Month: February 2025

To get over a breakup, Saya Gray booked a flight to Japan. “Even though I wasn’t raised in Japan, it’s in my blood and my upbringing,” she tells PAPER. After that cross-country journey, the Japanese-Canadian singer-songwriter went to California where she drove across the whole state. The mixture of both locations — the mountains, the desert and the forest — are what shaped her debut album, SAYA, out now. Though Gray has been in the business for a minute now, … Continue reading “Saya Gray Makes Room for Herself”

While touring with Valerie singer Tei Shi in 2023, Vogue Giambri suddenly lost her mother — a painful experience that only added to the whiplash of life on the road for the New York director. Giambri kept herself busy, though, filming Tei Shi on stage every night opening for Kimbra and journaling about the memories in-between cities. Those personal entries would later become inspiration for a play she wrote and directed, called I Can’t Make Sense, grappling with death and … Continue reading “Vogue Giambri on Her Dark Comedy With Tei Shi”

Nessa Barrett is on a roll. Fresh off the release of AFTERCARE DELUXE — an expanded version of her acclaimed 2024 album AFTERCARE — the alt-pop princess is in the midst of a globe-trotting tour, most recently playing the historic Brooklyn Paramount on February 17. The Brooklyn show landed on the heels of a major moment: Lana Del Rey sharing Barrett’s viral single “LOVE LOOKS PRETTY ON YOU” on Instagram a few days before, a full-circle moment for Barrett who … Continue reading “Backstage With Nessa Barrett in Brooklyn”

Sunday (1994)’s new track, “Doomsday,” strolls in with a sweet, heavy doses of charming nostalgia — drenching you in delectable new wave sound, before Paige Turner’s lush vocals come in, pontificating about death and love over Lee Newell’s bright guitar parts. As PAPER witnessed last year when the duo played a crowded Mercury Lounge show, their sonics and respective transatlantic scenes (Newell is from London, Turner from LA) have given them the ideal perspective for a timeless, yet modern sound, … Continue reading “Sunday (1994) Make Peace With Catastrophe on 'Doomsday'”

How can you ignore an artist named Kuntfetish? The Atlanta rapper had a wild 2024. She had a star-making guest verse on “GTFO” with Doechii, released her debut project, KLUBFETISH, and kept the internet buzzing with a series of eye-popping vlogs, music videos, and TikTok-peaks into her rockstar life. It’s easy to understand why listeners were intrigued: Her production exudes the feeling of a cathartic night on the dance floor, while her lyrics beg you to take notes on every … Continue reading “Kuntfetish Takes Us to the 'Klub'”

Orville Peck is making his way to New York. This March, the country crooner and PAPER cover star steps onto the legendary stage at Carnegie Hall for the 38th Annual Tibet House US Benefit Concert. With this performance, Peck will be stepping into a lineage of artists who’ve turned one-night-only collaborations into cultural milestones. “It’s the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday, which is really cool and exciting to be able to perform for,” Peck tells PAPER. “But I’m also really excited … Continue reading “Orville Peck Is Moving Back to New York”

PAPER <3s NY and PAPER <3s the DJs that keep us moving. That’s why we’re proud to present The Tear, our mix series highlighting the best DJs spinning in the city we call home. Last month, we shared a mix by Ladiez Drink Free, a light-hearted carry featuring acid, hard house and funk. Today, we share a mix from none other than NYC legend, Nita Aviance. You surely know her. Whether it’s as one-half of legendary duo The Carry Nation … Continue reading “PAPER Presents The Tear: Nita Aviance”

Mallrat has long been one of pop’s great collagists. A true child of the internet, her music is a synthesis of her many eclectic influences (Lana, SOPHIE, Drain Gang). But even as she thrillingly combines references and genres, it’s her writing — always honest, always heartfelt — that has allowed her to rack up fans around the world. Since she began releasing music in the mid-2010s, she has collaborated with the likes of Azealia Banks, The Chainsmokers and notched big … Continue reading “Mallrat Takes Us Track by Track Through Her New Album”

Kim Gordon stands alone in a desolate junkyard, surrounded by stacks of destroyed vehicles and the occasional puff of dust. Tires, contorted metal and fragmented car doors create a maze for the iconic noise musician to slowly walk through, assessing all surfaces like a curious alien who’s landed on earth after we inevitably destroyed ourselves in the apocalypse. Gordon holds a red electric guitar, with cords wrapped loosely around her shoulder, before pressing its body against a metal surface with … Continue reading “Kim Gordon Shreds Her Guitar in a Junkyard”

Paris Hilton knows what it’s like to be adored, so it’s fitting that her latest single digs into that theme — a fun, glittery track all about “loving yourself.” “For me, ‘Adored’ is all about confidence, stepping into your power,” Paris says of the track, premiering today on PAPER alongside a whimsical, neon-filled film. “I wanted this video to feel like a fantasy — glossy, surreal, and larger than life — while still being effortlessly iconic,” she says. “It’s playful, … Continue reading “Paris Hilton Spins a Pop Star Fantasy With 'Adored'”