sized versions of Prince on social media – whatever the most popular song, and acting so emotional about losing him.
On one hand, I was like, great. He deserves that. But also, as an artist who's struggling in the streaming world and still very much feeling the burden of artistry on my body after the 20 years that I've put into this artistry, the world doesn't take care of me. And then you look at somebody who's had such fame as Prince, and in a lot of ways, the world still wasn't taking care of him either. People at his level, you've seen time and time again somebody dies because they overdose on a drug that can help them sleep at night or get through the next day because the work is so taxing.
And they're not making the money that they need to be making from their art because people aren't paying for it anymore. Then, we tag a Spotify clip on a social media post. And I was just frustrated by the fact that these people weren't actually supporting the art. But I jotted that on a piece of paper, stuck it to my wall, and forgot about it for a while. Then, a year or so later, when my mom was re-diagnosed with breast cancer, and she was dying, I pulled the paper off and wrote this song that created a thread between the two.
POPDUST: Mortality is a theme on this album. So is impermanence. Can you talk about creating that thread?
Becca Stevens: So I was thinking about this idea of impermanence and how that affects our perception of the thing. Like someone dies, and then suddenly, you want to dive into their work and appreciate them more. What if you take that same concept into someone who’s betrayed you? And then they die, and you're able to forgive because they're gone. Then, the third verse is the same thing applied to the process of losing one's parent or mother and how that affects them as well. When my mom was sick and dying, and after she died, I thought about my own mortality a lot, especially when I was writing “If I Die Before You.”
POPDUST: You talk a lot about the maker feeling the way that they'll be seen. Thinking about audience, does the idea that the work will be seen and heard by an audience affect you when you write?
Becca Stevens: As a songwriter, there's this constant dance, almost like the angel and the devil on your shoulder, between the Muse feeding you this beauty and this effortless artistry and this internal critic that is like embodying voices from your past, or voices from social media, or what you fear other people might think. Our job is to oscillate between the two. Sometimes, those voices of the internal critic are feeding you things that might be useful. And sometimes, it's total Malarkey, and it needs to be ignored at all costs.
POPDUST: To talk about Illinoise, what was it like to be part of that production?
Becca Stevens: As I mentioned before, I'm a huge Sufjan Stevens fan. I got the call from Timo Andrus, who did the orchestration for the show, and we've been friends for 20 years. And Shara Nova, who sang on the original album on Illinois from way back in the day, she could only do the first half of the run and my friend Timo was like, oh, Becca would be really cool for this. Let's see if she's available. And he called me — I think it was three weeks after I had a baby — and he was like, I know you just had a baby, but I feel like you'd be really cool for this. And I was so committed to taking this time to recover and be quiet, but he started talking about it, and I was like, Oh, I think I have to audition for this because it just sounds too good to be true. So I auditioned, kind of half thinking that I wouldn't even get it. And then I was offered the part.
Being in the show was so amazing to be a part of something bigger than me that had really very little to do with me. It gave me so much space on the stage to have a sense of coming back into working, working hard, but to come back into feeling like an artist and like a professional publicly after a couple of years of feeling more like a mom. I felt like I was doing exactly what I was meant to do, rather than being alone in a room trying to figure out what I was
supposed to do.
POPDUST: Another theme of the album is impermanence, and a live production only exists each night while an album is recorded permanently. How do both experiences and living in both worlds lend to the art itself?
Becca Stevens: Some nights, I'd be on the train with people who were at the show who didn't even know who I was. I struggled sometimes, like an ego struggle where I was like, Is this even happening? But it was both challenging and also deeply cathartic and refreshing that I didn't matter. I'm a part of this bigger thing. It's not being recorded, and I'm not seeing it back. My daily mantra became: “Have fun, be in service to the bigger thing, and don't take yourself too seriously.” And I was just telling myself that over and over and over again.
And now that I'm coming back to this world where I'm playing my own music, I think I'm noticing a difference. It's easier for me to handle my own nerves and use some of those same tools. Because even though these shows that I'm playing now are all me and by myself, the same stuff still applies. People come to shows, and if you're lucky, you have 70% of their attention. We're really not all that important. So, I'm able to have more space for that feeling of being a conduit and serving the greater thing,
Listen to Maple to Paper here:
Watch the video for “Now Feels Bigger Than The Past” here:
These days, the inception of many careers starts on social media. At first, there was YouTube, now there's TikTok. This video-based social media platform is where Sam Tompkins began posting clips of himself singing covers of popular songs. While many aren't successful, Sam Tompkins had a different story to tell.
His story truly starts with his cover of Bruno Mars' "Talking To The Moon," which sent viewers into a frenzy over Tompkins' captivating voice. From there, he collaborated with JNR CHOI to create a viral remix of the song...which would become the soundtrack for
millions of TikTok's by users everywhere.
He's a mega-viral singer who has already proven that he's not letting this moment end. Sure, there's always the question of "what's next," but Tompkins seems to have the formula figured out. His vocal ability has gotten him here for a reason, and fans quickly recognized that his relatable lyrics and hard-hitting choruses are replay-worthy.
But it's not just the fans who love Tompkins...who has received recognition from superstars like Elton John, Bebe Rexha, and Justin Bieber. There's something special woven into his silky smooth vocals that makes Sam Tompkins an obvious choice for the next star in the music industry.
His debut album,
hi, my name is insecure, which was released on July 26, is a step inside Tompkins' soul. While many artists play it safe during the first submissions, it's clear that Sam had a different approach...and we're lucky he did.
The album itself is stunning: an aesthetically pleasing, sonically dynamic masterpiece that showcases his depth as an artist. A ballad-heavy, introspective piece of work with tracks like "lose it all", which was another hit among listeners and fans. Each song is riddled with emotion and ladened with instrumental backing that just contributes to the well-rounded tracks.
You can listen to hi, my name is insecure here:
He's one of the most exciting artists out there, and he deserves all the success he's receiving...and while he may make it look easy, we know it certainly is not.
We spoke with Sam Tompkins about his debut album, touring with The Kid LAROI, and much more! Check it out below:
Congratulations on your debut album, hi, my name is insecure! As your first official album, what was it like to create a full body of work?
Creating an album is difficult in hindsight as I’m sure you can imagine, but actually (at least for me), it felt really natural. I loved the writing process and recording and figuring it all out step by step. it was chaos and it was tricky at times, but it just felt right.
What is the main message behind your album? How does it represent you as an artist?
I guess the main message would be a problem shared is a problem halved. that’s kinda my mantra as a person and artist to be honest. Be vulnerable and you will find the challenges you’re faced with don’t feel as scary. Saying “hi my name is insecure” straight off the bat as the title for my introduction to the world as an artist just felt like the right thing to do. I am insecure and i will not be ashamed of that anymore. it’s natural… we all feel it.
While the album title is a bit self-explanatory, what does it mean to you? How did it feel right when making the single and the album?
I always compare it to
8 Mile. That rap battle at the end where Eminem's character basically just insults himself for the first verse using all of the negative things he knew his opponent was gonna use against him basically rendering the other guy useless. When i say i'm insecure and own that, i am essentially taking control and power over the situation.
You just went on tour with The Kid LAROI…what was your favorite part about touring live? Will we see a solo Sam Tompkins tour soon?
It was amazing. Honestly, my favourite part was seeing one of my favourite artists doing his thing in the flesh. Yes! I am supporting Myles Smith across America in September and then doing my own tour in Europe and the uk in November!
Your “Talking To The Moon” cover went viral on TikTok. Can you tell us a little about that experience?
Honestly, it was just such a whirlwind. I was just bored one night and decided to make the video and it just changed my life in so many ways. Kinda crazy to experience that level of vitality, but it’s something I’m super proud of.
What are three words you’d use to describe this album?
"Honest", "Raw", "Rollercoaster"
America’s Royal Baby is here! No, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift haven’t suddenly unveiled a secret pregnancy — our girl has been busy with the Eras Tour and trying to keep The Tortured Poets Department at number one. America’s other royal family, Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber, have welcomed a new addition to their family: a baby boy.
On Friday, August 23rd, Justin announced their new arrival via
the Instagram post of a lifetime: “WELCOME HOME / JACK BLUES BIEBER 🐻,” he posted alongside an image of their newborn’s foot cozied up in a blanket with Hailey’s beautifully manicured fingers. Like, I’m not crying, you’re crying.
Now I’m just waiting for Hailey’s post. While she was literally giving birth, her Instagram stories were full of promo posts for her brand
Rhode Skin. Some people may call that a social media manager, I call it girlbossing.
Her pregnancy announcement post definitely had me in tears. We all remember where we were when we heard the news about Hailey Bieber’s pregnancy. I was browsing sunscreen in a beauty store (which feels appropriate) when my friend rushed up to me, waving her phone in my face. “Hailey is pregnant,” she announced as she showed me the now-infamous video.
The vintage-style video showed Bieber’s bump in a sheer white lace dress. At first, I thought it was footage from a music video. It turns out that their lives are just naturally cinematic. The footage was from their vow renewals which took place in Hawaii, where they celebrated six years of marriage.
Why did Justin Bieber name his son Jack?
You may have noticed that, like father like son, Justin and the baby have the same initials: JB. The name Jack Blues Bieber follows the tradition of Justin’s father’s side of the family, where many of the kids are given J names. Justin’s dad’s name is Jeremy, and his half-siblings are named Jaxon and Jazmyn.
Jack is also Justin’s dad’s middle name. Hailey is no stranger to family names, as her middle name, “Rhode,” is a family name — as well as the name of her eponymous skincare brand. It’s only a matter of time before baby Jack has one of those
initial necklaces.
While Jack is a normal,
regular person's name, the baby’s middle name shows that even the Biebers have given in to the celebrity-name industrial complex. It used to be rare for celebrities to give their children unique (read: borderline obnoxious) names like Gwyneth Paltrow’s daughter, Apple (sooooo brat). Heck, when the Kardashian-Wests came up with North and Beyoncé announced her daughter Blue Ivy, it was still big news.
But now, every baby announcement comes with the follow-up question: what weird name will the happy couple bestow upon their offspring? Instead of looking at baby name books, celebrity parents seem to open the dictionary and point to the first name they find. Young parents like Nara Smith are infamous for this. The model and token
trad wife have children named (wait for it) Rumble Honey, Slim Easy, and Whimsy Lou.
Next to names like “Stormiiiiii,” Jack Blues is pretty normal. But it’s a sign that celeb names will always be celeb names. While the Biebers have fallen prey to the celebrity-name industrial complex, the fact they waited six years since their internet-breaking wedding in 2018 isn’t the norm.
How Hailey resisted the Hollywood Mom Machine — until now
In Hollywood years, six years is a long time to wait before having your first child. But in the real world — where the cost of living crisis makes me wonder how
anyone can afford children — having children at 27 years old, if anything, is quite young.
Seemingly all of their famous peers have children. Most of the nepo baby gang now have children of their own. And the
mothers are mothering. Kylie Jenner has two children — Stormi Webster, her 6-year-old daughter, and Aire Webster, her 2-year-old son— with rapper Travis Scott. Sofia Richie just celebrated her own 26th birthday alongside her daughter Eloise’s three-month birthday. Other peers like Keke Palmer, Gigi Hadid, and more have also become moms.
But Bieber wanted to wait. For a while, she just wanted to live in her bliss. She was a 21-year-old married to the biggest pop star in the world. Of course, she wanted time to enjoy it. Then, like the rest of us, she got a job. Except hers was as the founder of
Rhode Skin. She spent the past few years proving it was more than just another celebrity brand. With its innovative, editor-approved products and its constantly selling out stock, Rhode is a success in every way.
So now, they have everything.
When asked about when they were planning to become parents, the Biebers have always said they wanted to wait. I’ll never forget when Justin went on
Ellen in 2020, and she, as was her style, aggressively asked him what the “hold up” was with having kids.
But with the finesse he’s known for, he sidestepped the question with the most romantic answer: "I am going to have as many as Hailey wishes to push out. I'd love to have myself a little tribe. But, yeah, it's her body and whatever she wants to do.” Pro-choice king.
But now it’s finally the right time. In a July interview with
W Magazine, she shared some of her pregnancy anxieties — especially as someone who has struggled with ovarian cysts. “You see so many stories — traumatic birth stories, traumatic experiences—and I know that that’s very real,” she said. But in the end, she’s excited about her pregnancy — too excited to hide it from the world. “I probably could have hid it until the end,” she said. She even hid it for six months behind her signature oversized clothing — her jacket at Coachella makes a lot of sense now. “But I didn’t enjoy the stress of not being able to enjoy my pregnancy outwardly. I felt like I was hiding this big secret, and it didn’t feel good. I wanted the freedom to go out and live my life.”
Well, now the Biebers’ lives have changed forever. Many of us “One Less Lonely Girl” hopefuls might have dreamed of the day Justin became a father with us at his side. But if it’s not me, I’m glad it’s Hailey. You better believe I played the superstar and new father’s 2010 smash hit “Baby” on repeat all weekend.
Emily Krueger has always had Velvettica in her soul. Whether or not she revealed Velvettica immediately was her choice, but for a long time she stayed sheltered. She hid Velvettica deep within her, forging her own career-path as a singer who could effortlessly flow from genre to genre...but something was amiss deep down.
As she grew as an artist and became more in touch with herself, Velvettica couldn't hide anymore. Sure, Emily Krueger still exists...but a different, more real part of her has also risen to the surface. It's not merely a stage name, it's an embodiment of who Emily truly is.
So, when searching for Emily Krueger, you may find that she's started a new chapter under the name "Velvettica." And while for some artists, this would indicate an identity crisis...Velvettica has never felt more herself.
In this new era, Velvettica is radiating authenticity. She's fallen in love, gotten in touch with every single part of herself, and poured it into her new era of music. It's her most honest revelations yet, leaning on the guitar riffs that her fans love watching on TikTok, and combining her lilting vocals to transport you into a new realm.
Her single, "Telepathic Baddie", details falling in love with someone and always being in their minds. The sort of telepathy that makes you feel like you're operating on one brain cell, and with an enchanting beat and Velvettica's silky vocals...this song is a perfect encapsulation of who Velvettica is as an artist. You can listen to the track here:
Velvettica's music is a purely transcendentalist experience that shows she's found her stride. With the beginning of a new chapter, we spoke to Velvettica about the massive year she's having and how the transition to this new era has been going!
PD: You unveiled your new identity to be Velvettica. What inspired this change and who is the real Velvettica?
I was and still am Emily Krueger. But I’ve completely changed as a person. I was living subconsciously and playing out all the things my parents did. I got to a really dark place and faced death in the eye and decided to rewrite my script.
I suddenly felt so disconnected from the persona/ego I had built up underneath my birth name, and I felt boxed in. I woke up to the fact that I was so much more than that, and had so much more to share on a way deeper level, and knew in order to reconnect with what I felt deep in my soul was dying to be shown, I had to shed all of that ego, and remember who I truly was.
The real Velvettica is my proverbial ‘higher self’. She finds peace through fear, finds the self through letting go of the perceived self, and finds balance through extremes, both light and dark.
PD: When creating “Telepathic Baddie”, how did you channel Velvettica? What was the inspiration for the single?
The song pretty much wrote itself. It was a gift to me really. I wrote it as I was falling in love with an incredible soul. I had just finished a long meditation and was still feeling completely in another realm. In my moments of silence tuning in, my soul quite literally had a conversation with his soul, in another realm of existence. It was omniscient love, and in that soul-to-soul conversation we spoke of manifesting our dream reality. We’re totally all telepathic baddies and once you tune in you’ll find literal superpowers. We’re all psychic. I allowed the universe to funnel through me and it became the pilot of Velvettica.
VelvetticaLindsey Ruth
PD: When embarking on this new chapter, what was your vision for your sound?
To be honest I didn’t really have a vision. The new sound just happened, and found me rather. I’ve always made pretty much every genre of music, except metal. The first song I made that’s a part of this EP was "Stereo Minds." It was a new sound for me at the time, but still used elements from everything I’d previously made. It was finally flowing effortlessly. I didn’t really need a vision for it because it was just happening. Then of course once I had consistently made that kinda psychedelic chill rock pop sound for a couple months I started to see the vision that was really given to me.
So if you’re an artist reading this and “finding your sound” consider trying less and just letting it find you.
PD: What’s one thing you want listeners to know about your new era?
The irony is that as much as we could change our identity and choose to reinvent the wheel, we will always be at our core, our true essence. Alongside this new artist project being conceived, I also got married.
My identity changed in the earth realm as well, and the truth is our identity will change and evolve many times on our journey towards the next life. Amidst all the change and forced or chosen identity shifts we experience, the paradox is remembering to remember exactly who we always were, and always will be - an unchanging light. The new era will be much more vulnerable and real and won’t shy away from the taboo, and I definitely want this project to be something that opens people’s minds.
PD: What’s next for you this year? Can we expect even more new music soon from Velvettica?
Most definitely! My 7 song EP ‘Death, Sex & Inheritance’ is out this fall. I’m already working on, and finally collaborating more on the next project and I already can’t wait to show the first singles. I’m in the process of finding the right members to be a part of the band for live shows, and eventually I’d like them to meld into Velvettica’s writing and recording process, becoming an actual band.
Sea Hear Now 
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Sea Hear Now 
(Photo credit: Shervin Lainez)
VelvetticaLindsey Ruth
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