TMZ reports that “according to the Lafourche Parish Clerk of Court,” Del Rey and Dufrene picked up a marriage license on September 23. The paperwork apparently hasn’t been returned yet, so it appears the two haven’t tied the knot, or at least haven’t made it legally official.
In August, the two were seen holding hands backstage at Leeds Festival in the UK (via this TikTok video), shopping at Harrods in London, and eating at a local pub.
The connection between the two dates as far back as 2019, when Del Rey went on one of Dufrene’s tours and shared photos of it on Facebook. Del Rey then went on another tour earlier this year and posted about it on Instagram, tagging Dufrene in the post, calling him “my guy.”
Beyond that, Del Rey is preparing her upcoming album Lasso, and she recently said of it, “All my albums are somewhat rooted in Americana, unless it’s an album like Honeymoon which has a jazz flair, so I don’t think it will be a heavy departure. If anything, it will just be a little lighter lyrically, and more pointed in a classic country, American, or Southern Gothic production — which again, so many of my songs already are.”
Halsey faced a health scare recently, but fortunately, the artist appears to be alright.
Yesterday (September 25), Halsey took to Instagram to share a video of herself lying in a hospital bed, alongside fiancé Avan Jogia, writing in the post’s caption, “Happy Late Bi Visibility Day. This year I’m celebrating by dying with a man by my side (for legal reasons that’s a joke).”
Then, late last night, a fan on X (formerly Twitter) asked about Halsey’s health and the singer responded, “I’m home from the hospital now after a few days, so a win is a win!” Somebody else asked if Halsey’s hospital visit was “related to chronic health issues or something new/acute” and she responded, “I had a seizure! Very scary! Don’t recommend it!”
Beyond that unfortunate bump in the road, though, things are largely going well for Halsey. She’s in the middle of rolling out her new album, The Great Impersonator, and she got some stage time at the 2024 MTV VMAs earlier this month to perform “Ego.”
Welcome to SNX DLX, your weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the internet. This week we’ve got a strong list of eight but the brand variety leaves a lot to be desired. So if you’re not a Nike fan (which there seems to be less of and less of these days), this will probably be a rough week for you. If you are however a fan of the big swoosh, this week is one for the books!
Nike is bringing a mix of old and new with tried and true silhouettes like the Dunk and Jordan getting fresh colorways, and newcomers like the Ja 2 getting new paint jobs. Outside of Nike we’ve got a seasonal collection from New Balance that sees some of its most popular silhouettes get the elevated Made in USA treatment with some seasonal-appropriate colorways.
But we know why you’re here — as great as this week’s lineup is the one sneaker that is sucking all of the oxygen out of the room is the latest Travis Scott drop, the Air Jordan 1 Low Medium Olive. It’s not the most radical Travis Scott and Jordan link-up, but like all of La Flame’s sneaker collaborations, it’s dope as f*ck.
Will the sneaker actually drop this week like all the sneaker sites are forcasting? Nobody knows for sure, the sneaker isn’t listed on SNKRS (yet) and the Travis Scott merch site just says “soon.” We’re willing to bet that the drop is indeed happening, so if you’re looking for it, we have the best links. Let’s dive into the best sneaker drops this week.
The return of the Clogposite returns! For the second time this month, Nike is showing the ‘’00s-era sneaker (if you want to call it a sneaker) some love with a brand-new stealthy colorway. The Black and Metallic Silver Clogposite sports a molded upper and midsole in all-black with metallic accents that give it a futuristic sheen.
The Nike Clogposite Black and Metallic Silver is out now for a retail price of $140. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
If you weren’t lucky enough to cop last week’s Verdy SB Dunk, we feel your pain, so take this week’s Ceramic low-top Dunk as a consolation prize. Assuming you’re lucky enough to cop this one.
No, it’s not an SB Dunk, but the Ceramic is still dope thanks to its premium nubuck leather upper, padded collar, and mix of clay, black, and seaweed tones. It’s a simple three-color design on one of Nike’s all-time greatest silhouettes. It might not have hype going for it, but it looks great and that’s all that really matters.
The Nike Dunk Low Ceramic is out now for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
Of the new class of signature basketball sneakers, Ja Morant’s Ja 2 is one of our favorites. This week the sneaker is getting a deconstructionist take, with a broken down and simplified upper that is designed to take much of the weight off of the sneaker.
Although the upper has been thinned out, the sneaker still rides atop Air Zoom cushioning, giving you the same step and responsiveness other Ja 2 models offer but with much less bulk. And as is always the case with Ja’s signatures, it looks great.
The Nike Ja 2 Induction Taupe Grey and Cobalt Bliss is set to drop on September 26 at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $120. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
The A Ma Maniére Jordan 4 While You Were Sleeping is one of our favorite sneaker drops of the year, and this week it’s getting a SNKRS release, which means if you missed your chance to cop this beautiful pair at retail price, you have one more shot.
The WYWS AJ-4 sports a leather upper with suede accents, quilted lining, and a beautiful mix of stone, burgundy, and grey colors. It’s not only one of the finest sneakers to drop all year, it’s one of A Ma Maniére’s absolute best. If you’ve followed the Atlanta brand, that’s very high-praise.
The Air Jordan 4 x A Ma Maniére W.Y.M.S. is set to drop on September 26th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $225. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.
NikeNike
New Balance Made in USA 993 Mushroom with Midnight Violet/ Olive Leaf with Maize
New Balance is unloading a lot of great sneakers in its latest seasonal collection this week, starting with this double 993 drop. The sneaker features Made in USA elevated construction with an upper composed of mesh and premium suede overlays over an ABZROB midsole outfitted with NB’s ACTEVA midsole cushioning and a full-length rubber outsole.
Rounding out the design are reflective accents throughout the upper which help the sneaker shimmer in certain lights. NB is going the hippie route with the colorways, the brown pair is being called “Mushroom with Midnight Violet,” while the green pair is “Olive Leaf with Maize.”
As far as we’re concerned, NB can call their sneakers whatever the hell they want as long as they look this good.
The New Balance Made in USA 993 Mushroom and Olive Leaf are set to drop on September 26th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $219.99. Pick up a pair at New Balance.
If you’re not feeling the 993, consider this 990v6! The sneaker features the same Made in USA construction with a mesh underlay and suede and synthetic overlays. The sneaker rides on an ENCAP midsole and FuelCell foam, which NB promises will provide a “propulsive” feel. As an avid 990v6 wearer, I can confirm that the sneaker does generally have a great bouncy feel to it.
The New Balance Made in USA 990v6 Rich Oak is set to drop on September 26th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $219.99. Pick up a pair at New Balance.
Nike drops a lot of shoes week to week and while what the brand releases isn’t always worthwhile, you can expect at least one safe choice bearing the “Air Jordan,” name. This safe choice always features a popular silhouette from the Jordan lineage dressed in a pretty easy-to-love color combination. This week’s safe choice is the AJ-12 Black and Wolf Grey.
The Sneaker features an all-leather upper in a mix of grey and black colors. It’s not exciting, but hey, who can say this doesn’t look dope?
The Air Jordan 12 Black and Wolf Grey is set to drop on September 28th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $200. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app, or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
NikeNike
Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low Medium Olive
GOAT
Price: $150
Here it is — La Flame’s latest link-up with Nike, the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low Medium Olive. The sneaker sports a upper in premium black suede with white leather overlays, a slightly aged midsole, and a big backward olive suede Swoosh. Rounding out the design is Cactus Jack and Jordan branding at the tongue and heel.
Unlike most Travis Scott Nike link-ups, this sneaker will drop in women’s sizing. A welcome change for many small-footed Travis fans for sure. Good luck hunting this one.
The Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 Low Medium Olive is set to drop on September 28th at 7:00 AM PST for a retail price of $150. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app, select Jordan retailers, in-store at Nike, or aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.
Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.
The immediate headline from SZA’sHot Ones episode that dropped today (September 26) is what’s going with (or “on,” more accurately) her face: She did the whole show in a facial prosthetic that makes her look like a bug.
SZA explained it at about 12 minutes into the episode, saying, “This one brings me so much peace of mind. It just… in the realm of, like, being a person is so daunting, and like being your own skin and […] just the freedom of… of yeah, for no other reason other than I’m just tired of being not a bug. It’s like, ‘What the f*ck?’ Wouldn’t you want to be a bug if you could be anything else?”
Meanwhile, starting at about six minutes into the video, SZA satisfied her curiosity about host Sean Evans. She asked about his relationship status and wondered why he’s not married, saying, “Do you feel like this is more exciting than any connection you have with the opposite sex?” With a smile, Evans explained how the show “meets me halfway all the time,” adding, “What I put into it, I get out of it.” He concluded by saying he has an “honest relationship” with Hot Ones.
SZA replied, “I f*ck with that. I wish I could say the same for music.” She continued, “It’s just not honest enough for me. I never know what’s happening. I be like, ‘I thought you liked this?’ And then they’re like, ‘No, stupid. We hate this! We want more of this,’ and it’s just so confusing. I’m just like, ‘What… does my boyfriend love me?’ It’s abusive, but it’s also very fulfilling and validating. I’m in a different type of relationship. You have a good thing.” She then agreed with Evans’ takeaway that SZA is in a “toxic relationship with music.”
Netflix succeeds mightily at transforming beloved shows of yesteryear including Suits and Dexter into streaming powerhouses that launch spin offs due to their undeniable and enduring popularity. In that same spirit, the streaming service also retools existing IP like The Lincoln Lawyer, the Michael Connelly book series that was the basis of a Matthew McConaughey movie that isn’t nearly as memorable as the TV series, starring as Manuel Garcia-Rulfo, that will soon roll into a third season.
The show also believes in giving viewers what they want, which means that even though Neve Campbell’s Maggie left the building, the third season is bringing her back, which runs counter to the book that this season is based upon. Let’s chat about what comes next on Mickey Haller’s docket:
Plot
LA’s most sensational defense attorney has already expanded his professional horizons beyond his backseat in the series, and a new trailer emphasizes how Mickey remains the most punchable lawyer in town. How is his nose still intact? We might not receive an answer to that question, but the trailer also addresses speculation about why this season’s leading case will be more “personal” than we’ve seen Mickey tackle before now.
The show’s maverick leading legal man will proceed into territory covered by Connelly’s fifth The Lincoln Lawyer book, The Gods of Guilt, which picks up with Mickey confronting “the ghosts of his past” after receiving a “187” text message referring to the California penal code for murder. As the second-season finale suggested and the third-season trailer confirms, the victim in this new case is Gloria Dayton/Glory Days (Fiona Rene), an ex-client about whom Mickey will wonder whether he contributed to her fate.
As always, the show will walk the line, so as to not pull viewers down with heavy subject matter because levity can be found in the amount of swings taken at Mickey, largely to his face as emphasized by the season’s key art:
Netflix
Not only will the iconoclast be playfully dragged by one ex wife, Lorna (Becki Newton), about these punches, but Mickey’s other ex-wife, Maggie (Campbell), has been written into the season as opposed to The Gods Of Guilt.
Although the show moved Maggie to San Diego for professional reasons, Maggie will figure prominently into Mickey’s state of mind and also be seen by viewers. As co-showrunner Ted Humphrey told Netflix, she “continues to be on the personal axis of Mickey’s life … [she’s] always in the back of his being. There’s always something about Maggie that’s there.”
How present is she in his mind? Humphrey believes, “When he meets new girls, I think he’s always feeling that he’s cheating on her.” In the trailer, Maggie is shown fretting over Mickey’s well being, and she will also appear in “a flashback sequence that gave us some insight into how Mickey Haller became Mickey Haller — not just the brilliant criminal defense lawyer, but the husband, the father, and the man that he would come to be.”
Netflix
If you’re wondering why Mickey is in a wetsuit ^^^ up there, this is a scene from the past where Maggie embraces him while he is “finishing up surfing before a life-changing day at work.” He will be “cuddling on the couch with his wife Maggie after putting their young daughter Hayley to bed” in flashback scenes that will propel Mickey into the work that he must do now.
Cast
Several new cast members are on the roster, including Mayans M.C.‘s Michael Kirby as DEA Agent James De Marco. New defendants include Eddie Rojas (Allyn Moriyon) (a very fit dude and ex-babysitter for Hayley), and David Lyons (Wolé Parks). Also, Judge Regina Turner (Merrin Dungey) has arrived to put Mickey through the wringer, as is the case for prosecutor William Forsythe (John Pirruccello). Additionally, Chief Deputy DA Adam Suarez (Philip Anthony-Rodriguez) will not be a friendly face to Mickey, but the jury is still out for new witness Annabeth Stephens (Maisie Klompus).
Returning cast members will definitely include Neve Campbell as Maggie, along with his other ex, Lorna (Becki Newton), and we can expect to see Elliott Gould (Legal Siegal), Krista Warner (Hayley), Yaya DaCosta (Andrea), Jazz Raycole (Izzy), Angus Sampson (Cisco), and Devon Graye (Julian La Cosse), as well as memories featuring Fiona Rene (Glory Days).
Release Date
This show has achieved what few do on streaming: a one-year gap between seasons. Mickey’s Lincoln will roll back into town with ten new episodes on October 17.
Trailer
So many punches (and ex-wifes) surface in this trailer:
Sinego is leading the way for the emerging Latin electronic music scene. The Colombian producer, multi-instrumentalist, and singer traveled to 13 different countries across Latin America to fuse local rhythms with house music for his debut album, Alterego. Now with the recent drop of the deluxe edition bringing techno into the mix, Sinego has been on a non-stop tour of the world with his genre-bending bangers.
“I’m creating bridges that go further than the fusions I’m doing in music,” Sinego tells Uproxx. “To be someone from Latin America doing this and representing this movement is so important. This album is helping to show that we can create an impact with electronic Latin music.”
Sinego was born in Bogotá and currently resides in Mexico City. The DJ first rose to prominence thanks to his unique blend of house music and Latin America’s romantic boleros. Sinego turned age-old classics like “No Soy De Aquí” and “Historia De Un Amor” into spellbinding dance tracks. Following his house bolero breakthrough, he went on a two-year exploration of countries like Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, Peru, Cuba, and Ecuador to learn about their sounds and create music with local musicians. In Sinego’s sprawling and ambitious Alterego, Latin genres like cumbia, samba, mambo, Venezuela’s variation of calypso, and tango are re-imagined through an EDM lens.
Since releasing the album, Sinego has appeared at music festivals like Lightning In A Bottle, EDC Mexico, and Tomorrowland’s Core Medellín Festival. As a part of Diplo’s Higher Ground collective, he also performed at the Brooklyn Mirage in New York. With artists like Sinego making Latin electronic music more visible, the Latin Grammy Awards added a new category this year.
Over Zoom, he talked with Uproxx about his new album, his love of Anthony Bourdain, and Latinx representation in EDM.
Where did the idea come from to travel across Latin America to create Alterego?
I was inspired by Anthony Bourdain. He had a very nice show where he traveled to all the countries and explored their cultures through food. That was everything that I watched as a kid, like Anthony Bourdain dining with Barack Obama or Anthony Bourdain in Palestine. With that in mind, I thought there is also a way to explore each country through music, so it was cool to travel to these different countries to find out what makes them unique.
How would you describe the experience of exploring different genres, rhythms, and cultures in these 13 countries?
It was amazing because I was able to visit a lot of countries like Cuba and Ecuador, which really shaped a new way of life for me. I feel like it’s a more detached way of living. It’s more about living different experiences and being proud of my culture. It has been very nurturing for me. A lot of these genres are very slow, so in order to adapt them into electronic music, it was quite a challenge. Now that we’re doing it, I think it’s working out great.
Was the journey you went on for Alterego eye-opening in any way?
It made me feel that we can be proud of our identity. I realized we can also be proud of our specific genres because international people can connect with our music. For example, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina connect with techno or house music, and places like Belgium and Portugal connect with our genres. It’s something worth being proud of.
What’s the story behind the song “Benjamin Carrión”?
It’s one of my favorite songs to play live. Benjamin Carrión is super interesting because in many countries in Latin America, you can find statues of him. For example, there’s a statue of him in Mexico City behind the Palacio de Bellas Artes, even though he is from Ecuador. He was someone that wrote books, literature, and poetry. He also traveled and culturally connected a lot of the world. He was a very important figure for me when I was creating the album, like Anthony Bourdain. Besides working on his art, Benjamin also took it far away with him to different countries.
How did the song “Mala” come together?
When I was exploring Venezuela, I was really impacted by the fact that they had a lot of different genres and rhythms. Some of the sounds come from the country’s proximity to the coast of Trinidad And Tobago. There’s a specific genre called calypso that’s very unique to Venezuela that I love. There’s also a song called “Woman Del Callao” that Juan Luis Guerra had covered. This song has a very weird key. It’s not like a key in salsa, bomba, or any of these traditional genres. Being a drummer, I was very inspired by it. I decided to take that rhythm and make it into an electronic track. The lyrics are about dancing with a girl at night and going with her.
What was it like working with Lucy Vives on the song “Hueso”?
Lucy is a very deep soul. She has a very revolutionary feeling in her bones. She’s not someone that settles for the status quo of the music industry, so working with her was very exciting. We had to make something that made her feel proud and where she’s challenging the status quo. It was very nice. She’s a great writer. I think it’s hard to find that in the music industry nowadays. She’s also someone that models, paints, and directs music videos. She’s an interdisciplinary artist, so it’s challenging because you also have to step up to that level.
Who would you love to collaborate with next?
I would like to work with Hermanos Gutiérrez, Mochakk, Maz, Gustavo Santaolalla, Nicola Cruz, and Kerala Dust.
How do you feel about representing Latin American music, folklore, and culture in the EDM space?
It was time to do it. For a long time, artists from Europe were sampling a lot of music from Latin America, but the credit was going more towards those spaces. It’s good now that Latin America is finally getting the benefits of its music that’s exported worldwide. It’s also a responsibility, because if no one is doing it, then it’s not going to happen. We need people like me, but we also need people who are different from me, so we have more diversity. We need people to be more proud of their cultures and to be reckless when playing live in Europe, Asia, and the US.
What do you think about the Latin Grammy Awards adding the Best Latin Electronic Music Performance category this year?
I think it’s a huge step forward for electronic music made in Latin America. A lot of music made in Latin America with electronic music was being sampled, but it wasn’t being recognized. For example, Totó La Momposina did a lot of tracks from Colombia that ended up being placed with huge DJs like Hugel or Diplo, but the recognition that the original artist deserves maybe wasn’t completely there. It’s an excellent initiative that is happening. Whoever wins, I think it really helps develop the genre. Everyone is winning by the category existing.
What can we expect from you next?
There’s a lot of collaborations coming with old but very good artists, like Joan Sebastian and Antonio Aguilar from Mexico, and artists in the salsa space with Fania Records. I was able to get a hold of a lot of this old catalog and make it into electronic music. It’s these collaborations with artists from the ’50s and ’60s, which I think will bring a new and fresh wave to Latin music. I was able to clear the rights [for the music] with the families of these artists. Their families are excited to share old music with that twist of electronic music.
What do you want to accomplish next in your music career?
There’s a lot of festivals like Tomorrowland that have a lot of history and legacy. Now it’s time for them to start working with more local artists like myself. For example, let’s say they bring Tomorrowland to Mexico or Colombia. We should be able to curate our own stages and bring more of the local flavor to these festivals. The next step is to help these big electronic festivals and names like Circoloco and Tomorrowland connect with a regional crowd. That’s the next challenge that I think is very achievable and we’re working towards it.
What do you see for the future of Latin music in the EDM space?
Sampling Latin artists is going to keep being a very hot topic for the next few years in all genres. I think it started with house, but now it’s fusing into techno. You see a lot of techno artists fusing high-BPM tracks with bachata, for example. Bachata is super fast. There’s artists like Proyecto Uno being mixed with techno, which was unimaginable 10 years ago. Keinemusic just played in Mexico City and they premiered a collaboration with Rauw Alejandro, which was unimaginable five years ago. Now it’s happening and the sky’s the limit. There’s going to be more samples and Latin music is going to be more utilized to bring more energy and freshness to electronic music.
In the past year-plus, ESPN has made some massive changes to their NBA coverage team. A year ago, Jalen Rose, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson were all let go as part of company-wide layoffs. Doc Rivers stepped in to the lead booth along with Doris Burke but left for the Bucks head coaching job midseason. JJ Redick was elevated into Rivers’ spot, but promptly took the Lakers job at the end of the season.
Most recently, the league’s top newsbreaker, Adrian Wojnarowski, announced his shocking retirement to go work for his beloved alma mater, St. Bonaventure. With Woj already gone, another bomb dropped on Thursday when The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand brought word that ESPN was also laying off its top NBA writer and podcaster, Zach Lowe. Per Marchand, Lowe being let go falls in line with the Robert Griffin III and Samantha Ponder departures earlier this year, as Lowe made north of seven figures annually and was fired for budget reasons.
Lowe was the most prominent NBA writer not only on ESPN’s staff, but arguably in the entire league. Beyond his written work, Lowe’s podcast, The Lowe Post, has been extremely popular and he has been a regular contributor on TV with NBA Today and other studio shows. Lowe had been at ESPN for more than a decade, starting his career at Grantland and then moving over to the dot com after they shuttered the Bill Simmons-led site. As such, many would expect the Ringer to be a potential landing spot for Lowe, who immediately becomes the most sought after free agent in the NBA writing and podcasting space. He also could be in play for NBC and Amazon, as they both get set to be new national broadcast partners of the NBA in 2025-26.
As for ESPN, they are now tasked with not only reshaping their NBA coverage on the TV side, still needing to figure out their lead booth and the potential domino effect that will have on their other game broadcasts, but also their written coverage with Lowe and Woj both gone.
Ana de Armas showed off her action movie bonafides in a scene-stealing performance in the most recent James Bond film, Spectre. Now she’s joined another iconic franchise, this time as the lead.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina is set between the events of John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum and John Wick: Chapter 4 and stars de Armas as Eve Macarro, who is “beginning her training in the assassin traditions of the Ruska Roma,” per the official plot synopsis. In other words, she’s a ballerina assassin (it’s a big year for ballerina hybrids).
You can watch the trailer above.
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina also stars Anjelica Huston, Gabriel Byrne, Catalina Sandino Moreno, Norman Reedus, and from the John Wick films, Ian McShane, the late Lance Reddick, and, yes, Keanu Reeves.
“I’m in pain,” de Armas said about filming Ballerinalast year. “My body, my back, everything hurts. I’m sore, I’m bruised.” She also described what it’s like doing stunt work with John Wick himself. “This man is just rolling and throwing me and doing these crazy stunts, and I’m like, ‘I can’t complain anymore. I’m done.’ Because he’s doing it. He truly is the best.”
From the World of John Wick: Ballerina opens in theaters on June 6, 2025.
Even if you don’t know who Ebru Yildiz is yet, you’ve at least seen her photos: She’s photographed notable artist portraits for the likes of Lucy Dacus, Interpol, Pink, Idles, David Byrne, Uproxx cover star Snail Mail, and perhaps most famously, Mitski.
Born and raised in Ankara, Turkey, Yildiz moved to New York City in 1998, but she didn’t start taking photographs right away. It’s her intercontinental journey from music lover to noted music photographer that brings Yildiz into the Sound + Vision limelight (her work with Mitski yielded a nomination for Best Merch Design).
Yildiz’s passion for her craft is palpable in her images. This isn’t just someone who loves to take photos: This is a photographer who loves to get to the root of her subjects and the stories beneath their skin. While she shoots in both color and black and white mediums, it’s in the latter that Yildiz’s style leaves the most lasting emotional response. There’s a raw humanity captured in her shots where an artist seems to show multiple sides of themselves with just one look. Her work with Mitski on the singer’s latest album, The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We, doesn’t just grace the cover of the album. A series of shoots help to peel back the layers of the artist’s mystique, uncovering the stories within the gorgeous, fractured Americana of the album and prod at the essence of what makes Yildiz’s subject a generational one.
Yildiz shoots for magazines, labels, and her own personal projects, like Phosphene, a photography zine featuring some of her favorite subjects. The love of the game is at the core of Yildiz’s work and it’s what makes her a unique and important figure in music photography today. We caught up with her by phone from her home in New York City, shortly before she took off to Turkey, where she was curating a photography exhibit entitled Beyond The Spotlight: Chronicles In Music History.
“So many of my heroes and friends are in it,” said Yildiz, a perfect envoy to make sense of the visual side of the music world.
Ebru Yildiz
What brought you out to New York in 1998 initially? Were you already into photography?
No, I actually came to study advertising and marketing [laughs]. So it wasn’t related, but I grew interested in the graphic design part, and within that, I got interested in photography. I randomly took a printing class that got this all started. My love for music has always been there, so I started taking my camera to concerts. Before that, I don’t think I was very good at shooting anything. I would try to take photos on the street and stuff, and I don’t think my personality suits that. I sucked so bad! So when I started taking photos at concerts, I was excited because I really loved it.
At what point did you move away from concerts and get into shooting portraits for musicians and artists? Was there some proverbial “big break” moment, or somebody you worked with that just led to more?
I’d always been interested in portraits, but I wouldn’t dare to do it at first. When you’re shooting a concert, you don’t have to interact with anyone, and you can do whatever you want in a photo pit because you’re not dependent on the other person: You’re working on your own and you have no direct connection with the person you’re photographing. So that felt comfortable, yet it was my natural gateway into taking portraits, because I started taking photos of my musician friends.
When you start taking portraits, your personality starts coming into play. You have to be talking with people, and at the same time, you have to be directing what you want to do and be in control of the light. It’s more challenging in many ways and this is why I was scared of portraits in the beginning. But there was also a fear of that human interaction, because I started as a fan. Whenever I’m shooting, I’m their biggest fan, that admiration is in play, but you don’t want to come across like it. There’s a real critical balance, too. It took time and eventually I made a conscious decision to not shoot live music anymore and to shoot only portraits. I threw myself into that and rented a small studio and focused on portraits from then on.
You’ve worked with people who are enigmatic, like Mitski, or even Julian Casablancas recently, who’s notoriously very particular about the way he looks in photos. How do you break down that wall you’ve alluded to, to make them feel comfortable and to be able to create alongside them?
First of all, I need to prepare myself before the shoot starts in a lot of ways, even if it’s an artist that I’m already familiar with. I do a lot of research to see what’s out there, how they photograph, and what works for them, just to get an idea of general visual history that they have on the internet, along with their personal history, so I know things about them that I can talk to them about. I go into the shoot knowing what I’m gonna do, but once a shoot starts, plans dissipate often, because it totally depends on the interaction you have with the person or what kind of mood they’re in. It’s the preparation that puts me at ease, because I get insanely nervous before every single shoot [laughs], regardless of who I’m shooting. I have butterflies all the time. Until the minute I meet them, I’m so nervous. But once I meet them, everything just kind of slows down in my head because I know I’m prepared and I get into work mode.
Once I’m there, during the shoots — full day, half day, whatever — I don’t eat, drink, or go to the bathroom. I’m completely in it. Taking photos really excites me. I love, love, love it, and I think people realize that I love what I’m doing, so it becomes contagious and they want to be a part of that. I talk a lot and ramble sometimes because I have to stop midway to tell them to turn left or look up… madness during the shoot.
Ebru Yildiz
It’s interesting the way you describe that, of how you try to get a reaction or have your subject share that passion and sink into the process, because I see a lot of that in the latest The Land Is Inhospitable And So Are We shoot with Mitski. I think I can say pretty definitively that it’s some of your best work. It’s so visceral and raw, and you get so much out of her in these photos — different reactions and sides of her that come through in these images and inspires so much in my mind. Take me into that photo shoot in Nashville. What was it like?
I met Mitski way back in 2016 when she was doing photos for Puberty 2. Not the cover, but her press photos. So we already had a relationship that started eight years ago or so, and we’d done other shoots recently, like the album artwork and press photos and a [Phosphene] zine together. So we had a relationship, a little bit of history, and that brings some trust, so we both know what we’re capable of in a way.
That shoot is a really, really special one. Let me start from the beginning: When I started that project, she sent me some inspirations and said that she had a couple of things in mind. I took that and turned it into a 10-page inspiration board, and we had an idea of what we wanted to do in general. We rented a location and spent three days there, part days so we weren’t exhausted.
I have to say, a lot of things depend on how invested the person you’re photographing is, and Mitski has always been really invested. She’s one of those artists who never does anything half-assed. If she’s doing a photo shoot, she’s doing it and gives her energy, does her best so you can do your best.
The shoot was really intimate. She didn’t want any styling, any hair or makeup. To be honest, all the females in the music industry are expected to look a certain way. Usually, the inspiration is something more glamorous, but our inspiration board was this imagery that was a little bit grotesque — she didn’t really fit into what people expect from her. There was a specific way that she wanted her audience to experience her art and her album.
As a photographer, especially a female photographer, we all grew up with the male gaze. All the white male photographers told us what a woman needs to look like. So when I started photographing, I made a point that I don’t want the woman that I photograph to look that way. I want a woman’s strength to show through their personality and not necessarily how they look or all the other stuff.
That totally comes through for sure.
I’m not saying that I don’t want to make the women that I photograph beautiful or powerful. But I don’t think the beauty or sexiness or this and that that people seem to be concerned with has to come through physical appearances, if that makes sense. I feel like every woman that I photograph is incredibly beautiful in their own specific way. So this shoot with Mitski was the ultimate representation of that. She didn’t even ask to see the photos even once midway through, or say, “Is my hair looking good,” or whatever. There wasn’t anything like that, which was very freeing on both of our ends. It was one of the most wonderful shoots I have ever done. I remember as we were leaving, I thought, “This is one of the best things I’ve ever done and I haven’t even seen the photos yet.” It was the feeling and it felt so good and really right. It was excellent.
So like in this shoot, you work a lot in black and white. What is it about that particular medium and aesthetic that’s powerful for you as a photographer? What is it that you get across in black and white that feels different for you in what you’re trying to evoke as opposed to full-color images?
I love color photos, too. There’s time and place for it, and if the project I’m working on requires it, I have no problem working in color. But I prefer black and white for my personal work. The reason behind it is multifold: One of them is that color is very time-specific in my head. Like when you see a color photo from the ’60s and ’70s, you can tell the time period immediately. Same goes for the 2000s when digital came along. And the other thing is, when you look at a color photo, I feel like the first thing you see most of the time, you get distracted — I go for emotion and mental state in my photos and I think that a lot (most) of the time, color kind of complicates that, because your attention gets distracted with colors. When it’s black and white, it removes one level of distraction so you’re more focused on the photo.
Most importantly, all my inspiration, all the photographers I look up to — Diana Arbus, Sarah Moon, Deborah Turbeville, Bill Brandt, Jim Marshall, Irving Penn, Richard Avedon — are from older times, where color photos weren’t even in the picture. That has an effect. I also first started photography in a black and white printing dark room. So there are all these different levels to it. Some are practical, some are conscious, and some are unconscious decisions.
One thing I really like about your work is that it’s not just limited to Pink or Interpol or Mitski. Looking at some of the acts you’ve worked with a lot, like Chelsea Wolfe — I love your Chelsea Wolfe photos — Emma Ruth Rundle, A Place To Bury Strangers, other more emerging acts, I get a sense that you work with a lot of artists that you love, or as you mentioned earlier, friends. How do you balance that, working on the things you love and matter the most to you while also trying to make a living at the same time?
To be honest, I love doing personal projects. In the past, some of my inspirations were Life photo essays. In the past, publications used to assign photographers and send them out to places for days at a time to get a photo essay about a person. I find that really meaningful, because you get to see different aspects of a person. I really wanted to do that because there wasn’t anyone out there willing to assign me anything like that. So I started doing personal projects. What better way to do that than reaching out to people that you actually love?
While I do work with bigger artists, it’s not as if I wouldn’t work with anyone who doesn’t have X number of followers. Most of the time, I don’t say no to jobs. I accept what comes to me. Because of that, I got introduced to a lot of emerging acts, like photographing Mitski for the first time eight years ago. Sure, she was known then, but not like she is now.
Ebru Yildiz
Yeah, you shot Idles six years ago and look at where they are now.
Yes! With Idles, I heard one song on a friend’s Instagram Story when they were playing a show in New York. I didn’t even hear a full song, just part of one on his Story, and I fell in love with them. I didn’t even see the band, just heard the music.
So their label [Partisan] is one that I work with a lot and photograph a lot of their artists. I reached out and I said, “Who is this band? I’d love to take some photos with them if they have time.” And it kinda happened the same day. They played one night, and the next day, I was taking photos and I hadn’t even seen them live at that point. It’s a perfect example because I really enjoyed their music and wanted to have a record of them as a photographic document in a way.
What kind of advice would you give to creatives or aspiring photographers who are trying to find their way or channel their passion, or maybe they already are and want to take it to the next level?
The most important thing is for them to keep going. Sometimes the expectation, especially with Instagram and such, people are oftentimes after overnight success. In my experience, it doesn’t happen that way most of the time. If you’re going in for immediate success, you might be setting yourself up for failure. Instead, if you’re doing it because you love doing it, you just need to keep at it until you can make money from it. Until that comes, there’s no shame in making money from other jobs.
Like anything else, I have no doubt that if anyone has passion for it and keeps doing it, regardless of recognition or getting money or not, if they keep doing it, I can’t see why they wouldn’t be successful.
The just-released teaser trailer for The Last Of Us season 2 is a lot to process. There’s the introduction of Kaitlyn Dever as Abby, Isabela Merced as Dina, and Catherine O’Hara as a mysterious character; Joel’s (Pedro Pascal) fatherly affection for Ellie (Bella Ramsey); and lots of very expensive shots of the two of them crossing the country’s snowy terrain on horseback. There’s also a strong focus on music, not only with Ellie playing the guitar, but also the song that plays throughout the trailer. But what song is it?
The Last Of Us season 2 teaser trailer is soundtracked by Pearl Jam‘s “Future Days,” the final track from their 2013 album Lightning Bolt. It’s a deep cut in the band’s discography, but one that makes sense if you’ve played The Last Of Us video games. Much of The Last of Us Part II, the game this season is based on, is set in Pearl Jam’s home turf of Seattle, Washington.
You can watch the trailer above. Here’s the official logline: “After five years of peace following the events of the first season, Joel and Ellie’s collective past catches up to them, drawing them into conflict with each other and a world even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left behind.”
The Last Of Us season 2 premieres on HBO and Max in 2025.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
