CULTURE

The Mystical Union of Halsey and Evan Peters: Tumblr's Greatest Crossover Couple

Turns out angsty Tumblr superstars of 2014 can find real love in 2019.

Halsey and Evan Peters

Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

"Bad at Love" singer Halsey and American Horror Story actor Evan Peters are officially dating.

They made things official this weekend, stepping out on Friday dressed as two of music's most terrifying figures. Halsey went as a red-haired Marilyn Manson, and Peters was a Juggalo, a fan of the Insane Clown Posse. Then on Saturday, they arrived at the 100th episode celebration of American Horror Story as a polka-dot-clad Sunny Bono and Cher.

The two first sparked dating rumors when they were seen on a roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. They're both coming off breakups—Peters' seven year relationship with Emma Roberts ended in March after it apparently became toxic. Though it's unclear exactly when Halsey and Yungblud broke up, they were dating at least through September.

Following Halsey and Peters' roller-coaster debut, fans quickly dug up some of Halsey's old tweets about Evan Peters. For those who didn't know, for a total of seven years, Halsey's been tweeting about her crush on the actor. Though they've all been deleted, as we know, nothing on the Internet ever goes away.


"Halsey, your powers are strong. May this be a lesson to us all!" wrote Mari Lodi in Vulture when the dating rumors began to swirl. It's true that Halsey's ability to successfully tweet her way into a relationship may indicate that she's cast some sort of occult love spell, but honestly, Halsey has always been powerful on her own. She recorded her first demo, "Is There Somewhere," on GarageBand while a homeless teen and scored a major label contract. Her first (and best) album, Badlands, went platinum, and if you listen to its lyrics, you can see that Halsey's always had some sort of divine power. Maybe it's because of her song "Hurricane," but if I had to judge her type of magic, I'd label her as a weather witch, able to conjure up storms and to change the color of the sky (possibly from red to blue to violet) at will.

Meanwhile, Evan Peters has been dabbling in occultism on his own, albeit in his role on American Horror Story. He was the iconic homicidal ghost Tate Langdon in Murder House, and in a 2012 tweet, Halsey perfectly articulated every teenage girl's feelings about his character. "Seriously Evan Peters stop making me attracted to alleged sociopaths and accused murderers…" she wrote.

Now that their union has emerged from the purely ethereal plane, becoming manifest on our physical one, we can see that it was always written in the stars. They do seem to exist in separate universes, in a way, as they come from TV and pop music respectively. On the other hand, they're both the highest possible evolution of Urban Outfitters teens, Tumblr darlings who somehow made their way into adulthood without losing their perfectly grungy, relatable-yet-alluring mystique. Of course they chose Scorpio season to make their debut as a couple; this time of transformation, rebirth, intensity, and Halloween seems designed for them to join forces. Plus, Sunday was a New Moon, the most goth of all the moons, perfect for a couple that captions their Instagram couple shots "Resident goths."

Sure, their best work may have been done years ago, but maybe this means there's more magic where their early masterpieces came from. Maybe Halsey will write a song from the perspective of Violet Langdon (she did film the music video for "Colors" in the actual Murder House from AHS Season 1). Maybe I don't know which one I'm more attracted to, but I'm not complaining. Maybe if we Tweet enough about our truest desires, they might just become incarnate—though of course, being a world-famous pop star helps.

Halsey - Colors (Official Music Video)www.youtube.com


MUSIC

New Emily Rowed Video Captures Sound in Colors and Textures

The music video for the singer's latest single, "Watercolors," is a synesthetic feast for the eyes and ears.

Synesthesia is the phenomenon by which one of the five senses is experienced through the stimulation of a seemingly unrelated sense.

In other words, when a person claims that she is able to "see" a sound or "hear" a color, she is likely having a synesthetic experience. Much is still unknown about the phenomenon, other than the fact that it's rare. Vancouver-based singer, Emily Rowed, however, seems to have a strong sense of synesthesia, evidenced by her latest music video, "Watercolors."

The video was shot at the 604 Records Soundstage studio and is based on the way Rowed claims to experience the song. In a written statement, she describes her initial vision as "an effortless, flowing love that came out of nowhere. Everything turned into sweet purples and vintage film." And, with the help of director, Daniel Keen, that is exactly what the video became – a blend of soft purple and blue lights drench Rowed as she sings beside her keyboardist and in front of her drummer's silhouette. The video captures this intimate and minimalistic performance, alternating between long shots of Rowed swaying and singing with the band and jarring cuts to grainy film filters and glitchy, VHS-inspired effects that quickly slice the images into disembodied blurs. The overall effect is one that perfectly mirrors the play between soft and sharp, smooth and rough, characteristic of the song.

"Watercolors" is the latest single from Rowed's latest full-length album, April, which dropped on April 12th. And if the rest of April is anything like what Rowed's painted for us with this single, the album is sure to be brimming with audible color.

Emily Rowed - Watercolors (Live)www.youtube.com



Dustin DiPaulo is a writer and musician from Rochester, New York. He received his MFA in Creative Writing from Florida Atlantic University and can most likely be found at a local concert, dive bar, or comedy club (if he's not getting lost somewhere in the woods).


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Black Pumas Release Vibrant Single "Colors" Ahead of Debut Album

Motown gets a modern, psychedelic update in latest Black Puma single.

Psychedelic soul duo, Black Pumas, comprised of vocalist Eric Burton and producer Adrian Quesada, once again deliver their unique blend of classic soul, funk, and East Coast hip-hop in their latest single release "Colors."

In an exclusive with Afrojack, the band said their third single was inspired by the vibrant colors found in a setting sun and touches on "themes of mortality and togetherness." Quesada shared that the track was written on the rooftop of an uncle's house and that "Eric woke up midday and started the song as the sun was going down. He was inspired by the rich multi-colored hues of the sky."

"Colors" is full of attention-grabbing hooks and vintage soul stylings with a twist. Burton's deep, raspy voice alongside Quesada's inventive instrumentation and production pulls listeners in and makes us reminisce about a different time. Beginning with a simple and plucky blues guitar line and a gospel-like organ accompaniment, Burton sets the scene, singing, "Woke up to the morning sky first/Baby blue just like we rehearsed."

From there, the song builds up layer after layer in dynamics and emotional intensity, making it the kind of song you feel in your gut. Burton belts out the chorus with soulful runs that make the lyrics — "All my favorite colors, all my favorite colors, my sister and my brothers, See 'em like no other. It's a good day to be, a good day for me, a good day to see all my favorite colors" — hard to ignore. The Black Pumas are resurrecting the iconic Motown era with a modern update, making music steeped in nostalgia that still manages to be uniquely novel.

The Austin-based duo's star is only rising higher, having made an impression at this year's South By Southwest with their bold and invigorating live performance. Additionally, the band recently announced that they will release their self-titled debut full-length album on June 21 via ATO Records. Black Pumas will make their New York City debut at the Knitting Factory on May 15 before heading out on the European leg of their tour. The band will also play a number of festivals and headlining dates this summer.

For more from the Black Pumas, check out their website here. Listen to "Colors" below!

Black Pumas - Colors (Official Audio)www.youtube.com

Tour Dates

5/15 - Knitting Factory - Brooklyn, NY

5/21 - Bush Hall (w/ The Heavy) - London, UK (SOLD OUT)

5/23 - La Maroquinerie (w/ The Heavy) - Paris, FR (SOLD OUT)

5/24 - De Helling (w/ The Heavy) - Utrecht, NL (SOLD OUT)

5/25 - Lido (w/ The Heavy) - Berlin, DE (SOLD OUT)

5/28 - Trinity Centre (w/ The Heavy) - Bristol, UK (SOLD OUT)

7/2 - Summerfest - Milwaukee, WI

7/4 - Drake Hotel - Toronto, ON

7/6 - Festival d'été International de Québec – Quebec City, QC

7/10 - Club Cafe - Pittsburgh, PA

7/11 - WTMD First Thursday Festival - Baltimore, MD

7/12 - The Basement - Columbus, OH

7/14 - Third and Lindsley - Nashville, TN

7/16 - Triple Crown Whiskey Bar & Raccoon Motel - Davenport, IA

7/17 - 7th St Entry - Minneapolis, MN

7/18 - Shitty Barn - Spring Green, WI

7/19 - Space - Evanston, IL

7/20 - El Club - Detroit, MI

7/23 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA

9/27-29 - Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival - Columbia, MO


Alessandra Rincón is a journalist, writer, and photographer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana living in New York City. She loves covering music, art and culture news and you can usually find her at a show or with her nose in a book. In her spare time she is a musician, comic book nerd and wannabe cook.


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Ali Caldwell is the kind of singer who's so much more than a great voice. Sure, she has beautiful vocals and a great range, but she's also deeply introspective, fully understanding her position as a representative voice and inspiration for young black women. Her lyrics explore self-love, relationships, and empowerment in ways that are relatable to her listeners, allowing them to fully connect with her music.

The New Jersey-born singer got her start in Xhale, a three-person R&B group which opened for Boyz II Men. But it wasn't until season 11 of The Voice that Caldwell came to prominence as a solo artist. Coached by Miley Cyrus and widely considered a frontrunner for the duration of the competition, Caldwell ultimately finished as a semi-finalist after giving stunning performances of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You" and Rihanna's "Sledgehammer." She released her first commercial single, "To Be Loved," in 2018 and, coming off a recent stint on The Four: Battle For Stardom, was inspired to write her new song as a means of self-love and acceptance.

Caldwell dropped by to talk with Popdust's own Deascent about the importance of her family's support for her music career, female empowerment, and what it's like being a role model for young women.

Caldwell performed an impressive rendition of her new song "Colors," an upbeat anthem about letting yourself experience life to its fullest instead of limiting your view to black and white. Afterwards, Caldwell showed off even more of her vocal range in "Why I Sing," a love ballad about receiving artistic inspiration through a great relationship.

Ali Caldwell "Colors"youtu.be

Ali Caldwell "Why I Sing"youtu.be

Then, Deascent forced Caldwell to contemplate the realities of eating human hair and damp tortilla chips. What sort of evil box would ask these questions, and why would anyone allow it to dwell in their office? Can anyone save us from the magic box, or do the questions it forces us to ask fall on deaf ears?

The Magic Box Interview with Ali Caldwellyoutu.be


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