Teddy Swims’ “Lose Control” is officially one of the biggest songs in Billboard Hot 100 history. For Swims, though, it started not with originals, but his YouTube covers that initially brought him attention. Now he admits it was a tough transition to get into writing his own songs.
In a new interview with CBC’s Q, Swims explained:
“I can see why so many people get stuck in a cover world, where they never break out, because it’s just the comparison to yourself to some of the greatest songs on Earth that you’ve sang, that you’ve maybe gotten some notoriety for. It tore me up to be like, ‘How the hell am I ever going to write a ‘[You’re] Still The One?’ […] I was terrified of people just being like, they don’t want to hear any of my stuff.”
He also spoke about learning how to write authentic songs, saying, “It turns out when you’re trying to write something to be relatable, that is so not the relatable thing. I find that if you write things so, so super-ly specific about you, that’s the most relatable thing, the thing that you think only you are going through, because it turns out everybody’s going through the same damn thing.”
“Have you gone to therapy today?” Latin Mafia asked in a recent Instagram story post with a link to their album. In addition to becoming the most exciting post-genre act out of Mexico City, the trio of brothers is removing the stigma against mental health in their songs. By being transparent about their own struggles in their debut LP Todos Los Días Todo El Día, Latin Mafia has forged a strong emotional bond with their fans.
“We’re not Latin Mafia without the people that listen to our music and connect with us,” Latin Mafia’s Emilio de la Rosa says. “I believe we’re openly explicit about what we feel in our music. We express ourselves in a very powerful way.”
Emilio is one of the singers in Latin Mafia alongside his twin brother Milton de la Rosa. Their older brother Mike de la Rosa, who serves as the band’s producer, rounds out the trio. Last October, Latin Mafia jolted new life into Latin music with their avant-garde album, seamlessly blending genres like R&B, trap, hyperpop, rock, flamenco, EDM, and more. The brothers also opened up about their anxieties with sudden fame in the frenetic “Siento Que Merezco Más.” Latin Mafia aren’t afraid to wear their hearts on their sleeves. The music video for “No Digas Nadas” shows them supporting each other through an emotional episode.
With machismo [toxic masculinity] rooted in Latinx culture, tears and talking about feelings can be seen as a weakness. For Latin Mafia, it’s a strength of theirs. This past year, the trio has performed sold-out concerts across the US and Mexico on their Te Odio y Te Extraño Mucho Tour. Uproxx caught their concert at the Palacio De Los Deportes in Mexico City on June 1, which included surprise guests like Omar Apollo. Latin Mafia brought the emotions behind their music to life and let the tears fall when they revealed that their grandmother had passed a few days prior. After the show, they caught up with Uproxx to talk about mental health, the importance of being vulnerable, and what’s next.
Why is it important for you guys to talk about mental health with your music and platform?
Milton de la Rosa: There are a lot of people who don’t talk about it. There are a lot of people who don’t talk about how they’re feeling. There are a lot of people who don’t ask for help, and that never ends well. If we can do something in one way or another, it’s to simply show what we’re going through. You can’t ask people to talk about what they’re going through, but we want to let them know they can do that if they want to and that it’s okay. Mexico is a country with a very high suicide rate among adolescents and adults. It would be illogical for us to not talk about that or to not give visibility to that issue. We want to try to do something or make a difference in whatever way we can. We’re showing that we’re human and that we feel things and that it’s okay to feel those things. You don’t have to hold that in or keep it to yourself. Vulnerability is a part of the human experience, and it’s okay to be vulnerable.
What would you recommend to anyone who is experiencing issues with mental health?
Emilio de la Rosa: The first step to getting help is talking about it. That really helps.
Milton: I’ve definitely felt that I couldn’t cry enough about my grandmother because I felt a lot of pressure from these Palacio De Los Deportes shows. I didn’t have time to allow myself to feel or to give myself a pause from everything. That led to the ocean of tears at last night’s show. Yesterday, I was like, ‘Okay, I have to let this all out.’ Honestly, I believe yesterday’s show was like therapy for me.
Emilio: The difference between the shows yesterday and today is that yesterday’s show was very sad, knowing that my grandmother wasn’t here to see that show. Today, the show was a lot happier because I knew that she was watching us and that she was happy to see our show.
Milton: Today’s show was f*cking awesome! I’m sure that she would be upset that I took off my shirt and that I was jumping from many high places. [Laughs.] I’m sure she loved it.
How therapeutic of an experience was it for you guys to create your album Todos Los Días Todo El Día?
Mike de la Rosa: That album came from a very cathartic place, just like these shows. The album includes a lot of the emotions that we felt at the time, a lot of things that we wanted to talk about, and a lot of things that we wanted today. Today’s show was the perfect example of what we want to give and what we want to show with our music.
What do guys like to do to take care of yourselves and your mental health?
Milton: We go to the gym every day and I’m eating a balanced diet. We eat a lot of vegetables and protein and that’s it. I’ve gone a month without eating anything with sugar, so that’s why I’m eating these cookies in front of me right now. I’m a person who’s very vulnerable on a mental level. Since I was a child, I’ve had to get used to keeping my mind busy. I’m a person who loves to have a routine. In a way, having a routine gives me peace of mind. I feel like being disciplined with doing exercise and eating healthy every day is not only helping me with my body, but also with my mind. I believe that’s why I like to take care of my body and mind. To be disciplined is never a bad habit. I want to be disciplined with my work, my mental health, my body, and my mind. That’s why I say, ‘Long live having a routine!’ [Laughs.]
Emilio: The crazy thing is that I’m doing the same routine as him and my body hasn’t changed.
At these Palacio De Los Deportes shows, you guys debuted an upcoming cumbia song with Omar Apollo. What was the experience like to work with him on music and now perform live with him?
Emilio: It’s an honor for us. We said during the show that we admire him so much. Mike and I saw him a few years ago at the House of Vans concert here. To share the stage with people at the level of talent that he has is incredible. That goes for all the artists we shared the stage with today [Akriila, Jesse Baez, and Rusowsky]. Up until the day I die, I’ll always carry with me those experiences of sharing the stage and music with my favorite artists.
Mike: There was a moment that I told my brothers, ‘Take this moment in and take a mental snapshot of it.’ It’s very impressive everything that we’re going through together at this moment. It’s been very cathartic. It’s been two days that we’ll never forget. We know that our grandmother Guadalupe is very proud of us and that makes us very happy.
This month is also Pride Month. I was wondering if you guys had a message for your fans that belong to the LGBTQ+ community.
Emilio: As Latin Mafia, we’ve always said to feel what you want to feel and experience what you want to experience. Live your life and do what your heart desires. Be happy and don’t care about what other people think. We know that this month is very important for our fans who belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Embrace who you are and love everything that you do because that’s what makes you incredible and real. We admire all the people who belong to that community so much. They’re very strong people.
What more can we expect from you guys this year?
Milton: There’s a lot more music, collaborations, and music videos coming. This year, we want to start working on our second album. We want to get into that exploration mode again to be able to do even more things.
Mike: We haven’t started on our second album yet, but we have some ideas in mind.
What do you want to achieve next with Latin Mafia?
Milton: In a year or a year and a half, Latin Mafia will perform at the Estadio GNP Seguros.
Emilio: Latin Mafia mundial [worldwide]. Latin mundial. Mundial Mafia.
Milton: This year, we’ll win our first Latin Grammy and then our first Grammy. To win those awards would be a dream come true and if we get both of them, let’s go!
Earlier this year, Faye Webster YoYo Invitational host Faye Webster performed a Tiny Desk Concert. Later this year, she’ll be doing essentially the exact opposite of that: Instead of bringing her songs to a stripped-down office environment, on An Evening With Faye Webster, which will feature her performing with a symphony.
The run includes three shows: October 28 in Atlanta, November 1 in Los Angeles, and November 5 in Oakland. For tickets, there’s an artist pre-sale starting June 11 at 10 a.m. local time, then a general on-sale beginning June 13 at 10 a.m. local time. More info can be found on Webster’s website.
Check out the tour dates, along with previously announced shows, below.
Faye Webster’s 2025 Tour Dates: Underdressed At The Symphony Tour 2025 and An Evening With Faye Webster
06/26 — Paris, FR @ La Cigale
06/27 — Bristol, UK @ Bristol Beacon
06/29 — Glastonbury, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
07/01 — Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
07/02 — Manchester, UK @ Manchester Academy
07/04 — London, UK @ Eventim Apollo
07/05 — Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival
07/06 — Rotselaar, BE @ Rock Werchter
07/12 — Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg
07/13 — Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre
07/15 — Melbourne, AU @ Forum Theatre
07/16 — Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre
07/21 — Sydney, AU @ Enmore Theatre
07/23 — Manila, PH @ The Filinvest Tent
07/26 — Seoul, KR @ Musinsa Garage
07/29 — Niigata, JP @ Fuji Rock Festival
09/27 — Washington, DC @ All Things Go Festival
10/28 — Atlanta, GA @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
11/01 — Los Angeles, CA @ Walt Disney Concert Hall
11/05 — Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
In the latest single from his upcoming film Red Clay, 2 Chainz recruits R&B star Ne-Yo to help him recount his journey from rags to riches. “Not The Same” builds on a soulful loop, pairing 2 Chainz’s signature wit and storytelling with Ne-Yo’s emotive chorus. Meanwhile, the video for the song features the two stars throwing a house party in the Georgia boondocks, intercut with scenes from Red Clay. Co-written by Omar Epps, the coming-of-age film follows two friends as they contemplate alternate routes to escape the hardships that surround them.
2 Chainz has released two other videos from the film’s soundtrack: “ATL Experience” featuring the Isley Brothers and “Sista Wives” featuring Lil Yachty. The soundtrack will constitute Chainz’s second project of 2025, following his joint project with Larry June and The Alchemist, Life Is Beautiful.
In an interview with Variety before the film’s premiere at the Atlanta Film Festival, 2 Chainz explained, “My inspiration to write this film came from the need to unpack brutal truths and showcase the complexities of why black and brown communities normalize trauma. It’s my hope to inspire conversations which motivate people to have more grace, and compassion towards one another.”
You can watch the video for 2 Chainz’s single “Not The Same” featuring Ne-Yo above.
La Dispute fans have endured a bit of a wait recently, as the band’s most recent album, Panorama, was released in 2019. Soon, the wait will be over, as La Dispute announced No One Was Driving The Car last month.
Now, they’re back with a new eight-minute song, “Environmental Catastrophe Film.” It’s characteristically verbose, and in a statement, the band’s Jordan Dreyer says:
“the second act–more or less the thematic center of the record–is a single song split into three parts. it begins with a boy beside a creek-bed in a wooded area near home, holding a snapping turtle above the flowing water, before tracing its winding path to the river around which the city was first built, and through a brief history of the city itself–its settlement, the creation of the christian reformed church, and the furniture industry that dominated its early economic growth.
from there we return to the boy beside the creek. he sees his own lack of control in the flailing creature he holds, then again at church, listening to a sermon delivered on the calvinist doctrines of predestination, man’s innate and total depravity, and the irresistible grace of his family’s god. at the end of it, he returns for the first time in adulthood to that same church, at the funeral of an old friend dead by suicide, from which the conversation shifts back to the creek as metaphor for life and time, and to what we ultimately maintain the least control over in life: that we can change neither the fact it moves nor the direction it ceaselessly does.
in the final section, the city’s history of the furniture manufacturing returns as additional metaphor, presenting us as un-hewn wood, locked within the lathe of time and against its blade turned, to carve away with each rotation fragments of self en route to new forms–perhaps useful, perhaps beautiful, perhaps not. and as the layers shaved away fall to ground, they are swept up at day’s end and thrown inside the furnace: to burn and be breathed in as smoke, felt as heat, and to return one day as rain from the atmosphere in which they’ve dissipated. what’s left on the lathe is given purpose–placed as slats in chair backs or as table legs–and from this image the focus narrows again: to life with another–where, ultimately, the narrator finds his own comfort against the tumult–via the furniture moved and used by them from one shared home to another, and the person with whom he’s shared them.”
Listen to “Environmental Catastrophe Film” above.
No One Was Driving The Car via 9/5 via Epitaph. Find more information here.
The party that had NYC buzzing this weekend? It happened before the Governors Ball festival gates even opened.
Sparkling Ice and Uproxx shut down the Lower East Side as part of the Sparkling Sessions 2.0 Tour, pregaming the East Coast’s biggest music event with an unforgettable rooftop rager that hosted the city’s R&B lovers and cultural curators. With lines around the block and bespoke Sparkling Ice-infused cocktails flowing, cultural collective 4LoversOnly kept the energy high, designing an electric on-the-decks lineup that included Moochie and Sounds Of Reality.
Members of the New York cool-crowd sipped Instagram-worthy creations and munched on light bites in between hitting the packed dancefloor, snapping pics at multiple photo activations, taking in views of the Manhattan skyline, and nabbing limited-edition merch. And this was all before Grammy-winning R&B icon and headliner Lucky Daye took to the stage to deliver a mindblowing parade of hits (along with some fresh drops from his latest album, Algorithm).
The sounds, the flavors, the vibes – it was all proof that Sparkling Ice and Uproxx have cracked the code for creating once-in-a-lifetime music experiences that put fans first. And we’re not stopping any time soon. Keep your eyes on this spot for where we’ll show up next, and relive the magic of our NYC stop via some candid shots below.
Turnstile just released their triumphant new album Never Enough a few days ago, and as fans dive into the project, the band is preparing to tour behind it: Today (June 10), the group announced The Never Enough Tour.
The fall trek of North American dates spans about a month in September and October, and will feature support from Amyl & The Sniffers, Speed, Jane Remover, Mannequin Pussy, and Blood Orange.
Ticket pre-sales start June 11 at 10 a.m. local time, followed by a general on-sale on June 13 at 10 a.m. local time. More information is available on the band’s website.
Check out the full list of tour dates below.
Turnstile’s 2025 Tour Dates: The Never Enough Tour
09/15 — Nashville, TN @ The Pinnacle ~
09/17 — Asheville, NC @ Asheville Yards Amphitheater ^
09/19 — Philadelphia, PA @ Skyline Stage at Mann ^
09/20 — Boston, MA @ The Stage at Suffolk Downs ^
09/21 — Buffalo, NY @ The Outer Harbor at Terminal B ^
09/23 — Columbus, OH @ KEMBA Live! #
09/24 — Richmond, VA @ Brown’s Island #
09/26 — Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion at Northerly Island ^
09/27 — Minneapolis, MN @ The Armory ^
09/28 — Des Moines, IA @ Lauridsen Amphitheater at Waterworks Park ^
09/30 — Denver, CO @ Project 70 Under the Bridge ^
10/03 — Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock *
10/04 — Los Angeles, CA @ Exposition Park +
10/05 — San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium +
10/07 — Seattle, WA @ WaMu Theater +
10/08 — Portland, OR @ Edgefield Concerts on the Lawn +
10/10 — San Diego, CA @ Gallagher Square at Petco Park +
10/11 — Phoenix, AZ @ Mesa Amphitheater +
10/14 — Austin, TX @ Moody Amphitheater +
10/15 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Lawn +
10/16 — Fort Worth, TX @ Panther Island Pavilion +
10/18 — Miami, FL @ III Points *
10/19 — Orlando, FL @ Orlando Amphitheatre +
+ with Amyl & The Sniffers, Speed, Jane Remover
^ with Mannequin Pussy, Speed, Jane Remover
# with Blood Orange, Speed, Jane Remover
~ with Speed, Jane Remover
* festival date
Never Enough is out now via Roadrunner. Find more information here.
Michelle Zauner is fresh off the release of her latest Japanese Breakfast album, For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women), but she still has new music to share. Today (June 10), it’s “My Baby (Got Nothing At All),” from the soundtrack of Materialists (we got a preview of the song in a March trailer).
Listen to “My Baby (Got Nothing At All)” above and check out Japanese Breakfast’s upcoming tour dates below.
Japanese Breakfast’s 2025 Tour Dates
06/11 — Tokyo, JP @ Zepp Shunkjuku
06/13 — Osaka, JP @ Club Quattro
06/15 — Cheorwon-gun, KR @ DMZ Peace Train Music Festival
06/21 — Milwaukee, WI @ Summerfest
06/24 — Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
06/25 — Stockholm, SE @ Filadelfia #
06/26 — Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA #
06/28 — Pilton, UK @ Glastonbury Festival
06/29 — Manchester, UK @ Academy 1 #
06/30 — Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland #
07/01 — Bristol, UK @ O2 Academy Bristol #
07/03 — London, UK @ O2 Academy Brixton #
07/04-06 — Ewijk, NL @ Down The Rabbit Hole 2025
07/05 — Utrecht, NL @ TivoliVredenburg #
07/08 — Paris, FR @ Le Trianon #
07/10 — Bilbao, ES @ Bilbao BBK Live
07/27 — Portland, OR @ Project Pabst
08/20 — San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Theatre at SDSU *
08/22 — Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre *
08/23 — Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl *
08/27 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic *
08/28 — San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic *
08/30 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater *
09/01 — Vancouver, BC @ The Orpheum *
09/02 — Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Amphitheater *
09/03 — Seattle, WA @ Woodland Park Amphitheater *
09/05 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Twilight Concert Series @ Pioneer Park * ^
09/06 — Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom *
09/09 — St Paul, MN @ The Palace Theater *
09/10 — Madison, WI @ The Sylvee *
* with Ginger Root
# with Minhwi Lee
^ with Tomper
Ahead of the 2025 BET Awards, the network promised its biggest show ever, and by most accounts, that’s exactly what it delivered on Monday (June 9). In addition to honoring some of Black entertainment’s Ultimate Icons and presenting a huge slate of performers, the show offered a buzzy, well-produced affair, with few faux pas (although it did run long) and plenty of laughs provided by host Kevin Hart.
But, of course, the main reason people tune in is to see who won. Kendrick Lamar, who led all nominees with ten nominations, turned out to be the biggest winner of the evening, taking home five trophies, while associated artists like Doechii and SZA also won in their respective categories. Here is a full list of the winners of the 2025 BET Awards.
Album of the Year
WINNER: GNX — Kendrick Lamar
$ome $exy $ongs 4 U — Drake & Partynextdoor 11:11 Deluxe — Chris Brown Alligator Bites Never Heal — Doechii Cowboy Carter — Beyoncé Glorious — GloRilla Hurry Up Tomorrow — The Weeknd We Don’t Trust You — Future & Metro Boomin
Best Female R&B/Pop Artist
WINNER: SZA
Ari Lennox
Ayra Starr
Coco Jones
Kehlani
Muni Long
Summer Walker
Victoria Monét
Best Male R&B/Pop Artist
WINNER: Chris Brown
Bruno Mars
Drake
Fridayy
Leon Thomas
Teddy Swims
The Weeknd
Usher
Best Group
WINNER: Future & Metro Boomin
41
Common & Pete Rock
Drake & Partynextdoor
Flo
Jacquees & Dej Loaf
Larry June, 2 Chainz, The Alchemist
Maverick City Music
Best Collaboration
WINNER: “Luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“30 For 30” — SZA feat. Kendrick Lamar
“Alter Ego” — Doechii feat. JT
“Are You Even Real” — Teddy Swims feat. Givēon
“Beckham” — Dee Billz feat. Kyle Richh, Kai Swervo, KJ Swervo
Bless — Lil Wayne, Wheezy & Young Thug
“Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin & Kendrick Lamar
“Sticky” — Tyler, The Creator feat. GloRilla, Sexyy Red & Lil Wayne
“Timeless” — The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti
Best Female Hip Hop Artist
WINNER: Doechii
Cardi B
Doja Cat
GloRilla
Latto
Megan Thee Stallion
Nicki Minaj
Rapsody
Sexyy Red
Best Male Hip Hop Artist
WINNER: Kendrick Lamar
BigXthaPlug
Bossman DLow
Burna Boy
Drake
Future
Key Glock
Lil Wayne
Tyler, The Creator
Video of the Year
WINNER: “Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
“3AM in Tokyo” — Key Glock
“A Bar Song (Tipsy)” — Shaboozey
“After Hours” — Kehlani
“Denial Is a River” — Doechii
“Family Matters” — Drake
“Timeless” — The Weeknd feat. Playboi Carti
“Type Shit” — Future, Metro Boomin, Travis Scott & Playboi Carti
Video Director of the Year
WINNER: Dave Free & Kendrick Lamar
Anderson .Paak
B Pace Productions & Jacquees
Benny Boom
Cactus Jack
Cole Bennett
Dave Meyers
Foggieraw
Tyler, The Creator
Best New Artist
WINNER: Leon Thomas
41
Ayra Starr
BigXthaPlug
BossMan Dlow
Dee Billz
October London
Shaboozey
Teddy Swims
Dr. Bobby Jones Best Gospel/Inspirational Award
WINNER: “Rain Down on Me” — GloRilla feat. Kirk Franklin, Maverick City Music
“A God (There Is)” — Common & Pete Rock feat. Jennifer Hudson
“Amen” — Pastor Mike Jr.
“Better Days” — Fridayy
“Church Doors” — Yolanda Adams feat. Sir The Baptist & Donald Lawrence (Terry Hunter Remix)
“Constant” — Maverick City Music, Jordin Sparks, Chandler Moore & Anthony Gargiula
“Deserve to Win” — Tamela Mann
“Faith” — Rapsody
Viewer’s Choice Award
WINNER: “Residuals” — Chris Brown
“Denial Is a River” — Doechii
“Nokia” — Drake
“Like That” — Future & Metro Boomin feat. Kendrick Lamar
“TGIF” — GloRilla
“Not Like Us” — Kendrick Lamar
“Luther” — Kendrick Lamar & SZA
“Brokey” — Latto
Best International Act
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Any Gabrielly (Brazil)
Basky (UK)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Ezra Collective (UK)
Joé Dwèt Filé (France)
MC Luanna (Brazil)
Rema (Nigeria)
SDM (France)
Tyla (South Africa)
Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)
Best New International Act
WINNER: Ajulicosta (Brazil)
Abigail Chams (Tanzania)
Amabbi (Brazil)
Dlala Thukzin (South Africa)
Dr Yaro (France)
KWN (UK)
Maglera Doe Boy (South Africa)
Merveille (France)
Odeal (UK)
Shallipopi (Nigeria)
TxC (South Africa)
BET Her
WINNER: “Heart of a Woman” — Summer Walker
“Beautiful People” — Mary J. Blige
“Blackbiird” — Beyonce feat. Tanner Adell, Brittney Spencer, Tiera Kennedy & Reyna Roberts
“Bloom” — Doechii
“Burning” — Tems
“Defying Gravity” — Cynthia Erivo feat. Ariana Grande
“Hold On” — Tems
“In My Bag” — Flo & GloRilla
Best Movie
WINNER: Luther: Never Too Much
Bad Boys: Ride or Die Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F Mufasa: The Lion King
One of Them Days
Rebel Ridge
The Piano Lesson
The Six Triple Eight
Best Actor
WINNER: Denzel Washington
Aaron Pierce
Aldis Hodge
Anthony Mackie
Colman Domingo
Jamie Foxx
Joey Bada$$
Kevin Hart
Sterling K. Brown
Will Smith
Best Actress
WINNER: Cynthia Erivo
Andra Day
Angela Bassett
Coco Jones
Keke Palmer
Kerry Washington
Quinta Brunson
Viola Davis
Zendaya
Young Stars Award
WINNER: Blue Ivy Carter
Akira Akbar
Graceyn “Gracie” Hollingsworth
Heiress Harris
Melody Hurd
Thaddeus J. Mixson
Tyrik Johnson
VanVan
Sportswoman of the Year Award
WINNER: Angel Reese
A’ja Wilson
Claressa Shields
Coco Gauff
Dawn Staley
Flau’jae Johnson
Juju Watkins
Sha’Carri Richardson
Simone Biles
Sportsman of the Year
WINNER: Jalen Hurts
Aaron Judge
Anthony Edwards
Deion Sanders
Jayson Tatum
LeBron James
Saquon Barkley
Stephen Curry
It’s not much of a reach to say that the relationship between art and commerce has always been… tense. But for KidSuper’s Colm Dillane, the tension isn’t as cut-and-dry as it has often been characterized. While some view artists and corporate interests as natural antagonists, the multifaceted designer sees them as much more symbiotic.
While on a Zoom call with Dillane to chat about his latest brand collaboration, a custom couture-inspired delivery hot bag for Papa John’s rolling out alongside the chain’s new croissant pizza, he detailed his philosophy regarding big-brand involvement in his artistic endeavors.
“I think the support that we get from brands like Papa John’s is super important to maintaining the ability to be creative,” he says. “I think that’s a huge thing. People think that it’s the complete opposite, but actually these collaborations as helping me maintain my freedom and creativity.”
That creativity extends to such as his record label, KidSuper Records, which launched in October with its debut single, “Big In Da Game” featuring British grime legend Giggs and Atlanta trap mainstay Quavo. The label was a natural extension of Colm’s collaborations with artists like Ed Sheeran, Kehlani, Laila!, Russ, and more, highlighting the ties between fashion, graphic design, and music.
“Since day one, music has always been an integral part of KidSuper,” he said at the time. “From housing artists, to making album art, merch collaborations, and hosting pop-ups.” While he said that “KidSuper Records was always a pipe dream,” it’s the sort of dream that could only come true with the freedoms afforded by his mainstream brand collaborations.
So, while Papa John’s benefits from KidSuper’s cool co-sign, Colm’s studio is flourishing thanks in part to the brand’s support, putting him in position to bring more art to life — whether that’s in the world of design, fashion, or music.
How did you end up collaborating with Papa John’s?
Couple reasons. One, we’re doing this fashion show in Paris and every season we go out there as Americans to Paris and work our asses off to try to pull off these crazy shows. When Papa John’s was doing this croissant pizza, they were looking to collaborate with people that think outside the box. Then the whole thing tied in with going to Paris, croissant. Then the whole story tied in with us staying up late nights working on these things, eating pizza. It was kind of like, “Hey, this could work and feel organic and make sense.”
From there, we kept going and talking about it. Then it was like, “Well, during fashion shows, I’ve been known to make interesting accessories and bags and stuff like that.” A pizza bag in the context of a Paris Fashion Week show might actually work for KidSuper. That’s how all the ideas started. The more we got talking about it, the more we were like, “Oh, this is cool, this is cool. This weirdly works,” and here we are.
Sounds like a dream job: Eating pizza in the middle of the night and drawing pictures.
It is a dream job. It’s also very fun because a lot of the people that I work with have been with me since I was five or 10 or 15. A lot of those moments were around pizza. It’s pretty funny. I think you should see behind the scenes of what these Paris Fashion Week happenings are because we’ll be like full kids trying to figure out how to make a Scrabble tile or make the silliest item, and then the next day, it’s like we’re on Vogue competing against Dior and Louis Vuitton. I think, and I’m completely unbiased here, but we do the best shows during Paris Fashion Week.
Speaking of the bag, they actually sent me the press images of it. It looks very, very, very cool. I would love to know the inspirations, the thinking behind some of these design details, like the handle. I was like, “Whoa, that’s nifty.” It’s one of those… I can’t remember the name of it, but it’s like those ropes they tie the elaborate curtains at the opera with. That’s what it reminds me of.
Well, it’s funny that you take that as great art speaks to people in different ways. But we were thinking that the rope kind of represents or alludes to the way you tie croissants. That’s why we did the rope. But I like your take, which made it feel more elegant and fancy.
In terms of the jacquard pattern on it, we were trying to make something that felt KidSuper but also had the colors of Papa John’s, but also wasn’t so screaming in your face that this is a pizza bag. It was also like, “Oh, this is a really nice pattern and could live on a runway as well.” That was kind of the inspiration. When we do these types of collaborations, we present 30 ideas, usually. I think it’s interesting for people to understand because I think a lot of times, people think, “Whatever, it’s not a full collaboration,” or whatever it is. But we presented a bunch of ideas, and we all came together to think that was told the story the best.
I was thinking about my memories of Papa John’s pizza. My thing that I remember is that my high school had Papa John’s pizza in the morning and at lunchtime, you went to the café, and you paid a dollar, and they gave you a slice. Do you have any memories of Papa John’s pizza specifically?
I unfortunately did not have that high school experience. I don’t even think we touched our high school cafeteria food. It was that crazy. I went to high school in Brooklyn. But I mean, the thing that’s funny, and I don’t know if they want me to say this because, but I love the little peppers. I remember the peppers on the side of Papa John’s. That always felt like a touch above the rest of the class that Papa John’s is in. I was like, “Oh man, this is fancy or artisanal or whatever.”
But I think for me growing up, Papa John’s was always seen a little bit as more premium than the rest of its colleagues in the space. That’s how I always saw it, to be honest. Maybe it was just fully because of that pepper. But I unfortunately didn’t have it in high school, but that’s also a cool story. Where’d you go to high school?
Papa John’s
I went to high school in Long Beach Poly. I guess if you go to a school that they shoot movies at, they let you have stuff like that. Nick Cannon is not going to shoot Love Don’t Cost A Thing and not get his Papa John’s.
That’s awesome. My favorite Nick Cannon movie is Drumline.
It’s the best Nick Cannon movie, easily.
It’s the best drumming movie of all time.
Well, there’s Whiplash.
I get in this argument aggressively, and I’m like, “Drumline is 10 times better than Whiplash.”
Happier ending. Whiplash is a drag. What is the most interesting thing you learned through this process?
I think one thing is it’s cool to think all KidSuper and Papa John’s, at one time, were just an idea or just a small company. I think that’s where we both tie in together. It’s also cool to think there’s still a little bit of freedom and play allowed even in these big companies. I try to keep that as much as I can within KidSuper.
Thank you for that. I really appreciate you reminding me of finding the space in the rules to play around because that was something that I’ve been thinking about a lot lately.
When I’m working with brands, they’re championing that more than they’re trying to prevent it. They’re actually like, “How can we think bigger?” That’s why they’re coming to me. Shout out to Papa John’s and other brands. But it’s cool to be in a position now where you can do that. I think some people get these negative connotations about brands where it’s like, “There’s this guy behind the desk who’s like no good ideas and no creative thinking.” But they’re championing new ideas, and they’re trying to do new ideas, so it is quite fun.
This is hard to say, but this is more difficult than people think. I think the support that we get from brands like Papa John’s is super important to maintaining the ability to be creative. I think that’s a huge thing. I think there’s always… people think that it’s the complete opposite, actually, but actually, these collaborations help me maintain my freedom and creativity.
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