Rose Gray has long possessed an immense vocal talent. “When I was younger, it was untamable. I was unsure how to harness or control it,” she explains via Zoom from her home in Walthamstow, London. She originally aimed to focus it in school choirs, then through formal vocal training at a performing arts high school. She believed she had finally mastered it when, in her youth, she gained a record deal—but it only introduced her to the perilous allure of the music world. After leaving the contract, she realized she couldn’t keep any of the roughly 100 songs she’d crafted. Immersed in the lavishness of London’s nightlife—working at the renowned club Fabric—she gradually returned to music over recent years, periodically releasing singles and writing for fellow artists.
Now, she has officially unveiled her debut album, Louder, Please. It has been much anticipated. “It feels incredibly rewarding,” she notes, adjusting the sleeves of her Heaven by Marc Jacobs hoodie with a grin. According to Gray, putting the album together took two years of songwriting, followed by six months devoted to mixing, mastering, and shaping the artistic concept. “I’ve been creating so much music that it feels like I’m almost overflowing,” she confesses. “So, releasing an album is going to be…” she pauses. “It’s simply a relief not to be composing music daily without a defined idea of its future or purpose.”
The roster of stars supporting Vice President Kamala Harris in her 2024 campaign for the presidency continues to expand, with Barack and Michelle Obama, Sarah Jessica Parker, Taylor Swift, Kerry Washington, Bruce Springsteen, and Leonardo DiCaprio all expressing their backing for the Harris/Walz ticket in the past few months. However, the Harris campaign perhaps received its most significant celebrity endorsement thus far on Friday evening when Beyoncé, accompanied by Kelly Rowland, emerged at a prominent campaign event in her birthplace of Houston, Texas—after an introduction by her mother, Ms. Tina.
Beyoncé speaking at the Harris/Walz campaign event in Houston on October 25.
Photo: Getty Images
Following a brief performance by Willie Nelson earlier that night—during which the 91-year-old country legend (another native of Texas) sang “On the Road Again” and “Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys”—Beyoncé ascended the stage in a Rosie Huntington-Whiteley X Wardrobe.NYC blazer dress and mini skirt to speak about the importance of the 2024 election. “We are teetering on the edge of an extraordinary transformation—the cusp of history,” she declared. “I’m not here as a celebrity. I’m not here as a politician. I’m present as a mother—a mother who is profoundly concerned about the world my children and all of our children inhabit. A world where we have the autonomy to govern our bodies. A world where unity prevails…It’s time for America to embrace a new anthem.”
The Little Monsters are presently being nourished. Not only is Lady Gaga assuming a main role in the forthcoming Joker: Folie à Deux, where she portrays Harley Quinn alongside Joaquin Phoenix’s Joker, but she has also recently unveiled a concept album dedicated to the film. Named Harlequin, this unexpected album, consisting of tracks included in the film, was entirely produced by Gaga and her fiancé, Michael Polansky.
Therefore, to mark the new release, could there be anyone more suitable than a devoted Gaga enthusiast (moi) to react to the album live? Below, you’ll find my 15 reflections on Harlequin.
1. Before diving in, a brief introduction to Gaga’s character in Joker is worthwhile. She portrays Lee Quinzel, an obsessive aficionado of the Joker who becomes infatuated with him. A press announcement has labeled the film as an “exploration of the raw, emotional complexity of a woman who thrives in chaos, a genre-defying force who cannot be contained.” I anticipate the soundtrack will explore this twisted romance—the narrative of two solitary souls coming together. But who can say for certain!
For the dedicated followers of BTS, June 2025—when all seven members of the celebrated Korean boy group will at last come together once more after fulfilling their military commitments—cannot arrive soon enough. However, with “I’ll Be There,” a fresh track from Jin, who fulfilled his service earlier this summer, the fanbase has additional reasons to rejoice.
Similar to ex-boy-bander Harry Styles before him, Jin seems to be transitioning from pop towards a rockier sound. As a child of the ’90s, it is unsurprising that he holds a fondness for the style: a playlist of his top tracks on Spotify features “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls (alongside picks from The Fray and Styles himself); and before his enlistment in 2022, he unveiled his initial single, “The Astronaut,” co-created with one of his musical inspirations, Coldplay’s Chris Martin.
Two years later, Jin’s newest release—shared before his first solo record, Happy, available on November 15—extends that direction. If with “The Astronaut,” he crafted a heartfelt note to his followers (whom he called his “universe”), in “I’ll Be There,” Jin amplifies his dedication.
As the artist reveals exclusively to Vogue, “I’m thrilled to be back and I wish my fans adore this song as much as I do.” It’s likely they will: Although the track’s writing is largely performed in Korean, Jin’s sentiments are easily felt, particularly when he asserts, in an infectious chorus: “I swear I will always sing for you. Sing for you, I’ll be there for you.” The song’s final message remains equally heartfelt, with the singer imploring in Korean that should his fans ever feel downcast or solitary and need support, he will “always be there.” The ending, meanwhile, invokes the catchy rhythmic handclapping of Anna Kendrick’s 2013 hit “Cups” from Pitch Perfect.
The accompanying visual showcases Jin performing with his band in a parking area, envisioning the BTS icon as a modest, rising musician. In truth, though, he has already reached stellar heights.
Despite having just unveiled her debut track last month, Indigenous vocalist Tia Wood has consistently attracted followers since the start of 2020. At 25, she initially gathered a fan base on TikTok, where she frequently promotes her Cree and Salish lineage through melodies on the platform (she boasts over two million followers). Now, she is prepared to introduce her distinct musical style to the mainstream industry with the launch of two fresh tunes: “Dirt Roads” and “Losing Game”—her initial releases since formally signing with Sony Music the previous year. “It’s been a huge relief to finally share a part of my soul with the world after keeping everyone waiting for so long,” Wood expresses to Vogue. “I’m extremely grateful for all the affection and encouragement we’ve been receiving on these initial two songs. Little Tia still finds it unbelievable!”
Coming from the Saddle Lake Cree Nation in Alberta, Canada, Wood seemed destined for a musical career. During her upbringing, she often traveled the powwow circuits, performing and dancing with her relatives—some of whom are part of the Grammy Award–winning ensemble Northern Cree. After showcasing her vocal talents on TikTok, she swiftly caught the eye of Sony Music, becoming among the first Indigenous females to join the record label. “It was incredibly surreal,” Wood shares. “I still sometimes struggle to fully comprehend it. Growing up without representation made dreaming dreams like this seem unattainable, and being one of the initial Indigenous women signed with my label is something I could’ve only envisioned as a child.”
During the previous springtime, Tyson found herself in Los Angeles—and without specific plans. The artist, who was raised in London, originally journeyed to the US to participate at South by Southwest. When she had the chance to stay at a family friend’s annex for a month and a half, she accepted, acquiring a luxurious vehicle—“It was inexpensive, though, because it’s LA,” she mentions, with a smile—and reuniting with her close associate, musician Oscar Scheller, to initiate crafting some fresh creations at his personal studio. In London, they typically attempted to fit in sessions amidst their busy routines, but dedicating consecutive days solely to writing revealed something different. “Breaking away from the normal routine in London enabled me to ponder in a novel manner,” Tyson reminisces. “I felt motivated in an alternate way.”
The outcome of that period is noticeable on Tyson’s latest EP, Chaos, which releases on November 15 through the independent London-rooted label LuckyMe. Throughout 10 tracks, she exhibits the complete scope of her musical persona, shifting from the fusion of soulful singing and rattling two-step rhythms on the playful lead track, “Jumpstart,” to the precise R&B beat of “Carousel,” where Tyson vocalizes about pursuing happiness and escape in unsuitable places, to the flowing synths and trip-hop beats on the sorrowful farewell to a romantic partner, “300Khz.” It’s an remarkably confident exploration through a variety of styles made unified by Tyson’s candidly introspective lyrics and velvety voice.
In the fall of 2022, Nilüfer Yanya found herself standing at a pivotal moment. The British musician and songwriter—whose inaugural duo of albums in the complex and emotive indie pop genre had established her as a rapidly ascending figure with extraordinary cross-genre charm—finally had the ability to step off the relentless cycle of composing, recording, promoting, and performing. For the first period in her career, she had the chance to halt and consider her future moves with genuine clarity.
It felt slightly intimidating. “I believe I’ve grown more aware of my work style,” Yanya mentions. “I didn’t wish to hurriedly return to creating another album because taking a break in between is crucial. But I hadn’t previously grasped a wider comprehension of the method. Now, with the third album, I somewhat understand it. I recognize my patterns a little more.” Given the challenges that touring artists face post-pandemic, figuring out when conditions were stable enough for Yanya to take a pause was a tricky endeavor. “Reaching that point took time,” she continues. “No creative profession is consistently secure. Thus, you have to sense it internally, without delving too deeply. You must be able to say, ‘No, I can handle this. This is alright.’ You’re permitted to do that.”
The tangible benefits of that pause can be heard on Yanya’s stunning new album, My Method Actor, unveiled today on her fresh label Ninja Tune. Across 11 tracks, she doubles down on her trademarks: guitar playing that transitions from gritty, reverb-heavy fuzz to intricate acoustic exploration; dynamic percussion that can resemble both classic rock drumming and delicate, syncopated trip-hop; her quietly impactful lyricism. (And, naturally, there’s Yanya’s smoky, androgynous voice, exuding a piercing intimacy that gives the listener a feeling of eavesdropping on a secret.) This masterful fusion of styles imparts the album a quality that echoes timelessness, yet also feels unmistakably current.
In November 2023, reports emerged about an intense bidding war taking place to secure the rights for adapting Britney Spears’s sensational, top-selling memoir, The Woman in Me. Notable figures such as Margot Robbie, Reese Witherspoon, Shonda Rhimes, and Brad Pitt were reportedly eager to earn the privilege of transforming the page-turner into a cinematic work via their respective production companies. It now seems that this competition has concluded: Universal Pictures has clinched the project, with Jon M. Chu, known for directing Crazy Rich Asians, In The Heights, and the upcoming Wicked films, set to direct.
His participation implies that the forthcoming film might lean towards a musical rather than a somber drama, corroborated by the involvement of Marc Platt, the producer behind La La Land, nominated for an Oscar thrice, who is anticipated to develop the project. Spears herself has previously hinted at this development, posting on X: “Thrilled to tell my fans that I’ve been collaborating on a secret endeavor with Marc Platt. He’s behind my all-time favorite films… stay updated.” (Certainly, fans will find solace in knowing that the singer will partake in the production, having labored persistently to regain a narrative long taken from her.) As reported by Vanity Fair, she accepted Universal’s offer because it “was said to be in the eight-figure spectrum [and] likely as it also encompassed rights to Spears’s own music collection.”
The time period the biopic will encompass is not yet specified, although the memoir follows the Grammy awardee’s life and career journey from her early years in Louisiana, gaining stardom with The Mickey Mouse Club, to reaching the zenith of her pop fame, her renowned relationship with Justin Timberlake, the invasive media spotlight that led to her downfall, and the severe lows of her conservatorship, until her resurgence in 2021.
In summary, it’s a role that is bound to transform the actress who secures it. Among the potential leading stars are Sydney Sweeney—truly, who else to don pigtails and a knotted shirt while singing “Baby One More Time” than the Euphoria actress?—alongside Louisiana’s own Addison Rae, Dove Cameron (who, let’s not forget, nearly played Wicked’s Glinda the Good Witch before Ariana Grande claimed the role), and Millie Bobby Brown, who expressed on The Drew Barrymore Show in 2022: “I aspire to portray a real person and I believe that, for me… [it] would be Britney Spears. Her narrative strikes a chord with me. Growing up in the public eye, watching her clips, watching interviews from her youthful days… Although I don’t know her, when viewing her images, I sense I could convey her story faithfully.”
¿Conoces esa sensación de encontrarte con el mejor amigo de tu ex después de tu rompimiento? Ahora, imagina que eres un multimillonario ícono pop y actor, y tu ex es también un actor sumamente famoso y acaudalado, y te topas con su mejor amigo—también una célebre figura—en el Festival Internacional de Cine de Toronto y debes simular que estás encantado. Bueno, Jennifer Lopez es una mujer más valiente que yo, porque se la vio gestionando una situación así e interactuando con el compañero de toda la vida de su reciente exmarido Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, en la fiesta posterior de su película Unstoppable.
“Jen y Matt iniciaron una charla y mantuvieron una conversación larga y profunda,” según una fuente mencionada en People, y aunque normalmente no confío en fuentes anónimas en lo que respecta a rumores de celebridades, no puedo dejar de preguntarme de qué hablaron estos dos además de Affleck. Sin más preámbulo, les presento 23 temas posibles de conversación entre Lopez y Damon, ninguno de los cuales está basado en hechos o reportajes reales, pero que podrían haber sido mencionados técnicamente el viernes.
La corriente de aire en el lugar.
Los malos aperitivos que pasan en bandejas. (De hecho, estoy segura de que nadie en su sano juicio sería tan atrevido como para servirle a Jen y a Matt un crudité pasado de moda, pero ¿acaso un aperitivo pasado en una fiesta ha sido bueno alguna vez, con la obvia excepción de los mini-salchichas envueltas en masa?)
Las elecciones. (¡Se acercan famosamente!)
La historia de vida del luchador Anthony Robles, cuyo camino al campeonato nacional de la NCAA en 2011 es el tema de Unstoppable.
Cuán larga fue la ovación de pie para la actuación de J.Lo en el TIFF realmente.
Tener hijos adolescentes, y las pesadillas contenidas allí.
Tener hijos adolescentes listos para convertirse en herederos de la fama, y las pesadillas aún más vívidas contenidas allí.
Chappell Roan. (¡Está en todos lados!)
Jen Affleck, la influencer de Mormon MomTok que afirma con orgullo que Ben es primo segundo de su esposo.
Mormon MomTok en general.
Agua.
Rihanna apareció en el desfile de Alaïa en la NYFW. (Este es un tema de interés universal, ¿verdad?)
El comedia romántica de la mafia de 2003 Gigli, y cómo podría haber mejorado con la coproducción de Damon.
Las historias más jugosas de Jen de este verano en los Hamptons. (Al fin y al cabo, sabe que cualquier chisme que le dé a Damon terminará llegando a Affleck.)
Por qué nadie en Hollywood puede conseguir trabajo.
Un plan ultrasecreto para que Hollywood vuelva a trabajar. (¡Si estos dos no pueden hacerlo, nadie podrá!)
La omisión de J.Lo en los Oscars 2019 por Hustlers. (Si fuera ella, hablaría de esto constantemente. Ni siquiera soy ella y aún así hablo de esto constantemente).
Sus respectivas crianzas en el Bronx y Boston.
Los mejores lugares para conseguir bagels en el Bronx y Boston. (Spoiler: No hay buenos bagels en Boston, y los mejores en el Bronx están en Empire Bagels, pero estoy segura de que lo descubrieron juntos).
La suavidad de las manos del otro (de manera totalmente platónica. ¡Código de colegas!).
Taylor Swift, como concepto general, pero también como persona específica que está actualmente en Nueva York.
El estado actual de las relaciones y estado mental de Ben Affleck, en ese orden.
Seamos sinceros: impuestos. (¿Por qué tengo la sensación de que este es el tema principal de conversación para todas las personas acomodadas?)
If someone had informed me a year earlier that a 26-year-old vocalist would assist me in redefining my sense of self as a middle-aged mother, I would have hurled my neck cream at them. It all transpired unexpectedly. One morning, the children were at school, and I was seated at my laptop, relishing the tranquility of my home. Amid my usual singer-songwriters who amplified my mild depression from nearly a decade of parenting, Chappell Roan emerged. Before encountering her, “touch me, baby” was far from my vocabulary—I was overwhelmed by contact. I preferred solitude. However, once Roan appeared on Spotify, she sang those words with the voice of a seasoned, soulful old songbird, compelling me to sing along.
My existence at 43, with two young ones, is starkly dissimilar to my 20s. Query any mother whether she remains the same person she was fresh out of college, and she’ll likely pause to nostalgically recall the liberty and excitement of those times. A friend of mine, who recently welcomed her third child, remarked, “Entering a Toyota Sienna feels like stepping into a trendy nightclub.” In essence, our interests have shifted from bar encounters to weighted blankets and seltzer. Yet, as I eagerly devoured Roan’s initial album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, I realized that beneath the additional girth around my middle, the spider veins, the stiffened hip, the sheer fatigue, the hormonal oscillations, the part of me from my 20s remained intact. Even more surprising was Roan’s capacity to mirror my present reality, enabling me to recognize that these two distinct versions of me could coexist.
When I inquired of Maggie Downs, aged 48 and mother to a 10-year-old, why she is so fond of Roan, she mentioned the juggling act all mothers face—caring for others while also striving to nurture our own selves and recall our identities. “Chappell’s music/personae propose that multiple roles can exist simultaneously. This needn’t be a balancing act at all; we encompass multitudes,” states Downs. Just as Roan sings about stretching herself across four states, from small-town Missouri to Los Angeles, in her track “California,” mothers stretch themselves across their households—one hand tending hair, one hand at a laptop advancing her career, one foot nudging dirty laundry closer to the hamper, the other foot wiping away a booger-like residue from a child’s slime kit on the floor. Emerging from the fatigue of childrearing (and carrying the mental burden for our partners) is a fervent yearning for empowerment. As the ascending strings at the onset of “Femininomenon” yield to a sound akin to our collective heartbeat, Roan questions if we know our desires and needs. Does it occur? “No!” echoes a chorus of female voices. The beat then drops, the cowbells sound, we cease folding the laundry, and we dance out our frustrations.
In some way, Roan has already absorbed the insights most of us don’t gain until our 40s or 50s. When she declined to create a video for “Good Luck, Babe” owing to touring exhaustion, weary perimenopausal and menopausal mothers everywhere rejoiced in the act of saying no. Furthermore, her social media appeal for fans to respect her privacy in public, which angered those who believe the loss of autonomy and privacy is part of her celebrity role. Moms face similar expectations, though instead of icons, we are seen as martyrs: Our bodies, our time, and our energy are for our families. We chose motherhood, hence, we have no validity in complaining about feeling overwhelmed by contact or requiring more solitude.
